I have been married to my best friend Casey for 10 years. We have two beautiful girls Charli and Chloe, and I love being a dad. We started Foundations Church Sept. 7, 2008, I love our church, I love our people, and am blessed to be the lead pastor. Believe, Belong, Become.
1. What a great Sunday Service we had! 6 people gave their lives to the Lord, I love that every week we see people raise their hands for salvation. I love that this is the heart of our church.
2. Just got my voice back on Saturday. I had lost it all week and was getting anxious about preaching on Sunday.
3. Had a great time with our community group on Sunday. We got together, played games (the guys dominated as the always do!) and laughed a ton. I love the group that God has and is putting together.
4. OU got beat again this week! Say what you want the fact is we have too many injuries and too many people to replace. (Like almost a whole offensive line, and wide receivers) Just please God let us beat OSU!
5. Everyone said they got hungry during my sermon because I was talking a lot about food. I can't wait for Thanksgiving.
6. Thank you for all of you that signed up to serve at Foundations. Our church can't make it without our volunteers, so thank you for signing up. I am excited to see what God does in the life of these that are getting ready to get into the game.
7. I am so ready for some Thanksgiving food! It is me vs. food, and it is so on!
I hope all of you that are traveling have a very safe trip. To all of you enjoy Thanksgiving, enjoy not just the food, but the family, the time you have with one another. Challenge all of you not to ask God for anything this week, but just thank Him for everything. Sunday we kick off a new series called All I Want For Christmas...it is going to be awesome. Our Sunday Service is going to be great and we have an incredible video we will be showing. Don't miss this week, and bring someone with you. Love you all and have a wonderful week.
Still struggling with my voice coming back! Ahhh, very frustrating for me still. However, I am still learning quite a few things. And so I want to talk about communicating a little bit more:
During this week I have had to listen more than talk, had to the key word there. I would probably say most of us talk more than we listen. You and me really need to make sure that we listen a lot more than we are. There could be many mistakes that are avoided if you listen at your job, listen at home, listen at school. There are many arguments that could have and should have been avoided, but someone probably wasn't listening and so it led to disruption, it led to a let down, it led to frustration, that led to the argument. Make sure you are taking time to listen. Make sure you are giving your employer, employees, kids, friends, spouse time to talk and you just shut your mouth and listen. I have learned a lot this week, because I like to talk. But I have gained some great insight and knowledge this week, because I am reducing my speaking (yes because I have to I am not that spiritual) and increasing my listening. Challenge you the rest of this week, ask more, listen more, and talk less. Have a great Thursday!
Sorry I missed my Monday blog. I went to staff meeting but towards the end of the day lost my voice. Like my voice is gone, see ya, there is nothing there. I have never realized how frustrating it can be not to be able to communicate the way you want to. I am so very thankful this week for the ability and technology of texting, it has helped a ton. But it is still frustrating. I think about this and realize many of us get frustrated with our kids, we get frustrated with our spouses, but before you go off on them and lose it on them, check your communication. Are you communicating what your needs are, what you expect, and what you want. Going to spend some more time on this this week.
The holidays are upon us, and it can be full of stress and full of arguing because we fail to communicate. If you are married make sure you communicate with your spouse, what they want, you want, and what you both need. If you are a parent tell your kids your expectations, if you are a child tell your parents what you want and need. Many of us are communicating like we have no voice. This is an easy problem to fix, talk...communicate with one another. Hope you have a great week, and I am serious bring someone with you to church this Sunday, it is going to be a great! I say this every week I know, but start inviting now. See you Sunday.
I love this time of year, absolutely love it. There is football on the TV, the leaves have turned, the weather is awesome, holidays are coming. November and December maybe the best 2 months out of the year to me, I really love this time of year. Got a lot of great things happening this weekend:
1. Hanging with the girls all day Friday. I am being dad and giving Casey a break. She's an amazing wife and mom, she needs, deserves, and is ready for a break. More than that I like being with my girls and just being dad.
2. Watching the Polar Express tonight with the girls. I am telling you love this time of year. I really enjoy movie night too.
3. Casey is making pumpkin (not punkin) muffins tomorrow. They are slap your momma good, especially with some coffee! Whazzzup.
