An Officer Was Killed Here Today

It’s around 9:15 PM and we can still hear the helicopters flying low overhead.  They are searching for a man that shot and killed an officer here in Lakeland today.  We are in lockdown mode at our apartment and have been told to stay indoors.  There are reporters and news trucks everywhere.

The shooting took place when a deputy stopped a car for a routine traffic violation.  The driver ran into the woods.  The officer called for backup and when they went into the woods they were both shot.  One officer - Deputy Matt Williams - and his dog were killed.  The other officer was hit in the leg and was just released from the hospital.

I had met Deputy Williams several times over the years when he would bring his dog to local schools to give presentations to the kids.  Denise and I pass the spot where he was killed twice each day as we take her to and from work.  I had just passed the very spot only about 40 minutes prior to the shooting.  It’s about three miles from our apartment and now we are smack dab in the middle of the search area.  We are sitting here in a state of shock!

Life is so short.  It can take unexpected turns in the blink of an eye.  The ordinary becomes the extraordinary within moments.  Some days just don’t make sense!

Our prayers tonight are with Deputy Williams’ family, the other officers still on the search and the officer wounded in the line of duty.  Please join us in the praying for all of them.

A Legend Falls

Legendary golfer Byron Nelson passed away today.  He was a champion on and off the course.  I remember an interview he did a few years back where he talked about his Christianity and churches.  Funny for a golfer to be commenting on that but the quote was so good I Googled it.  Here it is:

"In these troubled times, there are many people who haven’t been religious who are thinking about
joining a church. That can be confusing, because there are so many to
choose from. My advice is to choose one that is active in the
community. The doctrine is important, but helping people is sure to
please the Lord."

NOT Church Planting!

I’ve kind of held off posting this blog for several weeks to think through . . . and pray through my feelings.  Consequently my views and convictions have not changed.

Over the last several months I have spent time with five "church planters" that seem to have no problem with transfer growth - in fact they are encouraging it.  Transfer growth is where a church atrracts people already involved in church.  I understand that some transfer growth happens with most new church plants just by the situation.  However, these "church planters" are actually targeting church people.  They are doing "outreach events" on Christian college campuses, they are specifically targeting leadership in other churches to be on their core team and they are purposely acquiring meeting locations within blocks of where recent church plants have begun.  It’s really . . . sad!

I think the most disturbing conversation I have had is when I asked one of these "church planters" what his goal was for reaching unchurched people.  His reply was something like, "My goal is to re-educate Christians."  Funny, but I fail to find that calling in the Great Commission. 

Where has the passion for reaching unchurched people gone?  Where has the drive to plant churches that are soul winners gone?  Where has the desire to begin something new and different to reach new and different people gone?  Where has the calling to follow the Great Commssion gone?

I find it an outrage that money is being wasted on these kind of "church plants".  I am extremely bothered that denominational leadership is encouraging this pitiful excuse for church planting in order to "report the numbers".   I guess I am most bothered by the lack of integrity, accountability and intelligence of "planting" churches that are only concerned with reaching church people.

I am no expert, but I have been a church planter for a while.  This is only my opinion, but if a church is being planted with the goal of reaching mainly churched people then it is . . . not church planting!!!

Chris Simms Is The Man

The Bucs lost and Chris Simms didn’t really have a stellar game . . . but he didn’t quit.  Wide receiver Micahel Clayton said that Simms was slurring his words, acting dazed and was obviously suffering from dehydration during the game.  When they asked him in the huddle if he needed to leave the game he said, "I’m fine, let’s keep going".  He led them to several touchdowns after only stepping out for two plays when he almost collasped because of the heat.  When the game was done, they rushed him to the hospital to have his spleen removed.  He is the man!!!  There’s more to being a champion that actually winning and Chris Simms proved that today!  What a display of leadership!!!

Mark Richt

While demons would wear jackets in hell quicker that I’d ever become a Georgia Bulldog fan, I have to admit . . . I’m incredibly impressed with their football coach, Mark Richt.

I was sitting here watching ABC’s presentation of the Liberty Mutual Coach Of The Year, in which they are profiling Coach Richt.  The man is a class act!  His team builds homes for Habitat For Humanity, they are encouraged to be winners off the field and academics is the top thing for his players.  Beyond all of that, he just gave one of the most clear and uncompromising presentations of the Gospel that I’ve ever heard ON NATIONAL TELEVISION!

