Yesterday was good! Once again, it was 'right'! Worship, flowing out of the overflow from Synergy, was just intensely 'right' for me. I mean, Saturday night was off the hook!! Sitting in a room with 175ish people who are giving much of their heart, life, time, and energy for our students was so stinkin' right. God seemed to be saying that He was prepped to ramp up His life and His impact in our city. He is going do something profound in our community. God has already said epic things about His church. He said that His church would release a taste of heaven on this earth and that the gates of hell itself cannot prevail against our confession that Jesus Christ is the supreme King of Glory! He has also said that the family is this beautiful and amazing picture of Christ and His relationship to the church. God initiated the family and loves the family. I think that we think that the combination of these two forces - the church and the family - could just become an intense and profound impact for the consummate glory of God! It seems to me that He is on the move.... It seems to me that we might just be invited to join Him. I am ready to paint this city orange (the merging of the church (yellow) and the family (red) into this amazing, synergistic partnership that will elevate Christ to His place of supremacy (Orange!) Even as a Bama fan, I might just be willing to paint this town orange for God's glory in His church and through His families.

Yeah, it was good yesterday. It was good to celebrate 10 years at EBC immediately following Synergy. I cannot believe that God has allowed us to share life in this fellowship for His greatest glory over the past 10 years. It's been fresh. It's been amazing to watch as God has drawn hundreds of us into an ever-deepening relationship with Him.... It's been fresh to watch as multitudes have embraced Christ... It's been fresh to watch as God invited us to new strategies and huge steps of faith and a deepening focus on Him and an utter reliance upon Him and to do some things that failed and to do some things that succeeded and to really find a deep satisfaction in Him - together! It's been a good 10 years! It's been a FAST 10 years!! It seems to me that our greatest job and the most imperative thing that we can do is obvious! God's word actually charges us.....

Our simple deal is to lift up the person of Jesus Christ and He will continue to draw men, women, and children to Himself. So, I think that we'll continue to make much of Christ. I think that we will continue to know more of Christ. I think that we will expect much from Christ. I think that we will believe the unimaginable of Christ. This journey could far supersede our wildest dreams and imaginations.

So, my deal is to continue to challenge us to ask and answer the fulcrum question from yesterday. The question was, 'do I long for the presence of Jesus Christ more than anything else on this planet?' Our answer to that question will catalyze.... our answer will determine the direction in which we do catalyze!

10 years is good... Synergy is good... Jesus Christ is amazing. Let's enjoy our journey in, through, by, and toward Him. It's a good journey.

For the Glory,

Mark

It was 'right'... a year or two ago, Ian turned me on to a new statement. We were cruising along in my jeep on a beautiful Spring day to grab a quick bite of lunch at Burger King (of course, both of us are health nuts. So, the tofu burger was our food of choice with a side of fruit!). The conversation was good... the weather was right on... the food was anticipated and Ian turns to me and says, 'this is just right'. So, he felt free to explain that there are just those moment in life when all clicks and its just 'right'... it's an inexplicable but extraordinary moment that you simply want to savor.

Yesterday was 'right'. I want to savor yesterday a bit more. The songs... the stories... the scripture.... the songs again!.... the video's... the teaching. Everything flowed together and it was 'right'. (10 years at EBC is also 'right'!) You know, I was singing the Revelation Song and thinking, 'there is no way for this song to be wrong!' Anytime that we are singing words that echo out of Revelation 4 & 5, it promises to be profoundly 'right'. My heart was about to burst as I sang from my deepest passion and my deepest desire to adore our God. Kick back for a minute and savor these lyrics... these words that flow out of the heart of the Book of Revelation.

Worthy is the, Lamb who was slain Holy, Holy, is He Sing a new song, to him who sits on Heaven's mercy seat

Holy, Holy, Holy Is the Lord God Almighty Who was, and is, and is to come With all creation I sing Praise to the King of Kings You are my everything And I will adore You

Clothed in rainbows, of living color Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder Blessing and honor, strength and glory and power be to You the only wise King

Holy, Holy, Holy Is the Lord God Almighty Who was, and is, and is to come With all creation I sing Praise to the King of Kings You are my everything And I will adore You

Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder At the mention of your name Jesus your name is power Breath, and living water Such a marvelous mystery Yeah...

