2 Years

Can't believe Mosaic DC has reached the 2-year mark... this has been an incredible journey. They say the first two years of a new church is the toughest... if you can make it through that time intact (key word), you will probably have set a good foundation for the next several years.

This Sunday, Pastor Steve Layne of New Life Fellowship will be our guest speaker... incredible communicator, and very passionate about the God he worships. Prepare for an exciting Word!!

To friends of all over: keep praying for Mosaic! 2 down... hopefully, many more to come!

I love all of you from my heart...

Pastor D

Sunday Nite Speak

* Tonight was a good nite... a very apropo message on temptation. Very CONVICTING message (for me), and seemed to really touch several people.

* Why do so many of us take paths we KNOW are wrong... get to the destination we KNEW we'd get to... and WONDER HOW WE GOT THERE? But we should've seen it coming from a mile away!

* Proverbs 27:12 has totally rocked my world!!!

*One of the most important things to understand about temptation is that it's much more than what we just see in front of us!

* BIG UPS to Brian and Christina... two UMD students who've been coming regularly to Mosaic DC for the last month. Christina became a Christ-follower last year, and Brian just started following Jesus last month! They both were baptized this morning at Christina's home church in Belair, MD!! YAY, GOD!!! :-) Keep rockin' it guys... I'm proud of you!

* Speaking of BIG UPS: a MAJOR SHOUT-OUT to my man Darrius Heyward-Bey, wide receiver from UMD who got drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the first round (7TH PICK!!) of the NFL Draft! That's HUGE!! Proud of you, D!! Just remember us little people (especially Pastor D, lol!) :-D

* Got to see my good friend Savannah tonight... who bought out a friend she recently met while working out. Said she thought Mosaic would be a great fit for her... her friend seems to think so, too... Now, that is TOTALLY awesome when people who aren't even members or attenders of your church are pointing people to your church! YAY, GOD!!!!

* My Cowboys didn't make a huge splash in the draft, at least not in the first two rounds. But, holy moley!! They ended up with 12 picks, which is the MOST in the NFL since 1994, when the draft expanded to seven rounds. Dallas stockpiled on picks who could make an immediate impact on the special teams. Most fans aren't excited... but I think this was an excellent draft for them!!

* Okay... so next Sunday marks MOSAIC DC's 2-yr Anniversary!!!! YAY, GOD!!!!!! Wow... this time has gone by really fast! My good friend Professor/Pastor Steve Layne will be our guest preacher... I am SO LOOKING FORWARD to that!!!! We're not having a major celebration this year... but would love to see you if you're not doing anything at 5:30 this coming Sunday, May 3.

* OMG(osh), I will be 41 next week... I'm getting ancient!

Tuesday Thoughts...

* Went out with Keda Sunday after our Gathering, and had a fund-raising trip today to the Eastern Shore (Maryland)... so, I'm just getting a chance to blog about the weekend!
* The Praise & Prayer Gathering was off the chain Sunday nite! We definitely went a little long, but it was evident that God "was in the place!"
* Had a full band Sunday... great to have people you can count on!

* Worship set:

- Your Grace is Enough
- O Praise Him
- Everlasting God
- From the Inside Out
- Friend of God
- Saving Grace

* We opened up the "altar" for people to come and pray during the song From the Inside Out... something we normally don't do... but it was powerful!! It was a time of confession and repentance, intercession, supplication... just a time of pouring out our hearts to God. We definitely need to have corporate prayer times included more often in our gatherings!
* We incorporated more musicians Sunday nite...Brandy, Megan, and Claudia, you guys were tremendous!
* Kudos to our band: Jose (the BEAST on drums), Daniel (Mr. Keys), Robert (The Fiddler under our roof), Brandy/Megan (WOMEN bassists... yeah, baby!!)... and Jason (GuitarMan). You guys blended really well... THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!!! ;-)
* Can't thank Rick Elder enough for filling in for me Sunday... I gave him only 20 minutes, and then made him rush! :) But he did a good job, and Mosaic will look forward to him speaking again! Thanks, buddy!
* More new faces in the crowd... YAY, GOD!! It's always great to see new attenders bringing their friends!
* Pray for decent weather to be able to do some breakfast bar outreaches this week!

