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Thought I'd share some shots from band practice in the new space. We're still working on getting some artwork in and getting the serving area set up - but it is coming together incredibly nice! We had a number of folks stop by to check the place out tonight and see what was going on. I think we might be on to something here!

Awed

I am sitting in my new office - 567 Cherry Street. This afternoon I decided to spend some time at the table in the window. It is a raised seating area with a 12 to 14 foot wall of glass that looks out onto Cherry Street. I am listening to Ben Harper right now - and over Ben I can hear the birds outside chirping. The leaves on the trees outside my window are beginning to unfold. Workers are putting up Cherry Blossom signs. I love the life of the city.
I met another neighbor today - Lee. He is Asian and came in to check out the changes.
I had an old friend drop in earlier with his wife.
I have also seen my new friends upstairs - Brad and Meagan and Chris from the 11th Hour.
Today, from my window, I have seen our city - some of the richest and most powerful in middle Georgia. I have seen young couples holding hands - young parents pushing their stroller. I have seen old couples - enjoying the spring day. I have seen the poor and needy. I have seen every color and shade of skin.
The diversity is beautiful.

All in all - I am in awe - that I would be here - doing this - whatever "this" is.

Hanging of the Art

Another busy day! Today the tables arrived for the new space (and had to be put together). Then the chairs arrived (and had to be put together - thanks Ivey and Alesia for the help).

Our first artwork was hung today by Glenn Grossman. His work is really beautiful and makes me look forward to even more work coming in. Glenn loved the new space and is going to help us line up some additional artists.

Raising Risk Takers

A life of faith is risky. Living by faith means taking risks - like...

quiting a 'perfectly good' job making a 'good living' to plant a church with no guarantee of income... or (as my sister's family did once) selling all you have to take your family to the mission field... or sharing your faith with a friend.

So, I want to raise Risk Taking Children.

I encourage them to take risks - to live a life of adventure... especially when it comes to their Christian walk.

I got home this afternoon and learned that our risk taking family is leading others to take risks as well! The picture below is AWESOME! That's Robby - my 10 year old, he's jumping (from right to left) Elijah, my 5 year old, Jack our neighbor, Caleb another neighbor, and Scott, Jack's brother. That's right - Robby JUMPED 4 neighbors on his bike today!!! Mom took the picture - way to go Amy!

Robby wanted to jump more children but Casey and Allie, our other neighbor kids said that their dad told them it was too dangerous.

God Things

Last Sunday as I worshipped, I was really overwhelmed with the fact that Jesus is building His church downtown. I shared that with everyone present and added that it should be evident to everyone that God is doing something incredible - because there is no way I could possibly orchestrate all that was going on - and I meant it!
So let me share more stuff that is going on...

Last week I met Jered at Starbucks to show him our space and begin some planning. Jered was talking with someone when I arrived - so I grabbed a coffee and waited outside. Jered introduced me to his friend. He and I talked while Jered prepared to head out with me. Dennis - Jered's friend - was interested in New City and the Cafe so I shared a little with him. Dennis used to run a coffee shop - a for real, stocked coffee shop. Turns out he still has all of his equipment in storage and was hoping to one day use it in a coffee shop / music venue! Hmmmmmm. Coincidence? Denis and I will talk again soon - I hope. Pray for us - this could be an incredible opportunity!

Thursday night a couple came into town and Amy and I spent much of Friday with them - a great young couple. He is on staff at a church 200 miles away. He feels led to plant a new church - an Acts 29 church. He just went through the entire assessment proccess with A-29. The reports on hm were great - really good things said by his assessors. BUT - they didn't feel he was quite ready to plant and suggested he hook up with an A-29 church plant and try again in a year or two. So - he and his wife are looking into a move and considering Macon and New City Church. Pray! Pray for this couple in their decision. Pray for their finances - we aren't ready to add staff so there would have to be some outside help (raising funds) or being bi-vocational (they are aware of where we are with things right now).

