Going Deep

I just read a blog from Perry Noble on "You're not Deep Enough" and it got me fired up again on the topic of "going deep". Perry is one of my favorite bloggers. I recommend you read his blog on this topic (and then subscribe to his blog for future enlightenment.) I put the link at the bottom of this post.

I'll keep my comments short because I don't need to repeat Perry.

Here at NewPointe we hear these comments frequently:

• "I just wish we would go deeper"
• "We need more Bible studies"
• and my all-time favorite, "I wish Dwight preached more from the Bible"

Wow! Preach more from the Bible??? Talk about an adventure in missing the point.

Have you ever sat in front of a TV and watched an exercise show? (C'mon now, be honest!) I do it. The question is why? It is because I say to myself, "boy I need to do that... I need to exercise more... oh my, look how long that person is exercising... man I wish I looked like that." The whole time I'm observing a very worthwhile routine, but I don't get off my recliner and participate.

Do I need to understand how to exercise? You bet. Will I get in shape and lose weight by knowing how to exercise? No way. What I need to do is just start exercising. I don't need to know every ab routine offered on TV.

So it is with my knowledge of the Bible. Until I'm obedient to what I know, it won't help me to know more.

Read Perry's blog for what "Going Deep" really means!

Great Time for Ohio Sports Fans

There is so much going on in the world of Ohio sports I just have to blog about it. So any deep thoughts will just have to wait for another day.

• Wow! Buckeyes are #1. Who would have thought it? They control their own destiny now for the BCS championship game. However, after last year I'm a bit gun shy. If they make it there they better win it. I can't take another second place finish (i.e. Cavs, OSU Basketball, OSU Football)
• Go Tribe! How many of you saw the ending of the last game when we scored 7 runs in the 11th inning? That was incredible. I heard the game finished so late the train wasn't running out of the stadium any more.
• How about the Browns! They are 3 and 3. Its pretty bad when we have to celebrate a .500 record. Ah well, I still want to give them props. Are they actually good this year or will they tank as normal and finish 3-13?

Favorite Buckeyes:

• Brandon Saine - I think he is better than Beanie Wells. He needs more carries.
• Laurinaitis - Always in the right spot. Never misses a tackle.
• Brian Robiskie - Very disciplined. Always finds a way to make the catch.
• Vernon Gholston - a man among boys!

Favorite Indians:

• Victor Martinez - Always comes through with a hit when we need it.
• Grady Sizemore - What's not to like? Hustle, skill, power, speed.
• Asdrubal Cabrera - I just like saying his name... "Azzdruuble"

Closing Comments:

• CC seems to not deliver in the big games.
• Hafner gets paid a lot of money - SO START HITTING!
• I loved Manny when he was an Indian - so why do I dislike him so much now???
• Its all going to come down to the Michigan game... AGAIN!
• Buckeyes win it all this time!

My Trip to Catalyst '07

Last week I had the privilege of traveling to Atlanta for the 2007 Catalyst Conference. It was my first time so I didn't really know what to expect. At this point I can tell you that it "Rocked my World!"

It was held in an arena with 11,000 people attending. It had unbelievable music (my seat was shaking at one point it was so loud!). The North Point team is very creative so there was always something funny and entertaining filling in the gaps (i.e. they gave John Maxwell a live camel as a gift for the "man who has everything", they also had a dueling orchestra/electric guitar segment that was way cool).

The lineup of speakers was incredible.

• Andy Stanley
• Patrick Lencioni
• Francis Chan
• John Maxwell
• Tim Sanders
• Erwin McManus
• Rick Warren
• Dave Ramsey

Many have already blogged about the content of these incredible speakers. (See Tim Stevens blog for a great recap of each one.)

My highlights

• Being challenged in my passion and love for God - BIG TIME!
• Worshipping with 11,000 fellow believers with an unbelievable worship team and band that literally shook the house
• Hanging out with my travelling com padres and discussing everything under the sun
• Finding a great Italian restaurant that was so good we ate there two nights in a row!
• Seeing the winning hit by Travis Hafner (NY game 2) in the airport because our flight home had been delayed
• Atlanta traffic - NOT!

While I was definitely challenged by each speaker, my favorite was Craig Groeschel, founder of Lifechurch.TV. He started by declaring he was a "Practical Atheist". A practical atheist is someone who believes God exists but lives his life as if he doesn't! Wow, does that hit home, or what?

Questions you can ask to help determine if you are a "Practical Atheist":

1. Do I believe my Effort/Ability is better than God's power?
2. Do I blame myself for failures or declines in my ministry? If so, then I also must take credit for the successes (instead of God)
3. Do I believe my private life can be separate from my ministry life? Do I have "hidden" sins that no one knows about?
4. Do I worry more about pleasing people than I do God? I am more nervous about what people think than what God thinks?

If you answer "yes" to one or more of these questions than whether you like it or not, you are acting more like an atheist than someone who fully understands and believes in the power of the Almighty God!

Ouch... That doesn't feel good, does it? Craig went on to say that this should "Disturb" us. It should get our every attention.

If I truly believe there is a God who loves me, leads me, empowers me, forgives me, and trusts me, then I need to be disturbed about:

• The Lost
• The Poor
• The Sick
• My Sin
• My Lack of Faith

Wow! Now you can see why this message challenged me so much! We can't just say we believe in God. We have to live it. We can't be full-time ministers and part-time followers of God!

"God, I pray that you DISTURB ME to the point where I have no other option than to seek you as the sovereign ruler of this life!"

What should be DISTURBING you???