4. Playing golf tomorrow.
5. Going swimming with the family tomorrow afternoon. (no not outside, I am not down with the polar bear club)
6. Church on Sunday, have a few friends coming to church and I am looking forward to it. I love the PG series we are in can't wait for Sunday to be here, it is going to be awesome.
I hope your week has gone great for you. Please make sure you bring someone with you this Sunday. God is doing some awesome things and we want to make sure you are involved and are involving those around you. Have a great weekend and we will see you Sunday!
I am amazed how fair weather fans are especially when it comes to Oklahoma and especially when it comes to football. I find people all the time whether listening to sports radio, watching TV, or talking to people, that they think they are an expert coach. In fact I listen to people all the time who from listening to them complaining you would think they were an NFL Pro Bowler who has played football and experienced the game first hand. Yet most of the critics, most of the fickle fans, have never played the game, or if they did play they weren’t very successful at it. And what happens is that we create habits, and create largely who we are as a person in the fact that we find it very easy to criticize the people playing the game while we are sitting on our couch. I find this very true in the Christian world too, somebody is out there making a difference, someone is out there trying to reach people. And often you will hear people criticize them for being over zealous, too passionate, or too worldly. All the while the people who are criticizing aren’t making a difference, aren’t bringing people to church, they are just being a Sunday Morning Quarterback. Who find it far easier to criticize than get in the game. My desire is to be a church that is not full of critics and skeptics, but one that is full of people in the game trying to make a difference. I love that Foundations Church is this way and it’s my desire to stay this way. Hope you have a great rest of the week, and I will see you Sunday, don’t come alone!
1. We had a great service this week!Our PG series is going great, hearing a lot of changes happening in parents.I really like speaking on parenting in fact I love it a little too much.Need to shorten my sermon a little for next week.
2. My wife and kids were gone for the weekend, didn’t get home till Saturday Night.I missed them and am so glad I am married and have kids.
3. Played golf on Friday Night and went to the Jenks/ Sandsprings football game.Hadn’t been to a highschool football game in a long time.Had a great time on Friday.
- 4. We are doing another Plunge on the last Sunday of this month.We already have 4 people ready to get baptized, if you want to go public with your relationship with Christ, make sure you sign up.
-5. We have some great changes getting ready to happen with our youth.Very excited about our youth ministry.Jonathan Samuels is doing a great job as our youth director.
-6. OU lost Saturday, this is all I have to say.
- 7. I did not eat really bad this weekend, but I am going to try to buckle down till Thanksgiving!We will see what happens.
- 8.I love the excitement of our people on Sundays.It is so great to be a part of a church where the people are glad to be there and lives are being changed.
- 9.Make sure you invite your friends to church this Sunday.It is going to be great so invite them now and make sure you are there.Hope you have a great week.
1.Sunday was a great service, we started our new series PG…Parental Guidance Required.It is going to be a great series for our church.
2.The worship team did a great job yesterday.So thankful to have such great musicians that have a heart for worship.Great job leading Shannon.
3.It was one busy weekend for us.We had a birthday party Friday Night, and a party on Saturday for the kids at some friends house.Great weekend but man was it busy.
4.Loved seeing OU win again this week.The offense looked great!
5.Had a great time meeting some new families this Sunday.I love how friendly and outgoing our church family is.
6.We went to Turkey Mountain with some Friends Sunday afternoon.Our kids hiked about 2 miles!Was very proud of them and it was just beautiful outside.
7.Thank you to Kayla Ward.I love Kayla’s heart she jumped in and learned how to run the computer, because our computer guy forgot to show up.Thank you so much Kayla
8.Volunteers are key.Our volunteers are key to the growth of Foundations, if we have nobody to serve we can’t have children’s ministry, ushers, greeters, tear down and set up teams.So thank you to all of you that serve week in and week out.
I hope you have a great week.Please join me in praying that Foundations is a part of a movement of God.Great things are coming let’s get ready to go.
Okay so if you haven't heard it is Friend's Day at Foundations Church this Sunday, Nov. 1st. So the question is who are you bringing with you? We are kicking of a new series called PG, you and your friends are all gaining an extra hour of sleep, and you get to come to a church that is alive and all about seeing lives changed for the glory of God. So why wouldn't you want to invite, bring, drag (okay maybe slightly drag!), them to church. I hope you to see you this week, it's going to be great and I truly am excited about all that God is doing and getting ready to do. The best really is yet to come! See you Sunday and enjoy your weekend.