Almost 2 weeks ago I received a call from another young guy - from Warner Robins - Heath. Heath feels led to one day plant a church. For now, he wants to be a part of a new church plant - a plant like NCCd! heath wants to be a part of a missional church plant and is willing to help out in any way he can. He already created the New City Church facebook fan page and set our sermons up on i-tunes!

God is incredible.

Good Friday from Mars Hill

567 Cherry Street - UPDATE

Just a quick update...
Workers got started toward the end of last week.
By this afternoon HUGE steps had been taken toward finishing out the space.
The ceiling has color
The trim was almost done
Accent walls were being painted
The main colors were going up
The stage and built up seating area was finished
The electrician was wiring away, adding outlets, and junctions
A flooring change was made today - out of necessity - and carpet will go in instead of tile
Tony Long is pushing everyone on his end to be finished by Sunday!
Chairs and tables have been ordered
Counter tops and cabinets purchased
WHEW!!!!
Looks like we'll make it in before Cherry Blossom!
I am meeting with the Starbucks manager tomorrow to hammer out a Cherry Blossom schedule and show him the space.

Pray - pray for us to finish out on time
Pray for those who promised donations to come through
Pray that the Cafe would become a downtown gathering place and that the gospel might might be seen, and felt, and heard there.

Jesus is building His church!

17And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:17-18

Sunday morning, for me, was one of the best worship gatherings I have ever been a part of. The band sounded great and the songs were great Jesus centered songs. I looked around the room and saw people I had never seen before - worshipping. I saw people that I don't know yet - but recognized because they are New City regulars - worshipping. In the band there was a new drummer, 2 new guitarists, and a new back-up singer - new to the band, but not the church. And all at once it hit me - Jesus is building His church - not just words - REALITY!
We are becoming a church - not just people getting together - a church, His church. In our midst - in downtown Macon - Jesus is building His church!

Easter Egg Hunt and Hang Out

click the image to enlarge

Missional Conversation

I love hearing our New City folks share how they are striking up new conversations centered on the gospel. Yesterday as I was getting a haircut Kim, one of our New City folks - and 1 of at least 3 New City hairdressers - shared with me a great story. She got into a conversation with someone about family which led to church. He shared his story - about trying several different denominations before settling into the one true church - the Catholic church. This led Kim to ask questions about works verses grace - which led Kim to declare - by Grace Alone - Through Faith Alone - In Christ Alone.

Kim was concerned that the guy may never come back. She was also brokenhearted with his works based religion. Later in the day, he called Kim back to schedule appointments for his kids! You go Kim!

Baseball and Faith

Its baseball season and both of our boys are playing! At one of Robby's practices this week the coach was teaching the boys about stealing second. Each boy had a time on first while another batted. The boys practiced getting a lead - looking for the throwback to 1st - and taking off to 2nd. The 1st base coach would always tell them - 'get back, get back!' or 'GO! GO! GO!'
Without fail, the coach would yell - GO! - and each kid would pause and look to see where the ball was! Rather than just listening to the coach and RUNNING all out to 2nd base, each boy would pause and look around to find the ball. Oer and over and oer the coach told the boys not to pause or worry about where the ball was but to RUN.
The boys reminded me of myself (and you too). God calls us to obedience in areas of our lives like the coach yells GO! and we, like the boys stop to see what's going on and 'where the ball is' instead of - BY FAITH - running as hard as possible. I want to teach Robby to run like he's never run before when he hears GO! And I want to teach him to follow God in the same way - running like he's never run before!

Manly Movie Men's Night

I Am Legend

@ the Capitol Theater

This Thursday - 7:30 PM

rated PG-13

Here's a trailer for the original I Am Legend - 1971's The Omega Man

Hope to see you manly men there!

The Gospel & Judging the Wrong People

The deeper I dive into the gospel, the more I realize its great depth and the horrible shallowness of religion. When I talked with Jered, the Starbucks manager who is my contact for our “partnership” with the New City Café, he asked me this week about some of the volunteers from Starbucks who would be helping at the café. (Jered is a good manager and I believe he was looking out for his guys.) One of the volunteers is a homosexual, one a non-Christian, and the other a seeker (someone exploring spirituality). I think that the heart of Jered’s questions were – Is it OK for them to work in the café? And How would they be treated?
I assured Jered that the Starbucks employees (who were volunteering their time) would be welcomed and received well! The point of the café is to meet new people in our culture, build new relationships and BE Jesus in our city.