Taking a Break...

Looking forward to taking a "preaching break" this coming Sunday. We're having a Praise & Prayer worship gathering, and Rick Elder - a friend of mine and fellow minister to the college students at UMD - will be bringing a short message. Rick is a graduate of Washington Bible College and Capital Bible Seminary, and is making an impact on the campus through his prayer ministry. He current prays daily for over 700 student athletes, and holds Bible studies for them as well. He's a frequent attender of our worship gatherings at Mosaic DC, and we're looking forward to hearing God speak through him!

I'll still be leading the worship, so I'm actually getting 1/2 a break! :)

Sunday Nite Speak!

* Great night tonight at the Gathering!
* Saw a bunch of new faces in the crowd... YAY, God!
* We had a "miniband" tonight: guitar, bass, drums, vocals... but we rocked it (or so I was told)! God is amazing!! Robert, Jose, and Brandy... you guys KICKED it tonight! I appreciate so much working with you... you make my job alot easier (prob'ly b/c I make yours so much harder, lol)! Love you guys...

* Worship Set:
- Here is Our King (Crowder)
- Run (Hillsong)
- Everything Glorious (Crowder)
- Enough (Tomlin)
- Amazed (Brewster)

* Hey, this coming Sunday... tell all your friends... we're having a special praise, prayer & celebration service. There wll be MUSIC... we will WORSHIP... we will PRAY... we have hear what God is doing in the lives of others... and we will CELEBRATE! We have a GREAT KING who is worthy of our praise and adoration... and we're gonna do that like we've lost our minds! :-)
* If that last entry "scared" some of you... don't be alarmed, but answer this question: why is it that we can get loud and crazy at a sporting event, but we SIT QUIETLY on Jesus? I don't know, I'm just wondering!! ;-)
* Well, EXTREME is now over... finished the series tonight, with Extreme Satisfaction... from John 7:37-39. AWESOME TIME!!
* Even when we allow our souls to become dry and parched, the Fountain of Living Water makes Himself available to us... without price... and we can drink to the FULL!! That's just too freakin' awesome for words...
* Breakfast bar metro outreach... people are getting excited about it... got another email from someone wanting to get involved! YAAY, GOD!
* Almost teared up when Dennis Rodman got the axe on Celebrity Apprentice... Christ came to redeem men and women like Dennis, and the Church should be passionate about reaching them! The question is, "Are we??"

Don't Overlook What You Already Have!

"What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?" "Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil," she replied (2 Kings 4:2).

One night a couple of summers ago, I heard a humongously loud (it seemed to me at the time) chirping noise... not the bird kind, but the CRICKET kind... somewhere in my living room. Everyone else was asleep, and I didn't want to wake anybody by being loud, but I knew I had to find this bug... it was driving me CRAZY!

[SIDEBAR: Right now, somebody's rolling their eyes saying, "Yeah, SQUASH 'im... I HATE it when that happens!" You're feelin' my pain, and I appreciate it.]

So, I'm looking for this little "trumpeter"... he was REALLY loud... but I couldn't find him. In fact, I was looking DIRECTLY at the spot where the sound was coming from, and there was no bug!! Or, at least, that's what I thought. All of a sudden, I caught a slight movement of something... looked a little closer... and there it was: THE TINIEST CRICKET I'D EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!! As much as I was searching for it, I couldn't see it... because it was so small!

You know, some of us are searching... desperately... for some answer, some method, some new skill or training, some new whatever, in order to propel our ministry (or life, or dream, or business) to new heights. We're looking all over the place... becoming frustrated and fed up... because that thing we're looking for - whatever it is, we really don't know - seems so elusive. I've got news for you: you already have it. You do... you just haven't discovered it. And maybe it's because you're looking for something that's BIG and NOTICEABLE... but maybe the thing is so small, you've never paid much attention to it... maybe you see it as pretty much nothing, "except a flask of olive oil."

The olive oil didn't seem like much to the widow... yet, God would take that little bit of oil and multiply it... and it would - literally - propel her into a new level of living! God WANTS to do the impossible through us... but He's asking us, "What's in your house??" He never calls us without giving us what we need in order for Him to fulfill His purpose through us... we just have to discover "our olive oil"... begin to use it... and watch Him multiply it... ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Okay... so, take a minute or two or five, and answer that question: WHAT... IS... IN... YOUR... HOUSE?

