Alright, I’ve had enough. I love our city and His Kingdom too much to be quiet on this one.

Starting a church has been one of the most fun, challenging, fullfilling, stretching things I have ever done. And if it weren’t for the fact that several churches in Knoxville strategically and intentionally got behind my vision to launch OneLife we would still be floundering around instead of seeing God blow the doors off and change lives each and every week. We couldn’t have done it on our own.

Which brings me to my soapbox: I am sick of disgruntled youth pastors, church splits, splits of splits, and splits of splits of splits starting churches and calling themselves a church plant. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned, it is that healthy churches start healthy churches. Period.

Are there exceptions? I’m sure there are. But don’t think you are it! Two church plants have already closed their doors in Knoxville over the past few months and I’m afraid this might be the culprit.

 As I’ve learned more about the various churches in our region that have gotten started over the past five years or so and as I learn about more new churches attempting to get going, I’ve been heartbroken to hear all the dysfunction. Jesus said “they will know you are Christians by your love” but yet it appears that reality is they will know you are Christians when you get mad, take your little red wagon, and go somewhere else.

So OneLife is going to do our part to change that. Healthy organisms reproduce so we are taking our DNA of being started when other churches reproduced and we’re dreaming big dreams of regional transformation all across East Tennessee as we partner with other healthy churches to launch more healthy churches.

OneLifers, stay tuned. I’ve had some great conversations lately and we are going to play some major roles in helping some great churches get started in 2010. And you can rest assured, it will be because they are healthy organisms being reproduced not cancer being cut out and trying to survive outside the body.

Wow…in just a day the response from yesterday’s service has surpassed the response we’ve gotten from all of our services in our short 5 months combined!

• We started “Sex, Drugs, Rock ‘n Roll” last week learning that God gives us boundaries in these areas to protect us, not to hurt us.
• Yesterday we tackled the toughest topic of the three – sex!
• Lots of folks who like to judge and look down their noses have wondered why we’re doing this series.
• Let me tell you why…
• Number 1 – The Bible addresses these issues.
• Number 2 – People are struggling with – and in many cases losing battles to - these issues.
• Number 3 – Jesus died to save people out of and from these and many other sins.
• Number 4 – The Church has really screwed us up thanks to legalism in these areas and it’s time to follow God, not man.
• Number 5 – there’s not a blog post long enough to give all the reasons.
• Seriously, the stories since yesterday have blown my mind. It shows that people are really hurting sexually and need to hear that God cares.
• They also need to see that even through sex, God points us to the Gospel.
• My amazing wife shared her story and really helped people connect to the truth. Her bravery and transparency were unreal.
• Rather than looking at all the don’ts, we looked at what God says to DO.
• Song of Solomon 4 lays out the perfect plan.
• Check it out online: www.onelifeknox.com/watchonline
• Bottom line – Sex outside of marriage destroys.
• Practically speaking, husbands: pursue your wives in order to give, not take. Wives: invite your husband in, willing to give, not take.
• This was a topic many people were interested in hearing what God had to say. We had our highest “normal” attendance in our 5 months at 249.
• Worship was great – Dillan was at his best leading us and the band to God through song.
• Can’t wait for next week. We are going to answer the question “why does it matter?” in the area of drugs and alcohol.
• Some of the answers might be surprising!
• I also have a plan to finally get back to blogging more regularly. I realized late last week that a recap didn’t get written for the first time.
• That’s two weeks with no blog…lame!
• OneLifers – it’s only going to get better as we move forward this Sunday. BRING SOMEONE WITH YOU!!!

It was great to be back at OneLife yesterday since we had to cancel last week. And it was another incredible day!

