my point

1/2 Day Financial Class This Saturday

2012-01-10T09:24:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, January 14, we are offering a 3 hour class that will revolutionize your life! (It did mine).

Register through this online form for this FREE class!

You're Invited to Christmas Eve Morning Services!

2011-12-21T08:28:00.000-08:00

The Church at Lake Travis invites you to celebrate Christmas Eve at one of two services on December 24, 9:30 or 11 AM.

Kids programs will be available for kids Birth through Preschool.

E-NEWS: The Church at Lake Travis

2011-12-08T15:36:00.001-08:00

Here's our best attempt to keep you connected with everything going on these next few weeks with The Church at Lake Travis.

1. TWO SERVICES: Just a reminder that we've moved to two services on Sunday mornings (9:30 & 11:00). This Sunday, we'll continue our Christmas series ADVENT CONSPIRACY. Jeremy will be teaching from John 1:1-14, if you want to read up in advance!

2. GIVING TREE: This Sunday will be the final Sunday to pick up a tag off the GIVING TREE for one of the residents of Community First, Mobile Loaves & Fishes' ministry that takes the homeless of the streets and puts them into gently-used RV Trailers. Grab a tag this Sunday and be a blessing!

3. WOMEN'S WRAPPING PARTY: The girls of CLT will gather on Tuesday, December 13th at 7pm for a "wrapping party" to gift wrap all of the gifts that are collected for the residents of Community First (mentioned above). This is a great way for the ladies in our church to get to know each other better while also serving those in need. Please bring an appetizer and any wrapping supplies you have handy. Desserts and drinks will be provided. No kids please (husbands have babysitting duty!). JJ Cox is our wonderful host. Please click HERE for a map to her home.

4. GIVING TREE PRESENT DELIVERY: Not only do we have the pleasure of buying presents for residents of Community First, but Mobile Loaves & Fishes has asked us a church family to deliver them. What an amazing experience to deliver gifts to somebody who has just been lifted off the streets. We will deliver on December 23rd and 24th. Sign your family up HERE!

5. STUDENT MINISTRY CHRISTMAS PARTY: We want to invite all middle school and high school students (and friends) to a Tacky Sweater Christmas Party on Wednesday, December 14th from 6:30-8:00pm at Fore Restaurant. We'll have a fun white elephant gift exchange, table-side s'mores, and so much more. Don't miss it! RSVP yourself or your kids with Alex (Alex at ChurchLT dot com).

6. CHRISTMAS EVE AT CLT: We wanted to give you plenty of heads up so that you can plan on attending one of our two Christmas Eve services this year. We will be at TexARTS, as usual, and we'll host two worship services on Saturday, December 24th (9:30 & 11:00am). Kids Ministry will be available for kids Birth through Preschool. it will be a special day of worship together!

7. NEW YEAR'S DAY KICKOFF: In 2012, January 1st falls uniquely on a Sunday. And we can't think of a better way to get the year started right than to worship God together. So for this special Sunday, we'll host only our 11am service at TexARTS to give those who stayed up past midnight a chance to rest up. Kids Ministry will be available for kids Birth through Preschool. Come worship with us at 11!

8. COMMUNITY GROUPS: We know many of you are clamoring to get to know people in the church better and begin building deeper relationships. That's why we're excited to announce that new Community Groups will be kicking off at the end of January. These groups are central to who we are as a church and how we're all going on "mission" together. Stay tuned in January for full signup details!

9. PLEASE BARE WITH US: Here's the truth. We're making this church thing up as we go along. With the merge of the two churches, things have been happening fast and furious. While we're celebrating the energy and momentum of this new church, we also admit that balls are likely getting dropped and questions may be going unanswered. We're sorry! We're trying our best to figure out what God is doing and how we can be faithful to Him. We honestly don't have all the answers of how this new church is supposed to look to best reach and serve this community, so we want to ask you to join us in prayer that God would show the way. And thank you so much for your patience in the process!

Wow, nine items on the list today. God is really moving. Thanks for coming along for the ride!

christmas eve

2011-12-07T15:06:00.001-08:00

The Church at Lake Travis will have 2 services on SATURDAY morning for Christmas Eve at 9:30 and 11. It will be AWESOME! Join us!

Christmas Impact 2011

2011-12-07T12:45:00.001-08:00

I'm fired up about this year's offering! We're giving 100% of it away! It's NOT ABOUT US! YES!

If you'd like to give, go to this online giving link. and select Christmas Impact 2011!

The Principle of Giving

2011-11-15T09:07:00.001-08:00

I found this article by Crosspoint Church in Katy, TX and thought it was too good not to post.

The Principle of Giving

The Ownership Principle

You and I don’t own the money in our wallets,stock portfolios, or bank accounts. It is God’s money, and he has entrusted itto us to manage (Matt 25.14-30). When I understand the ownership principle, myimmediate question is, “What does the owner want me to do with His money?” Heasks four things: worship God (Lev 27:30), meet our own needs (Phil 4:19), meetthe needs of others (Acts 2:45), and enjoy its fruits (1 Tim 6:17). Sincegiving is big on God’s heart, it’s not surprising that two of the four “Dothis” areas involve giving: worshiping God and meeting the needs of others.When you give to your local church, you’re accomplishing both of these, becausethrough the local church, people are cared for both spiritually and physically.When you give an offering, you’re actually giving it twice: to God and to Hispeople in need. Remember, we don’t own the money. God does. So we need tofollow His lead on what to do with it.

The Giving Principle

The message we heartoday is “Get.” As in “Get all you can.” As in “Get it while you can.” Youmight say that most of us live by the “Getting” principle. And we falselybelieve that the more we get, the higher quality of life we have.

Life as a Christ-follower is just the opposite.God tells us that the more we give, the more life we experience:

“Command them to do good, to be rich in gooddeeds, and to be generous and willing to share. [19] In this way they will layup treasure for themselves…that they may take hold of the life that is trulylife.” (1 Tim 6:18-19) Why is that? It’s because money’s lure coupled with ourbrokenness leads to a life of hoarding. Hoarding money will not buy us freedomin life - it actually buys us slavery to possessions.

The Cheerful Principle

When you think ofgiving, maybe you think of TVs and telethons and loud preachers making you feelguilty for not giving. Contrary to popular belief, God doesn’t want those typesof givers. He’s looking for cheerful givers. Each man should give what he hasdecided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for Godloves a cheerful giver. (2 Cor 9:7)

What makes for a cheerful giver? It’s a person whorealizes how much she’s been given. People who understand God’s rich grace inJesus Christ—that God no longer counts our sins against us but in Jesus,forgives us forever—people who have been touched by God’s eternal generosityreceive a deep joy that wells up in cheerful generosity. They want to give.They enjoy giving. They receive great emotional and spiritual benefit fromgiving. They understand the cheerful principle: that giving brings joy.

The 90% Principle

You’ve probably heardof the tithe. Churches talk a lot about the tithe. The word means tenth. Itrefers to the first ten percent of all of our income. Pre-tax. Before Uncle S.gets his. God, who owns the money, asks us to give Him the first 10% of whatHe’s given us. Because by nature we’re money-hoarders, we tend to focus on that10%. We forget that he’s giving us 90% to enjoy and manage for everything else.

When we live on the 90%, we’re telling God thatHe’s more important than Starbucks, Time-Warner Cable, Old Navy, and even UncleS. We’re demonstrating that the Giver of all things is more important than thethings. We are saying that we believe God when He promises to provide for us(Gen 22:14). And we believe He will bless our lives through our giving, like Hesays in Malachi 3.10: Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there maybe food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "andsee if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so muchblessing that you will not have room enough for it.” And in Proverbs 3:9-10:Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; [10]then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim overwith new wine. As faithful Christians, living on 90% should be as natural asbreathing air and drinking water. And we can trust that God will make the 90%more than enough.

Remember, we’re called to live on 90%. That’s awhole lot. Don’t cheat God out of His 10%.

The Investment Principle

Where are you investing your money? Stocks?College educations? Entertainment? Some are wise investments, some are not.Some bring gains. Some bring losses. None last forever.

Have you ever considered that by giving to yourlocal church, you’re making an investment that lasts forever? When you give toyour local church, you’re making an eternal investment that won’t go up anddown with the latest world news.

The Church is in the investment business.Specifically, we’re in the business of eternal investments. We invest in peopleso that they have an eternity with God. CrossPoint exists to share the goodnews of Jesus Christ so that hundreds of thousands over the decades to comewill know Jesus and the hope He gives and live eternally with us in heaven.

So where are you investing the money? Jesus put itlike this: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where mothand rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up foryourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and wherethieves do not break in and steal. [21] For where your treasure is, there yourheart will be also.” (Matt 6:19-21)

If you want the biggest bang for your buck,considering using money to make an eternal impact. Make a commitment to live on90% and give the other 10% to your local church. Be a part of something huge.Be a part of eternity.

4 Life Changing Realities for the Self Tribe in 1 Week

2011-10-31T14:27:00.000-07:00

Personal always impacts professional. Personal always influences ministry. Personal joy spills over into life in general. And, we've got some personal joy to share. Actually, we have 4 Life-changing Joys to share:

1. Ella-We signed an adoption agreement to be matched withSchella...We will call her Ella. She is 10 months old. Her parents were killedin a car accident. Her grandmother had her and she got sick and died. Her aunt,who was 9 months pregnant, brought her to the orphanage we have been workingwith and they contacted us. We areso thankful God has chosen her for our family and chosen us for her.

2. In my loudest Dave Ramsey style scream, WE'RE DEBT FREE!!!!We began the journey of becoming debt free in June 2009 and after 2 years ofliving within our means through a monthly budget, operating with an envelopesystem using cash, and focusing most "extra" income on snowballingdebt, we are debt free of all consumer debt! Yes, we are done! The most critical moment in the last two yearsthat I can think of was the moment I said OUT LOUD, "I will not borrow anymore money." Life changing! Thank you, Dave Ramsey and thank you, Jesus!Now, on to baby step #3:) Living like no one else, so later we can GIVE like no one else!

3. We launched a new church this week! Well, sort of. Wemerged two existing churches together to form one new church (The Church at Lake Travis) and our first item on the agenda as a new church . . . SERVE. Wecancelled our first regular Sunday worship service to do something that God mayindeed receive as worship more than what we normally do. We raised money fororphans in Haiti. We are pumped about what God is doing and what he'll continueto do! Our first worship gathering will be this Sunday, November 6 at Tex Arts next to Chair King in Lakeway.

4. In the big scheme of things, I'm not even sure if thisqualifies as a "life-changing" reality, but Ashley and I (and a teamof others from our church) completed a half marathon this past Saturday. We ranin the Chosen for Adoption race and it was a blast! More to come on lessonslearned...

All in all, as I look back over this list, I'm seeing atheme...All of these realities lead to one...God wants us to be about caringfor orphans. And, that's a simple yet challenging reality!

Garage Sale 4 Orphans, This Sunday

2011-10-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

First item to note: I've changed the name of my blog. It was God...Austin...Free Chapel...how they fit together. And, now we've seen a change that God has put something together that only He could. Free Chapel has joined Commons Church to become one new church: The Church at Lake Travis! So, now, I just have to change the url to this blog and I'm trying to figure out what to change it to. I don't dig the personality-driven blogs (no offense, just not my style). So, I have to figure that out. I set out to do that a couple of years ago and then, like a lot of things, I got caught in the rip tide and sucked into the sea of ministry as a lone pastor. Now, I'm thankful like heck that I'm working with an awesome team of pastors who rock! Anyway, I'm rambling...but then again, what's a blog for anyway??

So, here's the point (and I want to be "on point"): We are having a community garage sale this Sunday, October 30 at 1921 Lohmans Crossing at the Keller Williams Building in Lakeway. It's going to be a party! Seriously! We will have more fun than you should be able to have at a Garage Sale. And, the best part is...It's not for us! 100% of the proceeds will go to help haitian orphans and we are psyched about raising muchos dineros to HELP more kids!

I hope you'll come and buy some stuff.

I hope you'll price and sort your stuff and drop it buy on Saturday from 1-5 PM.

I hope you'll even serve alongside us.

I hope you'll tell all your friends. You can use our facebook event or craigslist ad.

And, in doing so, I want you to know you are making a difference!

REPOST: Brandon Hatmaker

2011-10-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

As our church moves toward Serve Lake Travis Sunday, this blog post by my friend (and one of my local heroes) knocks the proverbial ball out of the park! Read it!

Don't Check the Box: The 3 Parts of Service

by Brandon Hatmaker on Monday October 24, 2011

I’ve had a number of conversations recently on how we keep “serving the least” from becoming just another ‘check-the-box’ church thing to do. And to be honest, even as a church focused on serving the poor, we don’t always succeed at that. I think at one point or another we all slip into going through the motions or even serving for the wrong reason. Even the best intended social effort can become normalized, rote, and lose it’s focus.

There is a reason why Jesus calls us to not only count the cost, but to deny ourselves and take up our cross DAILY. Because when we don’t… we tend to drift the wrong direction. The same is true through our efforts to serve. If we're not intentional about each act of service, we can hijack a really good thing and make it something it's not supposed to be.

This is a timely conversation for Austin New Church.

Every 5th Sunday ANC exchanges it's gathering for a day of serving the greater Austin area and surrounding counties through our non-profit partnerships. Each October, ANC and Restore Communities commits that day to working with Help End Local Poverty (H.E.L.P.) through an effort we call Garage Sale 4 Orphans.

Last year we raised enough money, through multiple garage sale locations, to help finish build out an orphanage in Haiti and drill a well that provides water for hundreds of people each day for an orphanage and its community in Zimbabwe.

This years efforts will focus on breaking cycles of poverty in Haiti by providing homes for single parent families displaced by the earthquake as well as transition homes for aged out orphan girls, one of the most highly targeted group of children by the human trafficking trade.

So we’re selling our stuff. Wait a minute… let’s be honest… we’re selling our junk. We’re selling the stuff that we don’t need, don’t want, or have too many of. Last year we raised $13K (or so) in a matter of hours. It was nice to finally get rid of some of my extra stuff. My garage was clean again. Not exactly a pure motivation.

It’s not really a huge sacrifice to give this stuff away. Since we’re doing the sale on Sunday morning, we’re not even giving up another day of our lives to the effort. It’s in place of “normal” church. So what are we doing? What is the purpose? How is this significant? How do we NOT slip into complacency, minimize the effort, or make this about us?

There are a handful of things that will happen this next Sunday through ANC and our Garage Sale efforts. Each an opportunity that exists any time a church serves together, each a part of the bigger picture for why we serve, and a glimpse of what happens when we do. We have to consistently come back to the reason we serve. It’s vital to the overall mission. Communicating them may be THE difference in keeping our efforts from becoming rote, about us, or worse… another project we could just “skip” and take the day off.

With this in mind, here are a few reasons why we’re doing Garage Sale 4 Orphans. I hope we see each as an opportunity and motivation for all we do outside the walls of ANC:

1) Partnership: (Kingdom) First and foremost, we always hope to put our money, efforts, heart, and minds where our collective mouths are. We are doing some great work in Haiti with our friends at Help End Local Poverty (H.E.L.P.). Not only are we spreading awareness through our events, with the money we raise we will build houses. They will become homes to single parent families who currently live on the streets. They will offer hope and a leg up on their fight against the cycles of poverty. They will be homes to orphan girls who age out of local orphanages. Thus, they will reduce the risk of these children falling in the hands of those who will take away their dignity, their humanity, and their freedom. While we’re committed to helping this initiative with or without the garage sales… the sale will help us get a head start… and will do a few other things along the way…

2) Community: (Unity) I love hanging out and working shoulder to shoulder with the people of ANC. Just like you, I don’t know everyone in our faith community. This Sunday will provide one of the best opportunities to get to know others that you might not normally get to spend time with. In every church there are people who feel disconnected. They feel like they are on the outside looking in. Maybe that describes you. When you serve, plan to be a contributor not a consumer. Go with the intention to be a part of the team. Initiate conversations. As we grow as a faith community, taking advantage of this opportunity to get to know each other is critical. One thing I know… Serving together serves as a catalyst for community.