Sunday Nite Speak!

* Tonight was strange.
* First of all, we had TOO MUCH going on. My bad. Shoulda streamlined this week.
* Secondly, our worship wasn't where it normally is. That was my bad, too. We had a guest worship leader, but I should've communicated with him more about our environment/flavor.
* I'll be back leading next week. :-)
* Great baptism service, though! Justin's testimony was on point... and dude invited a rack of people!
* I think the message was clear and to the point: here's what baptism is, and here's why we do it. Who gets to get in the water... and why!!!
* In fact, it was SO clear, that I think someone got offended and left in the middle of the message! That was a FIRST for me... pretty sweet, I must say! :-)
* I really don't know what the couple left... but it was pretty much in the middle of me talking about what baptism is not... who doesn't get to get in the water!
* But, I also have to say, that even though I was clear... I think I was pretty graceful. Didn't "beat up" on Catholics... or even Presbyterians, lol! (JUST kidding, my Covenant friends!)
* We have another baptism in two weeks... that is just going to be OFF THE CHAIN!!!
* Can't wait to preach again next week... I love speaking to our people!
* I spoke this past Saturday morning at a Singles' Breakfast at The New Macedonia Baptist Church in DC... where Patrick Walker is the Senior Pastor. Rick (that's what his friends call him) is one of the best visionary leaders I've ever met... LOVE that guy! He entrusted me with his leaders, a couple of years ago, to come in for about a year and do some small group consulting (one of my passions) and we got their Small Groups Ministry off the ground... great to see them still flourishing!
* This coming Sunday morning, I speak at Central Union Baptist Church in DC... can't wait for that! Pastor James Lee and I went to Bible college together... he's a tremendous teacher and an awesome man of God. We're gonna have a great time together!
* The one thing I love about having evening services is that it gives me the opportunity to minister elsewhere at times... can't do it too often, because Mosaic is still my top priority... but it's good to be able to share with others, as well.
* Keda and I saw Taken last night... GREAT MOVIE, a must-see! ;-)
* We also ate at Carrabbas... omg(osh)! That food was off the chain!! Had never gone there before, but I'll definitely be visiting there again!
* Well, our Connection Groups are doing great... we've got almost 75% participation! That is SWEET! In a college town, it's hard (no matter what my friend Nelson Searcy says, lol) to get 100%, because the students are so busy on campus... and many have their own campus ministry groups they meet with. But seeing that the nat'l average for small group participation is somewhere around 30%, I ain't complaining! ;-)
* I had a great time this week down in Tampa/St. Petersburg with Nelson and the Sr. Pastors Coaching Network that he leads... good stuff, learning a lot... we'll be seeing the fruit from this for years to come, I'm sure!
* Nelson is a TREMENDOUS leader... if you're a pastor or church planter, and are not familiar with his ministry, you'll do yourself and your church a HUGE favor by checking him out here.
* Forgot to mention tonight: my main man Chris Li is leaving for CHINA this Tuesday!! He'll be studying there for 6-12 months... and we're gonna miss him BIGTIME! (not quite as much as his fiancee', I'm sure) Chris has been very active with the Media Ministry, and is a budding leader. PLEASE PRAY FOR SAFE TRAVELS FOR HIM... and that God will protect him and grow him while he's there. If you're a Mosaic-ite, drop Chris some love on his Facebook wall, y'all! :-)
* Mosaic... I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!! Thanks for giving me the awesome opportunity to serve you!!!!

Deep is as Deep Does!

Maybe you can help me understand something...

I'm just a little baffled...

... because there seems to be a whole lot of people today who are pointing the finger at churches (like ours) that are intentional about reaching "outsiders". Now, I'm not baffled and confused that there are people who disagree with our way of doing things... no way, that comes with the territory! But what has me scratchin' my head is that they say they "need more", that they want some deep teaching. But alot of these same people don't even apply to their lives what they consider "shallow" teaching!

That baffles me...

Question: how deep does it have to be before we obey it? I tell our people all the time: Deep is as deep does!

