I had a thought…

OK some of you may be very shocked right now, and saying to yourself… “see he does think!”

I want to adopt a school in the community we plan on planting apeculiarplace…

Any thoughts, direction, wisdom, or should i have rolled over and went back to sleep?

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in a political season where rhetoric has become more than an obvious and obnoxious distraction to those hurting, unable to afford health insurance, gas, keeping their homes and just staying afloat, we need action!

Reading Perry Noble’s blog today I was moved, moved to be more, want more, give more, give even more after that and be the church God called us to be and said we are.

In his Sunday Night Reflection, he tells of a house they gave away to a single mother, and a handicap accessible van to another single mother who cares for her adult son with disability. He makes a statement that we MUST ALL CONSIDER AS WE LIKE PAUL PRESS TOWARDS THE MARK OF THE HIGH CALLING…

“Generous giving enables a church to do far more in a community that it ever dreamed it could.”

Are you generous? With your time? With your money? with your love? With anything God has given you as a gift, a word, a song, a hope, a vision…?

I challenge everyone today, to one thing… TO DO MORE THAN YOU HAVE BEEN DOING. TO GIVE MORE THAN YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN. TO BE MORE THAN YOU HAVE BEEN!

Actions speak louder than words… it is time for God’s church to become the only audible voice the earth hears!!!!!!!!

Will you?

Tony Morgan, I love your Church too. And I pray. that apeculiarplace can raise the standard that New Spring and others have raised to an even higher level.

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life
love
her
him
grace
mercy
strength
joy
peace
provision
light
hope
courage
faith
possessor of heaven & earth
lord
wonderful
awesome
patience
the blessing
the word
author of my faith
the start and my triumphant finish
victory
high priest
daddy
all my hearts desire
truth
intimacy
strong and mighty
the name above all names
a lion
a lamb
sacrifice
teacher
guide
my deliverer
so amazing
strong tower
pure
holy
righteous
available
in fallen leaves
in the wind
the breath i breathe
the answer
the question
conquerer
creativity
freedom
adventure
miracle

AND I AM YOUR NUMBER ONE FAN!!!!!

can you add anything to this list? who is He to and for you? Come on go ahead I dare you to add something to this list!!!

who do you need Him to be?

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Mother’s Day!!!

I want to send a very special and blessed mother’s day shout out to all the mothers in the world. Today should have been a day of recognition, reflection and tribute to a woman or women in your life who have contributed to who you are today! I cant help but think of those whose mothers have passed and were left with only memories of that special someone. Then there are those who are at odds or not speaking to their mother, wife, grandmother, etc. To you, i say that our lives are so short, it would be a tragedy and shame for you to let offense or a grudge separate you, next year may roll around and you may only have regret to hold on to or be angry with… Let it go and mend the relationship!

• Today was both a day of celebration and correction.
• I confessed and apologized for having succumb to functional depression (will talk about it this week)
• I took back what God has called me to.
• I am reconsidering our launch date after a very fruitful conversation with J.R. Lee of Freedom Church.
• I am more focused now than ever.
• I love God, my wife, my family and this church more than ever!!!
• We discussed ideas for growing the attendance for our launch team meetings. The most important thing that came out of this discussion is our commitment level to God, A Peculiar Place, Downtown Atlanta and one another must be stronger.
• I continue to pray that we grow the heart of God for His children who yet know Him.
• I love I love I love I love the group I get to share the vision God has given me. I love the fact that they love me. More importantly I love how much they love God and even when correction is handed out and challenges made they love God enough to know that it will only grow them and the reward is inevitable. Thank you, thank you, thank you for allowing me to lead you!!!

I look forward to the rest of the week, so much to do, create and witness as God is still on the Throne and loves us as much as He loved His son, that my friend is worth living for!!!

Have a wonderful and awesome week!!!

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OK, don’t get super spiritual on me and comment on the title without reading the content. Too often we shun or judge people, places and things from merely the first glance, or cover or in this case the title. Allow me to reach for a moment and tie something very important together for us…

Fellows and ladies this could apply to you as well. Imagine if you will middle of the day, or at your favorite coffee shop or even the club you attend regularly, an amazingly beautiful woman (or man) walks in and completely assumes control of all of your attention. You look, she/he looks… you exchanges smiles… and you cannot take your eyes off of her/him. She/he is all you think about as you fill your shopping cart with eggs and bread, pretend to be listening to your friends or sip your coffee. Finally you reach deep down inside of you and gather the strength and courage to MAKE YOUR MOVE. If you are at a club or bar, you probably grab a shot or two! You make your way over to them and it is as if she/he has been waiting on you all night, when you open your mouth and ask…

WILL YOU SLEEP WITH ME?

or

WILL YOU MARRY ME?

