Higher Calling Online Journal

Ode to Albert Pujols

2010-02-03T23:04:00.002-05:00

This is my poem written to the greatest baseball player of all time. I like it, even if none of you do.

Albert, Albert, burning bright,
In the infield, in the night,
What sportswriter, near or far
Could guess thy fearful UZR?

And what feeble outfield mitt
Could catch the quickness of thy hit?
In what manner could he try
To stop your smooth walk-off Big Fly?

And what stat won’t see your skill,
Making you seem over the hill?
Slugging, average, OPS?
Your results are always ridiculous!

Why the sore elbow? Can surgery wait?
In the midst of a season, is it fate?
With hairline receding, why no glee,
With thy above-par goatee?

When next season comes your way
When the Cards prepare to play
What are the heights of your success?
Is it possible to even guess?

Albert, Albert, burning bright
In the infield, in the night,
What sportswriter, near or far
Could guess they fearful UZR?

Zachary Pittman: In His Own Words.

2010-01-26T18:00:00.000-05:00

Recently I was watching a cable news channel and a commercial ran for a show called, "Barack Obama: In His Own Words." It was a recap of the presidential campaign and his first year in office to see if he has followed through on what he had promised. As I watched this commercial, I had a variety of thoughts. First, I thought that show should be used for all politicians! How long do you think the average person in office would stay in power if they had shows like that one run about their careers every year?

Then I wondered what would happen if someone made a show like that about my life. How would my actions measure up to my words? That is when I got a little nervous. I realized it is much easier to see the hypocrisy in others than in your own life. Our ability to be self aware is the driving force of integrity. If we aren't willing to own up to our short comings, we won't ever experience the type of growth necessary to become the type of people God uses to change the world.

You may not ever have a nationally televised show dedicated to checking to see if your actions match up to your words, but you can live a life of honor and integrity by matching your deeds to your words.

Our Homes of Honor series is meant to help us do just that. I think everyone wants to be able to say their home reflects their belief in God. This series will equip you with the knowledge to build a home that brings honor to God. I hope you can be there. Class starts on Wednesday night here at the church at 7 pm. I hope to see you there!

The Colt's Night before Christmas

2009-12-24T18:53:00.001-05:00

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the city,
Not a Colt fan was a stirring, it was such a pity
The playoffs were set, with a bye all secure,
Yet the Indy fans felt 16-0's great allure

The DEs were resting, with Peyton on the sidelines
While visions of a 4th MVP just wouldn't fit my rhyme.
The kids in their jerseys and I in my cap
Watched Curtis Painter on the field, taking a crap

Up on the scoreboard, our hopes took a batter
As the 3rd string left Painter in the pocket, to splatter
Away from the game, I clicked like a flash
As my post holiday cheer started to crash

A pall set in on the crest fallen crowd,
As defeat covered the Luke like a burial shroud
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
Santa Jim Caldwell yelling for all to hear!

"On Peyton, on Reggie, on Saturday and Joe!
Off Painter, off Baskett, off, Simpson and Ugoh!"
As dry leaves that before the hurricane must fly,
When met with a deficit, mount to the sky!

Up over the Jet’s defense, the passes they flew
And instead of trailing by 9, it was cut to just two!
Then Freeney arrived with with a bone jarring crack
And left poor young Sanchez, stripped with a sack.

Brackett tumbled toward the ball without tarry,
and scooped it up quick, like a yummy Christmas cherry.
He had a broad face, and a little round belly,
and rumbled for 15 yards like bat out of helly.

The crowd spoke not a word as the offense went to work,
To leave the Jet’s coach crying, that loud mouthed jerk.
As Peyton fit in one more pass to Garcon right on the nose,
Everyone's undefeated hopes at once all arose

He found Clark at the twenty on a pretty slant route
And turned to the ref to burn the last Indy timeout
Stover's kick split the uprights and passed from our sight
It's the 16-0 dream I keeping having, night after night.

How Quickly Things Change

2009-12-10T10:41:00.000-05:00

Am I the only one that thinks this Christmas season is flying by? By the time you read this, Christmas will likely be only 2 weeks away. The home stretch of 2009 is here and it seems like I was trying to get a tan (and failing) and scheduling tee times a couple days ago. Of course, in Indiana that is closer to the truth than not, isn't it?

Things change so quickly. The transition from shorts to pants in our city can happen in an afternoon, and if you don't make it your life could be in danger with -15 degree windchill at night! Our lives can change just as suddenly, for better or for worse.

A lot of you have asked me about this Tiger Woods drama that has been going on since many of you know I have been a golfer for quite some time and was a big fan of his. I don't want to add the the contrived outrage coming from many in our society, but I do think there is one important lesson we can learn from Tiger's very public mistake. In some respects, watching what has happened to Tiger recently is enough to send a person into a depression.

I mean, if this guy can't be happy, then who can? Tiger Woods hit every single marker the world sets for happiness and fulfillment. He is the best in the world at what he does, probably the best ever, he is rich beyond belief, he is married and has a beautiful family. To all outside observers, his life was perfect and fulfilled. We now know it wasn't. He was searching for something in his life that his fame and money could not provide, and could never provide.

So when are you going to give up the idea that the things of this world will make you happy? You may end up very successful someday, but I doubt you will bank as much as Tiger has and will. Sorry to disappoint! Success doesn't satisfy. Maybe there is more to fulfillment than what the world tells us. Maybe it is time for you to stop settling for a life of success and move to finding a life of significance. This comes from giving your life away to a cause greater than yourself, and there is no higher calling than the family of God, the church. Service results in significance. This Christmas, if your holiday bonus (or lack of one, in this economy) affects your happiness more than your loved ones or your purpose in life, it's time to reset your priorities.

Live a life of significance today. Because things change so quickly.

Healing Through Forgiveness

2009-11-12T10:25:00.000-05:00

Forgiveness is the only way to healing.

Think about it. We live in an imperfect world with imperfect people. All of our relationships are broken because of it. This brokenness makes forgiveness an essential part of our lives. We must learn to forgive because we don't love perfectly! I will both cause hurt and be hurt in life; it is undeniable and inescapable. The way I can be heal and offer healing to others is by accepting and practicing forgiveness in my life.

Remember that God's path to healing travels through forgiveness. He paved a way for us to all be forgiven of everything we have ever done that was against his heart. This path cost him his son. That is the cost and high calling of forgiveness. When we forgive and release those that have hurt us, we become more like God in our character.

When we forgive we also release ourselves. We are released from the crippling effects of bitterness and resentment. Sometimes we think holding onto these feelings is a means of revenge on those that have hurt us, but don't be fooled. You are only hurting yourself by clinging to anger. Forgiveness will break the hold those that have hurt you have on your life.

Forgiveness isn't about having conditions and setting goal posts for other people to meet before they are released. It is unconditional. Forgiveness also isn't rolling over in life and subjecting yourself to endless abuse and hurt. Sometimes you have to stand for what is right and that can mean moving away from a negative influence. Forgiveness is a balm for broken hearts. If you practice forgiveness, you will find that God will take the broken pieces of your life and replace them with his peace.

Let Go and Let God

2009-10-20T15:15:00.001-04:00

I have to admit this is one of my least favorite popular sayings of Christians. Not because it isn't true, but because of how I perceive it is misused and misunderstood. Many times people will say this in a very passive sense, as if God controlling our lives means we no longer care about our actions or take responsibility for them.

Giving God control of our life does not mean that he does everything for us. It is not an abdication of responsibility. In fact, letting go may mean taking on a greater level of responsibility for work in his kingdom than you ever have before. The only way this wouldn't be true is if you were perfect and had nothing to work on in life. Since none of us fit that definition, God controlling our lives will always mean him calling us to a higher standard.

You may be afraid to let go of control in your life because you know God will ask you to do something you don't want to do. You may even know exactly what it is! Whether it's making a commitment, restoring a relationship, or taking a risk, letting go will mean that God asks you to do more for him, not less. The only question is one of courage and faith. Do I trust God enough to let him control my life and lead me where he wants to; regardless of what it may require of me?

Don't live a passive life. Let go and let God direct your life in the direction that leads to healing and happiness in life.

A New Community

2009-09-03T12:50:00.000-04:00

Have you ever been on a flight with a first class section? I have several times, and without fail have felt the jealousy as I walk through this section on the front of the plane to the back with all the "commoners." The world of first class is a magical place, and of course if you aren't first class then by definition you are second class at best. The airlines don't call it that of course, but if you have flown coach then you understand the difference between the two sections.

In first class you can get food that actually tastes like food; in coach you are lucky to get peanuts from the 1990s. In first class you get a roomy chair and a moist towel to refresh yourself; in coach you are crammed together and forced to sit in your own sweat. The greatest offense takes place before the flight though. The flight attendant will pull a curtain shut between the sections, blocking the view to first class. After all, you can't let the riff raff in coach see what is going on in luxury!

We hate it when it happens to us, but the truth is that we can put dividing walls between ourselves and others all the time. Our society is great at division, whether it is between races, men and women, or young and old. It should not be this way in the church! One of the purposes of Jesus' death and resurrection was to bring together all of the groups normally separated by culture and human nature. Paul says this in Ephesians 2:

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

Paul saw what Jesus accomplished on the cross and for him, that curtain was gone. No more is there separation between people; we have been united in Christ and we are a new community. That is why our love for one another is important. It reflects the amazing love Jesus had for us all. Our community is proof of our faith and a powerful witness to our world.

Pursue the purpose of community!

Giving it All

2009-08-25T17:34:00.000-04:00

It can be easy to think that your participation isn't significant. Every one of us can be trapped from time to time by feelings of inferiority when we compare our abilities or resources to others. Our call to be generous is no different; we can feel hesitant to participate in this effort because of our own perceived insignificance.

Interestingly, Jesus isn't impressed by the amount that anyone gives. He is impressed by giving inspired by sacrificial love. A story in Luke 21:1-4 illustrates this beautifully. Jesus is at the temple and watches some very rich worshippers make their offerings, followed by a widow who is only able to give 2 tiny copper coins; equivalent to less than a penny. Jesus is so proud of this woman that he makes her an eternal example of what the spirit of generosity looks like:

"I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." Luke 21:3-4

Jesus makes it clear that it isn't WHAT you give, it is HOW you give. Jesus is interested in our hearts. This woman showed her heart belonged to her Heavenly Father by faithfully giving all she had. So what is God calling you to give? If you know God is calling you to give up something and you can't obey, then you no longer own that object. It owns you! So many people end up letting their possessions posses them. Don't fall into that trap. Recognize that everything you have comes from God and then faithfully release everything into his hands to use as he sees fit.

Be generous this week, and make generosity a part of your character.

You Can't Walk on Water with Your Feet in the Boat

2009-08-18T17:40:00.002-04:00

It is hard to break a reputation once you have earned it. One of the great examples of this in the scriptures is in the life of Peter, probably the most well known of the 12 disciples. Throughout the ministry of Jesus, Peter is the guy who is the first to act and the first to speak in many pivotal points. Sometimes this leads to him saying some pretty profound words. After all, Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah, the chosen one of God, before any other disciple. There are many touching moments when the tender heart of Peter is revealed in various situations.

However, Peter is a bit more known for his other side. He is the guy that runs his mouth first, usually saying something foolish. He makes promises he cannot keep, most notably his promise to never betray Jesus; just hours after that promise Peter managed to deny Jesus three times. Peter is also the guy who rushes into action without thinking things through; he is the man who cut off a person's ear when soldiers came to arrest Jesus. I get the feeling that would have been a bigger deal if Jesus didn't step in and heal the poor guy by reattaching the ear. He gets labeled as a coward for abandoning Jesus the night before the crucifixion, like all but one of the disciples.

Another time Peter seems to fail is in Matthew 14. One of the most famous scenes in the Bible takes place here when Jesus walks on water through rough seas to reach the boat his followers were on. Peter sees that the figure moving toward them was Jesus, and he asks Jesus to call him out onto the water. Jesus does, and Peter gets out of the boat and begins heading to him. The high seas become too much for Peter, and he begins to sink until Jesus rescues him. Peter is rebuked for his lack of faith, and all the disciples are amazed at what they saw. This event gets written down as yet another time when Peter failed to rise to the occasion.

Call me crazy, but I think Peter deserves some credit here. As people, we tend to focus on the failures of others and overlook their success. As far as I know, there have only been two people that walked on water. One of them was the Son of God. The other one was Peter. Isn't that pretty incredible? How many of us are on a list that short and in such good company? The other disciples all had the same opportunity Peter had; yet none of them were willing to risk that first step. How much courage did it take to leave the safety of your boat and set foot on those waves?

I think there is a lesson here for all of us. If you want to achieve something incredible in your life, you have to get out of the boat. I can promise you that the path God has created for you will not be found in the safe place you are accustomed to; it will be found in the swirling danger far from your comfort. If you allow your fear to lock you in place, the most you can ever be is an observer. Don't just be a spectator in life, participate! Take a risk, and step out of the boat and into the waters of faith.

The Art of Living

2009-08-13T14:26:00.002-04:00

Life is art. The most beautiful canvas that has ever been used are the lives of people. The way we live is the artwork we are creating, our choices are the medium used to form this art.

The choices we make form qualities in our life that can make a beautiful picture or a marred image. Nobody's art is perfect; our mistakes and shortcomings serve to distort the picture. No matter what imperfections are a part of your painting, know that Jesus came to cleanse the impurities and give us all a clean slate. We can learn to create a true masterpiece by incorporating qualities in our life that are noble and honorable.

Join us this Sunday as we learn together how to master the art of living by living a life of courage.

Stepping into the River

2009-08-11T11:32:00.000-04:00

There is a constant battle raging in our world today. Some may think this battle is only between good and evil, but I am not certain that is the case. The primary battle in the world is between fear and faith. If you think about your life, most of the decisions you make aren't between a horrific sin and a truly good act. If you are like me, your decisions are between what you know and what is uncertain, between what is comfortable and safe and what is outside your comfort zone and may cost you something.

The people of Israel faced a similar choice in Joshua 3 when they reached the bank of the Jordan River. The edge of that river represented the beginning of a new era in the history of Israel; it was the boundary of the land that God promised them many years ago. They had been here forty years before and had let their fear of the monstrous people within the land keep them from pursuing God's purpose for their nation. Now a new generation of Israelites had an opportunity to follow God boldly into the land and take possession of what they had been promised.

The problem was the river itself. It wasn't the typical calm, gentle current the Jordan usually followed; this was a raging river during the flood season. God provided a way across this river; he told the priests of Israel to take the ark of the covenant and walk right into the river. God promised that if they trusted him, he would make a way for the entire nation to cross the Jordan River safely.