• We wrapped up NewThru30 talking about how to celebrate and remember what the New Testament is all about – Jesus!
• We celebrate through baptism and remember through communion.
• For the first time in our church’s short history, we shared in communion together. It was amazing!
• I preached hard about the fact that communion is not to be taken lightly nor entered in to without really checking our hearts with God.
• As a result, at least two people that I talked to started a relationship with Jesus and had communion “for real” for the first time! Still waiting to see if others let us know on their connection card.
• Since yesterday morning I have gotten several incredible emails. One from a young lady whose marriage was nearly over but it’s now restored, one from someone who hasn’t been to church in 3 years but has been to OneLife for 4 straight weeks, and another from a lady struggling with the pain of divorce who is trying hard to lay it at the feet of Jesus.
• This is the real-life stuff that makes me love what I do.
• Next week starts a new chapter at OneLife. We are hosting our first major series that we hope attracts a lot of people to see what the Bible says to their lives. The series title?…
• “Sex, Drugs, Rock ‘n Roll”
• I can’t wait! If you know someone who thinks church is boring or doesn’t have anything to do with their lives, this is your opportunity to invite them to come!
• The band is playing songs that I PROMISE you have never heard in church, we will have video testimony from other OneLifers who have struggled in these areas, and the sermons won’t be “don’t do this, don’t do that” but will truly make sense to everyday life.
• Did I mention that I can’t wait?!?!?!
• Then last night we hosted a series of Super Bowl parties. I got to check out 4 of them and eat a TON of amazing food.
• It set my weight loss goals back at least a week. Oh well. Gotta live a little!
• Days like yesterday are what make me wake up every morning. Thank you Jesus for asking me to do this!

Today’s Key Verses: Revelation 1:1 1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John. The word revelation is one that can mean one thing outside of a conversation about God and something completely different to some when talking about God and the Bible. What it literally means in this verse is that Jesus Christ revealed something to John through the use of an angel. And he did it so that we his servants would know what will take place as we inch closer to the day that Christ returns to earth. So what s the big deal about this verse? We can take away a big reminder from the subtleties that lay beneath the surface. Most especially is the reminder about Jesus Christ being the ultimate authority. It is He who gives John this vision. It is He who reveals, or lifts the curtain on the future, for John to see and therefore share with us what is to come. It is Christ who did this so that we would know what to expect as time ticks by. Not only does this remind us that Christ is the ultimate authority, but also that he cares deeply for you and for me. So much that he wanted us to have written down throughout the centuries exactly what will come to pass when the world as we know it ends and we are taken to heaven for eternity. It is not something to be feared, but to be thankful for. It is not something to dread, but to look forward to and lean on the authority of Christ who is in ultimately in control. Today s Prayer: Thinking about the end of the world can be scary and sound like something that just can t be true! Ask God to help you understand that He is in control, even when it may seem like something to fear or something you can t understand. Thank Jesus for caring enough about you that he would reveal these things and remind us that He is ultimately in control. Be in prayer, also, for this coming Sunday at OneLife. It’s going to be an awesome day. Don’t miss it!

Today’s Key Verses:

Jude 1:24-25

24To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy 25to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

A quick glance at the TV or magazine aisle at a grocery store will tell you that we arent supposed to be exclusive about anything. Theres not supposed to be a wrong way or a right way. Just whatever works for you  thats cool.

Todays verses go exactly against that idea. With one simple word in verse 25, the entire message of the New Testament is summed up  only. Jesus Christ is the only one who can be called Savior. He is the only one with the power and authority to offer a way to God.

The last phrase also points toward his authority much like the passage we looked at on Sunday did in Revelation 1:4 and 1:8. In those verses, Jesus is called the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come. In this verse He is called who was before all ages, now and forevermore!

In other words, Jesus is the only way to God and the final, ultimate authority. Always has been, always will be. Because of that, he can present you to God without fault and with great joy.

Take some time today to praise Him for that gift!

Todays Prayer:
Thank Jesus today for making a way for you to be made complete with the Father. Thank Him for being the only way so that you can be certain of your relationship with Him. Ask God to help you remember that you are secure in your relationship with Him and that nothing or no one can take that from you!

It’s the last week of NewThru30! Hang in there and keep it up!