Here's another question: if Jesus said to go and make disciples... and that if we follow Him, He would make us fishers of men... then why are we so content to simply swap fish from aquarium to aquarium?

Maybe I shouldn't be surprised... "these people" have been around since Jesus' day... only then, they were called Pharisees. Pharisees didn't want to focus on "outsiders"... outsiders weren't "good enough." Pharisees needed alot of attention... they had a "pride problem." The Pharisees prided themselves in how "well" they KNEW the Scriptures... but they paid no attention as to how little they LIVED the Scriptures.

Jesus was SO different! He paid WHOLE LOT OF ATTENTION to outsiders! And He intentionally lived out the Scriptures, so that everybody could see He was the "real deal!" No pretense, no fluff... He went hard after outsiders, and lives were changed because of it!

Don't get me wrong... I'm all for solid teaching... but at Mosaic, we don't sacrifice application for information. We're not trying to please Bible scholars... we're trying to reach people. We're unapologetic about what we do, and who we're trying to reach... and lives are being changed. We don't do it perfectly... but we do it passionately... and sometimes, we even get it right. ;-)

Sunday Nite Speak!

* Good nite, tonight... first official weekend without Chuy and Karla... felt WEIRD! But so happy for those two... they'll do well in VA Beach!
* Thought the worship was okay... as much as love leading, don't know how long I can do double duty... PRAY FOR ME!
* I LOVE my musicians, though! William, glad to have you back bangin' tonight, man! ;-)
* Thought the message was on point... Let the Bible Change Your Life! Funny how the simplest messages can have the biggest impact!
* Many times, God speaks to us from His Word... not just to change us, but to change others though us! D on't hold onto it! Let Him influence people through your life change!
* One of the MD football players was out tonight... love it!!
* Man, we had some glitches tonight! But guess what? We get another shot next week!! (gotta get those transitions clean, though)
* Watched the Super Bowl... what a game!!!!! Looks like the Steelers just pulled it off... wow.
* Right now, I am ROTFL at The Office... that show is hysterical!
* What does Dwight on that show remind you of? Haha!
* I love our church... and not just because I get to pastor it! We've really got a great group of people, who love their church and love seeing it grow. As a pastor, you've gotta love that!
* We had a family leave the church recently (good family, though), because of our emphasis on being outward... specifically, inviting people to church... and I think that's a GREAT THING! Not that they've left, of course; but that they get it. They know beyond the shadow of a doubt what our mission is... it's crystal clear. They don't mesh with it... and feel the need to move on... but it's crystal clear. If your mission isn't clear, you may add people to your ministry, but they won't even know what to be excited about... GET CLARITY!
* Okay, now The Office is grossin' me out... Jack Black and Cloris Leachman...ugh.
* Our Connection Groups start this week... AMPED!!
* Three totally new groups... and one group, Starting Point, is the first group for new believers we've had!
* One of our newest attenders came and asked me why we didn't do Communion today... I thought it was cool that she even noticed!
* Btw, Communion has been pushed to next week. :-)
* Should find out this week whether or not this new elementary school in College Park will let us use their facility on Sunday mornings... PRAY!!!
* Gonna be a busy week this week...
* I speak this coming Saturday at a Worship Music Institute called CanZion... the environment should be off the chizzain!! Before I was called to preach, I thought I would be training worship leaders... so I am absolutely looking forward to this!
* God is absolutely amazing... I love what I do! :-)

Leadership Advance!

Can't wait... tomorrow we have our very first Leadership Advance at Mosaic! This is a bi-monthly environment where leaders (and budding leaders) can come together for a time of vision casting, training, sharing, and prayer. We're expecting this environment to be larger every time we gather, because we are being very intentional about developing leaders... people who are influencing others by living and leading well!

We're raising up people to have a Kingdom influence... we're unapologetic about casting a vision for becoming salty, well-lit (Matt. 5:13-16) Christ followers who are leading others to become growing, passionate followers of Him, as well!

What Does Your Heart Say?

Doctors today have incredibly precise technology that allows them to diagnose certain ailments almost perfectly. They can use various scopes and machines to look inside of us and tell us what's going on. But because of human - and machine - error, they can always be wrong. Man, and his machines, are not infallible...