Now the people of Israel had a choice to make. They could play it safe and stay on the other side of the Jordan, or they could take a step of courage and faith into the raging waters of the river. I think we all have similar decisions to make in our lives. We can play it safe on the edge of the river where life is calm and secure, or we can risk it all by stepping into the chaos of our world. The willingness to risk security and comfort is a must if you want to experience the best God has to offer you. God's best never comes easily! All too often we choose the easy path because of our fears.

Know this: whenever you play it safe you reinforce your fears! We spend so much time talking and arguing with ourselves and others about the proper path in life that we forget to actually do anything. Don't debate it. DO IT! Reject the natural impulse to always play it safe and instead choose to get your feet wet!

Learning to Let Go

2009-08-11T11:29:00.001-04:00

Resentment can be a powerful enemy in your life. It is so easy to hold grudges and allow hurt to fester in your soul. The words and actions of other people have a far greater impact on our lives than we are willing to admit. It can be strangely satisfying to hold onto your anger or hurt toward another person instead of simply letting go of those emotions. It is almost like we believe that the way we feel inside can actually strike back at those who have hurt us.

Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple. Job 5:2 (NIV)

In reality, the opposite is true. Resentment kills! I have found that the person that can make me angry controls me. The same is true in your life. The only way to find peace is through forgiveness. Forgiveness doesn't condone the behavior, or mean that you pretend that what happened to you was ok. It does mean that you are forfeit your right to be angry at others. Your forgiveness releases those that have hurt you from condemnation; and it releases your soul from damaging hurt. If you don't release the people that have hurt you, you will begin to resemble them.

Practice forgiveness this week. After all, Jesus has forgiven you!

Mastering the Mind

2009-03-10T12:32:00.000-04:00

It can be very difficult to master our thoughts. There is very little accountability for what takes place in our brain, at least not until someone invents "thought billboards" conveniently showing our daydreams to the world. Certainly we would be more cautious about what passed through our minds if it was broadcast so clearly to the world!

Fortunately, that hasn't happened yet, and hopefully it never will. However, we are still given the responsibility to govern our thoughts and align them with God's principles. Fortunately, Paul gives us some insight into what God expects in our minds.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

God wants your thoughts to be focused on things that are true, right, and decent. Your mind isn't to be used as the storehouse for all of the hateful things you wish you could say but don't, nor is it to be used to conspire against others or to drool over the attractive person close to you. (Unless its your spouse....then by all means drool away!)

No, our thoughts are to be positive and pleasing to God. We shouldn't think about all of the negative potential of people and situations; that isn't helpful and it pollutes our minds. Instead of filling your mind with thoughts that are negative and unproductive, fill your mind with the goodness that comes from God. Pay careful attention the things you read, listen to, and watch on TV. These probably have a bigger impact on your thoughts than you realize.

Let your thoughts reflect the transformation in your heart and mind that only comes from God.

But God has given us his Spirit. That's why we don't think the same way that the people of this world think. 1 Corinthians 2:12

Your Identity Unlocks Freedom

2009-03-10T12:28:00.003-04:00

Have you ever been discouraged when following God? Sometimes it can seem impossible to stay on the right path consistently. Life is too good at throwing obstacles in our path that bog us down and keep us from becoming the person we want to be.

God understands our struggle and he realizes how inconsistent we can be. Instead of simply condemning us and leaving us to fend for ourselves, he made a way for all of us to be given a new identity. Jesus lived so we can be fully alive in God. Too often we forget this identity and slide back into the old habits that defined our old selves.

That old identity is gone forever, replaced by the newness of God through Jesus. Don't live your life trying to earn what God offers to you freely. The secret is in simply accepting what Jesus did in your heart already. The more you realize who you are in Jesus, the more you will desire to act like one of his brothers or sisters. It won't be something you have to earn, it becomes an expression and realization of who you already are.

This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

One day God is going to write his law on our hearts and minds. Following him will just be.....natural. The way it was intended to be. Until then, we continue living our lives the best we can, making the most of the days we have been given, celebrating our identity. Never forget who you are. Don't let anyone tell you that you are less than what God describes you as being.

Live in freedom. Live for him.

Pastor Zac

If you can dream it, you can do it

2008-10-17T09:47:00.004-04:00

That is the saying right? I can't help but think this saying is wrong. I mean, I have plenty of dreams that are outside my ability to do.

How about you?

Honestly, if you can achieve ALL of your dream, then you don't have a big enough imagination!

I think the opposite of that statement is truer. It may be more negative, but it's also more profound.....if you don't dream it, then you won't do it.

Not everyone gets to be a star. We don't all grow up to be President, even if you were told that you could be. (This next election will be for the 44th US President....that's a VERY exclusive club!) Just looking around will reveal to us that we all don't get a high profile.

But everyone has a part to play in making the world a bit better. Everyday, thousands, millions, of people contribute in small ways that add up to a big difference. Their dreams make the world better. Are you dreaming?

If not, you won't see your world change.

Dare to dream. And live Wide Awake.

Our Part and God's Part

2008-10-16T12:40:00.004-04:00

We love to shift responsibility. In fact, this is one of the key characteristics of our culture: we want and desire to have authority shifted in our direction, but we don't want the responsibility that comes from having that authority.

We can even see this in our lives of faith.

We all trend toward a life of apathy or inaction. What's worse is when we use biblical words to support unbiblical ideas.

Have you ever heard it from a friend who believes in God when asked about their role in the world? "Oh, I'm not going to participate. I'm just going to hope in the Lord!" Have you ever said it?

How have we arrived at the place when our faith is used as an excuse for our inactivity? Is there anything in us that knows faith, hope, and love are all activist ideals? One cannot practice these principles and be dormant. A life of faith is not static, it is active! Hope isn't passive, it is passionate and bold! Love certainly doesn't rest, it aggressively pursues.

Make no mistake about it: God always does his part. He always follows through and always comes through.

So if our lives are falling short of the dreams of our hearts, is it possible we need to play our part in the story? Is there something we can all do to be a part of this narrative, the story of humanity?

Maybe we need to do our part. Maybe God is waiting for us, drawing us, inviting us to be a part of the good in this world.

Will we have the courage to join?

Wide Awake

2008-09-30T15:47:00.001-04:00

The average American sleeps 6.9 hours a night. Our average life expectancy is about 77 years. This means the typical American sleeps 48 hours a week, 105 days per year, and 22 years over the average lifetime. That's almost 30% of our lives! Most scientists that study sleep believe most people have several dreams every night and we simply forget the vast majority of them. Simply put, we sleep our lives away.

That sleep is necessary for our bodies to continue functioning at a high level. However, many people find themselves trapped by a completely different type of slumber. It is the slumber of daily life, the monotony of a daily routine, the acceptance of the status quo. This slumber begins when our nightly rest ends, and it too is full of dreams. Our lives are filled with dreams, current dreams that strangely keep us awake, and bitter memories of dreams that have gone unfulfilled. Our nightly sleep is full of dreams that we forget while our daily slumber is full of dreams that we cannot escape.

Our dreams, in a way, define who we are. We are shaped by our dreams because they reveal our deepest passions and desires. They also reveal what can wound us in the deepest way. Our dreams haunt us in ways only we can know. There is no joy like living in a moment when a dream becomes reality, and there is no greater pain when a dream we have dies.

Perhaps you have let the pain of your unfulfilled dreams stop you from dreaming at all. Maybe your life resembles a restless night, tossing and turning, seeking some resolution and peace. I want you to realize the incredible dreams God has for your life. They are bigger and grander than anything you can imagine! I truly believe there is something heroic inside every single one of us that is waiting to be discovered........explored...........ignited.

It's time to recapture our God given dreams. It is time to rise up from the slumber of everyday life. It's time to wake up to what God is doing in our lives, in our families, in our community, in our world.....its time to live Wide Awake!

When your dreams reflect the dreams of God, every day becomes extraordinary. Let's journey together and see what God is dreaming for us all.

Make sure you are there for our 8 year anniversary service! Please consider this your invitation to attend! Invite a friend to be a part of this service, you won't regret it! Remember that the dreams God has for humanity are not just for us, they are for all people. Make sure you include all of those who are around you.

Why do what you do?

2008-07-28T14:43:00.003-04:00

Have you ever taken the time to examine in your life why you do the things you do? Things like work, relationships, education, spirituality...why do you engage (or not engage) in certain things?

I have been thinking about this a lot from the perspective of our community of faith at Higher Calling. If I am not careful, it is far too easy for me to become apathetic.....maybe you are the same. In these times it is important to me to know WHY I do what I do, it gives me motivation, passion, and purpose to know the WHY of my life.

I have decided I do the things I do because I genuinely love God. I am confused by Him, I rarely understand the path He chooses for me and for others, but I trust Him and love Him. The only reason I can continue doing what I am doing is because of His power working in me, and I will always be grateful for the many blessings He has given me. I do what I do because of what He has already done for me.

I also sincerely love people. Not just love people, either, I actually like them (I just lost some of you!). I like meeting people and getting to know them. I like being a part of people's stories, and I like being with people as their journeys are shaped. I like sharing with the highs and the lows

More than anything, I like introducing people to God. I'll tell you what's the most incredible thing of all: when I meet people again after they have met God. It's like meeting a completely new person. I love that.

And its why I do what I do.

Let's try this again

2008-07-25T09:51:00.002-04:00

Did you miss me? I am going to be writing on here again after a three month hiatus.

The last blog experiment went pretty well, but I think writing too much burnt me out a little bit. Its hard to come up with a new entry everyday! If you like reading, you can help out by sending in questions or topics for me to handle so I don't have to think of them. I want to post 2-3 times a week, on good weeks you may get even more. We will see how I feel.

Let the journey begin.....again. Higher Calling Online Journal v. 3.0 starts......now.

(If anyone is reading this, even if you know me from church, leave a comment or something.)

Fuel For The Week

2008-07-24T15:53:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone is having a great week! I have some news to share with you about upcoming events at Higher Calling and some encouragement to send your way as well.

Next Sunday is August 3rd, and it will mark the two year anniversary of Pastor Don's death. Many of you knew Pastor Don, and many of you didn't, but all of you have been affected by his story because of your presence at Higher Calling. Most of you know that Pastor Don was my dad, and obviously that day will be difficult for me and my family and for so many of you who knew my dad as a friend and as your pastor. On any emotional day, we all must choose how to respond to the stress of the day. My dad had to make those choices in how to respond to life with cancer, and he chose to believe God even when circumstances were difficult.

That is why we are putting together a special service on August 3rd. Instead of choosing to withdraw and reflect, our church will be reaching out to people who need to hear that God can do something amazing in their life. God still changes lives; we are all proof of that, and we want to see him change more lives on August 3rd. Many of you have expressed a desire to share the story of the church to friends or family members; this service will be the perfect opportunity to do just that! I am asking that you do all you can personally to get as many people as possible into our Worship Center so many can be touched by this message.

Don't sit this one out! We are putting together an inspirational and reflective service that will touch the hearts of everyone involved. If you know some people who don't usually go to church and may only go once a year, make sure they are at this service because God is going to move in a powerful way.

If there is one thing that I learned from my dad, it is this: always trust God. That is why I believe August 3rd will be an incredible time as we reflect on the story of our church and our incredible vision for the future. Let's all believe God for something even more than we can imagine. Pray that the lives of people close to you at this service will be changed forever because of what is shared.

We are all in this together, and I am glad to be on the journey with all of you.

The Life Worth Dying For, Part 2

2008-04-14T21:28:00.004-04:00

What does a life that follows the will of God look like? The book of Hebrews tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith (11:6), so a life lived in the will of God must be a life of faith. Building on that great passage from Hebrews is the entire 11th chapter, sometimes known as the "hall of faith" because of its descriptions of many great lives of faith.

We have many of the usual suspects, guys like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and even "lesser" characters like Rahab, stories that are rich in faith. The writer of Hebrews describes all of these men and women like this:

Hebrews 11:33-35 (NIV)

who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again.

Isn't that what faith is all about? When we think about the work of God in the world and in the Bible, these are the stories that get told and retold. When faith acts then death is defeated, people escape from danger, the fire is extinguished, the battle is won.

I wish this story was the only story of faith, but it isn't. I don't ever want you to think that these things don't still happen because I believe they still do, but I also believe God works in areas that are often less spectacular and are therefore overlooked.

Hebrews 11:35-40 (NIV)

Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated--the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Now this doesn't match our traditional images of faith does it? This sounds......awful. Torture, death, poverty, insults, jeering are all mentioned for these people who lived commendable lives of faith. I find it interesting that we don't get the names of these heroes of faith. Why do you think that is?

Call me crazy, but I think it is because there are many more of the faith giants represented in the second passage than in the first. Despite what we might think, the stories in the Bible are not everyday events...it is not normal for David to defeat Goliath, that is what makes it extraordinary. Usually, diseases run their course, the dead remain dead, the obstacle remains unmoved, and we are then forced to live with the consequences of those events. Does that mean God is absent? Of course not, but it certainly means we need to adjust what we sometimes think living by faith is all about.

It isn't about taking the easiest path. God may be calling you to be one of the unnamed in this passage, the one willing to follow Him into the darkest and most dangerous of places, regardless of the consequences.

Is a life of faith supposed to be easy? I would say no. God is calling us to something much different than the usual life. Our life is a journey, an adventure, a race.

The story continues soon.

The Life Worth Dying For, Part 1

2008-04-12T07:26:00.005-04:00

It is hard to watch any type of programming and not come across some type of tragedy. CNN, MSNBC, FOX, every local news station...they all lead off with the worst news. Another death, another fire, one more broken family, one more seemingly unexplainable selfish act.

We have to wonder....when does this get easier? Life starts out with a process known as "labor" and it ends with the cruel event of death and never seems to get easier along the way. Is it supposed to be easy?

If you listen to some of the God talk in our culture, it seems like it should be. Both high profile preachers and everyday believers seem to think the dominant message of the scriptures is one of God smoothing out the journey and removing obstacles from our path. Trouble is seen as proof of God wanting you to go in a different direction because God would not want us to struggle. If you do have issues, sickness, financial problems...well, then you just need more faith.

Is this the truth? I hear this message and it hurts my heart because I know far too many God fearing men and women who have experienced some pretty awful things. Is the problem a lack of faith? I don't believe so.

I think we are missing something that is essential to our journey. But what is it?

Hope Springs Eternal

2008-04-10T00:38:00.004-04:00

You hear that saying often this time of year as baseball season starts as fans of all teams rejoice the beginning of a new year and the promise of a successful team. It is amazing to me how otherwise rational people can talk themselves into rooting for a team they believe has no chance....it just seems to me that people gravitate toward feeling this type of hope.

But do you have hope in more important areas of life? It is pretty easy to root for a team; even if they lose it doesn't truly affect those of us who watch. We can have hope in small areas but we can live hopeless lives everywhere else. Maybe you have given up on having hope in your life. You have been hurt too deeply, or feel like you have fallen far too short of your own expectations.