Religion says YES it is Jesus, but you aren’t really one of us until you meet this list of qualifications – don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t curse, can’t be gay, can’t be . . . When people don’t meet our religious “qualifications” we dismiss them, or worse we ostracize them.
The Gospel says not only YES it is Jesus, BUT adds Jesus is ALL there is! That is what struck me about Philippians 3:1-11 as I studied this week and preached today. Jesus is all there is – He satisfies God’s righteous requirements (and Him alone) and He satisfies the longing of our souls (and only He can).

As I was preaching today I was reminded of Jered’s questions. And my mind was flooded with thoughts about how Religion would respond to the homosexual (I admit I am a recovering religionist). Religion most often would say – clean yourself up! Stop your sinful lifestyle, and then you can be a Christian. But the Gospel says - God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). Jesus died for us while we were filthy sinners – enemies against God. The truth is that I cannot clean myself up good enough – it is impossible! The truth is that I am as needy – even now - as a homosexual (or an addict, or a child abuser, or a thief, or…). I need Jesus. And while I was a thief, an addict, a liar, an abuser, a user, . . . – a sinner – Jesus died for me. What right would I have to judge one who did not claim Christ? None.
I was/am also stirred with the reality that in this Philippians 3 passage, it isn’t the homosexuals, or the alcoholics, or the users, and abusers that do not believe in Christ that God nails – it is the religious! You DOGS – You EVILDOERS – You MUTILATORS.

In the end – when we judge those who do not claim to be Christ followers, we judge the wrong people!
For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. (I Corinthians 5:12-13)

OK Ramble over.

New City Cafe macon

Workers should get started next week on finishing out the New City Cafe space. The walls should get their 1st coat of paint, the electricians will be adding outlets, lights, fans and more, and a crew will be building our stage, raised seating area, and hopefully constructing our wall panels (these will be used for hanging artwork from various artist).
We are pushing to get it done for Cherry Blossom - PRAY WITH ME THAT WE CAN. (click the picture for an idea of how we'll set things up)
Here are a few things in the works:

• Starbucks Coffee to serve their goods during downtown events
• Live @ the New City Cafe music
• Art displays/shows featuring local artists (displays on a monthly basis)

So, NCCders - get ready for some great opportunities!

Spreading the NCCd Word While U Drive

OK - I'm not really creative enough to come up with this idea, but I am creative enough to copy someone who is creative! So we ordered $120 worth of window chalk. We'll ask as many of our New City folks as are willing to help spread the word this month that Macon has a new church downtown. Amy and I tried out the stuff as soon as it came in today - pretty cool stuff. With the New City web address on every one's car, it will be interesting to see how many hits we get this month.

Not a New Cityer - look for the NCCd cars this month!

Far Too Easily Pleased

…if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of those rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that the Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures fooling about with drink, and sex, and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. CS Lewis

Things that take too much of my time!

1) Multiple trips to planning and zoning in order to get approval for use of our new space.
2) Meeting at the new space to:
pick colors for paint
talk about electrical and sound needs
pick out flooring
meet with carpenters to get costs for stage and counters. (colors for tops, stains... to come later!)
3) Web surfing for chairs and tables for the new space
4) Taking care of insurance coverage for the new space as well as for our growing "contents"
5) Lining up a place for our 10 week study - not as easy as you might think!!!!

Don't get me wrong - I love what is going on! But WHEW - not enough time!

I am VERY thankful for all those helping make this happen! I would go absolutely insane with you!

Living With and For Our City

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace."

Jeremiah 29:4-7

Monster Truck Madness

Today Elijah and I went to the Macon Coliseum for MONSTER JAM!

BMX Free style

Quad racing

and 10,000 pound - 1,500 horsepower Monster Trucks

LOUD, LOUD, LOUD!

I think Elijah had a good time.