3) Posture: (Gospel) This one is huge to me. I’m really concerned about how our skeptics and onlookers view the church. You should be too. People are watching. And they already have an opinion about the church. While I believe they are looking for hope, they’ve also got preconceived ideas about what we do, why we do it, what we value, and how we feel about them. Whether their thoughts are fair or not doesn’t matter. Their perception is their reality. And the church has given some pretty good ammo over the years. Serving together gives us a great opportunity to change the way our city and/or community view the church. I think it blows people away when they see or hear about not just 10% or 20% of a church serving… but an entire church… doing something where they literally gain nothing. Just giving of themselves for the sake of others.

I’ll never forget the day one of my neighbors walked by my house while I was in the front yard, saw the ANC sticker on my truck, and asked...

“Hey, do you go to that church? That ANC church?”

It was obvious she didn’t know I was the pastor. I replied, “Yes, I do.”

She continued, “I hear you guys do really good things.”

“Really? That’s good to hear. Thanks for sharing that.” I replied.

“Can I go to your church?” she asked.

I gotta be honest with you. I’ve been a Christian for a long time now. I’ve been a pastor for a while as well. It’s rare to have someone ask if they can come to your church. And it wasn’t because she heard about our great band or good teaching. It was because she heard we did good things.

I’ve learned a lot from serving. And I’m reminded today that it’s got to be about something bigger than just checking the box of serving. Jesus said it this way…

“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

So if you’re a part of ANC… plan to join us this coming weekend (and future weekends) with a renewed vision for why we’re doing what we’re doing. Bring your lawn chairs and plan on staying. If you’re a social butterfly, spread your wings. If you’re a social recluse, pray for strength, trust in God, and let your serving and seeking of community be an act of worship and sacrifice to Him.

If you’re not a part of ANC and you’re just reading this blog for whatever reason, I urge you to consider the impact service has beyond the surface. Look at the opportunities for it to be worship. Look for the opportunities for it to reveal the Gospel. Pray that through it all, God will continue to transform you into the man or woman God desires you to be.

2 Churches Becoming 1

2011-10-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

We made a historic announcement on Sunday, October 9. Free Chapel and Commons Church are merging into 1 church, The Church at Lake Travis! You can read more about the merger by visiting Commons or Free Chapel's sites and downloading the F.A.Q. we prepared.

We are so thrilled with the unity in this merger and are walking forward with Paul's words in our hearts:

"¹ Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very natureGod,
   did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
   by taking the very natureof a servant,
   being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
   he humbled himself
   by becoming obedient to death—
      even death on a cross!"

2011-09-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

We are better together!

That's why we have launched a new semester of community groups! With 5 groups to choose from, we hope you will be able to find a group you'll enjoy going on mission and doing life together!

To see what groups are offered this semester check our community group guide.

This Sunday

2011-09-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

It is really hard to believe we have been in Austin for 3 years...leading a local church to be effective and fruitful is likely one of the biggest challenges of my life (next to learning Hebrew...I digress). And, we will not focus on the challenges this weekend. We will focus on the victories! The stories! The life-change! The amazing people who have helped Free Chapel become the church it is today! And, BIGGER than anyone or anything, we will focus on our God who is mighty to save!

If you are anywhere near Free Chapel in Lakeway, TX this Sunday, I want to extend a warm invitation to you to join me for this special occasion and moment in the life of our church!

august 25 e-news

2011-08-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

Adoption Update

2011-08-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

We received some bad news on Sunday related to the little girl who we wanted to become our daughter. Biological father got involved. Denied.

So, what are the next steps?

We continue moving forward to be approved for international adoption. We have a great agency (Share Adoption) we are working with. They are helping us all along the way.

Then, we wait. . . for the right time . . . the right little girl . . . on God . . . on the government. Oh, the waiting game.

Why I Didn't Go to Haiti This Week:

2011-08-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have one of those days where all signs point in the opposite direction of where you are headed?

This past week had, not one, but two of those days!

On my way out of town for vacation I received an email from the haitian pastor who had invited me 4 months ago to train top-level haitian pastors in Biblical spirituality for one week this coming week. The email stated the conference had been cancelled due the fact that they had not raised enough money to host all the pastors. Sign number one.

I was still planning to go to Haiti, because MAIS, the organization we partner with in Haiti had some things I could help with. In addition, I had a very important meeting scheduled with the director of the orphanage from where we want to adopt a little girl.

A little back story...

Since May we have wanted to adopt a particular little girl from this orphanage. We found out after several weeks that she had a mother, a father, and three sibilings. The mother had dropped her off at the orphanage because she couldn't care for her. The orphanage director tried to contact the mother, but could not find her. He did find her father, however. He asked the father at that time if he would be open to the girl being adopted by a family in America. He said yes, with the condition that he could receive updates about her well-being, etc. The next step was to find out how to go about adopting her. We found out the orphanage she was in was not accredited by the Haitian government and it had to be for children to be able to be adopted from there.

Now, fast forward. I was going to sit down with the director to discuss moving her to an accredited orphanage, so we could adopt her. In order to do that, we would have to have her mother and father's signature on papers to transfer her. I was going to be able to work on some of those details this coming week.

Then this afternoon, I received a call from our contact in Haiti with some bad news. Sign number two.

Yesterday, evidently, the girl's father made a decision (changed his mind) that he does not want her to be adopted. We don't have all the details, but at the end of the day, I cancelled my flight to Haiti. (The fact that tropical storm Irene is headed straight for Haiti this week also helped my decision. Maybe Sign number three?).

I know many of you have prayed and prayed for us and for this little girl who we want(ed) to adopt so badly. I felt like I should update you.

So . . . questions . . .

A. Are you still going to adopt from Haiti?
That's the plan at this point. We will continue working with our adoption agency moving forward in the process. We have a completed home study with the state of TX. We are submitting paperwork to the U.S. Immigration department to be able to adopt internationally. We will know more after we are approved. The adoption process has many setbacks and is an emotional roller coaster, but I have to be honest and say it is so worth it.

B. Will you adopt a different little girl?
Yes. We are very open to this. We know God will give us the one He wants us to have.

C. What are you going to do this week instead of going to Haiti?
I am flying back to Austin tomorrow to spend the week in the FC office and with my family. Then, Saturday, I will fly back to Florida due to the fact that I have a speaking commitment this coming Sunday at one of Free Chapel's sponsor churches in Palm Beach Gardens, FL (I spoke at a different church in Miami yesterday).

I was headed to Haiti this week and all signs pointed in the opposite direction, so I'm not doing my plan...I wonder what God's got in store? It's always better than our plans!

Fish or Cut Bait!

2011-08-12T04:27:00.000-07:00

Totally stoked about the new series that begins this Sunday at Free Chapel! It's going to be awesome!

Invite somebody!

More details on our website...

Serve Lake Travis Sunday (AUGUST EDITION)

2011-08-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

107 DEGREES! What?!?

Yes, it is. So, this Sunday, while we won't be having our regularly scheduled service at Lakeway Elementary, we will be serving indoors at our office at the Keller Williams Bldg. So, show up at 9:00 AM and join in on the fun serving this community!

Free Chapel Kids

2011-07-27T14:24:00.001-07:00

Free Chapel Kids rock!

We love Kids at Free Chapel! And we have placed a high priority on leading kids into a life-giving relationship with Jesus Christ. We also love the dream team who so faithfully loves on kids Sunday after Sunday! We know that every week our kids are going to have a blast and learn something about Jesus through those who serve.

This summer has been incredible watching kids take their relationship with God to the EDGE! It's been awesome!

Karma Ezell is leading the Free Chapel Kids on an interim basis, and she is doing an amazing job partnering with parents in this adventure!

Men: I want to talk with you...

2011-07-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

Men of Free Chapel:

I need to talk with you . . .

In fact, this Saturday, July 23, I scheduled a specific time to pull you together with all the men of our church to stuff our guts with pancakes and bacon and sausage and get gut level honest about being a M-A-N.

-You want to be better at your job...as a man.

-You want to be stronger in faith...as a man.

-You want to be a better husband...as a man.

-You want to set a better example for your kids...as a man.

But, sometimes, you fall short. We all do. But that's no excuse. Let's man up this Saturday, rally together, and spur one another on to becoming a better man!

And, look, I know the whole, "It's Saturday and that's family time" excuse. But, remember that whole "sharpen the saw" principle? If you don't stop and take time for you to get better, well . . . let's just say, you need to come.

Are you coming this Saturday, July 23, 8-9 AM, at the Keller Williams Bldg. for a FREE men's breakfast? Will you be bringing another dude with you? Email me back so we will know how much food to prepare.

AND, This Sunday, have you ever wondered what God considers to be SUCCESSFUL as a man, husband, father, business owner, employee, employer. You name it. What is success in that area? You'll find out this Sunday. And, at the end of the service, we will accept "nominations" for men in our church who exhibit exceptional character to serve as spiritual leaders in our church.

I want to talk with you and if you come this Saturday and Sunday, I think you'll be glad you did.

Helpful Parenting Thoughts

2011-07-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

I always want to add value to people. And, parents probably need value added to them everyday due to the fact that we often feel like we are feeling our way around in the dark. Well, this video from a lady I had only heard of once before has some great thoughts on parenting I hope will add value to you.

Parenting Strategies That Connect from Tapestry on Vimeo.

Learnings from Leo

2011-07-19T06:14:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday last week, Free Chapel received a special gift. Mission Evangelical Church of Villa Velha, Brazil sent Leo Carvalho to our church for one year! Leo arrived in Austin on Wednesday, July 13 and has already been an asset to our church.

Here are a few lessons I've learned from Leo:

Have faith. Yes, this is a biblical lesson too. However, sometimes other people's faith catalyzes yours. And, Leo is a 24 year old, young leader with a lot of faith. After 3 years of starting and leading a new church, my faith has leaked (as does vision), and it is refreshing and encouraging to have Leo's fresh faith joining our team.
It's all about perspective. I love watching Leo's eyes light up when he sees things that are "so different." For instance, "You don't have people to pump your gas?!?" "You stop at stop signs!??" My favorite is the perspective on clothes and computers. His eyes will light up and he will say these are so much "cheaper!" It is so easy for us to get stuck in our little bubble of American culture and forget we represent a much smaller segment of the world than we'd like to let on.

I'm so appreciative and grateful to Igreja Missao for sending Leo to Austin, TX. Our Brazilian Pastor sent as a missionary from Brazil to Austin, TX. I love it!

If It's a Mist...

2011-07-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Howard Hendricks, seminary professor extraordinaire is well known for saying, "If it's a mist in the pulpit, it'll be a fog in the pew."

Yesterday, when I was explaining 1 Timothy 2:15, I felt like it was a mist...or maybe even a fog in the pulpit, so it must have been impossible to understand.

What I was trying to say about this verse is what Dr. Mark Bailey says much more clearly: "The meaning of [a woman] 'will be saved through childbearing' . . . In the context it seems preferable to interpret this phrase to mean that a woman will be saved from the error of Eve (usurping the leadership of the man) by carrying out her functions as a godly mother."

This is a highly debated portion of the text from 1 Timothy 2, but important to think through what it really means.

I hope this clarifies for you as much as it did for me.

Help Commons Church Lake Travis Get Started!

2011-07-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

I have had the privilege of getting to know Alex Alexander (@pastoralex) and Chad Zunker over the last several months and we are so pumped for what God is doing in and through them. I made a comment yesterday on Twitter that stirred up a good bit more conversation than I anticipated. I said,

"I'm as happy to help a church a block away as I am ten thousand miles away. Let's build God's kingdom, not a single church."

And, I mean it! Look, we are all on the same team. We may go about things in different ways, but we ultimately want to be great commission churches, making disciples, etc. So, I'm making an appeal for those faithful blog readers to help out some friends who are starting Commons Church of Lake Travis. Yes, they'll be about a block away. And, we are so excited for them!

Here's the deal. Every new church has needs. I'm copying and pasting what theirs are:

We need the items listed below in preparation for our launch on August 14th. Some of the items can be donated (ie. sound system, trailer, etc..) if they are gently used or in good shape. If you, or someone you know have access to any of the items and would like to donate them, shoot us an EMAIL and let us know. If you'd like to give financially, please visit the GIVE page to make a financial gift.

Sound System $8000.00
Trailer $5000.00
Pipe & Drape $2000.00
Video Projector $2000.00
Video Screen $2000.00
Kids Ministry Walls $1000.00
Kids Ministry Sound $3000.00
Kids Ministry Carts $2000.00
Outdoor Signage $2000.00
Indoor Signage $2000.00

If you can give, give. If you got stuff you want to donate, let them know.

Lakeway 4th of July Parade

2011-07-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

On Monday, July 4th, the city of Lakeway has an awesome hometown parade that's so much fun to attend and/or be a part of.

Free Chapel will be participating as Greenscapes Landscaping graciously pulls our trailer. Kids can ride on the Greenscapes truck and we will walk alongside and pass out ice cold water and dog treats and candy.

We'll be #105 in the parade, so once everyone finds a place to park it'd be a good idea to remember the number so you can be in place by 8:00 AM.

If you have a Free Chapel shirt, wear that, some walking shoes, and shorts...It's a total walk of about 1.2 miles.

Accountability 101

2011-06-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

Accountability in following Christ is so BIG. If you've never been in some sort of relationship with another Christ follower, you are missing out! If you don't know where to begin, here's a couple of suggestions.
A. Pick a day and time you can meet weekly.
B. Pick a place you can talk.
C. Pick some questions to guide your discussion. Stick to it or you'll do everything but help hold each other accountable. Here are some questions I've used in the past that may be helpful for you:

Have you spent daily time in the Scriptures and in prayer?
Have you had any flirtatious or lustful attitudes, tempting thoughts, or exposed yourself to any explicit materials which would not glorify God?
Have you been completely above reproach in your financial dealings?
Have you spent quality relationship time with family and friends?
Have you done your 100% best in your job, school, etc.?
Have you told any half truths or outright lies, putting yourself in a better light to those around you?
Have you shared the Gospel with an unbeliever this week?
Have you taken care of your body through daily physical exercise and proper eating/sleeping habits?
Have you allowed any person or circumstance to rob you of your joy?

Serve Lake Travis Sunday is Happening Again

2011-06-29T08:50:00.001-07:00

We've canceled our regular Sunday service this Sunday, July 3rd to go out and be of service to the community.

Enter YOU.

Contact us at info at freechapelaustin dot com if you'd like to help this Sunday.

Details:
When: 9 AM- 1 PM
Where: Meet up at Keller Williams Building, 1921 Lohmans Crossing at 9 AM
What: We will be focusing on 3 different areas of need this month. Show up at 9:00 AM on Sunday and find out more info. Essentially, we are doing clean-up for a house that recently burned down, visiting an assisted living facility, and community restoration for Armadillo RV Park, including making bag lunches for the summer lunch program.

F.A.Q.

What should I wear?

Wear shorts, tennis shoes, and a freeChapel t-shirt. If you don't have a freeChapel t-shirt, we will have shirts for you. Dress comfortably. You'll be working...

Do I need to bring anything?

We have 5 basic projects. Below are the items we need and there is no way to organize who is bringing what through a mass email, so if you have these items, go ahead and bring them. If you don't, that's fine.

Leaf Rake
Sand Rake
Shovel
Wheelbarrow

What's the schedule?

This proposed schedule is divided in such a way that those who have younger children who could only come for a portion of the day, could actually come and help serve lunch or do face painting for the kids.

Proposed and Suggested Schedule for Sunday, July 3rd:
9:00-9:15-Orientation and Assignments
9:15-9:30-Drive to Place; Work
9:30-10:30-Work
10:30-10:40-Water Break
10:40-12 PM-Work
12 PM- Done-

What about kids and youth?