Why do we think that hope is an auxiliary desire of the human heart? Hope is essential! It is what sustains us and motivates us. Why should you have hope? Here are three reasons:

1: God has forgiven my past. The greatest need you ever had was satisfied because Jesus came and willfully gave his life for you. This means you are treasured by God. It also means you don't have to live in guilt or shame anymore. Hope lives where despair used to thrive.

2: God has a purpose for the present. You don't have to wander through life anymore. God has a mission for you, a task that only you can accomplish. The path you take, the places you set your feet are for you and you alone. Be hopeful because if you are alive God still has a purpose for you.

3. God has prepared a home for me in heaven. The greatest hope of them all is the hope for eternity. One day we will be reunited with those we have lost and we will finally see Jesus. Our faith will be fulfilled in that moment, and our hope realized. Everything in your life should be preparing you for that moment.

Is it possible that you have given up on hope too soon?

Don't give up. Hope springs eternal!

Back in Action

2008-04-08T10:37:00.002-04:00

Spring break was fantastic, baseball was on TV every single day, and the weather has gotten consistently warmer. All good things! I am working on a post for this afternoon, and I will continue regular posting from here on out.

Hopefully you will be here, too!

Self-image

2008-03-27T17:25:00.003-04:00

We live in a world that focuses on the negatives in people instead of celebrating the positive. Many of you have such a negative self image that comes from the lies you have been told through your life. Maybe it was family, perhaps it was kids in school, maybe it is just a nagging voice in your our head that told you you were worthless.

It isn't true. You are valuable because God values you.

Real self esteem comes from knowing what God thinks about you. He came to make you different. He has made a way for you to be forgiven and then invites you to accept that forgiveness. And then he calls you to walk with him throughout your life.

God valued you so much he died to set you free, and that freedom includes escape from a negative self image. That comes from knowing who you are in the eyes of God.

50 Facts About Albert Pujols

2008-03-26T13:01:00.004-04:00

Albert Pujols can light ants on fire with a magnifying glass.... at night.
Albert Pujols can slam a revolving door.
"The World's Strongest Man Competition" has been renamed "The Albert Pujols Workout Hour."
During the running of the bulls, the people run away from the bulls. A little known fact is that the bulls are running from Albert Pujols.
The Great Wall of China was originally created to keep Albert Pujols out. It failed miserably.
When Albert Pujols sends in his taxes, he sends blank forms and includes only a picture of himself, crouched and ready to attack. Albert Pujols has not had to pay taxes, ever.
Albert Pujols can win a game of Connect Four in only three moves.
There is no theory of evolution, just a list of creatures Albert Pujols allows to live.
Albert Pujols can make 30 minute brownies in 17 minutes.
Time waits for no man. Unless that man is Albert Pujols.
There is a saying that claims, "You can’t squeeze blood from a turnip." That is true, you can't. Unless of course you’re Albert Pujols.
Albert Pujols can teach old dogs new tricks.
When you go to see a game Albert Pujols is playing in, you have to buy 2 sets of tickets; one for the baseball game and another for the gun show.
There is no other intelligent life in the universe because intelligent life knows that would be far too close to Albert Pujols.
Albert Pujols will never test positive for steroids. Steroids test positive for Albert Pujols.
The show Survivor had the original premise of putting people on an island with Albert Pujols. There were no survivors, and nobody is brave enough to go to the island to retrieve the footage.
It takes Albert Pujols 20 minutes to watch 60 Minutes.
Albert Pujols counted to infinity....twice.
When Albert Pujols pushes the snooze button on his alarm clock, the sun actually stays down for another ten minutes.
If at first you don't succeed, you're not Albert Pujols.
Google won't search for Albert Pujols because it knows you don't find Albert Pujols, he finds you.
Albert Pujols can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.
Albert Pujols destroyed the periodic table, because Albert Pujols only recognizes the element of surprise.
It is believed dinosaurs are extinct due to a giant meteor. That's true if you want to call Albert Pujols a giant meteor.
When Bruce Banner gets mad, he turns into the Hulk. When the Hulk gets mad, he turns into Albert Pujols.
The original title for Alien vs. Predator was Alien and Predator vs. Albert Pujols. The film was cancelled shortly after going into preproduction. No one would pay nine dollars to see a movie fourteen seconds long.
The average pitcher can throw a baseball about 90 mph…Albert Pujols can throw the average pitcher 90 mph.
Albert Pujols was originally cast in the hit show 24, but had to be let go because he averaged saving the world in a mere 12 minutes and 47 seconds.
If you spell Albert Pujols wrong on Google it doesn't say "Did you mean Albert Pujols?" It simply replies "Run while you still have the chance."
Albert Pujols doesn’t play hide and seek; he plays HIDE AND PRAY HE DOESN”T FIND YOU!!!!
They say curiosity killed the cat. This is false. Albert Pujols killed the cat. Every single one of them.
Albert Pujols was bitten by a rattlesnake once. After five days of intense pain and suffering…the snake died.
Albert Pujols doesn’t breathe, he holds air hostage.
Pujols once hit a home run on a hit by pitch.
Pujols is his own batting practice pitcher.
Pujols can play all three outfield positions. At the same time.
He did all the special effects in Transformers.
Pujols once hit a ground rule double on a ground ball hit to the shortstop.
When Albert Pujols does push-ups, he’s not pushing himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down.
Pujols does 500 push ups in between each inning. Then he works out a little bit.
It’s been shown that Albert Pujols doesn’t ever actually hit a baseball. The ball flies away in fear before his bat makes contact.
Albert Pujols can rip the NYC phone book in half. With one hand.
Someone once told Albert Pujols that if he shaved his legs, he’d be able to run faster. St. Louis is still experiencing a shortage of razors, and Albert Pujols still has hair on his legs.
Albert Pujols is currently under the impression that "Major League Baseball" is actually a slow-pitch softball league for his church.
Some kids wear Superman pajamas. Superman wears #5 Albert Pujols pajamas.
The Sherman tank was originally called the Pujols tank until Albert Pujols decided it wasn't tough enough to be associated with him. The Army, for fear of Albert Pujols, renamed the tank and promised to develop a weapon more fitting of his name. To date, no weapon created has been awesome enough to be named after Albert Pujols.
The original plans for the atomic bomb were inspired by watching Albert Pujols taking batting practice.
It is widely believed that Albert Pujols' tears cure cancer. This cannot be confirmed because Pujols has never cried.
Albert Pujols is the reason Waldo is hiding.
Faster than a speeding bullet? More powerful than a locomotive? Leaping tall buildings with a single bound? That is a description of Albert's warmup routine.

Things You Need to Know About Me

2008-03-26T12:33:00.004-04:00

With baseball season approaching, like the previous post indicates, there are some things about me that all of need to know in order to fully understand the depth of my insanity.

First things first, a few introductions are in order.

This is Albert Pujols. He is an excellent baseball player, one of the very best playing right now. If he stays healthy and continues to produce at the level he has been the past 7 seasons, he may go down in history as one of the top 5 right handed hitters of all time. I love Albert Pujols, in a completely non-creepy way. My wife once asked me if I loved her more than Albert. I told her it wasn't a fair comparison, since I hadn't known her for nearly as long as I have known Albert. Don't judge me.

Moving on...

This is Colby Rasmus. I don't know Colby very well, but he represents a transition in my baseball fandom. You see, Colby is very young, even younger than me, and I am going to be paying to watch him play baseball during his career. Every fan makes this transition, when they stop looking up to athletes and instead become "mature" fans...whatever that means. Colby Rasmus is going to be a very good baseball player, and I am looking forward to watching him play this season.

You will hear me referring to these guys throughout the year, usually at random. Don't say I haven't warned you.

How are you doing?

2008-03-26T12:22:00.003-04:00

Good? Me too. Do you know why?

Because baseball has officially started its season, and next week contains the first full schedule of games. I am pumped.

One question: Does a person have a problem if they wake up at 6 am to watch a baseball game being televised in Japan even though he doesn't have any rooting interest for either team?

I'm asking for a friend.

Who Am I?

2008-03-25T18:49:00.002-04:00

It is the cry of the human heart. I think at some point all of us are desperate to find out who we are. It is the search for identity. It is a search for what has been stolen from us.

We have been told lies about who we are and who we belong to. What have you been told in your life that made you doubt the goodness of God?

Moses heard what God had planned for him and he was filled with thoughts of inadequacy. It completely overwhelmed and paralyzed him. Maybe God is calling you and you feel so unworthy to measure up to the call you have in your heart.

The bad news: You are unworthy. We ALL are. The great news? God wants to use us anyway.

That is the an incredible truth and it tells you the most about who you really are. You are the chosen agent designed to reflect God's beautiful love and character.

Easter Recap

2008-03-25T10:06:00.002-04:00

I hope all of you had a good time on Sunday! I hope you were touched by the singing and by Janet Berner's testimony.

Good news! We had 428 people here and it is due to the many visitors you guys invited and shared with. The ad in the paper that we funded together was also a huge success. Way to go everyone, now let's keep it up!

More stuff coming in the afternoon.

He is Risen!

2008-03-23T00:28:00.002-04:00

Not even death could contain the One who is the source of life. We have hope because Jesus walked out of his tomb.

Rejoice because Jesus won the battle we couldn't even fight. No one has ever found his body, and the followers who saw him alive swore to the truth of that statement until their executions.

He fought the battle, he paid the debt, he won the victory, and he did it for you. Don't ever forget about the resurrection, the most important event of human history.

He is risen!

Noon, Good Friday

2008-03-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

Jesus was crucified at 9 AM. He has been on the cross for three hours. Religious leaders have mocked and taunted him, the crowds have jeered at him, and even the thieves on the crosses beside him have hurled insults in his direction. His face is a mask of blood, sweat, spit, and pain. Every breath is a struggle, every movement is agony. White hot jolts of pain sear through his entire body, and no position relieves the pain.

The greatest pain is still to come.

The sky begins to darken, and soon a bright day is turned into dusk. Creation is in agony, the Creator is being killed. The darkness creeps over the land as the Father turns from the Son and begins to pour out his wrath on the Chosen One.

For the first time, Jesus experiences separation from the Father. It is more than he can bear. Jesus has been silent most of this morning, only speaking forgiveness onto those nailing him to this cross, but the Father turning away sparks a cry from Jesus' broken heart.

"My God, my God.....why have you forsaken me?" The cry rips through creation and stabs right into the heart of the Father. The cup has been given to the Son, and he has shouldered the burden of sin, guilt and shame. The spotless lamb has been blemished.

I watch this with amazement. The God of all things is on a cross, yet I know nails do not keep gods fastened to trees.

As I look at his eyes, I wonder, "Jesus, what is keeping you there? Why do you stay?"

WHY??

God on Trial

2008-03-21T00:00:00.001-04:00

Jesus has decided to go through with his mission. He has chosen to take on the cup of suffering. Soon after, a large group of armed men came through the garden. Judas was with them, and he greeted Jesus with a kiss on the cheek. This kiss signaled to the soldiers that Jesus was the one they were after.

Judas betrayed his Creator with a kiss. After that, the entire story erupts into chaos. Peter attacks one of the soldiers, slicing off his ear with a sword. Jesus scolds him and heals the ear. The men lead Jesus away, and the disciples run away. Jesus is alone to meet his fate.

Over the night, Jesus will endure multiple trials. These were highly illegal under Jewish law for many reasons, including the fact they were held at night. It was of no concern to the Jewish authority who wanted Jesus dead. Witnesses were brought in to condemn the only faultless person on the planet. They were fools, contradicting themselves and embarrassing the leaders who put them there. Jesus was off the hook! He was silent against his idiotic accusers, and had completely avoided any implication of wrongdoing.

Completely at a loss for what to do, the High Priest confronts Jesus directly. "Are you the Christ?" he said, "The Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus had been silent to this point, but he affirms the identity credited to him. Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Jesus had just told the truth, and confirmed his identity, and the High Priest condemned him for blasphemy. By speaking, Jesus had sealed his fate, and a death sentence from the Jewish leaders was assured.

However, the Jewish leaders were not allowed to put someone to death without consulting the Roman authority, the real political rulers of the area. Jesus had another court date, but this one would have to wait for dawn.

Jesus was thrown into a cell to await his next appointment. On Friday morning, the Roman government would make its judgment on God.

Jesus had been awake since Thursday morning, he had been through severe emotional stress, and now he had been subject to the violence of the guards who mocked and beat him. It would have been enough to break most men.

How much more can one man take?

In the Garden

2008-03-20T22:00:00.002-04:00

Jesus and the disciples arrived at the Garden late at night. Jesus wanted to talk to his Father, something he did regularly, usually by himself.

Tonight was different, he wanted his friends to be there with him during this difficult time. He asked them to stay awake with him and pray. Jesus went away by himself and began pouring his spirit out to God. The scriptures describe a man in such agony that his sweat actually looked like drops of blood. This is actually a real medical condition called hematidrosis, usually found in people who are undergoing extreme stress and psychological strain. Jesus certainly fit this description.

All of Jesus' life had led to this moment. Every miracle, every healing, every teaching, every prophecy...everything came down to this critical decision. Jesus knew his purpose. It was his mission to take all of the sins and ugliness of humanity on himself. He was to bear the burden. He was to take the punishment.

And he didn't want to do it.

Jesus pleaded with the Father to find another method of salvation. The unspoken answer: "There is no other way." Jesus relented to the will of his Father. Humility and trust paved the way to our freedom. The wrath of God would soon be on him, and God would look at us as sinless because of his punishment. As Isaiah said, we are healed because of his wounds.

The Father was waiting to pour out the cup of sin and suffering on his own Son. The final incarnation was waiting to take place. The final spotless lamb had been prepared for sacrifice.

Jesus was the lamb.

The Journey to the Garden

2008-03-20T21:00:00.002-04:00

Jesus and His disciples leave the room where they celebrated Passover and they head to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem. As they traveled, they would have seen the incredible Temple. At night, its white stone would have shined brilliantly as it reflecting the light of dozens and dozens of burning torches. It would have been an incredible sight.

Jesus took advantage of these final moments to pour his soul out in front of his disciples, telling them everything they would need to know to complete their mission and teaching them what was truly important. All of these final teachings and prayers are found in John chapters 15-17. Jesus knew his time was coming, and these chapters reflect his heart.

He wanted his followers to be connected with him because he knew that they could not exist without him. He told them of his great love for them and gave them a simple commandment: Love one another. And he prayed. He prayed for the unity of his followers.

As Jesus prepared for his mission, his mind was on you.

The Journey Begins: The Last Supper

2008-03-20T18:00:00.005-04:00

Jesus and his disciples are preparing to celebrate the traditional Jewish meal of Passover, the holiday the marks the rescuing of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt.

This would have been a happy time, and certainly the mood in the room was festive. It is almost certain that no one but Jesus knew the significance of this moment, and he was about to let his followers know exactly how important this meeting was to him.