Shannon and I had the opportunity to go to a conference held in Charlotte, North Carolina.In fact I just got back today.The church is Elevation Church and the pastor is Steven Furtick.It was an amazing time or encouragement and helping us enlarge our vision for Tulsa.This church is 3 years old and is running over 4,000 people every week.Wow!God is doing such a great movement in Charlotte through this church.And the thought hit me “Why not us?”
Why not us?I am praying and expecting God to use Foundations Church to bring forth a movement of God in Tulsa.I believe like never before, I am having audacious faith now, tomorrow, the next day, next week, month, and years.I believe God is going to unleash Foundations Church to do a work of God.So be ready for this week.We are going to be pushing ourselves (the staff), our people (you the church), and see a movement of God happen in Tulsa metro area.I can’t wait to see what happens through Foundations.I am believing for crazy big things, from people, salvations, baptisms, giving (yes money), volunteers, and community groups.Why not us?Why can’t we be used to see a movement of God happen, why can’t we be used to see impossible things happen.I’mbelievingfor audacious things to come about, and to look at things and simply be in awe.Be ready we start this week!
1. Had a great service this Sunday! Thank you Johnny, Shannon, and Fish for sharing about the heart beat of this church. I love what Foundations Church is all about and I love that we are staying focused on it as well.
2. Sammy had 8 kids raise their hand for salvation in Base Camp Kids! That is awesome man. I love the direction Sammy has our children's ministry going.
3. Had a great time on Saturday. Casey and I went on a date from 10 to 5! Yeah it was awesome. Thank you Sarah and Kayla for watching the girls. We went shopping, eating, Starbucks, and hiked up Turkey Mountain. It was great getting away with my gorgeous wife, I am a crazy blessed to have her.
4. Way to go Sooners. They looked great this week.
5. I have been up since 3 AM today. I love getting up early and being productive, sleep is for sissies!
6. We have had some great attendance the last few weeks, let's keep inviting people to come and experience life change.
7. We had 56 people raise their hand to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior this past month. God is amazing and seeing lives change every week, never gets old.
8. Getting ready to start a new series this Sunday called PG. Parental Guidance Required, it's going to be Uhmazing! We are going to have a ton of fun with this so make sure you invite people to come with you. This is going to be a great series for you if you are a parent, pre parent, grandparent, or child, don't miss it.
9. Went to the Pumpkin Patch this Sunday Night with our Community Group. It was a ton of fun and am so thankful that God has blessed me with such great friends.
10. I love my two little girls Charli and Chloe. God has blessed me way more than I deserve. This is a really fun age 5 and 2, and a fun time of the year with them.
11. Excited about Friend's Day this coming week at Foundations Church.
Really start inviting people to come with you and experience Foundations Church for themselves. It is going to be a busy but great week. Hope your week is great!
I can't wait for this Sunday. I know I am always excited about Sunday, but I better be excited about Sundays or we are all in trouble. I really am excited about this Sunday because it is going to be different than any Sunday we have had yet. No I will not be dancing, doing magic tricks, or attempting to juggle, although I can do one mean moon walk. Just excited about what I know is going to happen. I will tell you this, there is a video that you have to see, one of my favorite videos I have seen. Nothing fancy to it, nothing spectacular about the quality of it, but the content is just incredible. I hope to see you there, hope you bring someone with you to Foundations, and be excited because it is going to be good.
Hope you have a great rest of the week and can't wait to see you all Sunday!
There is one thing that I hear constantly that amazes me about our church and our leadership team. People always comment not just about how friendly everyone is, but how genuine and real people are. I hear quite a bit, from so many different people that they appreciate how real the leadership team of our church is. Now I say this because I have experienced what these people are talking about. Many times a church is very friendly and nice when people come for the first time, but then it happens. The new people start learning all the drama, start finding who is in what cliques, what people don't like one another in the same church, and they start learning all the gossip. The new people think the pastor is great and then they see how the pastor acts outside of church, how he treats his family, that he doesn't really like people, and all the while the people are asking where is the realness?