They are welcome to come and will be able to help in various projects, although they don't have to come for the entire day. If you have babies, you may want to arrange childcare for them for a couple of hours, although they will likely be okay to visit the assisted living facility and help make lunches...

What about giving my tithe and offering for Sunday?

Serve Lake Travis Sunday actually costs more than meeting together on Sundays at Lakeway Elementary. And we LOVE this, because it's not about us! So, this gives you a perfect opportunity to set up online giving or automate through your online bill pay with your personal bank to Free Chapel, P.O. Box 340057, Austin, TX 78734. We won't "receive" the offering on Sunday in a traditional way, so if you want to bring yours Sunday, just give it to one of our Project Managers or to a Pastoral Team member. Your faithfulness in giving will enable success in Serve Lake Travis Sunday!

Beware of Facebook

2011-06-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

Beware. That's an interesting word, isn't it!? Webster's defines the word as: "to be on one's guard."

Yes, be on your guard when it comes to Facebook.

I'm not saying delete it. My friend Jonathan Dodson did delete his FB account and his insights are great as to why he did, though!

After all, By 2012, half of the world’s Internet users, 1 billion people, will have a Facebook account. (Source – TIME, 12/7-1/3 edition).

It's not going away. So, I thought I'd weigh in with a few thoughts on why you (and I) should Beware of Facebook. Another friend, Zak White, shared his thoughts on this last year and mine will follow closely along the same lines.

Here's the deal. I think Facebook is great for staying connected to the right people. Yes, there are right people and wrong people to connect with. No matter how "good" of a person you are, the truth is, "bad company corrupts good character." So, I'm asking for everyone (especially married people) to Beware of FB!

I'm hearing more and more about people who are "hooking up" with old flames, boyfriends / girlfriends, and people they were attracted to at some point. This is happening through facebook! Come on. You've heard about it too. Some friend who is married with kids reconnects with her boyfriend from when she was 16. All those old butterfly feelings get rekindled. And, before you know it, she's moving out and leaving her family behind.

So, in a very straightforward way, let me say, put up some freakin' boundaries!

Married people, guard your marriage by setting up some guardrails that you categorically will not go near.

1. For instance, categorically reject any friend request from someone that you ever had sex with in your past. (Okay, ex-spouses may be an exception IF you have kids together, but still...)

2. Categorically reject the people who may be connected to those above mentioned people. Do you really want them to continue to request you to be their friend and you continue to have to make that decision to not accept their request.

3. Do not friend request and old boyfriend or girlfriend. Who cares if you "can still be friends?" Guard yourself. Go on a date with your husband or wife instead.

4. Don't look at photos of the opposite sex. This is a serious way to get you emotionally engaged at a level you have no business going into.

5. If there is someone who you were really attached to emotionally at one point (pretty much most people you've slept with), you may want to go in and utilize facebook's "block" feature. They'll never know you're there. Good rule of thumb.

6. In the interest of authenticity and transparency, let your spouse see your facebook account. Allow them to tell you the connections you have that make them uncomfortable. De-friend if needed. I've said before that "de-friending" because of conflict is incredibly immature. (Grow up and deal with the conflict). But, de-friending to resolve a conflict with your spouse is simply GENIUS.

I'm sure there's more and like I said, Zak's post is pretty comprehensive, but who knows if you'll go read his post? So, there are my thoughts.

What other ways have you been / can you "Beware of FB?"

Father's Day Recap

2011-06-21T05:16:00.000-07:00

Father's are so special. They are critical in the lives of their children. We honored the Father's of Free Chapel this year giving each man a Mighty Fine Burgers gift card.

The day was powerful. We kicked off with a presence-filled music set that brought honor and glory to our heavenly Father, God!

Donna Lombard hosted communion and set it up beautifully! Yard crashers has nothing on the Life Crasher!

The Dad's Life video from Church on the Move was hillarious! Excellent creativity and production!

Dad Life from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

The message was simple: The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. The elusive main thing is the hard part. Let's clearly define who / what the main thing is and keep it the main thing. Yes, the main thing (person) is Jesus Christ, crucified and resurrected!

Kenny Skadal "brought it" at the end of service with an offering challenge to men to model a life of giving to others who have needs (like a dad does for a newborn baby)...a generous life!

All in all, we didn't beat dad's up for lack of performance, we built them up and said way to go, dads!

DAD ONLY: Now, just an observation...Last Father's day was our lowest attended service. This year was close. I know it's summer time. But, seriously, dads? You are supposed to be the spiritual leader of your home and you check-out on the one day of the year designed to honor you?! Push back on this all you want, but I see a need for men to show up big time on the ultimate man day of the year. We should have a packed room full of men. This isn't some kind of passive aggressive rebuke...well, maybe it is. So, take it for what it's worth. Suck it up and be a man and lead your family. They need you, dude. And another thing...well, maybe I'll save that. Hope you had an awesome Father's Day and have a great week!

Drought

2011-06-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

It is HOT in TX. And, we are in another summer DROUGHT. Low water levels. Scorched lawns. Terrible.

We are doing everything we can as a church staff to prevent spiritual drought this summer! This Sunday we kick-off a new series. We're calling it a "mark it up" study series, because we are going to be digging into what God's Word says in 1st Timothy this summer. 1st Timothy only has 6 chapters, but we're going to study it for 10-12 weeks, so bring a Bible, bring a pen, and get ready to "mark it up."

And, the music at Free Chapel is shaping up to be incredible this summer! God is being lifted up in both words and excellence! One guy this week said, "The presence of God is so strong at Free Chapel." Yes sir. God takes up residence in places where people praise Him. So, that's what we'll be doing each Sunday (except July 3 and August 7...see the Serve Lake Travis Sunday post for more info. Also here and here.).

"God Has A Dream For Your Family" Guest Speaker Notes

2011-06-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

Chris Goins from A2 Church serves as one of Free Chapel's spiritual overseers and this weekend he shared a powerful message in conclusion of our Modern Family series. The audio of his message is online here. Thank you, again, Chris for sharing a life-giving message with our church family!

And, as promised, below you'll find the message notes with blanks filled in...

God Has A Dream… May 29, 2011

Modern Family – Part 5 Chris Goins

Judges 2:10 (ESV), And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (ESV), Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (MSG), Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you 7 and then get them inside your children.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NLT), …you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (See Eph 6:4)

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: I would like to acknowledge Reggie Joiner, founder and CEO of Orange, for the five insights included below.

Five Fundamentals For Keeping God’s Dream Alive

1. It doesn’t matter what you know, if you don’t know what matters.

Creating Opportunities For Kids To “Experience” God:

Read your children stories from God’s Word.

Pray with your children.

Pray for your children.

Worship with your children.

Serve with your children.

Recommendation: The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones

Four Issues That Really Matter:

· Priorities - What is really important?

· Problems - How do you react to them?

· People - Who are your friends and how will you treat them?

· Philosophy - How do you view life?

2. The relationship is always more important than the rules.

3. It has to be in you before it can possibly be in them.

Deuteronomy 6:6 (NLT), …you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.

4. It’s not the quality or quantity of time we spend, but the quantity of quality time.

Deuteronomy 6:7 (ESV), You shall teach them diligently to your children…

Deuteronomy 6:7 (CEV), …and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you’re at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning.

5. What’s worth remembering is worth repeating.

Deuteronomy 6:7 (NLT), Repeat them again and again to your children…

Deuteronomy 6:7b-9 (MSG), Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. ⁸Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; ⁹inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.

2 Peter 1:12 (NLT), I plan to keep on reminding you of these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth. ¹³Yes, I believe I should keep on reminding you of these things as long as I live.

Don't Come to Church This Sunday

2011-06-01T04:15:00.000-07:00

Go and BE the church. Rather than having our regularly scheduled Sunday service this Sunday, we are going out to BE of service to an area of need. If you're interested in joining us, let us know by emailing info @ freechapelaustin dot com

Serve Lake Travis Sunday

2011-05-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

This Sunday Free Chapel is canceling our regular church service to go out and BE of service to an area of need in the Lake Travis community.

We are going to head over to the Armadillo RV Park (located behind Los Pinos off of Hudson Bend Road) and serve the community in various ways, painting, building picnic tables (and teaching them how to build them), beautifying and restoring areas, and serving lunch!

We will begin at 9:00 AM on this Sunday, June 5 and should wrap things up around 2 PM. Even if you can't come for the whole time, any help is welcome:)

As Christ followers we must believe and do our best to live the words of Jesus:

‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ – Matthew 25:35-40

get fired up!

2011-05-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

I know this guy that says, "Get fired up!" all of the time. And, you know what it does to me? It gets me FIRED UP! Maybe you need to get fired up about something!

I've been hearing from several pastors that they are fired up about this summer. It's contagious. Shawn Lovejoy wrote about it here. Rick Whitter spoke about it here and wrote about it here.

And, it has me FIRED up!

SERVE LAKE TRAVIS SUNDAY's
This summer, we will CANCEL CHURCH. Well, sort of. What I mean is that on 3 Sundays this Summer, the church and people of Free Chapel will be leaving the four walls of the building we meet in and putting some shoe leather on our faith. I'm fired up about our DEEDS matching our CREEDS. Our first Serve Lake Travis Sunday will be Sunday, June 5. The friends and people of Free Chapel will be serving in various areas of need around the Lake Travis community. More information is coming soon...

SUMMER SMALL GROUP(S)
Every summer, the organizational nightmare of trying to keep small groups going happens! So, this summer, Free Chapel is inviting everyone to participate in a different sort of way. Summer is a fun time to hang out. And, our friends over at the Hill Country Galleria have a Summer Concert Series every week this summer. So, every Saturday night in June and in July, we're inviting everyone out to the Galleria to hang out with some friends. You don't have to think about it...just show up. It's not a Bible Study. It's not an accountability group. It's not a service project. It's just hang-time. One BIG small group. Or, if you will, one big, happy family:)

And, this fall, our community groups will re-form and begin a new year together with a united goal of living out mission together.

Consider this . . .

2011-05-24T09:43:00.001-07:00

10 Ways Christians Hide from the Truth about Addictions

2011-05-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

This week, I encountered something as a pastor I rarely encounter--An honest person. Someone who was willing to be completely honest with themselves and someone else (me) about their addiction. In my research trying to help them, I found this Excellent Article that EVERYONE should read from New Life Ministries.

10 Ways Christians Hide from the Truth about Addictions

Excerpted from “I Can’t Be an Addict – I’m a Christian” by Melinda Fish

Christians hide from the truth. We ignore, minimize, justify, rationalize, procrastinate, and deny sin order to reject what it really true. But when we do this, guilt, sorrow, and the lies of the enemy weigh on our souls. God’s truth has the power to heal and restore. Please read the following ways Christians hide from the truth and prayerfully consider how you may be making this grave error.

1. Fear of Facing the Truth – Since Eden, man has been afraid of the truth. We are afraid that the truth will present us with a reality so harsh that we cannot overcome it. So we hide as Adam and Eve hid from God. The feeling that we are inadequate to meet the challenge of truth leaves us naked, so we reach out for the fig leaf of denial.

2. Ignoring the Problem - One way to keep from finding answers to a problem is to pretend the problem doesn’t exist. Ignoring symptoms can postpone the trauma of facing facts. An addict will go to great lengths to ignore the problem. Someone who is co-dependent, for instance, will help a “problem person” by entering into his fantasy world and pretending with him or by keeping him from facing the negative consequences of his addiction.

If the addict is a binge-er, able to maintain himself without indulging for periods of time, he may begin to feel he is in control. Addicts need to remember that they are not addicts because they feel like it, but because they follow the addictive cycle.

3. Minimization - One day the addict may give in to what others are saying and begin to admit he has a problem. The fig leaf of minimization, however, accommodates denial by preventing him from associating his behavior with addictive patterns or his actions with destructive consequences. He will use euphemisms and understatements to keep from recognizing the acuteness of the problem. Pleasingly plump instead of fat, drinking problem instead of alcoholism, bad habit instead of addiction are a few popular minimizations.

4. Rationalization – When minimization crumbles, rationalization is quick to replace it. This means justifying actions. “I deserve to get high because …” Self-pity is the stem on which the fig leaf of rationalization grows. Addicts develop elaborate cases for maintaining their behavior. They blame family members for problems and addictions. “If you were a decent wife, I wouldn’t have to drink …”

5. Procrastination – “Ill think about that tomorrow,” was Scarlett O’Hara’s famous reaction in Gone with the Wind. It gave her a way to cope with guilt: simply put off thinking about it. Someone once said, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” The fig leaf of procrastination sometimes remains when all the others have slipped; it can stall addiction recovery for years.

6. Humor – Making light of the problem joking about impending disaster, is an unusually effective form of denial: “If I eat anything, I’m going to die! Ha! Ha! Ha! So I might as well indulge!” It is the companion of rationalization. Laughing about the problem breaks the tension and fends off conviction. But doesn’t it sound a little like the rich fool in Jesus’ parable: Soul, … take your ease, eat drink and be merry (Luke 12:19)?

7. Misapplying Scriptures – We Christians are great at this one! In order to barricade ourselves against the nudging of the Holy Spirit, we simply reapply a few Scriptures to cover the naked truth: Forgetting what lies behind …, There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus … or If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. We don’t try on these Scriptures: He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper (Proverbs 28:13) orHaving these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1). Satan tried taking Scriptures out of context in tempting Jesus Christ. It’s far better to face the truth than risk lifelong addiction and early death.

8. False Positive Thinking and Confession – The soul attempting to reassure itself that everything is fine is an elaborate fig leaf. Grabbing at religious phrases and applying them to oneself to escape the truth is the soul’s attempting to recover from the Fall by itself. Positivism when it does not proceed out of the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit profits nothing. Trying to convince ourselves that negative facts do not exist because we are Christian is a form of denial masquerading as a Christian doctrine. True faith does not deny reality but walks through it the apostle Paul wrote, His strength is perfected in my weakness, for when I am weak, then am I strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Today’s Christian usually says, “What weakness? I have the power to rule and reign!”

9. Lack of Discernment - The inability to recognize the difference between the work of the Holy Spirit and the works of the flesh reinforces denial. Addictive patterns and behavior tend to disguise themselves as “spiritual boldness” or “faith” or “dedication.” This is especially true of people addicts who seem to be patient when in fact they are filled with anger and depression.

Another manifestation of this fig leaf is the inability to discern the origin of guilt. Is it coming from the devil or from the conviction of the Holy Spirit? Often when the Spirit of God helps us see truth, we condemn Him as being the voice of the devil.

10. False Guilt - An addict tends to use the hopeless feeling of having sinned against God and others to fling himself farther away from recovery and deeper into addiction. Hopeless guilt comes from the devil who assures him he is guilty of a terrible crime; there is no hope. Many addicts deny that help exists and is available to them. This belief is reinforced whenever the addict attempts to reassert his willpower to deal with the addiction and fails miserably, going back to his addictive substance or process. Because he fails to meet a standard he has set for himself, he feels guilty.

In Willpower’s Not Enough, Arnold Washton and Donna Boundy explain, “The belief that an addict is a ‘bad person’ perpetuates the problem and that’s why it’s so important to reframe addiction in a nonjudgmental light, to separate who you are from the addiction problem you’ve developed. Remember, you are not your addiction! You are something much greater than that.”

Are you hiding from the truth? For help see, Healing is a Choice.
Also, please consider joining us at our next New Life Weekend.
Call 1-800-NEW-LIFE to find a counselor in your area or to connect with a Christian coach. We are open twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. God never intended for us to bear our burdens alone.

Haiti Day 4

2011-05-13T17:15:00.001-07:00

Haiti, day 4

The morning began with talking to God about our day to come.

We asked God to bless us SO THAT we may be a blessing.

We were able to go to the church with the medical team and pray for ladies, distribute medicine, and help organize the patients.

Over 100 patients waited to be seen.