Jesus expresses how much he wanted to be with his disciples for this meal, and he tells them he will not eat of this meal again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. He then takes bread, gives thanks, and begins instituting the Lord's Supper. Jesus tells the disciples the bread represents his body that was broken for them, and to eat it in remembrance of him. Jesus then takes a cup of wine and tells the disciples it represents the blood he will shed for their sins.

Jesus makes reference to his betrayer sitting in their midst, and the disciples miss out on the obvious sign that Judas is the one Jesus is referring to. Judas leaves quickly, and no one seems to notice his absence. The disciples then begin to argue among themselves regarding which one of them should be considered the greatest in the coming kingdom.

The very Creator of the universe is sitting in their midst, telling them he will not be with them much longer; yet the room seems strangely unaffected. The disciples, all too like us, seem oblivious to the world around them. Jesus tries to tell them of the difficulties that lie ahead, but they fail to understand what he means.

Peter tells Jesus he will be with him to the very end, saying "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." Jesus simply replies that Peter will deny him three times this very evening, even before the rooster crows.

The world is about to be changed forever, and hardly anyone realizes it.

Hey everybody, come see how good we look!

2008-03-20T10:58:00.003-04:00

Higher Calling is featured in an ad this week in the Indy Star. It is on page A6, the main section.

It is big, bold, and blue....you can't miss it!

Go and buy papers, then use them as an invite for Easter!!!!

He Came For Me

2008-03-20T09:36:00.000-04:00

For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28 (NLT)

Jesus came for me. We can get so confused, but Jesus knew the purpose of his life. He states clearly he came to serve and not to be served; he also says he came to give his life as a ransom for many. That one word, many, gets us all into trouble sometimes. We easily believe that Jesus came for the world. We even say, “He came for you,” but do we believe this truth about ourselves?

Jesus came for me!

Go ahead and insert your name into that verse at the top of this page. Go ahead, I’ll wait! Here’s your example: For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for Zac Pittman. Now how does it feel to have your name there? It blows me away to think God cared about me so much that he would pay my debt for me, but he did! Because of that amazing truth, I can be freed from my past and all of my mistakes, errors, and shortcomings and be the person God wants me to be.

It is a life changing truth, and if your life has been changed by the incredible power of God, then you have the responsibility of sharing that story with those around you. This Sunday is one of the most overtly spiritual times on our calendar, and most people are simply one invite from attending church somewhere.

We want to help you! Today, Thursday, March 20th, Higher Calling is running a half page ad in the main section of the Indianapolis Star. This was made possible through your generous support. Go out today, find that ad, and use it to invite those you care about to our Easter service. Let everyone you know have the opportunity to hear the life changing message of God’s love for them.

The Path to Easter

2008-03-19T22:04:00.003-04:00

Starting on Thursday evening, I am going to use this blog to document a timeline of the final hours of Jesus.

Maybe you have read the biblical account and wondered how it all fit together. I am going to piece together the accounts from the four Gospels and the most common views from biblical scholars to let you see what the Easter story is all about. I am going to write as if I went back in time and watched it happened; you will hear what happened if one person would have been following the action and documenting it for you.

It all starts on Thurday evening, and it ends on Easter Sunday. Feel free to stop by and take a look in progress, and definitely come back read the whole account.

Are You Called?

2008-03-14T14:29:00.004-04:00

The idea of a "calling" is a very popular subject in Christian circles. Speakers will comment on how God has called them to this ministry or that location. I have heard many people, both on TV and in real life talk about God calling them everywhere and doing everything, even if some of the time the actions contradict each other. Sometimes I think we get the impression that a calling from God is only something for those whose occupation is ministry.

Is that true? Or is there a broader grouping of people that God calls?

The worst thing we can assume about the calling of God is in thinking it is only regarding what we do for a living. I know this is great news for some of you out there who don't like your jobs! No, the calling God has for us is much larger than what we do because our calling also involves who we become. God IS calling you....he is calling you to become the person he created you to be. Jesus called the disciples and told them he would make them fishers of men. He didn't just give them a new job description...he gave them an identity. On Sunday we will be looking at how God called many different people in the Bible and how that relates in the here and now.

How has God called you?

Your Story Starts in the Heart of God

2008-03-14T10:27:00.002-04:00

Before the world was made, God had you in mind. I know it is hard for us to even believe this, but the Bible says it is true. God called the prophet Jeremiah and told him that he had been chosen before the foundations of the world had been set. The same is true for all of us. The life God has for us was laid out in eternity, in the heart of God.

You were always on the mind of God, and he wants you to experience the life he has for you. Before you can begin the journey in finding this life, you have to believe it is waiting for you. Too many times we buy the lie the world tells us when we believe there is nothing special or unique about us. We begin living a life of mediocrity. We simply try to get by. We exist, but we don't truly live. We get overwhelmed and stressed out by the minor issues in our lives, and when major challenges get thrown in our face, we are tempted to give up on hope.

Be encouraged because you are breathing....there is a reason why you are here! Maybe you have given up on ever finding purpose in life. Perhaps you think it something out there for others...but not for you. Maybe you are surrounded by chaos but the loudest noise you hear is the screaming in your soul for something more. Answer that call, because it is from God.

Even if you haven't thought about God in a long time, he has always been thinking of you. You story starts in his heart, and it began in eternity. The journey begins with you believing you actually have an extraordinary life to live. Choose to believe.

Identity Theft

2008-03-12T11:08:00.003-04:00

You were created to be original.

There has never been anyone like you and there will never be anyone like you ever again. God has made you just the way he wants you so you can accomplish his purpose through you. You were designed to do something extraordinary; all of us were made to be used for God's amazing plan! This makes you incredibly unique!

However, it seems like it is easier to be a counterfeit than an original. It is easy to try and fit into whatever category society wants to place us into.

Don't fall for the trap or the lies telling you to be like anyone else. Be an original. Be unique. Seize your identity back.

Identity Theft

2008-03-11T11:19:00.002-04:00

Our next series will be exploring what it means to have an original identity in Christ and seizing the call to living that life.

Here are the lesson dates and their topics:

Identity Theft
"Reclaiming the Real You"

March 16: The Call to an Authentic Life
March 23: Overcoming Life's Crisis
March 30: The Lies We Believe
April 6: The Conflict in Our Soul
April 13: The Life Worth Dying For
April 20: The Point of No Return
April 27: The Gift of Identity

Hope to see all of you there. All of you guys from other states who are lurking here, thanks for stopping by! I will have some new content up this afternoon.

Thoughts for the Weekend

2008-03-07T14:44:00.002-05:00

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-5 (NIV)

Life is a process; a process that is filled with trials and tests. I find it amazing that James tells us these difficulties should be considered the purest joy. So many times we ask God to remove us from struggle, but could it be that God wants to use the struggles in our lives to make us more like him?

We are being told through this verse that our life is a journey, and the goal is the development of our character. That only can happen with perseverance, and we can only forge perseverance in the fire of difficulty. As we walk through the fire, we learn to depend on God more and more, and we move toward maturity. When we get there, the promise is a life filled with peace, wisdom, integrity, and gratitude. It is the life of nobility we were created to live.

So be joyful during your struggles because God is right there with you and he wants to develop your character. Don't run away from difficulty, instead, view them in their proper context. The trials we are going through are a warning light that informs us God is ready to meet our needs.

Be encouraged. See you Sunday!

Forgiveness, Part 2

2008-03-06T10:57:00.003-05:00

Part of our struggle is forgiving those who have hurt us in the past. An entirely different journey involves forgiving ourselves. Have you ever heard the phrase, "You are your own worst critic?" I think that is more profound than we are willing to admit. The reality is that our inner monologues are full of our shortcomings. We beat ourselves up. We rehash our mistakes. How many of us allow our self-image to be defined by the most negative of our thoughts? I don't think these thoughts are the truest expression of who you are, and neither does God.

God does not hold you in contempt. Jesus tells us that he didn't come into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world. What right do you have to hold yourself in contempt? The Creator of the universe has made a way for us all to be forgiven, but we are unwilling to accept that forgiveness in our hearts. Part of our journey into wholeness is in the ability to forgive ourselves for our mistakes.

Do we make mistakes? Yes. Do we come up short in life? Of course. But God came to change all of that. The incredible truth is that God died so we could be different at our core. Paul says we are new creations in Jesus. Have you experienced this radical transformation? It is only found in Jesus, and He offers the gift freely. All we have to do is accept and believe.

Let yourself off the hook. God already has made the way for your forgiveness, and we all need to accept and embrace that love.

Forgiveness, Part 1

2008-03-05T09:32:00.004-05:00

One of the keys to living the life God wants you to live is in knowing the power of forgiveness. You must learn to let other people off the hook for wrongs they have committed against you. Too many times people allow themselves to become bitter because of what they have suffered in life. They see the way they have been treated and they resent the world for the abuse they have suffered. If you find yourself in that situation today, you are keeping yourself from truly experiencing anything positive in life. You will become more and more bitter, and any sense of hope you have will rapidly shrink and eventually disappear entirely.

Most people do not want to live in bitterness and despair. Being unhappy is not anyone's original goal or ambition in life, but many people hold on to their bitterness instead of forgiving those who have hurt them. If you want hope in your life, you won't find it as long as you look in your past at wrongs you have suffered. You can only have hope when you look to the future and release the past. You can only truly look forward and release the past after you have forgiven those who have harmed you.

Give up your right to hold a grudge and to be angry. Practice forgiveness.

The Key to Wholeness

2008-02-28T11:06:00.004-05:00

How do we overcome our past? How can we be healed from our brokenness and become people who give more than we receive? Is there a way to develop the integrity and wholeness the Scriptures describe? What is the path that leads us to healing?

I submit the only thing that makes a person whole is developing a heart that is filled with gratitude. The only thing that moves us from brokenness to healing, from one side of the spectrum to the other, is gratitude. This is a very practical and personal issue, but it is extremely difficult for us to practice.

We have been told for our entire life that everything is about us, and that people should learn how to value us correctly. All our relationships are meant to meet our needs, and people need to learn to relate to us correctly to avoid conflict. Everyone has to look out for themselves first. The problem this creates is the dysfunction and brokenness our society is filled with today! Can you imagine if EVERYONE took the attitude of themselves being #1 over everyone and everything else? It would be chaos, and unfortunately we are seeing that today. It seems right to tell a hurt and broken person to focus on loving themselves, but ultimately that advice is doing a great disservice to people.

The only healing from our brokenness is learning how to value others above ourselves, and to have an attitude of thankfulness regarding our lives. Too often we see life as the sum of things being taken from us and only negativity experienced. We see the glass as being half empty and we wonder who has stolen from us. When you have an attitude of thankfulness and gratitude, then you realize how much you have received in life. We can see clearly how little we actually deserve, and that all of life is really a gift from God. Believing this changes everything. We start to see the glass as being half full, and we wonder who has shared so much with us.

Practice gratitude in your life and watch how God can heal even the deepest wounds.

50th Post!!!!

2008-02-28T10:51:00.003-05:00

That's right, the blog just turned 50 today....in just over a month we have registered over 280 visits and over 650 page views. You guys also average spending about 3 minutes on this site. Way to go! Keep referring this blog to friends, and I will keep plugging away on here. If there are any topics you want addressed, email me at info@highercallingchurch.com or post a comment.

Our 50th post features Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning congratulating us on a great milestone.

"This blog rocks! I read it everyday, except when Eli blocks me as a user on his laptop. That kid has gotten so annoying since the Superbowl. Keep up the good work!"

Thanks Peyton!

Make Your Life Count!

2008-02-27T10:18:00.003-05:00

I have participated in far too many funerals for my age. Every single one of those ceremonies is intended to honor the memory of the one who passed and to help the surviving loved ones deal with their grief. A funeral is one of the most profound moments of humanity; it is during these moments when we focus on what is truly important to us.

Let me tell you something incredibly important. Not one of those funerals mentioned how much money the deceased had earned. There was not one mention of the final total in the checking account or how many assets were in the portfolio. Very few of the services even mentioned what the person did for a living.

Instead, family members and loved ones share stories and memories from good times in the past. They speak of challenges that were overcome together. They relate values their cherished loved one held dear to his or her heart. They speak of faith. More often than not, there is focus on generosity in both time and love.

There is something about this that speaks to our core. We have been trained from birth to think life is about getting all we can get, yet that path leaves us unfulfilled. Everything inside of us screams there must be more to life than this. Your heart is giving you insight into a spiritual truth. The sum of your life is not found in what you get; it is found in what you give. We are not put on earth to consume; instead, God asks us to contribute. Giving is the most practical expression of love because a person cannot love without giving. It is impossible.

This Sunday, March 2^nd, Higher Calling will be having a special offering. We are trying to raise $10,000 above and beyond our normal offering so we can reach out into our community. The money will fund advertisements and outreach resources, primarily in the form of a mailer to be delivered in the week before Easter. I am asking for your support for this offering. Together, we can reach our community with the love of God!

Don’t ever fall for the trap of thinking life is about the acquisition of things because that path will only lead to disillusion. None of the things you acquire will have any significance to you when you evaluate the impact of your life. What will matter is the contribution you have made in the lives of others and for the kingdom of God. Choose to focus on what is truly important in life. Make your life count in eternity!

The Pursuit of Wholeness

2008-02-26T10:30:00.003-05:00

Our society tells us the key to happiness and fulfillment is in getting more and more. To be happy, we need to get more attention, affection, affluence, acclaim, more, more, more. This message has been preached to us since we were infants and we never were weaned off of it.

What has this message produced? A society of broken people. We are promised that more would lead to joy and happiness but somewhere along the way we realized it was not the case. A person gets everything their heart desires and yet they feel empty. We look at a person like Britney Spears or Paris Hilton and see that excess does not produce happiness. If riches provided happiness then the richest people in the world would be the happiest people in the world, but we know that is not true.

What we fail to realize is the depth of our own richness. A person living in the United States is one of the truly blessed and rich in the world, and yet we are not fulfilled. The U.S. probably has more people in therapy or counseling than any other nation. School shooting are on the rise. Teen suicide rates are up, and a recent poll found that 1 in 5 teens have seriously contemplated ending their own life. We get richer and richer but instead of getting feeling better inside, we feel worse.

What is the cure to this madness? To move from brokenness to wholeness. What is wholeness and what does it look like? Very simply, a whole person gives more than they receive. That may seem simple, but I promise you it is harder than it sounds.

Let's begin the journey this week. Let's seek to give more than we take in. Find a way this week to give of yourself.

Thoughts for the Weekend

2008-02-22T15:30:00.002-05:00

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:9-15 (NIV)

Jesus came to make you His friend. Let this knowledge liberate you! Love the way that God loves, completely and unconditionally. See you on Sunday!

Back for Friday

2008-02-22T09:30:00.005-05:00

Thanks for continuing to stop in throughout the week! I hope that all of you enjoyed your weeks and I want to give a big thanks to everyone who came to the different events during the week featuring our guests from Guinea and Senegal. These missionaries are doing some incredible work and they had a great time interacting with all of you; I hope you felt the same and got some valuable info from the experience.