I love that Foundations Church isn't about being a church that is great on first impression only. It is so refreshing to lead and be in a church that the more you come the more you love the church and the people in the church. My prayer is that the closer people get to me the more the like and respect me. That I always come across as just being me, the person God created me to be. Let's keep being a church that is full of imperfect people, trying to keep reaching an imperfect world. In other words let keep it real.
1. Friday was my daughter Charli's birthday party! We had a great party and celebrated her turning 5. I can't believe it has been 5 years. We had a ton of fun, thank you to all her friends and parents that came.
2. Sunday was a great service all the way around for Foundations Church
3. The last 4 weeks we have seen over 50 people give their hearts to the Lord. God is doing something very amazing and special at our church.
4. Our children's director Sammy told me they have had 8 children raise their hand for salvation this week! Love that our children are making this choice now. Thank you Sammy for all you are doing with our kids.
5. Saturday was a bad bad day. Another year of OU losing to Texas, but I am still a fan, and love my Sooners.
6. We had 8 people take the plunge this Sunday at our water baptism. This is the most we have baptized at once, and I love the excitement that is present during our Plunge, it is simply awesome.
7. We had a great attendance on Fall Break! Keep inviting your friends folks, keep inviting!
8. Volunteer of the Week: Krista Hopkins! Krista is one of the nicest and sweetest people you will meet. She drives at least 30 minutes to come to Foundations, and shows up with a smile and happy to be there. Thanks for your heart and for helping out in our children's ministry Krista.
God really is doing some great and amazing things in our church right now. Keep inviting your friends, family, and coworkers. I hope you have a great week this week, and I am praying for all of you that are sick right now. Make your week count for Christ and go make a difference in someone's life. Have a great week!
Today we are having a birthday party for my oldest daughter Charli. She turns 5 on Monday but decided to celebrate today, because who wants to have a birthday party on Monday? I have been so blessed to have two healthy and wonderful kids, and can I say time has flown by. I still remember taking her home from the hospital and being freaked out because there was nobody there to tell us what to do. I remember the middle of the night feedings and her falling asleep in the middle of those feedings. I remember her first time to crawl, her first time to walk, her first time to say dadda, her first laugh and cackle (which is still one of my 2 favorite sounds the other is Chloe's laugh), remember her asking Jesus in her heart, remember her first bike ride, her first time to swim on her own, pushing her around the house in a laundry basket and pretending it was a race car, I remember her first Christmas, and first birthday. There are so many things I remember I could keep going, I have been there for so many things in my daughter's life and here is the thing I don't regret being there for any of it. I have never regretted being present in my daughter's life, and being there for the everyday occurrences and the special one's too. And here is the take away I have from today, make sure you enjoy the life God has given you. If you are a parent make sure you enjoy each age your child is in and don't get caught looking ahead. I really haven't missed much for Charli or Chloe and I don't regret that one bit. Don't be too busy that you aren't there, don't work so much that you miss the everyday memories or even the special things, because you are working too much, being too busy will be the thing you do regret. Enjoy the journey, because the destination will be here way too soon. I love you Charli and happy birthday.
Whether you are playing golf or baseball, follow through is crucial to have a lot of power and even a correct swing. I love playing golf (not too great at baseball) and one thing I look at if something is going wrong with my golf game is what is happening in my follow through. Am I opening up, and I looking up, what is my follow through look like, because this is going to greatly effect my golf game.
As true as this is for my golf game it is so much more true for us as a church. Like I said Monday, if you weren't able to be at church download the podcast. But if Sunday was just a sermon and we don't have any follow through, our church is becoming disfunctional. Foundations church doesn't need only great worship, great sermons, great atmosphere, great children's and youth ministries, and friendly people, we have to have follow through. My prayer this week is that we follow through with Sunday's sermon and that our actions match our words, and that we will simply become passionate about filling the purpose of why we started Foundations Church. I am truly excited about all that has happened so far and can't wait to see all that God has in store for us in the future. I loved ending service this past week, because there was such an excitement in the building and people were ready to go. I am praying big time that our church isn't just another church, but is one that is effective in helping people experience life change. I truly hope you are having a great week, and can't wait to see you on Sunday, start inviting others to come with you now. Let's pack the auditorium out! Have a great one, and the best is still to come!