After that, Tyler said he wants to spend a year in Haiti and skip the fifth grade...I wonder what Ashley would think about that:)

Other quotables from Tyler:

"these Brazilian people are off the thermometer in loving people."

"my friends will be marveled that I went to the Brazilian army base." (for stitches)

"dad, I'm really enjoying all of this man time! We haven't had this in a year" (since we had "the talk")

Okay, resuming the day began around 3:30 pm, and we drove to
Visit an orphanage, play some games with kids and treat any medical needs they may have.

12 children bunk per room...total of 24 children. They are fed well and loved well by the pastor and his team. The thought strikes me how crazy it is for all these children to be "unwanted."

The dentist that is with us did a great drama on fighting plaque by brushing teeth...

It was so fun! Crazy thing was I saw two tshirts the Haitian kids wore that were from Brand New Church in the U.S. Great sign of global impact!

Praying we as a church will continue to be on mission and make an impact locally and globally!

Haiti Day 3

2011-05-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

Haiti day 3,

Began the day asking God to bless us so we may be a blessing. Found out we would go to camps that are made up of tents and families who lost homes in the earthquake. Over 1.5 million out of 4 million in Port Au Prince live in these camps.

Wow! Many of the people live in camps that are on disputed land...however several camps have been overseen by organizations like UNICEF, the red cross, etc. The most impressive camp is the World Vision camp. They built very neat track houses and schools in place of the standard tents or "lean-to."

As we walked we were able to love on a number of children. They all wanted to talk to Tyler.

We stopped at one tent and prayed for a little boy who had some kind of fever. Probably malaria. He cried as our team prayed for him and it was very sad to see him suffer.

In the afternoon, we went to a women's conference (the reason we came) to help out behind the scenes. There were 500 pastor's wives and ladies from their churches present.

The conference hadn't even begun...I was standing along the wall and the music they were playing was a Kirk Franklin tune that climaxes with, "No matter what may come my way, my life is in your hands."

The moment hadn't even passed that I had this thought: my hear gets so freaking hard doing what I do. Do I pray? Yes. Do I worship? Yes. Do I read and study God's word? Absolutely. But I get in the rut of the trenches of ministry!

And, how do you get out of the rut? I'm going to propose that every christ follower needs to get out of the good ol' US of A one time a year(at least) and find someone to serve!

We have been observing more than serving however my heart has melted. The Bible says, "the hills melt like wax in the presence of the Lord." How much harder is it for God to melt the human heart??

I'm preaching now. I'll stop.

It's beautifully refreshing to be here in Haiti serving and observing and being filled with a new sense of serving the Lord Jesus in our generation!

Part 2 of day 3:)

It may take 24 hours for you to be in another country like Haiti before it begins to jack with your heart in a good way...

One person commented that this trip is more about "feeling" than "doing." Well, it is true...

I'm feeling incredibly the way I really am...selfish. I have so much stuff compared to our friends here. I love it here because it is so simple. It reminds me of the non-popular phrase to "live simply so that others may simply live."

I've also been stretched by our Brazilian counterparts here with us. The way the Church in Brazil is sending missionaries all over the world is simply encouraging!

Let's wake up, Free Chapel and go wherever and whenever God says, Go!

Oh, and today ended with Tyler (my ten year old) falling in the street(very easy to do in the dark) and a broken piece of glass sliced his leg open. Stitches needed!

By the way, I am only emailing Ashley these and she is posting on my blog. I can't actually get online.

Haiti, day 2

2011-05-12T06:06:00.000-07:00

Tyler and I woke up at 6:30 am, which is the same time in TX. Weird to travel east and stay in the same time zone.

Now, we are sitting in the second
Of many to come, services where we can't understand a word of the language...some portugese. Some creole.

I love the passion of each, and we want to help, however the language barrier is more than challenging...

As the day progressed half our team helped in medical clinic and half went to help at a women's conference.

The need is great in Haiti. I still trying to discern the heart and mind of God about what He thinks of all the need in Haiti. Do you ever do that? Just stop and say, "God what do you think about this situation?" Hmmm. Me either, but I'm trying in this situation.

Haiti Trip bloggin' adventure

2011-05-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

Free Chapel Austin's team will be in Port Au Prince, Haiti from May 10 through 14. They'll be sharing updates here on the Free Chapel blog. Stay tuned...

An open letter to Free Chapel Austin

2011-05-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

May 4, 2011

Dear Church Family,

Last week, a deadly storm ripped through the southeast, claiming hundreds of lives and causing unthinkable damage and destruction. The media has moved on. The people affected are still hurting.

We talk a lot around here about making a difference in the world, and this is an opportunity to put feet to our faith. You can be a part of the solution. People need our help, not our pity. Feeling sorry for families who don’t have a place to live isn’t going to do any good.

We’re partnering with a church on the ground, and working with churches all over the country to provide immediate relief to people who have lost everything. We’re talking about providing diapers for children, clothes for men and women, and groceries for families. We’re providing for people’s basic needs in Jesus’ name. We’re BEING the church.

Here’s what I want you to do:

1. Come to church this Sunday prepared to give. This weekend, we’re designating 10% of our entire offering to help tornado victims in Alabama. We have done this for two weeks now, but we can do more.

2. If you can’t give this weekend, you can make a donation right now online or from your mobile device. Here’s the link and 100% of your donation will go directly to tornado victims. http://freechapel.securegive.com

Church family…God wants us to live out our faith. It’s time to do more than talk and sing – it’s time to act. Come prepared to give this weekend.

Your Pastor,

Jeremy

Modern Family Begins This Sunday

2011-04-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

"My Family is so dysfunctional!"
"Nobody's family is as messed up as mine!"

Dysfunction is a funky word. We all identify with it at some level. You may think your family is so dysfunctional, but you may be in for a few surprises in this new series talking about the Modern Family.

Shop At Point of Origin this Weekend

2011-04-13T08:55:00.001-07:00

I first stumbled upon Point Of Origin around a holiday like my anniversary the first year we moved to the Lake Travis area. Seriously, the hospitality they showed a dude in a girly store was perfect. I highly recommend them to any man who's needing gift ideas!

So, last week they had a poll on Facebook for Fundraising for a local church and the top 3 that got the votes were given the opportunity to have 10% of designated sales given to the church of their choice. What? Yes. That's right!

And, Free Chapel was one of the three. I'm not a big advocate of mindless shopping. But, this weekend, Friday-Sunday, I'm saying "Go buy something at Point of Origin!"

Thanks, Point of Origin for serving the community in this special way!

Communities on Mission...

2011-04-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

I follow Steve Timmis (@stimmis) on Twitter. He's an older and wiser Christ follower than me. On Twitter yesterday, he wrote a list of things that characterize Gospel Communities (missional communities / incarnational communuties).

It was challenging to me . . .

Gospel Communities are not a strategy, they are an identity.
What is a Gospel Community? A group of Christians doing life-on-life-on-mission.
What does a Gospel Community look like? You're in and out of each other's lives throughout the week.
You pop into each other's homes at breakfast, lunch or dinner. #whatdoesaGClooklike
A number of you join a local book/film/knitting/car repair/sport/volunteer club together.
When you stop off at a pub with some of your work mates, you call ahead and a couple of folk from the GC join you. #whatdoesaGClooklike
You're not afraid for others to know what you own or earn and there is freedom in mutually resourcing one another. #whatdoesaGClooklike
When you fall out with each other it does not take you by surprise and it doesn't jeopardise your relationship. #whatdoesaGClooklike
People use their gifts to serve others: electricians put in new sockets; cooks bake cakes. #whatdoesaGClooklike
We walk the dogs, feed the cats, water the plants, look after the kids and wash the dishes. #whatdoesaGClooklike
We are each others sons & daughters, brothers & sisters and the kind of neighbours everyone wants as neighbours. #whatdoesaGClooklike
You slowly but surely learn to pray, play, laugh, cry, sit, study, work and engage with friends together. #whatdoesaGClooklike
You are learning to do life-on-life-on-mission to the glory of God, for the fame of Jesus by the power of the Spirit. #whatdoesaGClooklike

How about you? Do you find this challenging?

Welcome FC new Worship Leader

2011-03-28T09:23:00.000-07:00

Aaron Bryant has joined the Free Chapel team as our new Worship Leader.

As Aaron and I prayed about whether or not God would have him join our team, we sensed God smiling on that decision.

God has blessed, anointed, and equipped Aaron to lead passionate and spirit filled worship! We are thankful to have him on our team.

Welcome to Free Chapel, Aaron!

If you want to know a little more about Aaron, take him to lunch one Sunday, visit his artist website here, or buy his worship album from i-tunes here. (The album is solid)!

Sunday Set List

2011-03-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

NEW TUNE FOR FREE CHAPEL: The Glory of Our King (by Matt Redman) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUnCLsuq_-U

Blessed Are We (by Aaron Bryant) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO_qeNH_q2A&feature=related

Everlasting God (by Lincoln Brewster) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP2nz6PG8KM or (by Chris Tomlin) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yubLGTOcm8c

From the Inside Out (by Hillsong) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-afZJ9_TIM

Divinity in Disaster?

2011-03-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

Natural Disasters of enormous magnitude have overwhelmed the headlines for over a week now:

Earthquake in Japan
Tsunami wipes out coastal towns in Japan
Japan's nuclear crisis emerges

What are we to make of the times? Where is God? "SXSW Cares." But, Does God even care? What should our response be? Is there divine meaning in natural disasters?

I want to invite you to join me this Sunday morning as I labor to produce cogent thoughts to share with you on "divine meaning in natural disaster." (I say "labor" because this isn't an easy assignment).

The time change of the past week has propelled us one hour closer to this Sunday's gathering at 10:30 AM in Lakeway Elementary. Our team has planned a meaningful experience for you and your friends to find solace in the midst of distress.

I hope you will invite someone to join you and you will join me in seeking answers to difficult real life questions like these...

Automate The Important

2011-03-03T13:20:00.000-08:00

My friend, Casey Graham, over at the Change Group put together a resource this week for church leaders about automating the important. If you're a church leader, you can get it over here.

I automated my mortgage payment 3 years ago when I moved to Austin. I did it for two reasons. 1. So I wouldn't have to think about it ever being late. and 2. So we could pay off our mortgage quicker through a equity accelerator plan.

Ashley and believe in the importance and power of giving. We tithe as a baseline for our giving and then we look for other ways we can give above and beyond that. In the New Testament Jesus affirmed tithing, and Paul took it to a whole nutha level when he said our giving should be done in three ways: Lovingly, Cheerfully, and Sacrificially (read: generously). We give a tithe (tenth) on every dollar we receive. Birthday money? Yep. Extra income? Yes. Income tax return? One of my favorites to give out of. (As an aside, we began paying off debt 19 months ago and have paid off over $20K in consumer debt AND we have consistently given a tithe during that time.)

We give our tithe to God at Free Chapel, our local church. We give it typically on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month (we get paid 2x's / month). We give it EVERY month. Why? Part of it is because we sense a directive from God to do so...that's very important to us. And, on a more practical level, we are at church EVERY Sunday (with about 3 or 4 exceptions annually).

I'm saying all of this to get to a point. Most people are not at church every Sunday. If you feel a directive like we do, yet you're not there, then the chances of you practicing this valuable discipline goes down--Unless, that is, you automate the important.

We've made it easy for you through Online Giving to set-up Recurring Contributions.

You may also automate through your bank's online bill pay service to mail a check to Free Chapel, P.O. Box 340057, Austin, TX 78734

If you need help setting it up, your bank can likely help you out.

If you have questions about giving, please don't hesitate to ask!

Lakeway Regional Medical Center Info

2011-03-01T11:12:00.000-08:00

I am fascinated by the updates on the Lakeway Regional Medical Center. I've never lived in a community where a hospital was being built. I had no idea how much momentum and economic drive it could bring. It makes sense. I just haven't experienced it. Well, this full service hospital from "babies to brains" is coming soon to Lakeway.

Kenn Renner from BUYAUSTIN.COM has a video playlist with a recent update on the economic impact to the far west Austin region in Travis County.

I thought this one was particularly interesting. Take a look...

Free Chapel Awarded Lake Travis Chamber Shining Star Award

2011-02-10T14:11:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, February 5, 2011, the Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce hosted their annual Awards Banquet.

Free Chapel was nominated along with 4 other local non-profits for the "Shining Star" category.

Chamber President Laura Mitchell announced that Free Chapel had received the award! She went on to read the following description of Free Chapel which is flat-out humbling:

"Free Chapel is a young church with a lot of heart that serves their community in radical and meaningful ways! In the past year Free Chapel has served breakfast to LTISD teachers and staff of Lakeway Elementary, assisted with the community Egg Hunt at Easter, joined with LT Love to distribute lunches to kids in need with the summer lunch program and hosted the inaugural Heroes Day for the Lake Travis Police and Fire departments and on their 2 year anniversary, Free Chapel hosted a food drive for Lake Travis Crisis Ministries. Lastly, the church supports Pastor Jeremy Self as he serves as a Director for the chamber Board. Free Chapel no only serves the community locally, but is intentional about making a global impact, as well. Congratulations to Free Chapel!"

We are so proud to be members of the Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce and are thankful to have received this very special award.

And, WAY TO GO, Free Chapel! You are doing what God called us to do...be a light to your community! I love being your pastor!

The Way I'd Want to Go...

2011-02-09T09:42:00.000-08:00

If it weren't for Billy Hornsby starting the ARC (Association of Related Churches) Free Chapel wouldn't have had the great start and foundation we have had.

I had the privilege of getting to meet Billy, and he was always so kind.

He was diagnosed with cancer last year and is now only days away from the end of this life. And, in this poignant video at Church of the Highlands last week, Billy shares a few thoughts. As I watched, I thought, "This is the way I'd want to go..." No. Not cancer. But you'll get the picture as you watch.

Only Way To the Top

2011-02-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

I remember as a young boy hearing Zig Ziglar audio cassettes played from the speakers in my Papaw's car as he drove me to school. Ziglar is famous for a memorable quote:

"You can have anything in life that you want,
if you will help enough other people get what they want."

He talked a lot about "the top." If you want to get to the top, Ziglar would say, you've got to out-serve your competition.

It's a simple principle. You do well in the little things (serving). You'll be trusted with bigger things.

Today, I read 1 Samuel 16 where God's prophet, Samuel, anoints David, a young shepherd boy to become King over Israel. And, then in what could could be seen as a happenstance turn of events, young David ends up playing in King Saul's lullaby band. The synthesis of this chapter is found in verse ²¹ David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers.

It's interesting that David didn't start at the top. David started by serving at the bottom. He was an armor bearer to the king. And, that made him an even better King, eventually.

Sometimes people want to rush into positions of authority before they've been armor bearers.
Sometimes I want to advance ahead but I haven't carried the armor God designed for me to carry.
Sometimes I want to start at the top instead of serving from the bottom.

What's the armor God's asked you to carry before you get advanced? How can you serve someone who is in authority over you? What's keeping you from it?

Are you a young leader (young in age OR young in experience)? Who does God want you to come under to bear their armor?

What's Next? -Following Up New Thru 30

2011-02-07T13:53:00.000-08:00

Every year I complete a season of 21 days of prayer and fasting around this time of the year. And, I end up hitting the proverbial wall spiritually speaking. It's almost always a spiritually significant time of drawing near to the Lord during that season of prayer. But, for some reason, I go into a funk following it.

Not this year! I really think that the reason for not drifting into a funky place following the 21 days is because of New Thru 30! So, "the fast" was over, but the Bible reading wasn't! And, that was awesome!

What I discovered was it was great to begin the year with a pathway and plan for spiritual growth and initiative...AND, sometimes you need a plan for after the plan. That's what has kept me chugging along with Jesus so well this year!

Anyway, If you did New Thru 30, you're probably feeling a little lost today. What should I read Next? I'm so glad you asked... Here's a reading plan that will take you through the life of David. And, you can relax. It's a LOT less reading that New Thru 30. Now that you're in tip top shape, you can move into a slower pace. Here's to starting the year off Honoring God's word!

