- Perry Noble…leadership GOLD.
- Thank you Ben! PORN is a HUGE problem.
- A new blog favorite, Michael Robison, bringing it all back home…
- Again, Perry Noble: “Ten things unchurched people are NOT asking.” AWESOME. AWESOME. AWESOME.
- My bud, Chris Galanos up in Lubbock…BLAME THE PREACHER.
- STOP expecting excitement to happen…
- 8 Things I wish everyone knew about email. AMEN.
- Carlos Whittaker’s new album, Ragamuffin Soul, hit today. AND IT ROCKS. Get it NOW.
Brilliant Blogs & Links
Best Life Change Story Ever?
Want to read one of the COOLEST LIFE CHANGE stories ever?
Check this out.
It happened at my good friend, Tim Beal’s Church. He is a pastor at Experience Life in Lubbock, Texas.
Click here. Read it. An AMAZING story of God’s grace and forgiveness lived out in real life.
I Could Feel It…
Over the Thanksgiving break, we spent some time in Lubbock. While there, I got to hook up with Tim Beal. I served with Tim at a church in Wolfforth, TX early on in my ministry. My first years in ministry were extremely frustrating.
I could feel it. That gut feeling that church could be and should be different. Didn’t Jesus love the unlovable and accept those who were beat up and broken? At the time, I couldn’t really verbalize it. At the advice of what I thought were “mentors” in those days, I pushed forward ignoring my gut feelings. Eventually it ate me up inside so badly that I eventually reached a point where I was ready to quit.
Enter Tim Beal. Just as I was about to throw in the ministry towel, Tim came on our staff and brought those gut feelings to life! God used him to awaken my soul and re-energize me for ministry.
My gut feelings were right. Ministry IS ACTUALLY all about Jesus. Its all about people. And, its all about making the two intersect.
When I met with Tim this past week I finally got to look him in the eyes (6 years later) and thank him. It felt good. I think he maybe even cried a little. And now, I just wanted to thank him publicly.
We wrapped up by praying together and committing to pray for each other. God is using Tim in some BIG BIG ways. The church he is now at has been around for about 2 years and has grown to over 1,200 people meeting on the weekends. I am pumped up about how God is going to use Tim next.
Who has been your Tim Beal? Who re-energizes you for the mission you have been given?
Church Plant Shout Out
This is my buddy Tim Beal. A few years ago I spent hours on the phone with him. We cried, we dreamed, we prayed. He was at this crossroad in life, feeling like he needed to break away from the traditional church model that he had been serving in forever.
I encouraged him like crazy when he menioned going on staff at a church plant. He ended up moving his family with no promises of a salary to serve on staff at a new church in Lubbock called Experience Life Now.
This is a perfect illustration of how important it is that we as pastors encourage each other. Look at this e-mail I got from him today:
Hi guys,
I am working on an update still but have been covered up, you will understand why in a minute. We started our first Saturday service this last week and just got our totals in…Jesus put 1510 people here this last weekend! You read that right, it was no typo and no we did not count “ministerially”. That was 1,510 people that heard, many for the first time, the Gospel of Jesus! We are still working through decision cards and trying to contact all of the visitors. Please pray for us, this was awesome but where to put this much growth is hard to figure out. We want to start another service but are wearing ourselves out keeping up with three! Please pray for rest, and for us to make the most of our time. I promise as soon as I can breathe again I’ll send some more info. For now, check out the website: www.experiencelifenow.com and look at what God is doing! It is so awesome!
Please keep Jayken in your prayers, he over did it at school this week and had to go to his heart doctor and then the Emergency Room. He is fine now, just really tired.
I love you guys and I’m praying for you and your ministries. (I put in the newest pic we have of the kids)
fighting the fight until i see His face.Tim Beal and Family
Tim’s son, Jayken has an even more incredible story that God has done/is doing in his life. Read about that here.
Praise God for what he is doing all over our country!