On to some links, the first one here is a neat church fundraiser! All we have to do is get someone on the moon....

Speaking of the moon, here are some neat images showing the eclipse take place on Wednesday. If you feel like you missed a great opportunity to see one of nature's incredible displays, there is still hope....the next easily seen lunar eclipse over North America will be in December 2010. Mark your calendars!

Those Patriots just can't seem to avoid videotaping other teams....

I will keep looking for more. Stay tuned!

***UPDATE***

Don't let your dog drive your car!

If you steal a car, please don't drive it to a police station.

This guy in Australia threatened to blow up half of the city...and fears the resulting probation could interfere with his humanitarian work.

Announcement!!

2008-02-18T09:34:00.003-05:00

We have two guests at Higher Calling this week. Dian Harner and Wes Nevius are both missionaries who are serving in Africa. They are on tour here in the US and we get to host them until Friday. This is a great opportunity to see the church from a global perspective and hear how God is moving across the world. Dian spoke at our Sunday gathering and I got so much positive feedback on how you enjoyed the service. We all hope to see you tonight here at the building at 7 pm!

Fun Friday!

2008-02-15T09:36:00.002-05:00

Its Friday again, and that means a new set of links for all of you to enjoy. Let's get right down to it.

Really funny story about a guy who was going to have his house torn down due to some rules in the UK, but hid his house by piling up hay bales around it.

Here's a couple stories for you tech guys out there. First, one for everyone. This woman is suing Best Buy for 54 million bucks after the store lost her laptop. It goes a lot more in depth, but if you lost a laptop at Best Buy, you could be getting paid!

Another big tech story is the recent battle between HD DVD and BluRay for supremacy in the HD video market. It appears that BluRay landed the fatal blow in the war after both Netflix and Best Buy announced they would be exclusively using the BluRay format. If you own a HD DVD player.....I'm sorry. This would also affect those of you who have a X-Box 360, since I believe it uses HD DVD as well. Playstation 3 users will be happy, since it uses BluRay.

Here's a parenting story, aimed at parents of "tweens." This lists some things that parents can say to help diffuse conflicts with emotional middle school aged children. Some interesting takes in there.

That's all for now, I may have more later, you can keep checking this post for updates. I also plan on getting a movie review out today, as well as a final post before the weekend. See you guys later.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T11:46:00.003-05:00

I am sure all of the guys that are reading this have already got a present, made a reservation, etc for their significant other. If you haven't......it is too late for you. I'm sorry. May God have mercy on your soul.

It is easy to look at Valentine's Day as a sappy pseudo-holiday that Hallmark invented so procrastinating men buy their incredibly romantic cards. I suppose there is some basis for that belief. Call me crazy, but I actually don't mind this particular holiday, even if it is completely made up and fabricated in order to remove more money from my checking account.

Take this opportunity to express your love for the important people in your life. The most important trait we can ever have is love. It is the universal language of appreciation and hope. Love sustains everything, and the love of God is the only reason we are all alive today. Love is the most powerful force in the universe; it brings people together, it inspires people in the midst of pain, it overcomes overwhelming odds, it never quits in the face or adversity. The story of the scriptures is an overwhelming story of love, and the story ends with love as the victor. Love wins. Life wins. God wins, and we are a part of that story and heritage.

Celebrate the gift of love in every way you know how. Hug your kids and tell them how much you love them and appreciate them. Tell your spouse the same thing. Choose to love today because none of us are promised tomorrow.

You will not regret a decision to love.

Life's Toughest Questions: Is Jesus the Only way to God?

2008-02-13T09:06:00.002-05:00

In less than an hour, Roger Clemens will appear before a Congressional committee to answer questions regarding his alleged use of steroids and HGH. The smart money has Clemens strongly denying any use of such drugs. That will be a problem because the federal government has one of Clemens' former trainers as a witness saying Clemens DID indeed take steroids. All of the TV and radio sports shows are going nuts here and around the country wondering who will commit perjury today in front of Congress. They all say, "There is only one truth! One of these two guys is lying; they both can't be right."

You are probably wondering what this has to do with anything important in life. Good question! I think this illustrates a key idea for our next topic in the LTQ series. Many people believe there is no one correct religion or way of thinking and that every religion points to the same God. If you have ever heard, "It's all the same God," then you have met someone who has that belief. Maybe you believe it yourself. As right and as good as that belief sounds, it runs into some serious problems. For one thing, all major world religions make some very strong (and opposing) claims and most even claim to be the only way to God. So we have multiple, different stories that are all claiming to be true. Just like Roger, not everyone can be right. However, the problem is even deeper than that.

To me, this is not about "being right." It isn't about getting all the facts straight. It is easy to think that way, but it is a pointless exercise. The real question is this: Who brings life to the human spirit? We will explore that on Sunday, and I hope you bring yourself and anyone else you want to hear this message.

Life's Toughest Questions: Is Faith in God Nonsense?

2008-02-12T11:50:00.000-05:00

Here is something else I cut from this Sunday, that I think a few of you may find interesting. In the Matthew 12 passage starting in verse 43, Jesus talks about an evil spirit leaving a man and then coming back with seven other wicked spirits and leaving the man worse than he was before. This is the battle we all fight, and in a real way, this is the journey of the human spirit. We are spiritually permeable and this spiritual reality is real even thought we cannot perceive it with our senses.

Here is the passage:
When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.

I left out this observation: I think this could be a biblical explanation of the view of reincarnation. There are people who have memories of past lives, and I believe they are real memories. The issue to me is who these memories belong to. I do not believe that people die and then come back as another creature, neither animal or human. You remain uniquely you in eternity and you live ONE life here on earth on this side of eternity.

How then do we explain memories of past lives? Well, it is not that these people have lived in a different time or place, but that these spirits have. These spirits carry with them the memory of history, of ancients and moderns.

We are spirit, this reality is inescapable. Could it be that our universe is more complex than we ever imagined? Is there more going on than we can see or sense?

Life's Toughest Questions: Is Faith in God Nonsense?

2008-02-12T09:40:00.000-05:00

I had to cut so many things on Sunday to get everyone out of there on time, so I thought I could throw in some of the stuff I cut here on the blog.

I read a passage from Isaiah 6, where Isaiah has an encounter with God in His throne room. He sees angels flying everywhere and praising God. The entire temple is filled with smoke because of the glory of God. Isaiah thinks he is doomed. Instead, his lips are seared with a live coal and he is told his sins have been atoned for and he can experience God's goodness. God asks for a divine volunteer to speak for Him, and Isaiah says he will go for God. In verses 9-10, God tells Isaiah what to tell His people.

"Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

This is God in one of His most ironic moments. He looks at humanity and sees many people who think they are alive but are merely existing, and they are blind and deaf to the reality of the spiritual all around them. God looks at them and says, "Fine, be blind! Hear but not understand! Have a calloused heart! Because the alternative would be to turn to me and be healed, but you don't realize it."

More to come.

Thoughts for the Weekend

2008-02-08T14:32:00.000-05:00

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Cor. 4:7-10 (NIV)

We are God's treasure, even though we are flawed and imperfect. The glory of God, the incredible truth of His existence and power, the truest proof of who and what He is, is seen through us. It may not seem like the best plan, but God tells us his light dwells in us, and though we are like cracked clay vessels, His glory shines through our brokenness.

Because of this, we can have hope. We can endure in any circumstance, we can learn to be content when we have little. We can absorb any blow, and handle even the most violent of storms. Never forget who you are, and who you belong to. God bought you with a price, and so we honor Him with our lives.

Let the life that God offers to everyone be seen in you. See you Sunday.

Fun Friday

2008-02-08T09:53:00.000-05:00

I thought I would change up our usual format here with something that will become the new Friday format. I am going to post links here and you guys can browse through them and see if anything interests you. The links will range from happy to sad, fun to serious, and will deal with the happenings in our state, nation, and world.

If you find an interesting story, please pass it along to me by emailing a link to me and cardzfan24@sbcglobal.net. On to the links.

You guys know its almost time for baseball right? Obviously, I'm rooting for the Cardinals who play in the NL Central. You can read a preview of the division here.

From the anti-Patriots division, here is a story about a former Pats video assistant who claims he has inside info on past cheating by the Pats. Bwahahahaha. The commish is willing to give this guy legal protection if he squeals. Do the right thing, Mr. Walsh. Take em down!

Anybody want this shirt? How about this one? This may be my favorite of the bunch. I want one that says "18-1*" on the front and then says, "Nobody's perfect" on the back.

Here is an incredible story of a baby that survived in the recent tornadoes after being thrown 100 yards into a field. Incredible story.

Any of you guys have bad knees? Good news! Although it will probably still hurt, here is a knee brace that uses the energy in your knee to charge your cell phone!

That's what I have for now, if you have anything else, pass it along and I will give you credit for finding it.

Does God Care About Our Sexuality?

2008-02-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

We talked about this last week at Higher Calling. Here are a few more thoughts I wanted to add to that message:

About Homosexuality: When someone tells me that I must accept them because they are homosexual, I feel like I have lost the opportunity for a friendship. Here's why: I don't tell you that you must accept me because I am heterosexual! I don't say you have to accept me because I was born in Tulsa, OK. I don't tell you you have to accept me being a Cardinals fan (this is good for some of you...) Do you know why that is? Its because none of those things are the truest expression of who I am.

When you start identifying yourself by your sexuality then you stop being honest with yourself because we are not primarily sexual beings; there is much more to it than that. This is graphic, but if you were in a terrible accident and were castrated and lost your sexual drive, would you be less human? Of course not! The reason for this is simple: there is more to being human than our sexuality, and when we identify ourselves by our sexual orientation then we aren't being honest about who we really are at our core.

The Answer: Many people think the solution to sexuality immorality is marriage, but it isn't the case. If you are immoral as a single person then you will be immoral as a married person. Some people think the cure to homosexuality is heterosexuality. That is not true either! The only solution to our broken view of sexuality is a proper view of how relationships are important. We must relate correctly to God and who He is and who He created us to be, and that relationship will affect how we relate with each other. It is as simple as entering into a relationship with God and then allowing His power and presence to transform how we interact with everyone else.

Busy, Busy

2008-02-06T11:34:00.000-05:00

Look for some new material in a few hours. Until then, you can scan the archives on the right hand side of the page. Talk to you guys soon.

Super Tuesday

2008-02-05T10:59:00.002-05:00

All over the country, people are voting for who they want to run for President. Primary season is one of the purest forms of entertainment for the political junkie and one of the purest forms of boredom for just about everyone else. Turn on any news station today and you will likely see at least three people arguing back and forth. If you didn't know better, you would guess that the winner of the argument is not the one with the most compelling case, but the one who yells the loudest.

What is a person to make of all of this hoopla?

Remember this: politics does not change the hearts of people for good. If anything, it hardens hearts. I know when I was interested in politics and engaging in the "discussion" of the day I was a more bitter and difficult person. Do you know what does change hearts? God. I think of a guy like Saul in the Bible who was a politically minded person and he became a hateful person in his passion for what he thought was right. His passion led him into throwing people in prison for what they believed and even sentencing some to death. One day, however, Saul changed so drastically he had to change his name to Paul to reflect that difference. He even became the biggest proponent of the people he used to persecute! Do you know what changed him?

It wasn't laws or rules. It wasn't a vote in a popular election. Saul was changed into Paul because he met God. Just one encounter with Jesus changed Paul forever. The same can be true for you. God wants to take all of your hate, anger, aggression, sadness, pain, mistakes, and mess ups and exchange it for His joy and goodness. He came so we could be different.

So, have you met God?

Finishing the Job

2008-02-04T13:39:00.001-05:00

There is a lot of talk about the Superbowl today throughout our country. There may have been a better Superbowl game, but I haven't seen it. Part of the interest, of course, is because of the Pats failing to complete their bid for a perfect season. It goes to show that we can never give up or assume defeat. No matter how long the odds are against us, we can never give up because we would miss out on the opportunity to do something unbelievable.

The Patriots teach us a lesson as well. The lesson: Finishing strong is all that matters. A person can rack up accolades and awards, acclaim and influence for his/her entire life and then lose it all in one moment of self indulgence. Our application? Finish strong. No matter what your life race looks like; this is good advice. If your life feels like a disappointment to you, take heart because the finish could be a moment of redemption. If you have success and are connected to God, don't quit running until your race is complete.

Paul said it best when he looked back on his life. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Tim. 4:7 (NCV)

Could you say that about your life if it ended today? We all have a race to run, but we won't experience the best of what God has for us if we quit before facing a huge challenge (like 18-0) or if we fail to finish our race with strength (18-1*). Be encouraged today on several fronts. We have a new day, filled with opportunity. We have love that can be experienced. God is still real, and He still cares. Because of all of this, we can run our race with confidence, hope, and purpose.

Run your race well!

18-1*

2008-02-04T07:55:00.000-05:00

Wow. Awesome game. Speechless still. I am just happy this Patriots team will be remembered for a massive choke job for the rest of my life instead of being called the best team of all time.

This is a good day if you are a Colts fan and it really sets up the Manning Bowl at some point in the next two seasons.

Talk to you guys again in just a bit.

Superbowl Picks

2008-02-02T11:29:00.000-05:00

Alright, its time for everyone to get their Superbowl picks in. Comment if you want, and the closest score will get a wonderful prize......details to come.

Here's how I see it. The Patriots are the best team that has come around in a long time, I assume the reason for this is their prolific video taping schemes and the hidden steroid ring they run. Regardless of that, the Patriots are very difficult to beat in big games, and they are 14-2 in the Tom Brady era in the playoffs. These guys rarely choke. Must be nice to watch.

The Patriots adjust better than anyone in the league to in-game situations, and I don't really expect this game to resemble the Week 17 game because of that. The Pats won't blow the Giants out, but the Giants won't really be in the game either.

Final score: Patriots over Giants 30-23, and the commercials will be excellent. Ground opens under the trophy presentation (fingers crossed!)

Movie Review: 27 Dresses

2008-02-01T13:57:00.000-05:00

Here is a fun feature that I will bring up whenever I watch a movie of interest and have a recommendation to pass along. Every once in a while there will be a movie that is a cultural phenomena and I will comment on it if I have seen it.

This movie is definitely in the fun category. I have to admit, I was more than a bit skeptical when Sara wanted to watch this movie, but I decided to go along with it. It helps to branch out outside what you traditionally enjoy because sometimes things outside of your normal liking will surprise you with how much they entertain you.