Motivation to Get You Thru New Thru 30

2011-01-31T12:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry, this video I tried to post didn't work. You can go to Awake 21 and check out all the video devotionals. The one I referenced was from:

Robert Barriger from Celebration Church on Vimeo.

As a part of Awake 21, they offered daily devotionals, 3 times per day. I found this one particularly powerful in light of our New Thru 30 initiative. I think it will spur you on to finish strong.

Friend Day meets Super Bowl Sunday

2011-01-28T14:15:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl Sunday, February 6, is a great time to hang out with friends.

Why not kick off your Sunday with friends at Free Chapel?

Come as you are. Heck, wear your favorite team’s shirt if you want to. Service Starts at 10:30 AM. Arrive early to check-in your kids.

Visit our website for more info.

"I didn't get Anything Out of Worship..."

2011-01-21T09:16:00.001-08:00

As we prepare to gather on Sunday, this video from the late John Wimber is totally appropriate:

Stuff I don't Like

2011-01-19T13:23:00.000-08:00

Week 2 of reading through the New Testament with New Thru 30. I don't know about you, but there is a lot of stuff in the Bible that I do like. Jesus. Eternal life. Peace. Hope. Love. Joy. You get the picture. I like all of the good stuff.

And, I'll be honest, I have been pretty convinced that the wrath of God was completely satisfied when Jesus Christ became a substitute and died a painful death, taking upon himself all of humanity's sin. Until reading through the New Testament today. Today's reading was from 1 and 2 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians 1 -11. WOW!

I've never noticed so many references to judgment and wrath. And, then it hit me. It's not that God's never said anything about judgment and wrath. It is that there is stuff I don't like in the Bible, therefore, I choose to not talk about it, ignore, or gloss over it. Isn't actually reading the Bible great?

How do you ignore these passages? This is just from today's reading!

...and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead–Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 Thess. 1:10)

It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. (1 Thess. 4:3-6)

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess. 5:9)

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power (2 Thess. 1:6-9)

The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. (2 Thess. 2:9-12)

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor. 1:18)

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. (1 Cor. 5:12-13)

For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. (1 Cor. 11:29)

When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. (1 Cor. 11:32)

It's quite sobering and compelling for me to see my closest friends and family members avoid this coming wrath by simply believing upon the Lord Jesus. Now that's grace.

GUEST BLOGGER: Cindy Beall

2011-01-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

REGRETS
Ashley forwarded me a recent blog post from CindyBeall.com I thought it was fantastic and asked Cindy to be a guest blogger here for Free Chapel. Thanks, Cindy!

"REGRETS" by Cindy Beall
I’m a fairly positive person. Not saying that I don’t have days where everything seems to go awry because I certainly do have those kinds of days. Instead of focusing on the things I don’t have or can’t get or can’t do, I focus on the blessings in my life. But there is one thing in my life that I wish I had learned about before now.

Fasting.

I’m not talking about the kind of fasting you do before a medical appointment. Nor am I referring to the types of cleanses that people are doing today to help rid their bodies of unnecessary toxins. I am talking about fasting from food for the sheer purpose of hearing from God.

I’ve never wanted to fast. I’ve always said that fasting just wasn’t for me. I do other things that can help me hear God. And I do. But I can no longer get around this verse:

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:16-18

Jesus said when you fast. Not if you fast. “If” implies that you might have a choice in the matter. “When” suggests that this should be part of our lives as Christ Followers. After reading about fasting and hearing from God on the matter, I am wondering just how much I’ve been missing out on because I have not made fasting a regular part of my spiritual discipline.

Jentezen Franklin’s book Fasting is a tremendous resource on this subject. I recommend it.

Do I regret not incorporating fasting into my life? Yes. Do I wish that I had learned more about this over my lifetime? Yes. Do I feel like God loves me any less because I haven’t fasted much? No way. So even though I regret those things, I have chosen to begin incorporating the spiritual discipline of fasting into my life now. I am anxious to hear from God as I starve my flesh by feeding my spirit.

Tell me, do you have any regrets? How are you dealing with them?

Cindy Beall has been married to the love of her life, Chris, since 1993. She is a Christ follower who enjoys watching HGTV, college football, hanging with her boys and sitting on the back porch sipping coffee with Chris.

During the last fourteen years, Chris has been in pastoral roles at three different churches in three different states. After living in Texas for most of their lives and in Memphis, Tennessee, for four years, they now reside in Edmond, Oklahoma, and have three sons between them.

Chris and Cindy will tell you very openly about the near death of their marriage in 2002 when a startling confession of infidelity and pornography addiction from Chris nearly took both of them out of ministry forever. God had other plans as He usually does. They have returned to full-time ministry where Chris serves as the Oklahoma City Campus Pastor at LifeChurch.tv. Cindy loves to write and mentor women using her gift of exhortation. They are also ministering to couples who have found themselves on the same road of pornography and infidelity.

Are We Listening?

2011-01-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

The power of God is so clear in the book of Acts. The believers trust God with everything. They seek God with their deepest groanings and cries. And, I've been envious of the way the Holy Spirit speaks to the believers.

In Acts 10:9, a conversation begins between Peter and "a voice" that Peter interprets as "Lord" whom we would say is the person and voice of the Holy Spirit. Here's the story:
⁹ About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. ¹⁰ He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. ¹¹ He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. ¹² It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. ¹³ Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

¹⁴ “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

¹⁵ The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

¹⁶ This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

¹⁷ While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. ¹⁸ They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

¹⁹ While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three^a]">[a] men are looking for you. ²⁰ So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

²¹ Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

²² The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” ²³ Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

Eat. No. Eat. No. Go downstairs. Ok, Peter Goes downstairs.

Does it strike you as funny that there was such a frank conversation going on between Peter and the Holy Spirit? It does me. At the same time, it makes me a lot more aware that the Holy Spirit is likely wanting to speak to me and you in the same way. Are we listening?

One beautiful thing about making room for God through prayer and fasting is that you do get a clearer mind and can discern and hear the voice of the Holy Spirit better. If you've never fasted before, I want to encourage you to experiment with this ancient practice that I believe is a tool to draw you closer to Christ. Here's a great website with how you can get started.

When we listen to the Holy Spirit, I'm convinced we can see our little part of the world changed!

A Word for Church Planters

2011-01-13T08:07:00.000-08:00

There are words that are out of season and there are words that are in season. I think this is a word "in season" for church planters.

"If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning." ~Frederick Douglas

WORD!

Coming Again

2011-01-12T13:13:00.000-08:00

One of the core beliefs we have as a church is the literal, physical return of Christ and the fact that at the end, all people will experience bodily resurrection and judgment.

I was reminded of this reality today in my reading through the New Testament.

Matthew 24-25 nail it. Jesus will return at a time when no one expects him! That's a little scary since I would hope that most believers live with an expectant heart. Maybe it's saying that you can't name the date and time. He's going to come again at a different time.

Anyway, so following Jesus death and resurrection, in Acts 1 he appears to the disciples and talks with them...gives them marching orders.

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

It's true. Jesus is coming again. When? We don't know. But he will return to make all the broken things whole, all the old things new, all the dysfunctional things functional. He's going to restore order to disorder. He'll make right all wrong. And, this will be His Kingdom. Yes!

Longing for that day...

Am I a Pharisee?

2011-01-11T11:43:00.000-08:00

I'll be logging some of my devotional thoughts as a part of our New Thru 30 reading. Our reading in New Thru 30 took us up through Matthew 23 today. The first verses of the chapter are a summary just before Jesus tears the religious leaders a new one.

¹ Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ² “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴ They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

⁵ “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries^a]"> wide and the tassels on their garments long; ⁶ they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; ⁷ they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

⁸ “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹ And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. ¹⁰ Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. ¹¹ The greatest among you will be your servant. ¹² For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

I was left with that sick feeling of conviction that I've been guilty of expecting more out of others than I expect out of myself. Holding people to higher standards than I have for myself. All in all, I wonder if I'm nothing more than a modern day Pharisee. Religious. Leader. Hypocrite.

How about you? Are you a Pharisee?

New Thru 30 Reading Plan

2011-01-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

WHAT IS NEW THRU 30?

It's something we SHOULD do. It's something we WANT to do. It's something we NEED to do. And the best part is… we’re doing it together.

Every year thousands of people promise themselves they’re going to do it this year. They’re going to read through the Bible. Or they’re going to read a little bit everyday. Or they’re just going to start fresh and do better this year. Most people don’t make it. Not even through the first month.

But this year is different. We’re going to start with something we can all handle. It’s the new year, and we’re reading the New Testament. And we’re doing it in 30 days. It’s called New Thru 30, a sermon series you have the opportunity to participate in!

OH, and if you're really tenacious and want to dig in deeper, you can find weekly study guides over here.

New Tunes for Sundays...

2011-01-07T10:59:00.001-08:00

I don't know if you're like me, but I like to know the songs I'm singing at church on Sundays. We are doing some new tunes in church in the coming week, and I don't want to be distracted by anything! It's hard for me to give God my best if I'm distracted.

So, here's to giving God our best this Sunday....Some new and not new tunes:
New
"Holding On To You" by Paul Colman
Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zSmICsax3o

"Your Love Never Fails" by Jesus Culture
Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoezWBPGRAc

"To Know Your Name" by Hillsong
Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnvlpNVQocw

"Glow" by Hillsong
Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zuu88Gs8k80&playnext=1&list=PL257118CEA874B8BE&index=17

Not New
You probably know these, but in case you don't, I'll let you look them up:)

"Our God" by Chris Tomlin

"Jesus Paid It All" by Kristian Stanfill

"None But Jesus" by Hillsong

"How He Loves" by John Mark McMillan

"The Stand" by Hillsong

Buy them on i-tunes!

Oh, and if you've ever wondered what I think about music in church, you can read this.

21 Days of Prayer-2011

2011-01-06T06:54:00.000-08:00

There is a principle in scripture that God deserves our first and our best. That is the driving force behind why we make a corporate effort each January to seek God first through practicing an ancient discipline called fasting accompanied with prayer.

One of our core values is "Powerful Prayer." We value individual and corporate prayer that is a
catalyst for leading people into a life-giving relationship with Jesus Christ (see Acts 4:31). This
21 days of prayer and fasting is one extension of that value.

AWAKE 21
A Journey of Prayer and Fasting, January 9-29, 2011

WHY 21 DAYS?
One of the most significant victories in the life of the prophet Daniel is recorded in Daniel 9-10. While studying the prophecy of Jeremiah, Daniel discovered that Jeremiah had proclaimed that the Babylonian captivity would last seventy years, then the Hebrew exiles would return to Israel.

Daniel looked at the calendar and discovered that the time was up – the seventy years had been fulfilled – but the Hebrew exiles were still in captivity. Daniel wondered, “What’s up?”

At this time, the Spirit of God moved upon him to engage in a devoted time of prayer and fasting, asking that God fulfill His promise for the restoration of the Jews to their homeland.

Daniel laid facedown before God and began to confess the sins of his people. While he was praying, God dispatched the archangel Gabriel from heaven to tell Daniel what would happen to his people. The revelation he received placed a burden on his heart that weighed so heavily upon him that Daniel began to pray and fast until an answer came.

After 21 days of prayer and fasting, the angel of God appeared to Daniel and let Daniel know that God had heard his prayer the very first day he set himself to pray, but that unknowingly to Daniel, the angel had been engaged in spiritual warfare and it was Daniel’s persistence in prayer and fasting that ultimately brought a spiritual breakthrough.

Sometimes spiritual powers align themselves against governments, school systems, communities, families, individuals and churches. For these powers to be dislodged, spiritual warfare is required (Ephesians 6:12). A devoted period of twenty one days can make us sensitive to God’s activity in this world and allow us to appropriate the victory Jesus Christ has already accomplished in any and every area of our life.

HOW TO BEGIN
Set your objective. Start with a clean goal. Be specific. Why are you fasting? Do you need spiritual renewal, guidance, physical healing, the restoration of a marriage or your family, grace to handle a difficult situation, a financial breakthrough? Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. This will enable you to pray specifically and strategically.

It is also important for you to prepare your body for the upcoming fast. Eat smaller amounts of food before starting your fast. Avoid high fat and “sugary” foods. You may want to eat raw fruits and vegetables two days before starting your fast. Avoid caffeine for at least a week before fasting.

PREPARING SPIRITUALLY

The foundation of prayer and fasting is repentance. Here are several things you can do to prepare your heart:

• Confess every sin the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Accept God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
• Ask forgiveness from everyone you have hurt or offended. Forgive all of those who have hurt or
offended you (Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4; 17:3-4).
• Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).
• Surrender your life fully to the purpose and plan of God (Romans 12:1-2).
• Believe that God “rewards those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
• Do not underestimate spiritual opposition. Satan will usually intensify his efforts when you devote
yourself to prayer and fasting (Luke 4).
• Develop an accountability partner who will encourage you in your fast.
• Keep a journal during your fast. Write down specific insights God gives you from His Word,
promises that you have claimed and answers to prayer that you receive.

DECIDING WHAT

The type of fast you go on is between you and God. Jesus implied that all believers should fast
(Matthew 6:16-18; 9:14-15). For Him it was a matter of when believers should fast, not if they should fast.

Here are some options:

• A Normal (Full) Fast – Abstain from food, drink only liquids (water and / or specific juices).

Should you choose to drink juices during your fast, the best juices are from fresh watermelon,
lemons, grapes, apples, cabbage, beets, carrots, celery or leafy green vegetables. Avoid any
liquids containing caffeine, as they will stimulate your appetite and make fasting more difficult.

• The Daniel Fast – Abstain from meats and sweets, drink only water. (Unseasoned vegetables
and most natural fruits are acceptable.) My friend, Chris, has some good recipes on his blog.

• Combination Fast – Begin the first three days with a full or normal fast. Continue by observing
the Daniel Fast for the remaining 18 days.

Note: If you are on medication or have a medical condition, you may want to consult your doctor before beginning your fast. Also, anyone engaging in a prolonged full fast should consult with their doctor. Deciding on what kind of fast you will observe ahead of time will help you sustain your fast when physical temptations and life’s pressures tempt you to abandon your fast.

WHAT TO EXPECT

When you fast your body detoxifies, eliminating toxins from your system. This can cause mild discomfort such as headaches and irritability as your body withdraws from caffeine and sugars. Naturally, you will experience hunger pains. Most individuals also experience bad breath. Avoid chewing gum or breath mints, as they will stimulate your appetite.

Limit your physical activity. Exercise moderately. Take time to rest.

Fasting can position you to experience miraculous results. You are following the example of Jesus when you fast.

IMPORTANT: For maximum spiritual benefit, it is important that the time normally devoted to eating be given to prayer, Bible study and being alone with God. Pray often throughout the day. Spend time in Bible Study. Make personal praise and worship a priority. Spend time in solitude and get away from every distraction possible (television, radio, cell phones, computers, etc.) The more time you spend with alone God, the more effective and meaningful your fast will be.

HOW TO END
Spend time in praise and worship... When you begin eating, begin eating gradually. Do not overeat. Suddenly reintroducing solid foods to your digestive system will probably produce negative results. Introduce solid foods gradually.

MAKING THE COMMITMENT

1. My purpose or reason for fasting is:
_______________________________________________________

2. I will observe the following kind of fast:
_______________________________________________________

3. I will observe this fast for this period of time:
_______________________________________________________

4. My accountability partner during this fast will be:
_______________________________________________________

5. Why is this the right time for me to fast:
_______________________________________________________

I believe that God is the only answer to my request and that prayer without fasting is not enough
to get an answer to my need. Therefore, by faith I am fasting because I desperately need God to work in
this matter.

God being my strength and His grace being my basis, I commit myself to the above fast.

______________________________________
Signed / Date

As we get ready to experience an awakening to what God's plan is for us, I hope you will join us
in this "old school" practice.

P.S. Additional resources may be found at Awake 21 and Campus Crusade's sites.