Holy, Holy, Holy Is the Lord God Almighty Who was, and is, and is to come, yeah With all creation I sing Praise to the King of Kings You are my everything And I will adore You

This is 'right'. I mean, it's been happening around the throne for an eternity in the past. It's happening around the throne of Jesus Christ at this moment. These words and this heart of worship will happen eternally in the future. This is right! This is passion. This is where I want to park my life.

May your heart... our hearts, together, resonate with the eternal song of heaven and may we adore, worship, and live in wonder at the name, character, and Person of our King of Glory - Jesus Christ!

Feel free to comment by clicking below. Enjoy a 'right' week.

For the Glory,

Mark

Obsessed with Christ.....

Give me one pure and holy passion..... One soul satisfying, glorious ambition.... one magnificent obsession.... to know and fall in love with and expend my life for the King of Glory. Shells.... I don't want to waste my life on small obsessions or small dreams or small goals or small hopes or small aspirations or small impact. It is my passion to live in the midst of a group of people who expend their lives in a way that reflects the magnitude of their God.

Jesus said, 'I am the vine, the true.' He tells a group of men who surround him that they can pour out their lives for Him. He tells them that they can live for what is true. As I thought about Jesus' words in John 15.1, I love that He is the True. A life invested in Him is true. As I read, I was stopped in my tracks one evening. If Jesus is 'the true' and I must be attached to the true, then there is also an antithesis. There is also the 'false' and I run the risk of obsessing over 'the false'. I become obsessed so easily by...... some habit or purchase or thing or job or hobby or something with my body or with money or.... well, the 'or's' of my obsessions are unlimited. Even more, when I slide into an obsession with 'the false' it is a waste! I run the risk of wasting time, money, purpose, passion, and life. Perhaps, far more detrimental, I run the risk of losing the opportunity to spend my life for God's ultimate glory.

I long to spend my life for His glory! One obsession..... One.... to glory, revel, and find my truest self in Jesus Christ. Who are you obsessed with?

Feel free to add to the conversation by clicking on comment below.

By Grace... For Glory,

Mark

Identity.... Don't cheat the kingdom of God of your contribution by living your life based upon fraudulent assumptions about yourself. God has amazing things to say about you. He has this intense desire that we base our lives on all that is true. Isn't that a facet of the Christian life.... a form of discipleship is the process of replacing the lies that tend to define us with the truth of who we are in Christ? Isn't it amazing to hear Christ say that He sets us free? Honestly, I'm not sure that many Christ-followers are living with freedom in Christ. We tend to be bound by circumstances, false assumptions, lies.... bound!

God has done something amazing. He has rescued me from the domain of darkness and placed me in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I live there. In Christ, you live in Him! Really, I have been radically removed from darkness and deeply immersed in light... life.... hope.... passion. If that was all that there is to the Christian faith, then that would be more than enough. Salvation in Christ, by faith for His glory.... eternity with Him. Yeah, that would be enough. But God, in His great mercy just continues to pour out His life and all that is true into us. He says that this is true of us... that we

- Belong to the King
- a Child of the King
- a Disciple of the King
- Approach King with freedom and confidence
- Have Direct Access to throne of the King
- Currently are Seated in the Heavenly Realm
- are Made Righteous by the King
- Loved by the King

In the Sovereign King, you are...
- Accepted
- Befriended
- Chosen
- Complete
- Adopted
- United with Him

You will spend…..
- Eternity in His Presence
- Everything you need for life and for godliness
- Citizen of His Kingdom
- Healed by Him
- Hidden in Him
- Defended by Him
- Guided in Him
- One with His Spirit

Get this….
- No Spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind
- Nothing can separate you from him
- Established
- Anointed
- Workmanship
- Sealed through Him
- Saved by Him
- Sanctified
- Justified
- Rescued by Him
- Cleansed you
- Bought
- Buried with Him and raised to new life
- Made alive by the King

According to truth from The True, this is who you are. Let the weight of who you are and the truth of who you are fall in this earth for the glory of God alone. May discovering all that is true drive you more and more deeply into the Vine.... the Author of all that is true and all that brings life. Being rescued by the living God is amazing. Being defined by Him is overwhelming. It's true!

Feel free to jot a thought by clicking on comment below.

For the Glory,

Mark