... such is not the case with God. When God looks into our heart, it tells him exactly what's going on inside of us. Even if outwardly we say or do one thing, our heart will show the genuineness of what was said or done. We can fool the people around us, but our heart never lies.

Join us at Mosaic this Sunday as we continue in our INFLUENCE series, with a message on "Leading Ourselves" - before I can effectively influence and lead others, I have to be able to lead myself!

Can't wait til Sunday... see you there!!

And we're off!!!

Well, we're at the beginning of 2009... and I'm at 600 total posts, can you believe it?? I just want to thank all of my D PLUM friends and faithful readers... your encouraging comments and prayers keep me going. 2008 was a great year for Mosaic DC... looking forward to even greater things in '09!

I wanted to begin the year highlighting different posts from the past year... and I thought it'd be a good idea, then, to highlight your favorite posts... as indicated by the number of visitors my site picked up on various days. So, your fingers did the walking... now let's do the talking!

The Top 15 Posts of 2008 from D PLUM dot org

1. Life is Short

2. Wisdom Doesn't End Here

3. Living Like There's No Tomorrow

4. Please Hear My Heart

5. Sunday Nite Speak, Oct. 9

6. The Words We Speak

7. Back in the Saddle

8. Don't Freak Over Halloween

9. HIS Word!

10. Sunday Nite Speak, Oct. 26

11. On Seeing...

12. it: How Churches Can Get IT and Keep IT Going

13. Long-Distance Relationships

14. Can Anything Good Come Out of Takoma Park?

And... last but definitly not least...

15. I Hit Bambi!!

The amazing thing is that all of these posts are from within the last 4 months, which is the span of time that we've also seen our greatest growth at Mosaic. Ironic? Don't think so... ;-)

Again, thanks for reading and keeping up with this blog... I look forward to more great posting and making more connections through the blogosphere in 2009!

Sunday Nite Speak!!

* Tonight at Mosaic was a good service... even though the attendance was WOEFULLY low!!!
* Jose, you really helped me out ALOT tonight, man! ;-)
* Our worship directors were out of town today, and so yours truly was respondible for the music. It had been quite awhile since I dd the music for an entire service...felt good! Can't wait to do it again next week!
* Well, we're winding down another year... how was your 2008? :-)
* MEGA-EXCITED about what's in store for us in 2009!!! Got some changes coming up... some good, some not so good... but it's all good, know what I'm sayin? :-)
* Looking forward to January at Mosaic... January thru March will set the pace for our entire year! I'm expecting some HUGE THINGS from God this year! He can do it!!
* Got some good posts coming up this week... stay tuned!!
* Had a great Christmas this week... it was good having some quiet family time!
* DJ, my oldest son, turned 12 this past week... AIYAIYAI!!! Next thing you know, he'll be headed off to college (scary thought!!).
* On to football...
* Can't even believe the Cowboys... had so much hope for them this year. Ahhh, defeats like today remind you of what it really important in life.
* Didn't see the game, but apparently those Eagles played inspired ball... they went BANANAS on my team! And it was fitting, because from the highlights the Cowboys played like a buncha monkeys! Good gracious modacious, we got our hineys kicked!!
* The Chargers were in the same predicament as the Cowboys: win, or sit home thru the playoffs. And they played like a team possessed! 52 points... crazy. Their running back LaDainian Thompson had the quote of the week: "This was a playoff game for us. We couldn't control what Denver did, but we wanted to play with pride." Hmmm... someone should stick that quote up on the front door of the Cowboys locker room. PLAY FOR PRIDE!!
* I just heard football analyst Chris Collinsworth say that the Cowboys are "the disappointment of the NFL this year." Ouch.
* Wonder what the Dallas headlines will read tomorrow or later this week about coaching changes? Hmmm...
* Was a little bummed that I didn't get a call to travel with the UMD football team this coming week for their bowl game in Boise, ID. But then I got to thinking: Idaho... December... cold weather... hey, I'm cool with stayin' home!! :-)
* Okay... off to read some more Sinner, by Ted Dekker... good stuff!

Sunday Nite Speak!

