Archive for September, 2007

My internet coverage has been a bit spotty as I’ve arrived back. Sorry about the blog silence. Here is another addition of zhtv. So you know you can subscribe to my podcast/vodcast via iTunes, click HERE. This episode is a quick tour of my flat from the first night in Prague. So I am more than a little tired in it, but you get to see my flat pre-unpacking and pre-furniture. I took one trip to Ikea yesterday and if things work out I will take another one today. It is strange getting stuff for my flat. The reason is because when I was here on STINT I got cheap stuff that would just “get me by.” But now I’m here for the foreseeable future and that means I can invest in a bit more. It has been a strange adjustment, but good. I’ve also got to hang out with some of my guys from 04-05, coach the junior team last night, see the senior team guys at a team meeting and much more! Well, I have to go. Thanks for stopping by!

Good morning from the Amsterdam airport! I can’t believe I’m actually on this side of the ocean! All last night I had this very, very numb feeling. I had the thought, “Is this really happening?” Then when I shook my daze from a very limited night of sleep and realized it has and is happening! Seeing people eating Big Macs and french fries fries for breakfast was an immediate wake up call, “I’m back in Europe!” It’s funny, I have felt like I fit in more just walking around in the airport. It’s interesting how much more I feel at home in the European culture than I do my “home” culture. Well, I only paid for 30 minutes of internet, because it is way more expensive than it should be (another sign I’m in Europe), sorry I didn’t get a quick vodcast up while I’m chilling here. It was my hope to, but time doesn’t allow it. In just a few short hours I will be here…

Ah, Praha… Home.

Prayer Request for 1 day out - My walk with Christ - I think the biggest prayer I have, beyond seeing fruit, learning the language, the big transition, the unpacking of the large vision God has placed on my heart and seeing it come to fruition, and seeing men become disciples to pour into, is my walk with the Lord. The reason is because everything, EVERYTHING, flows out of my personal walk with God. My anthem as of late is from Psalm 63:3;

Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you. (Psalm 63:3)

If you read my prayer letters, you will remember what I said in my most recent prayer letter about this verse and how it is being used to help me press through fears that life brings. In short, my anthem is The love of the Lord is better than ____________________ (fill in the blank with whatever)! This is true. Hands down no questions asked; I would choose the love of the Lord over a kicking ministry in Prague, a beautiful godly wife, great kids, the most amazing Mac, or whatever. Please pray that this anthem would become more and more ingrained into my soul!

There is today’s countdown prayer. Now? Nap. I preached all three services and Immanuel Lutheran (Thank you Immanuel for a blessed morning!) in Lake Geneva today and I’m wiped. So a nap, then packing, then dinner with the fam, then more sleep, then tomorrow comes, then finish any last minute packing, then to O’hare and then I GET TO GO HOME!

Prayer Request for 2 days out - Disciples.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:1-2)

What more do I need to say than getting those verses in front of us. Recently when I was sharing with a group of people I said, “I saw God bring a lot of guys to the point where they were no longer saying, ‘I’m Czech I’m an atheist’ and my prayer is that I might have a big problem on my hands and have 10 guys to disciple in the next year!” Wow! It wasn’t a premeditated thought, it was said in the moment. There are moments like this where under the Spirit’s leading I say something and I metaphorically “bottle” it for a later date. Please join me in praying that God would do something that only He can do like this. I long to replace myself over there and have men that are passionately growing in the Lord that I can pour into! Blessings to you this Saturday evening…

I read a great post over at glocal.net, entitled Stop “Tinkerin” With the Church!. Here is a piece of it, but read the rest by clicking here.

Your church is only as good as your disciples–not your preacher! If you want to tinker with something, tinker with the disciple. How do we create a culture of the kingdom so people will engage it in a daily manner? What is a disciple? How do we move from information transfer to behavioral transformation–what we call T-Life at NorthWood? Tinker with the society if you want to tinker with something. How do we connect disciples and society? I’m obsessed with the Kingdom of God, the transformation that it brings. I believe this is what it takes to see the fulfillment of the Great Commission. We’ve thought it was the sinners’ prayer. It’s much more than that. It must be a transformed life that transforms others and communities.

To see my thoughts check out the comment I made over at the post. Have a great long weekend!