I know I know I know, Who in their right mind would do such a thing. Who would ask for something so intimate, so personal, so final, who would reach out to someone they dont know for a commitment, who would embarrass in such a foolish way, not to mention how the other person would feel… offended, angry, put off, and depending upon where you are and who that person is you might just hear a few choice words that i dare not mention here!

Yet, Christians ask these types of questions of perfect strangers every day. Christians have been asking perfect strangers to make life altering commitments of this nature without knowing a persons name for years. Allow me to explain, once again before you go all deep and get offended.

Jesus, was a relational God and Lord. God spent every day with Adam in the garden before “The Fall”. Jesus spent day and night with the disciples before instructing them to go out and teach the world about His Kingdom. Peter before his first sermon after Christ’s acension spent day and night praying with his congregation. Paul pitched in and made tents with the tent makers before he began to teach Christ and Christ crucified. Do you see a pattern developing here? I could go on if you need me to. There are countless examples throughout the bible of men and women of God, who developed relationships with people before they professed their love for God and His love for them.

All I’m saying is that we MUST, not try…  not see what we can do… not hope you can, but WE MUST DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE,  before we ask for any such commitment. We have to like Jesus, allow those around us to SEE the fruit of our FAITH before we pound their heads with the latest bible verse we memorized. Before we go and tell someone they are going to hell because they fornicate, or lie or steal or whatever they do, we must know them. To “know” them, is to become “intimate” with them.

Quick side note: Intimate or Intimacy has nothing to do with SEX. Get over it, open a dictionary. It is amazing how this word has become bastardized and misused to have anything to do with sex.

OK, back to where we were… I’m simply saying that we cannot afford to cause any more trepidation  concerning the Body of Christ. In case you have not noticed the attacks on the Church are doing fine without the Church going out and making it any worse.

Give it some thought.

Have you made friends with anyone outside of your circle lately? With someone who doesn’t look like you, or believe what you believe?

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Why Here?

Why Now?

WHY ME????????????????????????????????????????????

Have you ever been asked to do something larger than yourself? Larger than your current financial, physical, emotional, mental and intellectual stature. Have you been a gigantic ball of potential all of your life with no fruition of such potential seemingly insight? Do you know what it is to be haunted by dreams of life that seem out of your reach, by right in front of your face?

If not then maybe, just maybe you are not dreaming at all? Maybe you have decided at some low point in your life to believe that what you have right now, today is all you ever wanted and needed out of life. I could be wrong but there is the slim chance that tomorrow will look like today which looked like yesterday and the yesterday before that.

Before I go any further, please don’t get upset with me because the one thing that you and I alike thought about doing or becoming when we were kids has been placed in a box put up in a closet and forgotten about simply because someone said it would not work, or your life is perfect why would you mess it up, or maybe they said nothing at all and their silence was deafening and lastly they could have simply laughed in your face…. SO YOU QUIT, I QUIT.

OK, so now that you have totally insulted me, now what you ask?

I want you to know that there is NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING more satisfying in this Life or any other life than your passion(s) coming to LIFE. There is a secret, you must promise to share with anyone and everyone… YOU, YES YOU, ARE IN CONTROL OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU LIVE THIS, A PASSIONATE LIFE. Whether or not you pursue your passion, or whether or not you even pursue passion itself. THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

Nothing new right? SO, what are you waiting on?

It was brought to my attention, by a very very good friend of mine whom i love like my mother gave birth to him, that those who have simply realized, heard or know their purpose in life are fortunate beyond repair. I have found both my purpose and my passion in Jesus, in my wife, in my family, and in planting the church God has chosen me to plant in the heart of downtown Atlanta.

And let me tell you, my pursuit of passion has taken me some places i would have never dreamed i would go, some places I want to forget I have been and has seen me make mistakes that I would not wish on my worst enemy. I have lost friends and gained family. I have quit restarted and quit in the same day on several occasions. I have lost everything and found myself. I have danced in the rain with the love of my life, and almost blew it with the love of my life.

Yet, i would not change this ride, this pursuit, my purpose for nothing in the world.

HE CHOSE ME!

WHAT ARE YOU LIVING FOR?

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I just read this blog and it amazes me who simple “ministering” to people could be and SHOULD BE. I want you to note as you read the testimony of the volunteer, she LOVES her church, LOVES being able to volunteer, and most importantly she LOVES GOD. Please take note, “church is no longer a chore, but an adventure” that she cannot wait to get back to every week, but more importantly she cant wait to invite others to experience the life change she has!!!

Big ups to Shawn Lovejoy and the MLC Family once again, and Penny Burklin YOU ROCK!!!!

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Click here to see video!

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