* Good service tonight! A little taxing... felt like I preached a little harder tonight, not sure why.
* Dip in attendance, but expected that... missing alot of the college students.
* Karla did a GREAT job leading tonight!
* Only had a keyboard, violin, and drums (what a mix, right?), but it sounded good! Man, we've got the funkiest fiddler around! :-)
* Looking forward to spending some time with my fam over the next few days... my batteries need recharging BIG TIME!
* Got an email message about a comment on the blog from this guy... his comment was simply "Hello", and I was about to delete it b/c I thought it was linked to some crazy site or something. But I decided to click on his name, and I saw that he really has a blog... and a powerful testimony! And get this: he's had over 2,000 visits to his site since Nov. 16!!! What's so interesting is that he's a new believer, and is getting TONS of encouragement from people (I'm assuming that out of the 111 comments to his last post, many were encouraging). So, go read his story, and send some encouragement his way.
* By the way... what's your God story? Would love to hear it!! :-)
* My Cowboys are the most schizophrenic team in football, I think... no, I'm convinced... they are! Can't even believe they're still in the playoff hunt. Wow.
* We had our first Mosaic wedding on yesterday! Small ceremony... so proud of this couple! They're growing and just want to do things God's way now. I'm excited as to what God has in their future... pray for Alonso and Kim, as they continue to grow in God's grace and understanding what it means to follow Jesus!
* The boys and I will be having a kung fu movie marathon tomorrow, while Mom's at work. Here are some titles (great stuff!): 5 Deadly Venoms, Crippled Avengers, Shaolin vs. Wu Tang, and Fearless. You know what they say... "Everybody was kung fu fightin'!!" :-)
* So... we're down to the last couple weeks of 2008... have you fulfilled your goals for this year? Didn't get all of mine, but I'm looking forward to those being some of the first I knock out in '09!
* Looking forward to an awesome 2009 ministry year!! Really expecting God to do some BIG THINGS!!!
* Interactive question: what are some of your favorite Christmas memories? Shoot your comments this way! ;-)

Sunday Nite Speak!

* We had a good gathering tonight... not great, but pretty good. But I tell you what: our people work hard, and they put forth their best effort every week. We've definitely got some things to tweak, but I love working with every single one... they're just totally awesome! :-)

* Worship was awesome! I love our band and worship leader!!

* A good number of new faces tonight in the crowd! That's kinda funny... cuz somebody with a huge church is reading this and is probably saying, "D PLUM, I couldn't tell you from Sunday to Sunday who's new and who's not!" But we're not hatin'! The Bible says to "not despise... small beginnings" (read it HERE), and we're thankful for what we have... but we KNOW that the harvest is soon to come!

* Message went okay tonight... a little long, but that happens. ;-) Next week, part 3 of the Just Walk Across the Room series... "When Stories Collide." You don't want to miss next week! Do whatever you've gotta do... but be there! ;-)

* Had a good Connection Group with my guys this morning... we met at IHOP for breakfast. It's great to see that bonds are developing tighter each week, and these guys have huge hearts for God... love you, my brothers!

* Tonight was a little strange... seemed as though I could sense people praying for us during our gathering. And the reality is that there are dozens, probably hundreds, of people praying for our church every week. Tonight I felt your prayers. Thank you. :-)

* It's really amazing that I get to do what I do... church planting is definitely not for the weak at heart; it's tough work. But I love it... and I love our people... and it's good to see the Mosaic community growing. People are excited about what's happening... and we haven't even cracked the tip of the iceburg yet... gotta love it!

* I received an email the other day from a good friend... one of our partners at the church... and he stated that he and his wife are praying for me. He went on to say that he "probably doesn't say it enough," but they really want me [and Mosaic] to succeed. Just gotta say that emails like that mean the world to a pastor... we can never get enough of them. That email came at the end of one of my toughest weeks in ministry... and it meant a lot. Thank you very much, my friend. ;-)

* Gotta send shout outs to my main man Malcolm, the sound guy! Tonight... no, every week... he busts his tail in making sure we've got good sound and that things are set up properly. Thanks, man, for working so hard behind the scenes... you rock, baby!

