More than listening

Also posted below is the sermon I preached at CCF on Monday night, including the announcement and its implications for us.

Monday Night Sermon

Thank you all for your support and prayers. We truly appreciate it.

Monday night is one of the biggest things we do each week as a ministry. We put a lot of our time and effort in monday nights. We believe its so important because it is a gospel “double whammie.” The students there are reminded what the gospels means for them as individuals for the first time or hundredth time and they are equipped/challenged to share it with a campus that desperately needs it. We try not to ever cancel monday nights because it is such a big deal to us BUT THIS MONDAY WE ARE CANCELING IT.

We are canceling CCF because it is Halloween. I gotta be honest at first this was really hard for me yet I knew this was right for us and honestly needed. Now the tendency when canceling the night is to create an event… a christian alternative of sorts where we hope to invite our friends. That has been the tendency in the past is to create a party to have students invite their friends too. Over the past year the staff and I have been talking through how we “do ministry” and we have realized that there is a lot to be said for Christ going places rather than create events of His own. So this monday night we will not have CCF. We are asking every one of you CCFers to find a friend who is not connected to the body of Christ and hang out with them. That means parties, movie nights, trick or treating you name it.You can totally still host a movie night or party BUT use it to invite class mates not a bunch of CCFers. Use this night to go and hang out and connect with people.  This is the mission statement “devoted to Christ, devoted to campus” in action. We don’t want to just say our mission statement we want to free you to do it.  I know at the same time this may be hard for some of you or intimidating. There is nothing wrong with taking one or two others with you wherever you go.

ALSO we are praying for you!! On Monday night at 7 we will have a time of prayer for the names of every person who is going out on Monday night. You are more than welcome to come and pray before you go out but please please don’t come and pray to hide from the opportunity. Don’t come and pray and then not go out and do exactly what you prayed for!

Have an awesome Halloween! Can’t wait to hear your stories

Here are this week’s announcements with CCF super duper intern “T” Wojcik

Check out this video testimony from one of our newest students. I was moved to tears and could barely preach right after seeing it for the first time this past Monday night. What makes this testimony is not simply the sin in Connor’s past rather the power of the gospel.  The power and truth that Connor was far from God and now he is close by the blood of Christ. He is a new creation who’s identity is now found in Christ. Enjoy and pass it on to others

P.S: Serious props to the creative team in particular their leader Stephen Icardi and for Michael Prutsman’s help filming/editing this video. Definitely one of the best yet.

This Saturday at 5pm we will once again host a great parents weekend dinner on the lawn of CCF. The cost of the night is $5 a ticket. All are welcome!! Whether parents in town or out of town or students even without your parents. Tickets are $5 TONIGHT AT CCF. After tonight the price DOUBLES!! Make sure to get your tickets tonight at the connection table!!!

Honestly for most of my life “christian rap” sounded like the greatest oxymoron to me. Even more ridiculous was white christian rappers,except for the beastie boys one of my favorite groups of all time.I grew up listening to rap. My favorite CD in high school was Dr. Dre’s chronic2000. Rather ironic now to see the tough rapper doing dr. pepper commercials. Funny what time, kids and money will do to life.

Anyways,  four years ago a CCFer introduced me to Lecrae and I was actually pretty impressed by the quality of the sound. The more I listened the more I understood the words and the more impressed I was with not just the sound but the rich theology in every song. Check out this recent video from the I am Second group.

This semester we have been walking through the gospels over a variety of series. I like to try and give as much credit as I possibly can. I really can’t stand preachers that totally steal things from others without giving credit. Then again I know I read a ton of books and blogs and consume a lot of information in a week. A lot of times I have no idea who said what. I also know that must guys who I quote took it from someone who then took it from someone who took it from someone. Eventually it gets back to the bible..

That being said,  I do know though that there is one book I have come back to time and time again during my late night sermon preps for this fall and that book is “King’s Cross” by Tim Keller.  This book is about the life of Jesus as told through the gospel of Mark. Tim Keller is one of my favorite people to me because he is brilliant. He is not simply on another planet brilliant but he has a way of explaining things to people whether they are Christians or not that is incredible. I have tried to get my hands on every Keller book out there and I cannot recommend them strongly enough to you. If you are interested to reading through one of the gospels think about picking out Mark and reading “King’s Cross” alongside your nightly reading.

CCF Partners Night is THIS SUNDAY AT 830. Partners Night is something new to this semester so in case you are wondering what it is here you go!

Partners Night is for any one that calls CCF their campus ministry. You can be a Super senior or brand spanking new to CCF. If you believe in our mission statement “devoted to Christ, devoted to Campus” and want to help us be a part of sharing, showing, and telling the love of Christ to the campus of FSU then do not miss tonight. We meet at 830 to celebrate all the amazing things God is doing through CCF, talk about upcoming events and pray together. See you SUNDAY AT 830 AT THE HOUSE!

Check out this week’s announcements with our newest freshmen “host” and a little Michael Jackson

Every Wednesday is sermon prep day. I absolutely love preaching sermons but I am still learning lots and lots about writing a sermon. This is extremely difficult and takes great discipline. So here is how a sermon prep day goes.

1. Start with great intent to focus and write a sermon
2. Remember to pray
3. Check email (and facebook)
4. Oh yea focus on the sermon
5. Don’t know where to start or what to say
6. Oh crap I have too much to say
7. Cut lots of stuff out
8. Preach the sermon
9. Go long
10. Gospel is preached
11. God is faithful
12. Go to sleep after laying in bed reviewing everything in my head
13. Go over review of sermon with staff
14. Start the whole process over for the next Monday

Oh sermon prep days… One of the hardest days of the week yet must necessary as I learn and grow in my gifting. Bottom line stick with the bible, jesus,  & the gospel. Always a safe bet for a good sermon