P.S.S. Other Recommended Reading: God’s Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis; The Beginner’s Guide to Fasting by Elmer Towns; Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough: A Guide to Nine Biblical Fasts by Elmer Towns. Fasting: Opening the Door to a Deeper, More Intimate, More Powerful Relationship with God by Jentezen Franklin, A Hunger For God by John Piper.

It's Not Too Late

2011-01-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

It's been said that those who fail to plan are planning to fail. It's not too late for you to put together a plan for 2011! My mentor and friend, Chris Goins, sent me these questions and they are excellent as you use them to put together a plan for 2011.

Establishing Your Game Plan for Personal / Spiritual Growth 2011

As you prepare to spend some time in reflection and evaluation, why not consider these basic areas / questions:

My Spiritual Life

· Am I closer to God today than I was on January 1, 2010?

· What "key" spiritual "graces," habits or disciplines will I build into my life in 2011 that will help me grow closer to God and become more like Jesus? What will my "spiritual growth plan" look like for 2011?

· Will I honor the "Sabbath" and regularly set aside a day for resting my body, recharging my emotions and refocusing my spirit?  

· Will I become an active part of a life-giving local church and invest my time, energy and resources into accomplishing the mission Jesus has established for the local church?  

· What priority will I give to corporate worship and the local church?  

My Emotional Life

· Is there someone I need to seek forgiveness from?  

· Is there someone I need to forgive?  

· Will I become an active part of a small group in order to fill my world with life-giving relationships?  

· Where is there "clutter" in my life that can be eliminated? My garage, attic, storage space, home closet(s), desk, filing cabinet, computer, car, truck, etc.? (Go ahead! Clean it out today!)  

My Relational World

· On a scale of 1 - 10 ("1" being "in the Intensive Care Unit and in desperate need of resuscitation" and "10" being "hitting on all cylinders / totally awesome"), how would I rate my marriage?

· What practices will I build into my marriage in 2011 to increase intimacy and fulfillment?

· What books will me and my spouse read or what marriage conferences will we attend in order to build intimacy and fulfillment into our marriage in 2011? (Book Recommendation: What Did You Expect by Paul Tripp)  

· On a scale of 1 - 10 (use the same pattern mentioned above), how am I doing as a parent? How would I rate the relationship I have with my kids? How would my kids rate the relationship we have?

· What practices will I build into my family in 2011 to bring our family closer together and move our family closer to Christ? (Book Recommendation: Long Story Short by Marty Machowski )

· Have I scheduled a date night with my spouse for the month of January? When? What will we do? Why not?

My Physical World

· How much do I weigh?  

· For my body type, is that amount of weight okay? Am I honoring God with my body? 

· According to my age, how much do I want to weigh at the age of 25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75?

· Do I have a complete physical scheduled between now and March 31? (If not and you're above the age of 40 and it's been more than two years since your last physical, schedule one now!)

· Do I need to change my eating habits? What healthy eating plan can I build into my life in 2011? (Book Recommendation: Body for Life by Bill Phillips)

· Do I exercise? What exercise plan will I adopt in 2011 in order to honor God with the body He has given to me? (Book Recommendation: Body for Life by Bill Phillips)

My Financial World

· Are my finances in order? Is personal debt strangling the life out of me?

· Do I have a written budget? Have my spouse and I reviewed this budget and agreed upon it?

· Do I have personal debt other than a reasonable mortgage? Is being debt free in 2011 a possible goal? What will we do to get there?

· Will I make a commitment to attend Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University this year? If not, why not? (Book Recommendation: Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey)  

My Intellectual World

· What books am I going to read in 2011? (Biography, Spiritual Formation, Classics, Fiction, Business) 

· What is my reading goal for 2011? How many books will I read each week / each month? How many hours will I read each day / week / month?  

· What seminars / classes will attend in 2011 to continue honoring God with my mind by using my intellect?  

My Personal Calling

· What do I do best and how can I do more of it in 2011?
 

· What is my calling? What is my mission? Am I pursuing it? Why not?  

· Who do I know or who could I know in a similar field that God might use as a mentor in my life?  

· What caused me the greatest amount of stress in 2010? What am I going to do to fix that?

Making Room for God

2011-01-02T12:52:00.001-08:00

Let's face it . . . We make room for whatever we want to make room for in our lives.

This January, I'm inviting, errrr, challenging our entire church to make room for God through a dedicated season of prayer, fasting, and Bible reading.

It's a spiritual jump start to going harder after God in 2011 than ever before.

Awake 21-21 days of prayer, fasting, and personal devotion begins Next Sunday, January 9. We are inviting everyone (if physically possible) to participate in some level of this time of prayer and fasting. This isn't about a diet. It isn't about a spiritual badge of honor. It isn't about who's who or who's fasting what. It is about getting raw and real before God admitting your dependence on him. I'll email you your own personal guide to Awake 21 if you'll leave a comment with your email address.

New Thru 30-Reading through the entire New Testament in 30 Days! I'll confess this is a huge chunk for me to bite off, but I'm going for it! I'm challenging you to do the same! The first day of reading for New Thru 30 begins on Monday, January 10. Youversion.com has a New Thru 30 reading version you can follow along with.

Let's go all in Twenty-Eleven!

Best Practices for You Tweeting and Facebooking in Church

2010-12-31T07:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I shared a post about twitter and facebook in church. Today, I want to share some “best practices.”

If you want to use Facebook and Twitter to advance the cause, encourage your friends and followers, and share the good news these things and you will help the church rock it even more on Facebook and Twitter!

LIKE, like CRAZY. If you are on Facebook, click that “like” button like there’s no tomorrow. You can find the “like” button on Facebook on every status update, note, etc. When you "LIKE" something, your friends see it and they'll check it out too.
PICS! Tweet pics during the service. Or if you are a Facebookee, post them to the Free Chapel Austin fan page.
Comment and share. Comment and share your thoughts by responding to things that the church posts. Conversation attracts more people! The whole goal of "Social Media" is to actually BE SOCIAL...Build community through commenting and sharing!
GO MOBILE. If you have an internet enabled phone be sure to download the official Facebook and Twitter apps. It makes it so much easier to update, etc. No i-phone needed! Even if you use text messaging, you can Facebook and Tweet mobile. Go into your Facebook setting and click the mobile tab to start using Facebook via SMS. To use Twitter via SMS. Watch this video to understand more:
Twitter in Plain English from leelefever on Vimeo.
Use YouVersion for your Bible reading. Just go to YouVersion.com for a free account. There really is NO EXCUSE for not reading your Bible especially if you have a smart phone! Another idea is to set your home page to YouVersion. YouVersion will sync you reading progress, notes, and more across platforms. I use it on my mac and my iphone. There are many reading plans to choose from. Since we are doing NEW THRU 30 beginning next week, they have it too! Easiest way to stay up on your reading! Then go and link your YouVersion account to Facebook and/or Twitter to easily share what you are reading. Share, share, and share more! It's actually a way for you to be accountable to others. No Bible verses tweeted / updated = no Bible reading:(. Get synced up and go for it!
Tweet with a Hashtag. If you are using Twitter, attach our official Hashtag to ALL of your tweets. The hashtag is #FreeChapelATX. If you don’t know what a Hashtag is, learn here.
RETWEET like crazy! I've said before that "Retweeting" is the equivalent of saying "Amen." It's adding your agreement to the statement, while giving credit to the originator. You can also add your comments, if there's room... Here's an entire guide on Retweets.

What else? Oh, I just thought of foursquare. You can "check-in" at Free Chapel when you're at service on Sundays. If you don't have a foursquare account, you can actually login using your facebook info...all this stuff is integrated pretty well.

Share any other "Best Practices" you have found.

Thanks to Zak again for most of these thoughts...I've tweaked them a bit.

20 Tips Re: Twitter

Begging for Money?

2010-12-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's the end of the year. It's a time when many non-profits receive as much as %30 of their annual operating budget. It's not quite that high for churches, but the amount is significant. I posted on twitter the following comment on Tuesday night: "If you'd like to make a year end contribution to the ministry of Free Chapel, here's the link: http://j.mp/hpN3wr" On Wednesday morning, I spoke with someone on the phone who said, they thought it was rude and that it came across like I was "begging" for money. I told them...well, here's my response in this video :

Begging for Money?? from Jeremy Self on Vimeo.

Twitter and Facebook in Church? Yes Please! (repost)

2010-12-29T07:36:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to say this, but looks like Zak White at ZakWhite.com and Scott Williams beat me to it:) Here's Zak's post...Thanks for saying it well, guys!

Free Chapel ( or whatever church you belong to) read this and apply it beginning yesterday! I'm sharing Zak's post today and I'll throw my two cents in tomorrow.

Twitter and Facebook in Church? Yes Please!

[post adapted from my friend Scott Williams over at BigIsTheNewSmall.com]

The world we live in today is more connected than ever. Here is what I love about how connected we are as it pertains to what we do at Revolution Church:

“…people can engage with God, engage with their pastor and share pieces of those engagements with the world, all at the same time. There are entire real, living, breathing online church services where online congregants share information throughout their service.” -Scott Williams

Here are 4 Reasons To Twitter or Update your Facebook Status During Church:

The message is extended. When you “retweet” or quote something via Facebook you are literally extending the reach of the message. Podcasts work the same. Right now, over 100 people from 13 countries all over the world download the Revolution Church podcast each week. That is pretty crazy to think our 11 month old church is already making a difference via technology in other parts of the world on a weekly basis! When you tweet or status update, you push the message FURTHER!

If the pastor shares something that moves you, inspires you or changes your life, there is a good chance it will have the same impact on the lives of some of your Twitter followers as well.

Jesus said to ”go into ALL the world.” All the world applies to the Internet world too. So tweet it up! Hit that status update button and fulfill the Great Commission!

Its POWERFUL and FREE marketing! When you do these things, you help market the church in one of the most powerful ways…word of mouth (or word of tweet…errrr…facebook…hmmm).

It helps people wander off better. I’d venture to say that at least 20% of ANY audience, no matter how great or well known the speaker is will still wander off at some point. Instead of letting people just wander off into space or draw on the back of offering envelopes, what if we helped them wander off into church on the web? And yes Revolution, I see your drawings each week…be careful how good you doodle. You might get recruited for the Creative Arts team.

What other reasons can you think of?

January is a coming...

2010-12-29T07:10:00.000-08:00

January is right around the corner and Free Chapel has a ton to look forward to.

To download a copy of all the January opportunities, go here.

RESET 2.0

2010-12-28T09:42:00.000-08:00

Two years ago, we did a series called "Reset." You can check it out by listening to the messages from January 2008 here.

In technology, things need to be upgraded. They get dubbed with "2.0." In life, sometimes we need a "do-over." That's why in this week's stand alone message Pastor Jeremy will be calling us to Reset 2.0...JOIN US THIS SUNDAY. See the website for more info.

Christmas Eve Service Info

2010-12-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

If you don't have plans, Free Chapel invites you to our first ever Christmas Eve Communion Service at 5 PM followed by an after party from 5:30-7:00 PM--come and go as you please. No childcare will be provided for this evening, and children are welcome to attend. The evening festivities will be held at The Ridge at Alta Vista Clubhouse on Aria Drive (Directly across from Lake Travis High School). Email us (info at freechapelaustin dot com) for the Gate Code. Feel free to bring your friends and out of down guests to this unique worship experience.

CHRISTMAS EVE COMMUNION AND AFTER PARTY, December 24, 5-7 PM

Stick-ability

2010-12-13T06:42:00.000-08:00

My papaw always said, "What you lack for in ability, you make up for in stick-ability." This is a life-blood lesson for me as a church planter, but it applies to entrepreneurs in general. It also applies to believers at large...

I saw this quote on twitter this morning from Dai Hankey:

"Church hoppers are like wife swappers! They get plenty of honeymoons but never know the deeper joys of committed, costly, enduring love!"

After being over two years into this whole journey of church planting, I've found that statement to be absolutely true! I'm praying believers all over the city of Austin will learn the power of "stick-ability." Get committed. Get plugged in. Stop starting over. Stop flaking out. If you've got a problem with someone, act biblical and go to them. Repent when you screw up. And, focus on Christ instead of people and their issues (including the pastor's). That's going to elevate your stick-ability factor to a whole-nutha-level!

Keep Christmas Weird, pt. 4 -remix

2010-12-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

AWESOME STUFF HAPPENING AT FREE CHAPEL!

SUNDAY'S SERVICE WAS SPECIAL
I don't know exactly why, but there was a simplicity and special-ness to Sunday's service this weekend...I was completely exhausted from spending all day at my boys wrestling tournament on Saturday, so I was totally trusting God to do something...AND...He did! I really sensed people experienced significant breakthroughs in their life emotionally and spiritually through receiving the love of God...Powerful! Plus...

CHRISTMAS IMPACT Special Offering,
This Sunday, December 12, we received our Christmas Impact Offering. Of course, we know not everyone was here on December 12, so we'll also be receiving it through January 15. As always, thank you for asking God what He would have you give and obeying him. To date, over $15,000.00 has been received towards the $50,000 goal! To give now online click here.

BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR JESUS in Free Chapel Kids, This Sunday
Our Free Chapel Kids combined the preschool and elementary classes and celebrated the greatest birth of all time, Jesus Christ. They had a blast!

THIS WEEK:

LADIES CHRISTMAS PARTY, Wednesday, December 15, 7:30 PM
Free Chapel Ladies will be hosting a party to enjoy friendships new and old. You may bring your favorite appetizer, and a small gift for fun-filled gift exchange ($10 or under). It will be held at Jennifer Cox's home. RSVP via email to J.J. Cox at jjcox5 at gmail dot com.

COMING SOON:

FAMILY STYLE CHRISTMAS featuring Free Chapel Kids Music, Sunday, December 19
On Sunday, December 19, all children Kindergarten and older will participate with their families in a fabulous worship experience designed to Keep Christmas Weird...through the power of Worship. You won't want to miss some talented kids from our church leading us in the tunes of Christmas.

CHRISTMAS EVE COMMUNION AND AFTER PARTY, December 24, 5-7 PM
If you don't have plans, Free Chapel invites you to the first ever Christmas Eve Communion Service at 5 PM followed by an after party from 5:30-7:00--come and go as you please. No childcare will be provided for this evening, and children are welcome to attend. The evening festivities will be held at The Ridge at Alta Vista Clubhouse on Aria Drive (Directly across from Lake Travis High School). Gate Code can be found through emailing info at freechapelaustin dot com Feel free to bring your friends and out of down guests to this unique worship experience.

One Couple's Peace

2010-12-10T11:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas can be a time that is anything but peaceful...Hear how one couple has had peace this Christmas season from an extraordinary source.

Be inspired through their story! Oh, and a HUGE Congrats to them on the birth of their little Girl this past week:)!

You're Making an Impact!

2010-12-06T08:05:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited about all the God is doing in and through the people of Free Chapel! One of the things God is doing is preparing us to give our Largest Gift to Jesus this Christmas through our Christmas Impact Special Offering. I've written about it here.

The goal we are praying would be met is $50,000.

That money will be divided between 5 initiatives:
1. To support Global / U.S. missions and start new churches, including a Sunday night venue for Free Chapel to reach out to young adults in and around the Lake Travis community.
2. To share God’s love to our community through Servant Evangelism.
3. To tangibly support local organizations who assist the poor and needy in Lake Travis.
4. To fund the 2011 Benevolence fund to support our fellow attendees at their time of greatest need.
5. To hire a worship pastor and begin the necessary building fund as Free Chapel seeks a more permanent home.

This weekend, we wanted you to hear from a couple of the new churches who we have helped launch this past last year. This is a reminder that your giving TRULY is making an IMPACT, not only here, but across the nation! Take the next 3 minutes and 27 seconds and be encouraged!

Christmas Impact Special Offering-Making A Difference from Jeremy Self on Vimeo.

When it comes to any offering, including this Christmas Impact Special Offering, we are not asking you to give X amount of dollars....We are asking you to ask God what He would have you give! (He knows what we need more than we do anyway!)