* You can always tell how valuable a person is when they're absent. My "right hand guy" (he does so many things, it's been hard to give him one title!) Bernard is vacationing with his bride, and - even though we had a good gathering and really didn't let anything fall through the cracks - it was just the little things that he always brings to my attention that we missed tonight. That speaks volumes about consistency and dependability. I appreciate you, man... hurry up back! :-)

* Last two shout-outs: I'd be remissed if I didn't mention MY bride... who also helps keep me together on Sundays, and helps me in so many ways. Thanks, babe! Also, Chuy and Karla... your musicianship never ceases to amaze me. ;-) SO thankful for you guys!

* The Cowboys pulled off a HUMONGOUS win tonight... even though there were some very questionable calls made against them, they overcame some hurdles and pounded out a much-needed win. Up next, Ravens! ;-)

Sunday Nite Speak!

I'm really tired, so just a few bullets tonight! :-)

* Good service tonight! Band was ON! Jose... glad to see you on the keys! ;-)

* We ate up WAY TOO MUCH time before the message tonight... that was totally my fault (planned for 5 songs PLUS Communion). But it turned out good, because we spent ALOT of time in worship... and sometimes, the soul needs that. ;-)

* I felt rushed tonight, because I got up to late to speak... but Keda said she thought the message was great... and I got some positive feedback from others, as well. Funny how our messages are sometimes perceived... can't settle, tho, cuz I can always get WAY better!

* Regardless, I thought we set the stage for the Just Walk Across the Room series pretty good!

* Attendance was back up tonight... sweet!

* We had 2 people renew their commitment to Christ tonight... YAY, GOD!!!

* UMD Men's soccer team made the Final Four... way to do it, guys!

* Cowboys lost a heartbreaker tonight... only comfort was that the Redskins, Giants, and especially the Falcons lost tonight! So, the 'Boys have moved into the sixth and final playoff spot... for now. Stay tuned! ;-)

Friday Finale!!

Okay... here are some highlights of the past week... or two... and some upcoming things, as well:

1. We had the lowest attendance in over three months this past Sunday... but it still was higher than every Sunday except one in 2007. We still almost tripled our attendance from last November to this one. That's good growth... in fact, that's just good, period. ;-)

2. I have reconnected with over 10 friends from my old teenage-years neighborhood... you've just gotta love Facebook!

3. Spoke awhile to my barber today, after he cut my hair... it was so hard to connect with him spiritually because that dude has a conspiracy theory about everything! But I LOVE knowing that because God loves him, I know he's "savable." I can't do it... but Jesus can. Who has God placed in your path... across your office... living next door to you... that He wants to save?

4. Became FB friends with a few of the guys from the UMD football team this week... love that Facebook!

5. I'll be doing my first wedding in a couple of weeks... pumped about that! These are new believers, who are excited about living for Jesus... their desire to obey God is so refreshing!

6. Just Walk Across the Room starts this Sunday at Mosaic... 5:30pm! YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS SERIES!! I know I say that all the time... but, all the time... IT'S TRUE!! Would love to see you there... bring a friend! :-)

A Pleasant Surprise

I went to check our church mailbox today, for the first time in almost a week... and, lo and behold, I had a big box from Leif and Margaret Feinberg! I opened it... and it was a box full of goodies! Books, a CD, and a Starbucks card... they sent them as an expression of thanks for giving them the opportunity to minister at Mosaic! That's just TOO cool...

I think that should be a common practice with all guest speakers. :-)

Sunday Nite Speak!

* Packed weekend... glad it's over!

* If you haven't heard by now, the last couple of weeks I've given the devotional for the Univ. of MD's football team meeting on the night before their game. So, they called me this past week and asked if I could travel with them to Boston for their game against Boston College... WHAT!! Definitely a grand experience... awesome!

* There were so many takeaways for 1st Impressions on my Boston trip: overall, the team made it a very pleasurable and non-stressful trip for me (and other guests). The entire trip - from driving to the campus, getting on the bus, driving to the airport, getting my boarding pass, going through security, walking through the airport to the gate, getting on the plane, flying to Boston, leaving the airport en route to the hotel, getting my luggage and room key, and getting into my room - ALL OF THAT took just a little over 4 hours!! Unbelievable! But their system to get where they have to go is seamless... and void of stress... totally awesome!