I was genuinely entertained by this movie. Katherine Heigl, who plays Jane, was excellent and she was surrounded by an excellent cast. There was some inappropriate behavior and language, although I would be lying to you if I told you I wasn't laughing through it. Basically, Jane is the extreme example of the saying, "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride." She cannot say no, and this puts her in awkward and funny situations. The conflict comes when her sister flies into town and falls for Jane's long-time crush, who also happens to be her boss. Hilarity ensues. If you love weddings, hate weddings, been in a wedding, or heard of a wedding, you will probably relate to this movie on some level. It is well written and directed extremely well, and its hilarious. Have I mentioned its funny?

Guys, if your wife, girlfriend, crush, whatever is forcing you to watch a movie that she will enjoy and she isn't the Rambo type, then suggest this one. It is the best case scenario for you in the chick flick genre right now. I cannot stress this enough. You will laugh, you will like most of the characters, and assuming you don't pay 18 bucks for a ticket, 7 bucks for a Diet Coke and 6 bucks for nachoes, it will be worth the cost of admission.

Seriously, how long has it been since you took your significant other on a date anyway? Get to it!

The Best Three Peyton Manning Commercials EVER!

2008-02-01T09:14:00.000-05:00

Here it is, the final chapter counting down the best commercials starring Peyton Manning. Literally tens of you have written in our expressed some amount of glee, anticipation, shock, horror, or apathy in this list. So, in honor of Superbowl week, here they are, the greatest Peyton Manning commercials of all time......

NUMBER THREE

Going old school on you here, this is an ad for an X-Box game several years ago. This is Peyton learning his craft as a comedic actor.

NFL Fever

NUMBER TWO

The Sprint ad that started a revolution. This became part of watching football just as much as John Madden and Al Michaels. Peyton Manning, absurdly disguised, talking about his favorite player......himself. In this commercial, you can cheer on your favorite actor/QB.....maybe like Peyton Manning, maybe.

Lazer, Rocket Arm

And here we are, the best Peyton Manning commercial of all time, as decided by me. This one is from Mastercard and is one of the original in the series. Enjoy.

NUMBER ONE

Cut that Meat!

Thanks for joining. You can see the other commercials by scrolling down or clicking on the Peyton Manning tag on the right hand side of the screen. What's your favorite commercial?

When Religion Becomes Disturbing

2008-01-31T09:39:00.000-05:00

This week in the series, Life's Toughest Questions, I will be addressing human sexuality and its effect on our relationship with God and with others. I am nervous about dealing with these issues because their is so much emotion wrapped up on both sides of the discussion. To me, the concept of sexual morality is far deeper than homosexuality, yet that is inevitably what is brought up during any conversation involving human sexuality.

One of the reasons there is so much emotion regarding this issue is because of the negative way the church has portrayed itself to the world as it speaks about this issue. For some reason, the dominant theme that people hear from the church is one of condemnation and sometimes hate. That is incredibly wrong coming from a community of faith. Take this story as an example.

Basically, an extreme group picketed Heath Ledger's memorial service because of his role on Brokeback Mountain. These are the same people who picket the funerals of returning soldiers holding signs that say, "You deserved it." Incredible callousness and honestly, evil. Regardless of your feelings about that movie, I hope that we all see that such activity only spreads a message of hate that is destructive to people. Click on that link, search for the church name on Google, then look at the web address. Is that the message that is intended to be sent to a broken world? This is what happens when people use religion as a weapon to hurt and destroy.

Does God hate people who disagree with him? I don't think so. 1 Peter says that God is patient with all of us because He doesn't want anyone to be lost. Ezekiel 18 tells us that God finds no pleasure in the punishment of even the worst people. Of course, the famous verse John 3:16 tells us that God's driving motivation in sending Jesus was his love for everyone. Everyone!

That tells me that we have an incredibly important responsibility as the church here on earth. We are to be ambassadors for God, sharing the good news about the love and compassion of God. If you are reading this, chances are good that I have no clue about your beliefs on sexual morality. I want you to know that I do have beliefs regarding what is pure sexual behavior, and I will share those on Sunday at Higher Calling and here as well. If you are a follower of Christ, know that truth and compassion CAN exist together. Being right does not mean you lose compassion, and being right is not the highest goal in faith. The highest goal, as always, is love. Without love, all of the knowledge, passion, intellect, and faith in the world is meaningless.

I feel fortunate to be a part of a community of faith that realizes you can believe in the truth and yet show compassion for everyone. I hope to see you on Sunday!

Top Ten Manning Commercials continued

2008-01-30T09:27:00.000-05:00

Number four on our list is actually a series of commercials, the Peyton's Priceless Pep Talk Series. The pinnacle of sports commercials in 2007.

4. Rock Hard Abs, Dance Moves, Bad Haircut, Minivan

Enjoy, we wrap things up tomorrow with the top 3 Peyton Manning commercials of all time!

Top Ten Manning Commercials; Numbers 7-5

2008-01-30T09:18:00.001-05:00

And the list continues....

7. Check it to pancakes!

Enough said.

6. Old school

Going way back here, and we learn that Peyton is about much more than just football.

5. Sibling Rivalry

Some things never change.

Moving into the elite categories next. Fun stuff!

Top Ten Peyton Manning Commercials; Numbers 10-8

2008-01-30T09:03:00.000-05:00

I know you have all been eagerly awaiting this, so without further ado, here is my list for the 10 best Peyton Manning commercials of all time. Starting with number 10....

10. Manning's Mind.

This one got a bit old after the 9,000th viewing but it is still solid. Another weird one, apparently Peyton has a small boy dressed in a generic Colts uniform in his brain that tells him where to throw the ball. I'm telling you, the man needs help! Someone needs to reach out to him.

9. Betrayal!!

Archie Manning always wanted one of his boys to be a lefty....

8. Mooooooovers.

A great ad featuring Peyton giving encouragement to people that make mistakes in everyday jobs. For some reason, the scream from the coffee maker just kills me. Rub some dirt on it!

Just click on the links and enjoy, the top ten continues tomorrow!

Life's Toughest Questions; Expanded

2008-01-29T14:40:00.000-05:00

One of the best things about this series so far has been the incredible conversations I have had with many at Higher Calling. It seems that every week we tackle one issue the conversation expands to include many other topics. I think that is very cool. Last week we discussed the topic of life after death, you can read more about it by scrolling down the blog, and this Sunday we will be discussing human sexuality and what God's ideal is for us.

In the meantime, I will be addressing other questions on here that don't really fit into the topics we have so far but are important and require a response. Those will be coming throughout the length of this series which will take place until March 9th.

If you have something to add to the discussion, leave a comment on this post or email me. Later.

Superbowl Week Fun

2008-01-29T09:57:00.001-05:00

It is finally Superbowl week, and since the Colts are out and the Pats are still in, I figured we could celebrate this week in sports by focusing on Peyton Manning and completely ignoring Tom Brady. Sound good? Awesome.

My idea is to go through Peyton's Top 10 commercials. We are going to review the career of our favorite actor/QB and I am going to list my favorite commercials. Today, we are going to start with some honorable mentions.

Honorable Mention: The DSRL Press Conference.

Good stuff all around, but it doesn't make the top 10 because I hold this ad completely responsible for the Colts loss to San Diego. We were cruising until this spot came on, then we fell apart. Meanwhile, Eli Manning was playing at an insanely high level and led his team to the SB. In this commercial, Eli beats Peyton in the DSRL. Coincidence? I think not.

Honorable Mention: Sony HDTV

This commercial is weird. Peyton is walking around and inserting himself into every area of the Sony TV process. Honestly, this makes me think Peyton needs psychological help. I have more questions than answers about this commercial, and I'm not any more inclined to by a Sony HDTV than before. How far did Peyton walk to watch TV with those guys? Isn't their reaction a bit odd? What exactly would you do if Peyton just walked in your living room and sat down on your couch? Crazy. Top 10 starts tomorrow.

Introduction to Blogland!

2008-01-28T19:52:00.000-05:00

Since we have been online here for a little over a week I thought I would put out my view on what this blog is and what it represents.

To me, the internet represents the ultimate venue for communication. A person can log on and get almost any type of information at anytime from anywhere. Many followers of Christ feel hesitation about the content on the internet and stay away, fearing a corrosive influence. However, I would rather use the medium for a positive effect instead of staying away from it entirely. We can use the internet as a tool to make a difference in elevating the conversation online, even if it is in a small way. I am glad to be serving a community of faith that encourages this type of communication and isn't afraid to try new things.

Here are my beliefs on this forum.

1. Everyone is welcome here.

I am not necessarily viewing this as a Higher Calling blog. I want the range of communication to be much more far reaching than that. If you are a visitor here, we are glad to have you on board and I hope you bookmark this site and keep returning. Bear with us because I will use this site to communicate with Higher Calling Church at different points. I want to use this forum to address what is going on in our local community and around the world. Feel free to engage in conversation in the comment section, and try to keep it civil. Don't make me pull this blog over!

2. Feedback is welcome and encouraged.

I want to hear from you! More than anything, I want to discuss things that are important and relevant to what you are going through. The internet isn't just merely for information spreading, to me its true potential is in its capacity to support a conversation. There are easy ways to communicate with me directly here. One, you can leave a comment on the blog. Click on the comment section at the bottom of every post and follow the directions to post your comment. I would appreciate you leaving a name or some way for me to know who you are, but it is not required at this time. Two, you can send me an email at cardzfan24@sbcglobal.net

I will tag posts so you can search through the archives. Every post is saved so you can go back and look at them at a later date. You can click on the tags on the right hand side of the page and see every post under that tag.

Are you ready? Let's have fun!

Life's Toughest Questions; What Happens When We Die?

2008-01-28T07:21:00.000-05:00

This is one of the most pressing questions that humanity can ask. The answer can lead us to drastically change the way we live.

I believe you are an eternal spiritual being. Even though you took your first breath here on earth; I believe you were meant to exist forever. God put an eternal spirit into each one of us and this spirit is what makes us unique. I also believe there are only two eternal destinations for the human spirit, heaven and hell. Hell exists because God will not force us to love Him because love cannot be forced. He also will not override your will. You were created with the ability to choose your path and God honors the way He made you even if the choices we make break His heart.

So many times, we strain for the wrong things in life. We think we are alive, but we are simply existing. We think we are holding onto life, but God sees us as holding onto our death.

You see, it isn't when you die that you find out if you will live forever or not, but if you are truly alive when you die, then life will overcome death. That is why it is important to choose life now, and that only comes from choosing Jesus.

Fueling the Fire; Ignition

2008-01-25T16:12:00.000-05:00

When we move past inspiration, individualism, innovation and then we begin to implement the vision that God has for our lives and our church, we move into a really cool zone. This is where God begins to act, unleashing his divine timing and power into our efforts.

God is described as a fire many times in the Scriptures. I love this image because God consumes just like a raging fire. Can you call to mind the forest wildfires that burn on the West Coast? We are the most advanced society in world history, but when these great fires rage, the best we can hope to do is to contain the damage.

You know what it really neat? Our God is a God that cannot be contained by any force. When he burns, nothing stops it. Do you know what really gets God involved in situations, what makes him burn? It has been and will always be the faithfulness of his people. When there are men and women that are following God and seeking to obey him, God moves in their midst and he ignites supernatural reactions that are uncontrollable.

There is no predicting it. There is no stopping it. The only thing you can do is hang on for the ride. Are you ready to trust God this year?

Fueling the Fire; Implementation

2008-01-25T10:59:00.000-05:00

Implementation is about walking the walk and not just talking the talk. This is the most important step and value because without it, nothing gets done. We can dream great dreams and have God-honoring visions but if we do nothing about them, we are the worst kind of failures. I truly believe that those of us who know the truth and choose to do nothing will have a lot to answer for in front of God.

The book of James tells us not to simply listen to the Word of God, but to do what it says. Listening to something can be a great deception because we can confuse our hearing of something with action. You can hear a good sermon, but it does nothing unless you make the principles a practical reality in your life. You can watch a TV commercial about needy children overseas, but simply watching it does nothing to alleviate suffering. We know all of this, yet we can be satisfied by simply going to church and thinking that we have done enough.

Wrong! Remember, church is not something you go to; it is a family you belong to. Because of this, what we do together is much more important than the things we hear together. We must take the principles listed previously here and put them into practice.

Our goal, as always, is to follow through with what we say we are going to do. We are a church with a great story, but stories are essentially worthless if they are not told. Who will tell this story? How many of you have been changed by God here at Higher Calling?

Will you tell about your experience? Will you act on what you know? The answer to this question is the key to implementing your God given purpose.

Fueling the Fire; Innovation

2008-01-24T17:50:00.000-05:00

One of our values at Higher Calling is innovation. We are committed to trying and risking new things for God. Innovation is all about the pursuit of newness.

The church is seen by many as the defender of the status quo, and is often criticized as being 50 years behind the curve. I am glad to be at a community of faith where newness on stage and elsewhere is accepted and not fought.

How can we ever look at the world around us and think that God is the defender of the status quo? The heavens and earth scream out a song of newness and celebrate a God that creates something from nothing. The entire Bible is a story of God doing new things. In the book of Isaiah, God tells his people that he is going to provide for them in a new way. When Jesus walked the earth he confronted many people who loved their old traditions more than people. He strongly criticized such people because he came to break the hold of tradition on our lives and instead create a model where love and compassion flourished. When Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, or communion, he called it the symbol of the "new covenant." And in the book of Revelation, Jesus sits on the throne of God and says he is making "all things new."

God is the original innovator. The Bible also tells us that we are made in the image of God, so we can reflect parts of his nature. Just as God is creative, we are creative. I believe that when we try new things we honor God. By the way, that is why we are pursuing this blog. I truly believe that every church will have a blog within just a few years, it will be seen an necessary and people will wonder how we ever got along without this type of communication.

We will always seek to try new and exciting things. If that scares you, its ok, but know that God is in favor of our risking on his behalf. I am excited to hear your ideas as well.

What do you say about this value of innovation? Do you have something to add to the discussion? Leave a comment and share any thoughts that you may have!

Fueling the Fire; Individualism

2008-01-24T09:32:00.000-05:00

Another value that is absolutely essential to success in our world and culture today is the idea of individualism. This is about personal uniqueness. We believe in and affirm the uniqueness of every person. We believe that God created us all to be unique, and that he wants us to use that uniqueness to shine for him. This does NOT mean that life is all about you. It isn't. You see, if you live a selfish life, only looking out for your interests, you may think you are living a life that is unique, but you aren't. There is nothing unique about living for yourself; we are all naturally wired to be selfish. If you want to be truly unique, it only happens when you lay down selfishness and decide to be a part of a community. True uniqueness is only seen in the context of a community.

All too often, the church is seen as the organization that creates standardization. We celebrate the idea of discipleship so we can become a disciple, and that has the same base as the word "discipline." We have a very military image of the word discipline in our minds, it projects an image of people looking the same, marching in lockstep. This is not a flattering image, but more importantly, it is also not a biblical image.

