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I think one of the greatest evidences of the activity of God in a church or a community is restored marriages. I love seeing individual lives changed by the gospel, and that is so important. But, in addition to that, it is so awesome to see God bring about healing from the pain that exists in so many families. When husbands and wives start living out biblical covenant marriage and God turns the hearts of children and fathers (Malachi 4:5-6), real transformation is so powerful.

That’s why we take time to do a series on the family like Before and After at Arrowhead. I’m praying that God uses these four weeks to encourage people and to raise the standard our culture lives with when it comes to relationships.

Ran across this at JD Greear’s blog, who ran across it at Justin Taylor’s blog (both are really good sites by the way).

Sometimes guilty as charged. And, this is funny stuff.

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

A day late, here’s an abbreviated recap:

• Week 2 of Before & After, and we focused on God’s plan for singles. A lot of the content for the message came from a book I read several years ago, and it’s a big defining part of how I think about relationships. You can pick one up at the resources table on Sundays or that Amazon link works too. If you’re single, I highly recommend it. Main point of the message was: Marry in a circle, not a straight line. You’ll have to check out the podcast or online video for details.
• My poor artistic abilities make for some ridiculous moments whenever I try to draw on a chalkboard while teaching. Let’s just say I embarrassed myself plenty in at least one service. If you missed it, the video will never see the light of day!
• Tyler R., Hank, and Kevin led an acoustic set. Doing that every now and then is a good reminder for me that loud, high energy music is great, but it’s not enough. We have to have the Lord draw us into His presence even in different environments too. Songs were: You Said, Your Name, Til I See You, and then they went Rascall Flatts for God Blessed the Broken Road.

Planting a church is a lot like a mission trip in a typical church. But, the wild thing is that it never ends! A mission trip is usually hard, and it involves lots of work. Most of the time that work is at a level that you’d never reach when you are back home at your church. But, starting a new church means that the workload comes every Sunday! You get up early, empty trailers, set everything up, serve your guts out for 2 services, tear everything down, load the trailers, go home and let the adrenaline buzz wind down into a splitting headache, and then you crash. It’s jetlag at its worst but minus the jet.

I get paid to do this, but I’d like to think I would do it without the money. I think I would. There are people who volunteer at Arrowhead every Sunday for this madness who prove it’s not about the money. That blows me away. I love what God is doing in us.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope you did something fun, like come to church.

• Awesome privilege of baptizing 6 people today in our services! I love, and our church loves, seeing people make a confession that they are brand new.
• Kicked off a series today we’re calling Before & After. It’s a look at dating, marriage, and divorce. Started off with the stage of life where we just begin to notice the opposite sex. So, technically it was a message for students, though there is application for parents and even grandparents who are guiding teenagers through it. Why is it assumed that all sermons should start with adults as the target? I think we miss calling out a lot of potential in students just simply by ignoring them.
• So, we said: Purity now. Intimacy later.
• I’m not even a closet Taylor Swift fan. I’m out with it. Taylor rocks. But Rachel T. does a better job with Fifteen than Taylor! Loved that song in the service.
• Lots of people made a move to the 9:30 service today and if you did, thanks! The two services were more balanced today and neither seemed as full, but our crowds were actually right at the same size.
• Went to bed last night shivering and under extra blankets and woke up this morning the same way. Tyler R. and Chad worked it out for me to stay home an extra hour to get drugged up before doing setup, and that helped a ton. My voice was still horrible. Hated everybody had to listen to it that way.
• Don’t miss next week when we talk about our faulty assumptions about how to choose a mate and what God has to say about it.
• Have a great week!

“I’m in love, I’m in love, and I don’t care who knows it.” -Buddy the Elf (he has so many romantic quotes)

I’m blessed. I have a wife who is perfect for me. She’s fun. I’m boring. She’s beautiful. I’m short, balding, and expanding. She’s the perfect mom to my son and soon-to-be daughter. I love her with all my heart.

No one will ever know besides she and I all the details of the craziness that has been starting Arrowhead Church. She has sacrificed a lot and complains a lot less than I do. She’d do it again in a heartbeat. We both love what we do.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

(the rest of you can go vomit now if you want…)

This Sunday we’ll kick off a brand new series about relationships called Before & After. We’ll take a look at dating and marriage from a Biblical perspective. What does God have to say before you say “I do,” once you’re saying “I still do,” and even after you or your spouse says “I can’t anymore?”

I hope you can make it. I believe our culture’s view of relationships is in need of an overhaul, and we need practical steps to make it happen.

Rarely does drastic change happen in our lives overnight. If you want to be different, it generally takes some time. If you want to defeat a particular sin or habit, time is where the real battle is won. If you want to know the Bible, you can’t read it all in one sitting - and one reading won’t download it all into your spirit. If you want your marriage to improve, one night of arguing and making up can be great, but it’s not enough.

The power to change is in the consistency. If you want to learn to pray, you’ve got to pray a little every day. If you want to stop a particular sin, you defeat it one temptation at a time.

We often overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can do in a year. Start somewhere and make progress. Then, look back a month from now and realize where you were and are now.

Wrapped the Real Change Campaign series today. It’s been a fun 5 weeks as we’ve sort of gotten our feet under us as a church. Biggest crowd we’ve ever had today but we cheated with about 20 or so folks here who are about to launch a church in the Halls community in Knoxville (numbers still to come in but I think it was still the biggest crowd we’ve ever had even without them).

• Spelled out what it means to become a partner (our term for member) at Arrowhead. If you’re interested in more info, plan to attend one of our Partnership Events either Tuesday 2/9, Thursday 2/18, or Saturday 2/27.
• Talked to 3 different people after the service who just want to volunteer to do anything. So thankful for the awesome people the Lord is sending to Arrowhead.
• Songs were Solution (Hillsong United), Blessed Be Your Name (Matt Redman), Beautiful the Blood (Fee), Jesus Paid It All (some old guy…ha), and Savior King (Hillsong United). Maybe the best day of worship we’ve experienced yet.
• Showed up this morning to find one of our kids rooms in a huge mess. Adding to the setup load is never good but big thanks to Chad B. & Hux for getting it ready.
• We have to figure out how to make some space, so come ready to take a little survey next week. A 3rd service is looking like a necessity before too long. We must make space for people to take their next step with Jesus.
• Heard last week and shared today that a regular attender at Arrowhead turned down a date with Peyton Manning when she was at UT right after she started dating the guy that is her husband now. I know this guy. Bad move.
• Go Colts. Everybody have a great week!

Don’t miss the final installment of The Real Change Campaign on Sunday at Arrowhead. We’ll be talking about how you can commit to partnership and everything that means. It’ll be a huge week in the life of our church. I’d hate for you to feel left out! (ha…see yesterday’s post for the humor)