Coach Richt’s entire interview was basically about his relationship with Christ, his relationship with his wife, relationship with his kids and his relationship with "his boys" on the team.  I honestly got a sense, that while winning is important, it was not the main thing.  He never gave some arrogant, "this-is-how-you-win" speech (a la Steve Spurrier), it was always how his relationship with Christ affects his relationship with others.  Talk about a true testimony.

I know Gary is going to have a field day with this posting.  However, it is good - in today’s win-at-all-costs climate - to see a coach in college football with a greater passion for other less-worldly things!

Grey’s Anatomy

The 20-somethings at Compass Point have been raving for a year about the television show, "Grey’s Anatomy".  They are completely obsessed with it!

I finally broke down and watched two episodes this week.  I came, I saw, I drank the Kool-Aid, I . . . spit it out.  "Grey’s Anatomy" sucks!!!  I mean it’s a complete snore-fest!  It’s like "ER" for the "Saved By The Bell" Fan Club!

I’ll stick with "Law & Order" (all of them) and "Lost".

This Week’s Hot Topic

So what are 20-somethings in Lakeland talking about this week?  As usual, something on YouTube.

Two weeks ago it was the OK GO guy’s treadmill video.  Last week it was the revelation that lonelygirl15 wasn’t real.  This week it’s the video from funtwo.

Apparently, funtwo is a South Korean student and guitar player that attends college in New Zealand.  Last year a friend shot a blurry video of him playing a shredding version of the classical piece "Cannon" on guitar.  The video has been floating around YouTube for several weeks, having been watched by millions of drooling guitar-god-wannabe’s.  There’s been a slight mystery about the guitarist because his face cannot be seen on the video and no one has stepped up - until this week - claiming to be funtwo.  Also, the guy - while hiting a few bads notes - is AWESOME for an amateur!!!

The really sad part . . . the kid has no aspirations to be a professional musician.  He’s studying to be a designer of some sort.

Anyway, that’s this week’s hot topic.

Miss Agnes

Miss Agnes is in her mid-90s.  She was born in New Jersey before World War I.  She attended the ticker-tape parade for Charles Lindbergh and got to see the Hindenburg burning.  William Taft was President when she was born and the stock market crashed when she was in high school.

She remembers a time when trans-atlantic flight was almost impossible and watched the first Concorde fly.  She experienced the development of biplanes, airships, jet planes, space ships and space shuttles.  She was alive for every war of the 20th Century . . . and the 21st.  She watched Germany, Italy, Russia and Japan go from friend to foe and back to friend again.  She heard Frank Sinatra sing at local diners before he ever recorded an album and danced wih her husband to Guy Lumbardo’s original orchestra.

In essence, Miss Agnes has experienced quite a lot in life.

This coming Saturday she will be helping Compass Point pass out water bottles in a local park as part of our servant evangelism outreach this month.

Words cannot begin to describe the example Miss Agnes is to our church and our young people.  She seldom misses a Sunday, always claps and sings with the worship music, thinks our upcoming rock concert (Outside The Box) is the neatest thing and loves Jesus with all her heart.

God is truly using her in mighty ways!

As she closes in on a century on this Earth, she is still faithfully running the race and fighting the good fight.

I aspire to be like Miss Agnes!

Wandered Through The Trenches

Forrest Smith is a Southeastern University student, a Texas native and a former member of Jimmy Swaggart and John Haggee’s churches.  He’s also a regular Compass Point attender and an interesting writer/speaker/thinker.  He started a blog today and his first post is pretty thought-provoking.  I’d encourage everyone to check it out by going here.

Iron Maiden

Nicko McBrain, the drummer for Iron Maiden, became a Christian through Willow Creek back in 1999.  He’s got a pretty cool interview talking about his conversion, witnessing to the other band members and the challenges (mainly from self-righteous Christians) he faces still playing in Iron Maiden.

He lives in Tampa and I got to meet him about a year or so ago.  He’s the real deal and a super nice guy.  The night I met him he was hanging at club with Brian Johnson of AC/DC - who is also a Tampa resident.  Eat your heart Gary.