* The football team and coaches were much more receptive this weekend than last weekend. Last weekend, they didn't know me from Adam... this weekend was different, and I got alot of feedback. Seems like the message struck a chord with several of the guys. Unfortunately, they didn't win the game... DOH!

* Tonight's gathering attendance was LOW, baby! Guess people were still away... or the rain KEPT them away! ;-) But it was a great service, regardless. My buddy, Ed Plater, let the worship... he rocked the house, as he always does! ;-) He's a great worship leader, with the heart of a pastor... two combinations that - to me - are very rare!

* Talked about The Gratitude Attitude tonight, from this passage... gratitude is something that I struggle with at times. Sometimes, I'm so FORWARD-FOCUSED that I fail to remember that there are many people who help me do what I do.

* I forgot to mention, though, about a common characteristic found in ungrateful people: they're usually either arrogant OR critical OR... BOTH!! Arrogant people think everything centers around them, and whatever is done for them is OWED TO them... and critical people always are pointing the finger, finding things that are wrong with others (although they usually gloss over the things about themselves that are not so attractive). And ungrateful people are difficult to be around. :-/

* We're starting our Just Walk Across the Room message series next Sunday... CAN'T WAIT! Gonna be a great time... looking forward to seeing how God is gonna use our people to share their story within the Christmas story!

* Well, the Skins lost today (ho-hum), so that leaves the Cowboys in second place in their division. Still need some help from other teams to make the playoffs... NFL in December, baby... football at it's finest! ;-)

Monday Reflections on Sunday Nite

* Last night was probably the best night in the history of Mosaic DC! At least, it felt that way to me! Everything cranked, from beginning to end... exciting times! Very capping night to a very great weekend!

* 70 people last night... highest attendance to date! Might not sound like alot to some of you, but when you start with 13 people, breaking the 65 barrier is an awesome thing! ;-)

* The band was awesome! Full band, even had a violinist! (Rob... you CRANKED, btw!)

* Did a part 1 of Leaving Boldly: Leaving a Legacy That Lasts... spoke from Luke 8, about the woman with the 12-year menstrual flow ("issue of blood" for you KJV'ers). She had spent everything she had trying to find a "cure", but to no avail. Helpless... and hopeless. Yet Jesus, who (and we tend to overlook this) in His humanity was always submitted to and obedient to the Father stopped what He was doing to tend to her. He was on His way to "do ministry", but paused to take care of a need. And because of His submission to His Father, He was able to give out of what He had (power within) to heal her. We may not have that same "power", but God has placed inside of us something more valuable than anything we could ever own: the message of the Good News of Jesus. There are so many people around us hurting and confused, trying to discover significance and meaning anywhere they can find it... and they need to be pointed to Jesus. Our legacy won't be determined by what we accumulate to leave behind, but by what we've given away. And the greatest thing we can give someone is an opportunity to hear the life-changing news of Jesus Christ!

* Although the service was great, we've gotta tweak our transitions... a little crusty last night. I think I blew a cue a couple of times. :-)

* People are getting more involved, and it's an awesome thing! We've gotta have more visible "on ramps", though... people have to be able to see clearly how they can get involved.

* We have a new Catholic family that's coming out... LOVE IT! They love the interaction with the Scrips, and enjoy the worshipful atmosphere!

* On other-than-ministry news, my Cowboys aren't doing well at all... somebody needs to point them to Jesus, too! :-)

* We're gonna need more chairs soon! Or ANOTHER WORSHIP SPACE! Either way, God's gonna have to do it... need your prayers! ;-)

* Oh... one final note from Luke 8: the text doesn't say it, but it is implied - somehow, obviously, this woman had heard about Jesus and went to Him to be healed. As you know (or may not have known), she merely "touched the fringe of His robe" and was immediately healed. A few minutes later, the whole crowd heard her testimony about why she touched Jesus, and how she had been healed. Maybe she had just overheard the news about a miracle worker named Jesus... or maybe, just maybe... someone urged her to take her situation to Jesus. Whatever it was, an entire crowd became the audience for her testimony. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE DOMINO-EFFECT OF TELLING ONE PERSON ABOUT THE LIFE-CHANGING MESSAGE OF JESUS! ;-)