God did not make us all unique so that we could find ourselves in church one day so we could then be made all the same. Uniqueness is something to be treasured and celebrated, not fought against and hidden. Throughout the Bible, people make reference to how God made us in a special way; the Psalms talk about how we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" and how God delicately knit us together in our mother's womb. Ephesians 2:10 calls us God's "worksmanship," another word for that is "masterpiece!" You are the unique masterpiece of God, and just how we would never take great sculptures or paintings and try and make them look the same, the church should never attempt to standardize humanity.

We are created to become like Christ in our character. That means we lose the hateful, mean-spirited and evil parts of ourselves to take on a character of love, peace, courage, and gentleness. Keep in mind here that our character has nothing to do with changing our uniqueness. It doesn't matter if you are outgoing or introverted, athletic or a bookworm, loud or quiet, all of those personality traits can remain as you change your character.

God doesn't want to change your personality, he wants to change your character! And remember, we don't ever want to make you look just like us, we want you to look like what God truly created you to be.

Maybe you are searching for who you are. Let me tell you this: If you truly want to find your unique self, you must be where Jesus is. Where He is the where true uniqueness is found and celebrated. We would love to have you on the journey with us.

Fueling the Fire; Inspiration

2008-01-23T11:20:00.000-05:00

This is the start of all good things in the church. Ultimately, we are to be a body that gives hope and inspiration to the entire world.

Many people forget the primary message of the Bible is gospel or literally, "good news." We lose that meaning in all of the negativity that is thrown around by many in our faith. The reality is that faith in the one true God is all about inspiration. God said in Jeremiah that he knows the plans for us and they are good plans, plans to prosper us and give us hope and a future. That sounds like inspiration to me!

Because the message of God is one of inspiration, we need to be men and women of inspiration in our daily lives to reflect the truth that we know. Do you actively seek to inspire those around you in your daily life?

My promise to you in 2008 and beyond is to continue Higher Calling's tradition of inspiration on Sundays and every other day. Your part is to contribute to the healthy, healing, and accepting atmosphere in our community. We must continue to reach out every single day in as many ways as we can.

Never forget: the church is not here for you! We ARE the church, and the church is here for the world. Be a part of inspiring your world today.

Vision Sunday 2008: Fueling the Fire

2008-01-17T15:06:00.000-05:00

I believe that we are at a pivotal moment in the history of our church. At this moment, we are faced with a decision on who we are going to be as a church, and what our identity will be.

The question posed to pastors for years has always been, "Where are we going?" Now that question has been replaced with, "Who are we becoming?" Higher Calling must decide as a community on who we want to be. My choice is to take the road that is less traveled and pursue the dangerous path of outreach into a world that desperately needs Jesus.

So what defines us on this journey? Our mission statement has been the same since our founding, "We are dedicated to helping people discover and experience God's higher calling for their lives through the pursuit of God's purposes." That says a lot about who we are as a community. We are not a country club, where a select few get together and share quality time every Sunday morning. We are not a psychology department that seeks to understand the inner workings of the human psyche; we do not believe that the answer to life's most pressing issues is found within the mind of people. We also are not just a charity organization, simply trying to do good works in the community.

No, we are part of the Body of Christ. Never forget the church is not here for you! We are the church, and the church is here for the world. Our mission is people. All people, everywhere. And our message to them is Jesus. We believe and affirm that God has a high calling for everyone in Jesus. He is the one who is our creator, our leader, and He is the giver of life to the human spirit.

We also have a plan, and our plan revolves around teaching people that God has a purpose for their life and true meaning and fulfillment is only found through seeking that purpose.

The real question remains, "Who are we becoming?" There are two choices to be made. We can choose to take the path of least resistance where we focus inward and choose to ignore the needs of the world around us. We can choose apathy over action, comfort over compassion. Or we can choose to grab hold of the vision that God first put in front of His followers; a vision to go into all of the world, telling people the good news about Jesus. It is a call to a life of adventure and danger, a life that challenges tradition and shakes off the chains of legalistic religion. It is what you were made to do! This all awaits you, but you first must choose to take this path or settle for something far less. What do you choose?

If you are ready, let us together venture deeper into this vision, and the values we must uphold if we are to be a church that seeks God. I will be posting on this and other items throughout this week. I hope you participate!

Vision Sunday

2008-01-16T11:24:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I wanted to get in touch with everyone this week to remind you about this upcoming Sunday’s service. We will be laying out the vision for Higher Calling in 2008. Our goal during this service is to communicate to you what our key values are and how we plan on practicing this values as a community in this coming year. We can never become complacent; we must always strive to reach higher for what God is calling us to become.

We can never forget that vision that does not become reality is merely a good idea. The challenge we all face is taking the imagined and the visionary and turning it into reality. I am looking forward to partnering with all of you as we work together to take Higher Calling to the next level. Please make it a priority to be in attendance on Sunday, January 20^th. Let’s join together and accomplish something together that would be impossible by ourselves.

How to Bounce Back

2008-01-14T17:31:00.000-05:00

If you are a Colts fan, you probably still have a bit of a bitter taste in your mouth this morning after the game last night. I have pretty much decided to watch anything but sports TV this week because I don't want to see a single highlight of the game. A bit extreme? Perhaps.

Toward the end of the day yesterday, I began thinking about how the Colts could respond to this loss next year. We still have a good team, and other teams like the Pats and Chargers are unlikely to get any better, and could actually get worse as their players continue to age. Basically, I was wondering how our team could bounce back.

That got me to wondering about how people can respond to life's most pressing challenges. Football, of course, is fairly unimportant compared to difficult situations and tragic circumstances that we all go through at different points in our lives....so how can we bounce back from the truly disappointing times?

Jeremiah was a prophet in the Bible who went through some difficult times. You can read the book named after him to get his story, and he is also credited with writing the book of Lamentations. He was a prophet during the time when Israel was invaded and destroyed by a foreign army; he saw his beloved city, Jerusalem, completely destroyed and he himself was carted away into exile in a foreign land. This was humiliating for the people of Israel, and Jeremiah spends the book of Lamentations complaining and weeping about the tragedy he had seen.

How did he ultimately respond? It is fascinating to hear his words in Lam. 3:22-23

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Did you catch that? Read the book of Lamentations to that point and you will see Jeremiah's point of view and hear the extent of his sorrow. Despite all of that, he still responds to God with praise and TRUST. He affirms the goodness and love of God, saying they are new every morning. Our God is a God of great faithfulness, and he is faithful to us even when no one is faithful to Him.

When we go through difficult situations, we know we can still trust God because he is full of love and compassion. If you choose to respond to tragedy or adversity in this way, you will be greatly benefited by it. So don't worry about the Colts, they will be fine! And if you are like me, remember, only about five weeks until spring training!

Yuck

2008-01-13T17:38:00.000-05:00

Colts lose in their last game in the Dome.....enough said. I feel sick. In other news, baseball season starts in less than 3 months!

I told you so...

2008-01-12T23:40:00.000-05:00

The Patriots just punched their ticket to the AFC Championship, beating the Jags 31-20. That officially means that tomorrow will be the final game for the RCA Dome. Brady was impressive, Maroney was impressive, the O-line was impressive, and honestly, the Jags didn't play poorly...they just aren't nearly as good as the Pats.

Now we have to keep our end of the bargain to set up the apocalyptic AFC title game in Foxboro. We can beat these guys, we just have to take care of business tomorrow first.

The Playoffs are Here!!

2008-01-11T19:21:00.000-05:00

This is an exciting time in Indianapolis as yet another Colts playoff season begins. The Colts are coming off their 2006 Superbowl victory as one of the few teams that actually improved their record following a title. The Colts 13-3 record earned them a first round bye and now a shot at revenge against one of the teams that beat them in the regular season.

The Chargers beat us by two points, despite our team playing the team without Marvin Harrison, Dallas Clark, Anthony Gonzalez, Tony Ugoh, and losing Dwight Freeney during the game. The Colts also gave up TWO returns for TDs, Peyton threw SIX INTs, AND Adam Vinateri missed a 29 yd FG at the end of the game.

That's right, those are the breaks the Chargers got in order to beat us by only two at their home stadium. I think we can handle them at home. Let the Colts AFC revenge tour begin! By the way, this will probably be the RCA Dome's last game, so I think everyone will want to send the old gal out on a good note.

My prediciton: Colts 38 Chargers 16

---> And by the way, I just don't think the Jags have what it takes to beat the Patriots...they lose to us twice, but everyone thinks they will beat the Pats? I don't think so. The Patriots thrashing of the Jags should set up a rematch in the AFC Championship next week in Foxboro between the Colts and Pats.

I am back!

2007-02-26T13:51:00.000-05:00

I am sure all of you have been eagerly anticipating my return to the blogging scene right?

Right?

Anyhoo, the last couple weeks have been really crazy, and it has been difficult to keep up. Through it all, I know God is working on my heart and on my mind, making me more like him. I don't always get all the answers right, but I continue to work on loving people.

It does get easier.

Did you guys like the missionaries? I think they were fantastic and I would like to hear your input on it as well.

I will check you guys later!

The Single Greatest Gift

2007-02-07T15:10:00.000-05:00

Bill Hybels has done some great work in the Christian community, and his most recent book, Just Walk Across the Room, is a great tool to equip Christians to become effective followers of Christ. At Higher Calling, we are going to study this book and its cirriculum so we can be more intentional about sharing our stories with other people.

Sharing Jesus with someone is not about having the most Bible knowledge, it isn't about having an extensive knowledge of Christian apologetics or all the answers to life's most difficult challenges, and it certainly isn't about following a certain formula or guideline. I believe in a God who shatters all of our best laid plans and can never be kept in a box. I believe that Christians must reach out to the world around them because Jesus was the one who first reached out to us.

Think about that for a minute. Jesus was perfectly secure in the ultimate comfort zone of heaven, free from any unfulfilled wants or needs. He was in perfect relationship with himself and was being worshipped by all the angels. He chose to leave that place of comfort to reach out a hand to those of us on earth who were busy wrecking our lives. He chose to take a risk and leave his comfort zone so we could experience his love and eternal life.

Shouldn't followers of Christ do the same? How much do you care for a world in need? Do you care more about your comfort than seeing people come into a relationship with Jesus. We must be intentional in our pursuits of friendships with people who are far from God because the natural inclination is to have more Christian friends the longer we are Christians. We must never stop reaching out!

I encourage you to buy the Just Walk book and small group guide and come to one of our small groups. It will change the way you view outreach!

Just Walk Across the Room

2007-02-02T13:54:00.000-05:00

What could be accomplished in the world if people decided to care for each other more than their own personal comfort?

Listen guys and gals, we all have our own comfort zones; people and places, attitudes and ways of life that are familiar and easy.

I want to encourage you to dream bigger than you ever have before. Be a part of something that is bigger than yourself. Leave your comfort zone, what my dad would call our "band of mediocrity," and do something in your life that counts for eternity. We can all have an impact on our world, and when we move together we can change the course of human history in a very real way.

Let's change the world together, one person at a time. More details to follow.

AFC Championship and Rocky IV

2007-01-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

Some of you may be wondering what these two ideas have in common. How can a football game remind you of a Rocky movie? I'll tell you how!

I was fortunate enough to be at the RCA Dome for the AFC Championship game between the Colts and the Patriots. I'm telling you, it was intense!! The crowd was sooo loud that it actually caused physical pain, and the day after I was sick and bowled over in pain.

It was worth every single second!

However, this game didn't exactly go the way I expected it to go, and I doubt any Colts fan wanted it to be this stressful anyway. At least we won!

Back to Rocky IV. If you have watched the series, then you know this movie as the one where Rocky faces the giant Russian, Ivan Drago. He ends up beating the guy and ending the Cold War in the process. "If I's can change...and you's can change..maybe we ALL's can change!!" Legitmate chill moments throughout. During the entire game I felt like the announcers and the trainers for the fight. Let me explain.

In Rocky IV, the end fight didn't start well for our hero. Rocky was getting the stuffing kicked out of him by this massive Russian boxer. The Colts started in a very similar way. We were down 21-3 in the second quarter after a back-breaking interception return for a TD by the Patriots. We were getting killed! There was a woman in the section in front of me who started crying when this happened. She just kept moaning, "Not again..not again!! Please, not again!" Maybe I just imagined her, because I'm pretty sure I was the one weeping and wailing. In any event, just like Rocky, we were getting drilled. We go into the half down 21-6 and things aren't looking so great.

Its a good thing the story doesn't end there. The Rocky-Drago fight was pretty one-sided, but then Rocky started coming back! He had a good round and his trainers were reminding him, "He's just a man! He's not a machine, he's just a man!" At the same time, Drago was sitting in his corner stunned that Rocky was still breathing after the beating he had received. He muttered to his trainers, "He's not human! He's like a piece of iron!"

This is how I imagined the game going. I bet you anything Tony Dungy was in the locker room at halftime telling his team, "They are just men!! They aren't machines...and we can beat them!!" Then the Colts get the ball first in the second half...and we score a touchdown!! This is when I imagined Tom Brady muttering to himself on the sideline, "They are not human! They are like a piece of iron!" It was making me giddy just thinking about it. After that, the Colts defense made a stand and we got the ball back again. Peyton took our team right back down the field again and we scored another touchdown, and then we TIED THE GAME on a two-point conversion. "They are just men!!"

So now the game is tied, 21-21. The Patriots, just like Drago, didn't just roll over after the comeback. In fact, they struck back hard. Drago kept destroying Rocky with huge punches, and the Patriots came back and took the lead with another TD, making it 28-21. The Colts weren't done though, we had proven they were just men, now it was time to hit them back. We scored another TD, our third in a row, to tie the game again at 28-28. This is the part in the fight where Rocky gets on a roll and gets gives Drago a cut above his eye. The announcers scream, "The Russian is bleeding!" After the Colts tied the game again, I was in full Rocky mode now, I think I actually screamed, "The Russians are bleeding!!" We were on a roll, and the game was far from over.

Fast forward to the end of the fight and the end of the game. Rocky is going into the last round needing to knock out Drago, who had never been knocked out, to win the fight. The Colts need to score to force at least overtime, and a TD would come close to locking things up for us.

It's do or die time right now. (Cue "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor)

Rocky comes out swinging and starts making progress. He lands huge punches to the head, devastating shots to Drago's sides, breaking him down piece by piece. Then he lands a huge roundhouse that almost takes the Russian to the ground. The announcers scream, "He's chopping the Russian down!!!" The Colts are in the same position. Peyton has the ball with just over two minutes left in the game, and he has a long field in front of him. Peyton goes to work on the Pats defense, taking shots at them, wearing them down. Then he completes a long pass that rocks the Patriots and gets the crowd really going. "The Russian is bleeding!" Finally after a one minute drive, Joe Addai punches the ball in for a TD and we all just go NUTS. "We're chopping the Patriots down!!" That touchdown was the shot that rocked our opponent, but there was still time left.