So, this week, ask God what he would have you give this Christmas in this Special Offering. We'll be receiving that offering next Sunday, December 12 although, we've already received $4,000 towards that goal, online and through the mail. And we will be receiving gifts through January 15. Crazy enough, $2,000 of what's already been given was given by folks that don't even attend our church! They just love giving to the vision God has given us!

One last note: we don't want this to take away from your regular giving...This is a special offering above and beyond what your normal giving is. And remember, your giving is making an IMPACT!

Keep Christmas Weird, pt. 1 -remix

2010-11-23T13:33:00.000-08:00

Sunday was so fun! Challenging. Yes. Fun too, though.

A couple of people asked me to share some of the organizations I mentioned towards the end of the message, so I thought I'd go a step further...

Here's the The Power of Simplicity Extended Message Notes.

Keep Austin Weird was started from a grassroots movement of people who, oddly enough, wanted to fight commercialism. Their tagline was: A Collaborative Fission of Coordinated Individualism.

From the keepaustinweird.com website, they write:

"It was a small attempt to counter Austin's descent into rampant commercialism and over-development. Absolutely Austin getting the trademark rather than letting this chicken run free is a sad proof that commercialism is winning. Most people probably think of Keep Austin Weird as a marketing slogan rather than our original attempt to highlight those aspects of our town that are really weird."

Some great quotes from the founders:

"Rich people can be eccentric. The rest of us can be weird."
- Frank Zuppo

"Austin has to choose between odd and Mammon."
- Zack Replica

This Christmas (And every) you'll have to choose between Odd and Mammon...Keep Christmas Weird...

THINK like crazy about the Kind of Christmas you want to have.

· Do you want to have the kind of Christmas where you spend more than you make?

· Do you want to have the kind of Christmas where you end up broke at the end of it?

· Do you want to have the kind of Christmas where you are sick at the amount of wrapping paper and toys that surround you in your living room?

· Do you want to have the kind of Christmas where you end up taking half of the stuff back that people buy you because you simply don't need it?

· Do you want to have the kind of Christmas where you buy stuff you don't want to impress people you don't like?

Keep Christmas Weird by learning the Power of Simplicity

To be sure: Christmas is the season for giving! But, far too often what we do at Christmas time is beyond the line of giving for generosity's sake...we slide right over the cliff into what's clearly Materialism.

And, it's no wonder that we do it.

Billions of dollars are spent on adverstising. The United States is reported to spend 412 billion dollars on marketing annually.

Also-

If you google the word "stuffitis" you will come up with 764 responses...this has been documented as a legitimate sociological problem. We, americans, like "Stuff." We have been called materialistic, self-centered and the "me" generation. I don't like and you don't like being accused of being materialistic, but admittedly, we like good "stuff."

-Good cars

-Expensive food

-Nice clothes

-Big, nice houses

We want to SHOP on Black Friday. Good deals and all. Why do we go through this kind of crazy cycle?

-Parents may not have been able to do much for you so you want to reverse the cycle.

-Or, maybe, just maybe, we have believed a lie that the less stuff we have the less valuable we are!

--This Video gives us some insight into how this works...

How to Keep Christmas Weird

1. Determine to Spend Less than you make.

Proverbs 21:20-

"In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but the foolish man devours all he has."

2. Stop borrowing money.

Proverbs 22:7-

"The rich rule over the poor and the borrower is slave to the lender."

Catch a vision for becoming Debt Free and Staying Debt free! For incredible help in this area, visit Dave Ramsey's site.

3. Get on a budget.

Write it ALL down.

Give every dollar a name.

Luke 14:28-30

²⁸ “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹ For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, ³⁰ saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

A written plan (budget) will actually give you more free time and money.

All of this... spending less, stop going into debt and getting on a budget does sound like so much fun does it?

But getting to the end of Christmas day knowing that you've paid for it all in cash because you did all of this stuff, sure feels good doesn't it?!? It's feels so good to not be paying for Christmas months after it is over!!

4. Live simply...

Live Simply...so that others may simply live....

-Special Christmas Offering-December 12-Goal is 50,000. People's lives will be changed through your giving. If you are strapped, you won't be able to give.

Here are some creative ideas on giving non-traditionally:

-Charity Water-Clean Drinking Water

-Feed the Children-Helping end poverty through providing food

-Adoption Initiatives through Family Link Foster Care and Adoption agency

-Help End Local Poverty - Local Austinite doing work in Haiti too.

-National Homeless Awareness and Hunger week... Donate your lunch to Mobile Loaves and Fishes texting 'LUNCH' to 20222

Simple living involves margin in your finances, but it also involves margin in your life!

"The Difference between Charity and Compassion is that Compassion can't be written off on your taxes. It has no fiscal benefit."-Unknown

A Novel Concept to Simple Living--SHARING

www.actsofsharing.com Facebook meets Ebay (Borrow sugar from a neighbor...Expand the neighborhood)

Acts of Sharing 101 from Jordan Crowder on Vimeo.

As a Church, what if we were spoken about as the "Weird" people?

What?

You don't buy your kids everything the want? That's weird!

You don't decorate your house with hundreds of dollars of stuff? That's weird!

You are going to spend Thanksgiving/Christmas serving homeless people meals? That's weird.

Yes! We want to keep it that way!

Because That's not what Christmas is to us...Christmas is about God coming to earth in the form of a human. . . It's about God giving his greatest asset for you and I. . . It's about worshipping and giving honor to Jesus, Instead of worshipping and giving honor to Target, Dillards, WalMart, or Nordstrom via a Credit Card....

Will you take next steps today...to keep Christmas Weird?

A Different Perspective

2010-11-18T08:34:00.000-08:00

We are kicking off our Christmas series this Sunday: Keep Christmas Weird! Of course, we live in Austin, TX and it's a play on Keep Austin Weird! The clear takeaway is to approach Christmas from a different perspective than what get's shoved down our throats all year long to the tune of approximately 412 Billion dollars annually.

This video / photo montage paints a painfully true picture. If we will listen and act on the message that's communicated through this, we'll be on our way to keeping Christmas weird! Please don't let the music selection keep you from watching the entire thing. "System of the Down" may not be your (or mine) musical forte, but it fits the video.

Christmas Impact Special Offering

2010-11-16T10:02:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago I wrote our church friends and family...those who have loved and contributed to God's work at Free Chapel...and those who may consider contributing. Today, I'm fleshing that out a bit. We have an unique opportunity this year to participate in this Special Offering:

The CHRISTMAS IMPACT Special Offering is a call to sacrificial giving with a goal of $50,000 for five ministry initiatives:

To support Global / U.S. missions and start new churches, including a Sunday night venue for Free Chapel to reach out to young adults in and around the Lake Travis community.
To share God’s love to our community through Servant Evangelism.
To tangibly support local organizations who assist the poor and needy in Lake Travis.
To fund the 2011 Benevolence support our fellow attendees at their time of greatest need.
To hire a worship pastor and begin the necessary building fund as Free Chapel seeks a more permanent home.

This Special Offering will be received through January 15, 2011.

Click here to give now.

To give you a little (or a lot) more detail:

The Purposes of This Offering

To support Global / U.S. missions and start new church.
(including a new Sunday evening venue for Free Chapel)

We are a “church that starts churches” and a church that supports missions. This focus will continue as we have a great opportunity to assist missionaries around the globe who are reaching out to every identified people group, especially those in highly unchurched countries. Through cooperative efforts with other mission-minded churches in Austin, TX and North America, we are designating a portion of the Special Offering to support 1000+ pastors in China through John Maxwell's leadership training, EQUIP. In addition, we will be supporting over 100 ARC church plants plus seeking new partnerships in the US. Likewise, we feel a continued call to help Burundi Orphan Relief with raising the 25 children they have under their care--children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS and war. Lastly, Haiti is still on our radar and we will be involved in the rebuilding efforts through this Special Offering.

To share God’s love with our community through Servant Evangelism.

Several people in our church trace the beginning of their spiritual journey to a Servant Evangelism or Community Outreach touch. In 2010, we are on track to make around 1,000 Servant Evangelism touches in and around our community - something we as a church love to do! We want to continue to be aggressive in reaching our community through Servant Evangelism by the combined efforts of our attenders, plus help from other churches in the U.S. who come to the city to help us make this impact. We believe that together we can continue to show God's love in a practical way when we make it a priority across our church.

To tangibly support local organizations who assist the poor and needy locally in Austin.

We have a unique opportunity to help those in the greatest need in our city! We want to partner with local organizations that are really making a difference in peoples’ lives and, at the same time, sharing the love of Jesus in a very practical way. That’s why we partner with Family Link Foster Care and Adoption, Austin Pregnancy Resource Center, and Lake Travis Crisis Ministries – because they have consistently made a difference in peoples’ lives and demonstrated effectiveness in seeing lives change. This year, we are increasing our support for those that are doing fantastic work in our city already . . . This offering will go to support the effort.

To fund the 2011 Benevolence ministry to support our fellow attendees at their time of greatest need.

We desire to help people at their time of greatest need. To date, we have been unable to approve all valid requests for benevolence funding. We hope to remedy this with this Special Offering. The Benevolence Ministry will allow us to come alongside of people in distress due to difficult financial times, a death in the family or a need for Christian counseling.

To hire a worship pastor and begin the necessary building fund as Free Chapel seeks a more permanent home.

We are currently without a worship pastor and we know how important it is to have consistency in our celebration services. Along with prayer, we will need more resources than what we currently have to pay this position.

We have been diligently seeking commercial building space to allow Free Chapel to have a more effective ministry to this community. We want to have a simple, clean facility that will enable us to direct our energy towards the mission of God in this community. Beginning a building fund is the first step towards this goal.

We want to be the best opportunity for the people of the Lake Travis community to have a life-giving relationship with Jesus Christ! We want to use the best resources, offer the greatest opportunities to grow spiritually, and create unique and creative settings to consider a relationship with Jesus. We know that in order to do that, we need to stay ahead in our equipment, facility setup, and resourcing to see this happen. In 2011, part of this offering will go to make significant investments for capital improvements to allow the church to stay ahead and remain relevant to this purpose.

For a list of F.A.Q.'s visit our website.

FEATURED: Grounds for Good...Coffee for a Cause

2010-11-16T07:21:00.000-08:00

This is a great concept...thought we could promote Grounds 4 Good...try it out!

Here's what they have to say:

Why We Do What We Do
We are a group of individuals committed to community transformation through coffee.

We are passionate about empowering farmers to fight their way out of poverty.

We are passionate about excellence in every step of coffee production from planting to roasting, in order to bring you the very best cup.

We are passionate about helping YOU support YOUR CAUSE.

When you drink our coffee, you are making a difference with every sip. From the grower to your cup, we make sure value is added every step of the way. You are supporting the entire value chain and changing lives, one cup at a time. Grounds 4 Good strives to be fair to our growers and our environment. Our coffee is grown organically as we seek to be responsible for our impact on the environment, and Fair Trade as we seek to be responsible to our farmers.

You Shop, We Give
$5 from every 24oz purchase goes to the charity of your choice.

Whether giving a single order or a monthly subscription, bring more holiday cheer knowing that your gift is doing good.

FEATURED HOLIDAY COFFEE
Bolaven Farms, LAOS

This exotic coffee is a premium 100% Arabica, organic, fair trade coffee. One of the smoothest cups of coffee you'll ever drink!

A well balanced cup of coffee roasted with single origin beans. Competitive in body and flavor. The taste and aroma offer rounded tones with good intensity. Deep smoky undercurrent with a hint of chocolate. Poised and balanced in the cup, silky feel, and delicate complexity. Smooth. Balanced. Nice Finish.

The Asian country of Laos has experienced heavy conflict and aerial bombing in recent decades. This left many people in poverty, struggling to take care of their basic needs. Through the efforts of Bolaven farms, many are finding hope in their soil, as they learn to plant and harvest premium coffee.

Here's what you'll get with each order:

Two 12 oz bags of delicious exotic coffee for $20.95

$5 will be directed to the cause you choose

BUY NOW

integrity re(mix)

2010-10-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we were looking at Nehemiah 5 where people's lack of integrity slowed down the vision God had for Jerusalem's walls being rebuilt.

I had some things in my heart I wanted to share related to integrity that I felt hindered due to the fact that there were some younger kids in the service. (Parents...We have an incredible Kids program...please utilize it).

Anyway, I'll share here what I wanted to share there.

I talked about money being a HUGE idol in our culture today. Worship the idol=lack of integrity.

The other idol that I didn't get to deal with was SEX. Not so much sex, but the perversion of all things sexual. In Nehemiah 5 it was sex slavery. Today, it's porn and sex addiction. It's rampant. I watch the eyes of men fill with shame anytime it's brought up. Rather than wallowing in shame, try reaching out for help!

Here's something to Help people overcome porn addiction and I highly recommend getting help!

loving one another

2010-09-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

Jesus may have been vague on some things...sometimes figuring out the meaning to parables is pretty complicated.

However, he didn't mince words when he said to his followers, "Love each other as I have loved you."

That's quite different than the kind of love we are accustomed to giving and receiving. We love as it's convenient for us. We love as it's comfortable for us. We love as it's easy for us. When Jesus says, "Love as I have loved you." What does that mean? It means "love sacrificially." It means love "till it hurts." It means "love to the point it costs you something."

In our self-serving, selfish lives (sorry to all the sweet selfless servants out there...I'm looking into my heart right now and projecting onto you), we find it incredibly challenging to love that way.

Here are a few super practical maybe even on the surface, surfacey kind of ways you may love as He loves you...

Knowing people's names.
What's every persons favorite word? That's right. Their own name. Care enough about people to remember their names.
Knowing their story.
Ask questions...period.
Share your stuff.
Kitchen utensils, lawn equipment, cars, houses, etc...share it!
Eating a meal with someone at least once a week.
Whether you have a Big or Small house, you are clean or messy. You initiate. Invite someone over for dessert. Have popcorn and throw on a movie.
Watching someone else's kids.
Confession: I don't enjoy being around alot of kids. I have 4. I enjoy mine. That's about it. One of the most sacrificial things I can possibly do is take care of other people's kids. Based on my confession, I'm not sure anyone wants me to, though...
Noticing when someone is pulling back.
When things feel funky, ENGAGE.
Calling / Emailing to check in.
Don't sit around waiting for people to call or email. Pick up the phone. Drop them a line.
Returning calls/Emails.
Huge soapbox warning: If someone calls you or emails you, frickin' CALL or EMAIL BACK! It's a common courtesy at least...it's a respect for and love for another HUMAN being at most! Ok. You get it. I'm not perfect at this...I strive to do it though, because of this next point...
You matter more than ________. (fill in the blank)
Agenda, To-Do list, FB, Twitter, etc...

PRACTICE THIS and you'll be a loving person!

Celebrating 2 Years!

2010-09-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

If you want to bring a gift to the party, here's what we recommend...bring something that will benefit our friends at Lake Travis Crisis Ministries. You can do this by bringing the following non-perishable food and necessities:

Group 1 (last name A-D): Spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, canned green beans, canned pears, box of cereal, toothpaste.

Group 2 (last name E-J): Peanut butter, jelly or jam, canned peaches, dishwashing soap, cooking oil.

Group 3 (last name K-Q): Canned tuna, canned corn, canned pork and beans, laundry detergent, diapers (especially size 1-3).

Group 4 (last name R-Z): Apple juice, canned tomatoes, applesauce, hand soap, toilet tissue, baby wipes

Woohoo! It's going to be a blast!

she-treat

2010-09-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

Make plans for the first annual *She-Treat* on Oct, 29th in San Antonio, TX.
All the ladies will be "ruffing it" at the Hyatt Grand Hotel.
Leaving on Friday October 29th at 5:00 p.m. and returning to Austin on Saturday afternoon Oct. 30th.
This will be wonderful time of talking, lots of talking, eating, shopping, and sharing in God's word.
We hope you can make it!!
Please contact Ashley Self jermashself at gmail dot com to sign up or if you have any questions.
The cost is $30.00 plus extra money for food.