Rocky didn't give up, and neither did our Colts. Rocky landed a huge punch that put Drago on the ground, and the Colts moment of truth came when Marlin Jackson intercepted Tom Brady. Both events sent the crowd into a delirium. All that remained was the countdown.

Rocky waited as the referee counted to ten and Drago couldn't get to his feet, and Peyton came out and took a knee, icing the game!

IT WAS AMAZING!! Rocky wins in the last round, and Peyton and the Colts knock out the Patriots to go to the Superbowl.

The lesson to learn from this? I live in my own little universe, and I am sure I appear insane to the outside observor, but I bet at least one of you was thinking the same thing during this game. Anyone?

The Colts are in the Superbowl!!

2007-01-26T21:47:00.000-05:00

I think most of you may have heard that the Indianapolis Colts are in the Superbowl. You guys knew that...right? Well, if you didn't know, let me be the first to tell you the best QB in the league (see picture) gets his chance to win the big one on February 4th. I was fortunate enough to see the AFC Championship game live in the Dome, and I am going to give my breakdown of that game in a post later on.

How cool is this??? I have watched the Superbowl for a long time....and now we are FINALLY in the game!!! I'm thinking the commercials will finally not be as good as the game; especially if we go ahead and finish off this season with a title.

GO COLTS!!!! BEAT THE BEARS!!!!

Our Deepest Needs Met

2007-01-24T12:40:00.000-05:00

The world can get so overwhelming at times.

Sometimes it is hard to just keep my head above water.

It is easy to fall into despair and doubt, but there must be something more going on than what I see day to day. What is it?

What is humanity's deepest need? We can live for almost a month without food. We can live almost a week without water. The best of us can go without oxygen for almost ten minutes! (think David Blaine..) It seems to me these things are essential, but they are NOT the most essential. I believe our deepest need is to

BELONG.

We all need to be a part of something. Together. With people. It is in these moments we are truely alive; and it is when we are seperated from people that we begin to waste away.

Studies show that loneliness and isolation can be more dangerous to a person's health than obesity and stress. Ever heard of solitary confinement? So many people put themselves in voluntary cells of loneliness.

You were not mean to live in isolation. You were not meant to be alone! I think so many times church is thought of as a place where people come to be reminded of how they screwed up. What a tragedy.

I believe the church is the hope the world needs. I believe church is a place where people can BELONG and be accepted. At Higher Calling, we don't just say we love you; we are willing to prove it! Are you willing to find acceptance now? Even if you have never darkened the door of a church before, it is never too late to belong to our community of faith that shows love and spreads hope. We are here to support you, and God has always been waiting with open arms to accept you.

Come experience a place where your deepest needs for relationship and love can be met. Come and experience authentic community as we pursue God's purposes in our lives. Welcome home!

Can You Handle the Noise, Part 2

2007-01-11T14:04:00.000-05:00

The story about Fred at the World Series also illustrates a lot of truths about the true nature of Christianity and what it really means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. I want to take this opportunity to dispel some popular misconceptions about being a follower of Christ. I hope it is welcoming for those of you who are not Christians and challenging for those of you who are. If you remember, Fred was a die hard Cardinals fan who got a once in a lifetime opportunity to go to the clinching game of the World Series. You can read the full story in Part 1. However, we push came to shove, he left the game because it was just too loud. Let’s explore some myths about Christianity and what effect they have had on people throughout history.

MYTH 1: To be a Christian, you have to wear the right outfit.

This is one of the more common beliefs that non-Christians have about the church. For many Christians, the norm on Sunday is to get dressed up in your finest clothes for church, your “Sunday best.” This belief started in a good-hearted way, that when we go to worship God we present ourselves to him at our very best. Unfortunately, I think this practice has gotten out of hand to the point that some Christian groups feel that if a person isn’t wearing their best that God doesn’t accept that individual. Nothing could be farther from the truth!! God always accepts us exactly where we are when we sincerely come before him; that is the greatest truth about Jesus and his reaction to the world. We come to Jesus just as we are, and he is the one who “cleans us up” and presents us as pure and spotless before God. Look in 1 Samuel 16:7, it says, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." God is much more concerned about the condition of our hearts than he is about our appearance. At Higher Calling, we encourage casual dress and I support it by wearing jeans, sandals, t-shirts, jerseys, and other casual apparel while on stage. We feel it makes people more comfortable and it encourages the casual and authentic atmosphere we love to have. Church is about much more than suits and dresses; it is really all about connecting your heart with the heart of the one true God and living your life with his purpose in mind. My friend Fred wore all the right clothes; he had the uniforms, the jerseys, and the autographs to prove he was a Cardinals fan, but he didn’t stick around when it mattered most. When it got too loud, he chose to leave. I encourage you to value the important things in life, and look at people the way God looks at them; I urge you to look at the heart of people, and I challenge you to stay in the game, no matter how loud it gets.

MYTH 2: Christianity is all about knowing the right people.

Fred knew all the right people to be a Cardinals fan. Remember, he was rubbing elbows with some big names in Cardinals history, and they knew him by name. Many people looked at him and judged how great of a fan he was by his contacts, and by all of the autographed photos he had with personalized messages. “Wow, Fred is the biggest Cardinal fan I know!! He has pictures of Bob Gibson and Curt Flood and he sees them every summer at fantasy camps!” Ultimately though, what truly matters in judging how big a fan we are or how successful we are in life is not the acquaintances we accumulate; it is about how we react to adversity. Fred knew the right people, but it could too loud for him in the stadium. Being a Christian is not an easy thing to do; God does not promise total security in our lives and certainly we are not exempt from suffering in this life, but God does promise us that if we give our lives totally to him he will use us greatly to accomplish his purposes in the world. He promises that our lives will not be wasted! We can all give ourselves to something that will make a difference in eternity. It is not about the people you know, but it is about what you decide to do with the person of Jesus Christ. If you refuse his love, your life will not amount to anything, and it will be wasted. That is the greatest tragedy of all. If you accept him and follow him completely, he will take you on an adventure that will change the way you view the world and that will impact this life and the next.

MYTH 3: Christians don’t have answers for the really tough questions in life.

This isn’t the case, although there is some truth in this opinion. You see, many Christians have fought for a long time to make the movement of Jesus Christ into a religion, and when that happens the power is sucked out of the message. When any belief becomes a religion it becomes more about rules and regulations than about people or relationships. This has effectively neutered Christianity, and has made any common sense thoughts about reaching a postmodern and post-Christian world for God almost revolutionary.

The religion of Christianity will cause you to have more questions than answers.

A relationship with Jesus and with authentic followers of Christ will change your life for the better; no matter who you are or what you have done. Life is tough, and things can happen that break our will and our spirit. But God does not want us to stay that way; in fact, he longs for you to come to him so he can forgive you and accept you.

I can be insufficient in answering your toughest questions, but God is never insufficient.

Ask him for guidance and he will meet you in your darkest hour. But do not think that becoming a Christian exempts you from pain or suffering. In fact, sometimes God calls us into dangerous places so we can do great things for him. It is in those times we want to run and hide. When you are doing the work of God in hostile places, situations get hot, difficult, and LOUD!! My question for you is very simple…..Can you handle the noise? If you say yes, God will use you to do great things. We would love to be of help to you on your journey. Come and check us out at Higher Calling or leave a comment here. I can’t wait to hear from you!

-Pastor Zac

Can You Handle the Noise? Part 1

2007-01-11T10:34:00.000-05:00

I must make a confession before I get too far into this post: I am a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan. I love baseball, and the Cardinals have been my team since I was two years old. All fans of other teams, especially the Cubs, I apologize. Hang with me as we break this story down. You can see the pictures I took as a kid in various Cardinal uniforms. I was looking good! If you are a sports fan, you might have heard the Cardinals won their tenth World Series this year…..needless to say, I was pumped!

After the hoopla and the initial euphoria of the World Series win had passed, I heard a story about an old family friend’s opportunity to be at Game 5 win the Cardinals clinched the title. I will call him Fred (all names have been changed to protect the innocent). My mom told me the story…I was excited to hear an eyewitness account of the win and to relive those feelings again. Before we go any farther along in this story, I want to give you a bit of background info about Fred. He is by all accounts one of the biggest Cardinal fans in the Western hemisphere. He has an office that is decked out with Cardinals gear. He has signed pictures, gloves, chairs, bases, and all kinds of other memorabilia as well. He also attends fantasy camps that have Cardinal legends like Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, and others. He actually knows many of these guys personally, and they know him, too. His office is called the “Cardinal Museum” and that also serves as his e-mail address as well. This guy has got Cardinal fan imprinted on his DNA.

This World Series was plagued by rainouts, and Fred received his ticket from someone who had a ticket to a rained-out game and was unable to go to the make-up game the next night. Fred arranged to have the tickets held for him overnight and got his son to fly from Louisiana to meet him at Busch Stadium (also known as Baseball Heaven!). Fred drove six hours to be at the game; a game that would seal the Cardinals first World Series title in 24 years!! This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that most Cardinal fans, including myself, would willingly lose a finger or toe to attend. I personally would have chosen my left little toe.

St. Louis is one of the purest baseball cities in America; they all take Cardinals baseball very seriously, and this was the biggest stage in big league baseball, the WORLD SERIES. Every one of these players had dreamed of playing in this game as a little kid, most of these fans had been waiting a long time to see the Cardinals win a title. Some, like me, had never seen the Cardinals win the big one in our lifetime. To add to the intensity, this was the inaugural season for the new Busch Stadium. All of these factors came together at once to create a perfect storm of baseball chaos! This crowd was LOUD, so loud that even the TV announcers commented on it and compared it to an NFL game held in a dome.

Fred and his son get to the game and are put right in the middle of the biggest party going on in America at the time. People were screaming, cheering, laughing, and chanting for the Cardinals. Everyone was on their feet while the game was being played. Fred was living the dream!! At least, you would think he was. For reasons that cannot be entirely explained by anyone, Fred was miserable!! The noise of the atmosphere reached such an intense level that Fred and his son chose to LEAVE THE GAME!! That is correct, a huge Cardinals fan chose to leave the stadium and missed out on an experience that was incredibly unique and could never be duplicated. I wonder how many people treat life the same way.

I want to ask all of you a simple question. Can YOU handle the noise? Life is so wonderful and unique, full of excitement and opportunity, but it can also be a huge struggle. Things do not always go as we plan, and sometimes things seem so intense and so confusing and so overwhelming that we think it would be better if we just GAVE UP. I want to encourage you to stay in the game. Do not quit. Don’t walk out and leave when things get messy. My friend Fred got into a situation that should have been an amazing time, but he let his circumstances affect his overall experience and he chose to walk out. In doing so, he gained comfort in the short term, but he lost out on seeing the victory. It is no different in life. We must all seek to overcome challenges with the help of God in our lives. Romans 8:28 says this, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” God wants to take every experience in your life, even the worst ones, and use them to accomplish something amazing in your life. But you cannot quit and leave in the middle of the game! Can you handle the noise?

In John 10:10, Jesus says, “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” Many people think God is out to ruin their good time, and that Christians are incapable of having any kind of fun. I want you to know that God wants only the best for your life, and he wants to take the difficult times you go through and use them to mold you into a person with a strong and resilient character. And here at Higher Calling, we seek to represent Jesus by being an authentic community, dedicated to one another and to the community around us. Stop by and check us out on a Sunday morning at 10 AM, the link on the side of the page will take you to our main site and give you directions on how to find us. We would love to see you!

-Pastor Zac

OUR STORY

2006-12-13T10:48:00.000-05:00

Higher Calling was founded on October 1, 2000. Our founding pastor was Don Pittman, my dad. This is his story of how the church came about.

"We all have a history; a story of how we arrived at where we are now, and Higher Calling Community Church is no exception to this rule. My name is Don Pittman, and I am confident that God has called me to start and pastor this church but my vision has not always been so clear.

I had served in ministry for practically my entire adult life but had gotten to the point of losing my excitement and passion. I had not lost my faith or even my desire to be in ministry but I had lost my perspective. For almost two years, I struggled to stay involved in ministry while working two additional jobs. Working 80-85 hours a week was commonplace but the depression and fatigue that resulted only blurred my perspective even more. My wife, Mindy, and I were determined to start fresh and follow God's leading in ministry by moving to a fast growing suburban area north of Atlanta and starting a church there. Surely, God would bless us as we pursued this plan for Him. I was so wrong!

Instead, I was let go from my ministry position and told that my family and I were on our own when it came to moving away and starting this new church. Within our denomination that we had grown up in, we could find no support, help, or encouragement for our plan to start the church. We were unable to sell our home so we could not finalize our plans to move. Financial pressures were mounting so I felt that I could not reduce the hours of my work schedule. The levels of fatigue, frustration, and stress were growing to unbearable levels and then my health began to deteriorate. I was continually tired and experience a nagging pain and soreness in my chest accompanied by uncontrollable, almost violent bouts of chilling. Tests revealed a softball-sized tumor in my abdomen. On April 21, 1999, the mass was removed but the diagnosis was grim. At 38 years of age, I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a treatable but incurable blood cancer that would surely shorten my life. Where was God in all this? Amazingly, He was in it all, overseeing it all, and orchestrating it all in order to accomplish His purposes in my life. Through my treatment and healing of this cancer, God led me on a journey of discovery and renewal that has reignited my passion for living and refocused my heart in believing God for more. Our story is this: God loves us too much to leave us alone. He wants to be a real Father to us and give us all that we need to live powerful, purposeful, and passionate lives. But the most incredible aspect of our story is that God wants you to be His very own. This church was born out of God's desire to do something new in the heart of a person just like you - a person with his own set of struggles, desires, and dreams. The entire reason for the existence of Higher Calling Community Church is to help people experience God's higher calling for their lives. I personally want to invite you to join us in discovering or maybe rediscovering God's greater purpose and higher calling for your life."

A New Beginning

2006-12-07T11:28:00.000-05:00

My name is Zac Pittman and I am the senior pastor of Higher Calling. This first journal marks a new beginning in the life of our church; a journey into the uncharted territory of the online world. If you are reading this and it is your first interaction with Higher Calling, you might be thinking, "This church is a bit different!" If so, we are glad you noticed. We have been known to try a variety of methods to reach out into the community, and this is our latest effort.

My dad, Pastor Don, was the founding pastor of Higher Calling and he believed the church should be a place of hope and healing for the entire world and not a priviliged few. That vision for Higher Calling is alive and well today despite the adversities our church has been through since our founding in October 2000. Are you seeking truth? Have you lost your way? You have come to the right place on the Web if you want to ask honest questions about life and receive honest answers. As we journey together in life we must seek to be commited to love above all else. My first series of posts will be about the story of Higher Calling and on our foundational beliefs on who God is and what the church should be. We are glad you are here. Feel free to stop by our Indianapolis location at any time; we would love to have you as a guest, you can follow the link at the side of this page to our church's main site. Feel free to leave comments on the posts. I hope to see you soon!

-Pastor Zac