Passion Point Highlight

2010-08-31T06:17:00.000-07:00

In global mission initiatives, Free Chapel has three major focuses: 1). Social Care, i.e. clean water, food, clothing, etc. 2). Orphan Care, 3). Leader Care.

One of our passion point partners is Burundi Orphan Relief (BOR). They are a fledgling work in Bujumbura, Burundi helping orphans be well fed and receive a quality education. A friend of mine, Tom Moher, went over to Burundi two weeks ago. He shared his report with us as follows:

The summer is almost spent and our trip to Burundi has come and gone. But what a memorable one it has been.

Arriving in Bujumbura after dark is remarkable for what you don’t see. Where are all the lights you would expect in a capital city? There are some but not many.

Stepping off the plane, the smell of spent cooking fires brings back a flood of memories of past trips to Burundi. This is the first trip we made since 2006. What would we find?

Our goals were twofold, meet with Delphin and some of the recipients of BOR and attend the wedding of the son of Pastor Louise, the founding pastor of Maranatha Mission Church (whom Delphin has worked with the last 7 years).

First, the good news, the situation has improved economically and politically for Burundi in the last 4 years. BOR is evolving as the country is changing. As Delphin explained it, they were still in crisis mode 4 years ago. There was an immediate need to care for orphans.

Now, as things settle down somewhat, there is a broader need to help vulnerable children who may still have a mother but are teetering economically to care for their children. In this case, children may go hungry, drop out of school or get farmed out to relatives, or even abandoned.

With a little targeted help – helping with school fees for example, the families of these children can be shored up to provide a nurturing environment for all the children. (Most of the families we spoke to had 6 children).

We were looking forward to meeting the children, but another treat was to meet the volunteers.

BOR volunteers do a lot.
Their duties include conducting in-home assessments, teaching Bible lessons, and checking on the general health and academic progress of the children. In addition, group meals and group activities are shared weekly at the BOR office in Bujumbura. This allows the children to bond with each other through the shared experience of losing a parent etc. It also allows the volunteers to identify any social integration issues in the child’s family before it grows into a serious problem.

We had a chance to meet some of the children your donations are helping.

Didier is a 17 year old completing secondary school. He walks 1.5 hours to school (and 1.5 hours home…) each day to go to an affordable school.
His favorite subject is Physics.
As part of an evolving mandate for BOR, Delphin is thinking about how we might transition the older children who will no longer be eligible for help.

Thierry is in the first grade. His mother died and his father left him.
He was living on the streets until Felicity and her husband took him in.
He has some learning problems (trauma from his experiences and the fact that he only knows Swahili and the school system teaches in Kirundi).
Delphin is trying to see about special schooling for him.

Patrick is almost 15 and his mother sells bananas to eke out a living in Bujumbura.
Her husband died and BOR is helping her with school fees so her son can finish high school.
Patrick has 5 siblings and the small amount of help for Patrick’s school fees (about $50.00/year) will make all the difference for him.

Delphin has done remarkable things in the last 4 years.

He was able to buy a hectare (about 2.5 acres) of land to cultivate coffee and vegetables from the proceeds of a microeconomic grant for Palm Oil production.
He’s opened a little store in Gatumbo as part of a larger project with BOR and the Ten Dollar Club. This will provide jobs and income for the workers and Burundi Orphan Relief.
He has begun a program of microlending to a carefully selected group of mothers. They are given $100.00 to start a business (buying/selling produce, making clothes, etc.). $1.50 is repaid each week. At the end of 2 years the loan is repaid and a majority of the extra $0.50/week is returned as working capital so the business can be continued or expanded. If my memory serves, 2% interest is charged to cover any incidental expenses.

I hope this will give you a sense of what is going on and how your dollars are multiplied far more in the lives of these children than you would believe possible.

One last thing. If you have not read "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson, buy it or borrow it. It's a must read.

Thanks, as always, for stepping up and making a difference.

Burundi Orphan Relief
www.burundirelief.org

Delphin modeling one of the smart new t-shirts we brought for the children and volunteers of BOR. Lipo Tumaini means "There's Hope" in Swahili

summer lunches

2010-08-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

a whole lotta lunches...

One of the most fun things we participated in all summer was the Summer Lunches program. It was driven largely by LT Lov and carried out by countless people in the Lake Travis community.

Everyday (M-F), a group of faithful volunteers would go out and deliver lunches to kids in the Lake Travis School District who may be in need of a lunch. Killer deal! We loved having the opportunity to serve in this way!

I really can't believe I get to do stuff like this as a part of my job! I'm living the dream!

162 Churches Planted!

2010-08-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

This is why I love that Free Chapel is a part of the ARC! 162 new churches started! Over 200 by end of the year! Thousands of lives changed!

NEW SERIES NEXT SUNDAY...PUZZLED

2010-08-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

Vision is one of the most valuable commodities we ever have in life!

Sometimes, we just don't have all the pieces to have a clear picture...We are PUZZLED!

We are going to put the pieces together in this brand new series beginning Sunday, August 29, 2010.

Heroes Day

2010-08-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

Heroes day is coming soon on August 29, 2010 to honor all police and fire and rescue serving the Lake Travis area.

Free food provided by Rudy's, live music, and family-fun at the Lakeway Swim Center.

If you'd be interested in volunteering, we need to know by August 16 at the latest.

This event is hosted by Free Chapel and Church at Bee Cave and sponsored by Rudy's, Ben Archer State Farm, and Elite Wellness.

Packabackpack

2010-08-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

"PackaBackpack" School Supplies Drive
sponsored by LTlov and Elite Wellness

(For those who've been involved at Free Chapel this summer in the summer lunches program, you'll want to know about this opportunity too...)

School is fast approaching and there are some LTISD students who will have a very hard time affording the school supplies necessary to succeed.

Please consider donating to this worthy cause by dropping of something (or many things) from the list below.

Drop-off locations are:

American Bank (corner of RR620 and Lakeway Blvd, 263-1776)
Elite Wellness (3700 RR620S in Bee Cave, 297-2288)
Keller Williams Bldg. (1921 Lohmans Crossing)

LTlov will also accept gift cards, preferably to local businesses.
Cash Donations can be made payable to LTlov and mailed c/o Michelle Zogas to 407 Brooks Hollow Rd, Lakeway, TX, 78734.

General Supplies list:

Backpacks
Pens (red/black/blue)
#2 Pencils and Colored pencils
Spiral notebooks and Notebook paper (wide rule / college rule)
Dividers
Binders (1/2" / 1")
Washable Markers
Crayons
Pocket & Brad folders (asst colors)
Elmer's glue and glue stick
Small Scissors
Pencil bag (zippered with 3 holes)
Play Doh (individual cans)
Plastic 12" ruler (reg & metric)
Index cards (lined)
Scotch tape (transparent)
Highlighters (asst colors)
Low odor Dry Erase Markers
Pencil sharpener (enclosed, manual)
Marble composition books

*Elite Wellness is offering a complimentary evaluation to anyone who contributes items to their office by August 13.

Life-Changing Sunday

2010-08-06T08:05:00.001-07:00

Have you ever experienced a life-changing Sunday? I certainly have!

There have been several . . .I remember sitting in a service 18 months ago while Dave Ramsey was speaking on How to Win With Your Money. Something God spoke through him flipped a switch in my heart and head and I've never been the same! Our finances have never been the same! It was life-changing!

THAT'S WHY . . .

We are offering this unique Dave Ramsey series AGAIN beginning THIS SUNDAY! Community Impact News picked up our series here: http://bit.ly/dxUEnn How Exciting!

This could be the key that you need to begin the personal financial revolution you've been longing for!

This Sunday. More details on our website.

2010-08-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

I love our church. That's why:

It pumps me up to see people grow in their faith.
It bums me out to see people hurt each other.
It fires me up to reach out in radical ways into people's lives.
It wakes me up early and keeps me up late (for those that know me, you know that's a huge deal:)
It makes my hair stand on end when someone speaks negatively about any church. (if they speak negative about another one, they'll speak negative about ours)
It inspires me to no end to sit and dream of the possibilities and then read something like Ephesians 3:20 where it says that God will do "exceedingly and abundantly" more than I can even dream of!

I love our church, broken, messy, and imperfect as she is. That simply reinforces our longing for our Savior.

every christian needs to watch this

2010-06-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

ONE Prayer Begins Sunday

2010-06-04T12:09:00.001-07:00

This is the first year we have been able to participate in One Prayer...So Psyched! Wanted to last year, but just didn't think it was the right time. Here we are in 2010 and are going to be kickin' it with 1100+ churches! We'll be hearing from some of the best and brightest who are all doing Kingdom work! It's going to be a fun summer around Free Chapel!

We kicked it off today by serving 60 teachers Chick-fil-a Chicken buiscuits...Come on, now! If that ain't love, I don't know what is:)!

winner, winner, vision dinner:)

2010-06-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

Ashley and I hosted several winners over at our house for a time of remembering the vision of why we are here. They were so fun. Food was fantastic. Company was the best.

I took a few moments to share about our vision: Connecting the Disconnected.

Last week I was reminded of that vision that God gave me when I read Matthew 9. It's the story of Jesus asking Matthew, the tax collector, to follow Him. Matthew begins to follow Jesus. And, rather than removing himself from all of his old acquaintances, he actually invites them all over to a party so he can introduce them to Jesus. Smart guy.

Everything is going great at the party, until the religious leaders of the day come in and try to crash the party. They confront Jesus asking why he's hanging out with the riff-raff of the city. And, Jesus responds with these words:

"Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders." Read the whole story...

Wow! As I read that, I found myself guilty of not being concerned about the same thing Jesus is concerned with. Outsiders. Jesus does not say, "I don't love insiders." He says he's not going to "coddle insiders." He does say that he wants to invite outsiders to become insiders.

He says, he is on mission to help connect the disconnected . . . the very vision I am compelled to give myself to. And, the vision I ask for every partner at Free Chapel to engage in.

If you wanted to come to dinner this week, but couldn't this is the Cliff Notes version . . . There were other GREAT stories of God at work in people's lives, I wish you could have heard. We will have other gatherings this summer. Hope you'll be able to attend.

the pay-off from Ruth

2010-06-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we concluded Lemonade: When Life Hands You Lemons. We studied the book of Ruth in the Old Testament and it was so fun! God is at work behind the scenes using ordinary people in extraordinary ways...

That leads to the "pay-off" of the book of Ruth.

The book opens with death. It closes with birth. It opens with grief. It closes with joy.

God uses Boaz as Ruth and Naomi's family redeemer. He is a picture of the ultimate redeemer, Jesus.

When, Naomi says at the end of chapter 1 that God has made her empty and bitter, she hasn't a clue. Our perception is our own reality, but it's not ultimate reality. Too many of us live in a falsely perceived world...especially when it comes to God.

So, Naomi has this perception, but God uses Ruth and Boaz to care for Naomi. Several months rock along...Maybe even years...And, then Ruth has a baby. Having a baby is always a special event, but this one is even more special.

The narrator of the book of Ruth let's us in on the secret in Ruth 4:16-17: "Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. The women living there said, 'Naomi has a son.' And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David."

What?!?

Yes! There was a poor widowed peasant girl who had a bitter, empty widowed mother-in-law that she vowed to care for until her dying day. In steps a redeemer. He takes this peasant girl as his bride. He sacrifices his own family name so that the family name of Naomi's deceased husband may be perpetuated. And, they have a baby. And, by the way, the baby's name was Obed. And, by the way, he had a son who had a son. And, by the way, his name was David....

If you are an original Jewish reader, right there, reading this book for the first time, you do a double take. Read back over that again. King David, the king of Israel after God's own heart, was Ruth's great, grandson! But, that's not all...Who was in the family line of David? If you know your Bible, and you've read Matthew 1, you'll discover that Ruth and David are in the family line of Jesus.

If you had told Naomi in chapter 1 that she was going to have a grandson who would rule over Israel and ultimately she'd have someone in her family line who would be the messiah, I'm guessing she would have balked at the idea...Whether she believed it or not, would it make it any less true? Nope.

God is always showing you kindness, trying to put the pieces of your life back together. He's writing an unbelievable-scratch your head in wonder, kind of of story. You don't have to believe it...but it's true. He is working to redeem your life. You won't have the messiah birthed in your family line...that's already happened....But, you have no idea the kind of beautiful masterpiece God is putting together...You may not see it today...And, unfortunately, you may not even see it in your lifetime. Naomi didn't. However, God's kindness to you is that he will bring about an ultimate good for you.

Romans 8:28 illustrates this: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

"I want to go deeper..." pt. 4

2010-05-28T07:53:00.000-07:00

This week, we've been digging into the question, "What does it mean to go 'deeper' spiritually speaking?"

I'm going to wade out into deep water (no pun intended). I'll admit this is my interpretation of deeper, but I think it's a pretty stinkin' good interpretation.

First, what deeper is not:

Studying the Bible. I love the Bible. I love to study the Bible. And, one thing I know is that studying the Bible and knowing more data does not necessarily mean deeper!
Worship. Louder and faster, quieter and slower, more edgy, modern / contemporary worship music does not mean deeper.

Obviously, those two things can help! But they aren't synonymous with deeper...

Deeper can be summed up in one word: OBEY

It does not matter what you know if you don't follow through in action. Jesus said all the law and the prophets could be summed up in two phrases: Love God. Love People.

If you are down with obeying those, then I'd say you're a pretty deep dude or gal.

Too many of us want to have a great worship service, but we leave and never live out what the spirit of God spoke through the word of God. How can we call that deeper? Deeper would be living out what you've learned.

I fear too many Christ followers (including me!) have become satisfied with learning information but never allowing it to bring transformation. Our greatest enemy is selfishness. And, Love God, Love people is completely contrary to selfishness.

Is this making sense?

"I want to go deeper..." pt. 3

2010-05-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

We've been talking this week...What does it actually mean to go "deeper" spiritually speaking?

Ask five people. Get five different responses. We could all make our "lists" of the things that helped us along the way to mature in our faith and all would be different. Point: it takes a combination of various means to reach the same end goal.

I will concede it is the pastor's (guys like me) role to "equip God's people for works of service." It is the pastor's role to help people see God's potential for them . . . see it and realize it!

Just to illustrate this point, please take a moment to comment and share the top 5 things that have helped you grow in your faith . . . .

"I want to go deeper..." pt. 2

2010-05-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

"I want to go deeper." That's the #1 reason why people leave churches. It's worded a little different, usually..."I'm not being fed." Seems to be a common misconception, so...

Let's talk about that this week...What does it mean to go "deeper" spiritually speaking?

"Deeper" in some circles really is more about emotional stimulation. In others, it is really about intellectualism. (More educated Christians are just more educated Christians). Certainly all of these factors play a much needed role in the end goal...

By the way, what is the end goal? Here's what Ephesians 4 says the end goal is: "that we all may become mature reaching full measure in the unity of the faith..." How does that happen?

Are any one of the preferred means an island? Answer: Nope. We'll talk more about that tomorrow....

"I want to go deeper..."

2010-05-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

"I want to go deeper." That's the #1 reason why people leave churches. It's worded a little different, usually..."I'm not being fed."

Let's talk about that this week...What does it mean to go "deeper" spiritually speaking?

For charismatics, it may mean singing that chorus 20x's rather than the normal 10 x's.
For pentecostals, it may include some radical display of the vocal gifts of the spirit or having a service that didn't include preaching. "man, we really had church today...there was no preaching!"
For "Bible" people, it may mean dissecting and "inductively" studying the Bible.
For holiness people, it may include some cries of repentance from sin to God.

The point is clear...When someone says they want to go "deeper" spiritually, we must first define what that "deeper" includes. Further, does that "deeper" actually facilitate spiritual growth?

What did "deeper" mean to your background?

my point

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