19August2008
Posted by Sam under: River Ridge Church.
Some of us have talked about making sure River Ridge is a man’s church. In the typical American church about 61% of the adult congregation is female. Yet, 90% of men believe in God and 5 out of six call themselves Christians. But only 2 in 6 can be found in church on any given Sunday. And a lot of guys who show up often seem bored or out of place.Someone suggested that men avoid any behavior (or venue) that might call their manhood into question. How many guys do you see at baby showers or fabric stores? Apparently a lot of men believe church is a “women’s thing.” Men are wild at heart. And Jesus was no wimp. Men get into big dreams and taking risks. Church should be an adventure. Creating a “man” church is not easy. But we are working on it.
17August2008
Posted by Sam under: Mind Dump.
- Worship was awesome!
- We had a great crowd today.
- The band rocked!
- It was great to see some old friends back in the band (Zach & Loreen).
- I had some great conversation with some new faces today!
- Andy is a cool dude. He got an iPhone over the weekend. And he wants a bike. I’m looking forward to him singing in a few weeks.
- Justin wants a bike, too.
- When I get one I’m riding with Andy and Justin (a GA boy with 2 Bama guys).
- The Bulldogs season starts soon. Can’t wait.
- Been watching some of the Olymics . . . mostly swimming & beach volleyball
- Can’t wait until next Sunday!
16August2008
Posted by Sam under: Life; TV.
Rhonda and I watched Michael Phelps win his 7th Gold medal last night by 0.01 seconds (1/100 of a second). Wow! As we watched the final moments of the race I was convinced that he’d get 2nd. He was behind. The other guy was coasting in for the gold. But, Phelps did not give up. He followed his instinct and won the race. Amazing!
Here’s something we can learn . . . DON’T QUIT UNTIL THE FAT LADY SINGS.
15August2008
Posted by Sam under: River Ridge Church.
It’s hard to believe that Rhonda and I have been at this church plant thing for over a year. After leaving Orlando, it seemed to take forever for the dream to become reality. Once we started, though, time flew! In just over a month we will celebrate our first year. That’s hard to believe. We have an awesome group of committed people who attend, serve, and give. I’m amazed at what God has done. I’m thankful to be a part of something much bigger than myself.
The journey we have been on has been like a roller coaster . . . up and downs and turns and a sudden stop! Our attendance hit a brick wall this past May. Summer is over. School is back in session. We have a great new location. And it is affordable. It’s time to break through that wall! I am praying for 200 people to show up each week during September. Join me! Let’s connect people with the living God through Jesus Christ. It’s time.
13August2008
Posted by Sam under: Life.
I’ve been out of my regular routine for the past few days. As a result, I haven’t blogged very well. My bad. Maybe I’ll get into a new routine tomorrow.
Random Thoughts …
- Carlton and I had a staff meeting today. Sunday is going to be awesome.
- Michael Phelps amazes me. The man can flat out swim!
- I’m working on our re-launch. Pray for 200!
- The message this Sunday will challenge you. I mean it!
- I’m meeting with Brian Bloye tomorrow (he’s the pastor of West Ridge).
- It’s quiet around the house; Rhonda’s back at school.
- I’m watching a little bit of the Olympics. Some of it is interesting. Some is boring.
- I live in a great neighborhood. We hang out in the cul-de-sac often.
- I did not cut my grass this week!
- I’m looking forward to Sunday.
11August2008
Posted by Sam under: River Ridge Church.
Tim has been working hard with Rich at Diamond Starz to get two rooms built that we need for preschool and children. He is the MAN! Tim is one of our hardest working guys. He kicks it hard each week on set up and tear down. We have a great team of people, and I’m grateful for everyone. I just wanted to take a minute to let Tim know how much I appreciate all he does. He sets the standard. You go man!
7August2008
Posted by Sam under: Life.
Ever since the iPhone came out, I’ve had an itch to get one. All of my kids have one. They love it. Since getting a Mac, the itch has grown! The iPhone would work so well for me because my calendar, contacts, and music are on the mac. It would be an awesome work phone. It would be cool to surf the net anywhere. It’s got GPS! Instant directions no matter where I’m at. Oh well. I can’t scratch that itch right now. Not enough money in the bank. That bites!
But wait. I’ve got another itch. With the soaring gas prices I think I really need a motorcycle. I’ve always wanted a Harley. But I know I can’t afford that. After Katie called last week and told us she got a scooter, my itch got worse. I spent a little time checking out Honda’s Rebel bike. It’s not expensive ($4,000). It’s small. It’s great on gas (65 miles to the gallon).
I stopped by Starbucks this morning to work on the message for Sunday. I parked next to a bike. I sat next the guy who drove the bike (he had the biker look). The itch for a bike got bad. So I stopped by the Honda place in Douglasville to look at the Rebel. SOLD OUT! I guess I’ll have to wait before scratching this itch too.
Here’s the thing: the world has not ended because I can’t buy an iPhone or a Honda Rebel. Oh well. Maybe someday these dreams will come true.
5August2008
Posted by Sam under: Life; River Ridge Church.
A few weeks ago Rhonda and I went to Six Flags over GA. As we were walking toward the Superman coaster, we heard music from one of the shows. We decided to stop by and check it out. There were not many people in theater (less than 30). It was an outdoor theater, and it was hot.
The show was OK. If pressed, I would probably say that it was good. But the show was not great. Yes, the park had only been open for a few days. Maybe the cast needed more time to work out some bugs. Perhaps that was their best. It could be that we were used to the shows at Disney (the standard there is high). Or maybe we were just so hot and tired that we weren’t thinking clearly.
That experience got me to thinking about excellence. A lot of people talk about it these days. And I think excellence is rarely realized. Basically, excellence means to have the quality of being outstanding or extremely good. I want to be outstanding. I don’t want to settle for average or even good. I’m not there. Not yet. But that’s my goal.
I want everything at River Ridge to be excellent. We’re not there, but we are working toward it. Progress is made each week. Even if it’s a baby step, we get a little better each week.
You may wonder why excellence is such a big deal to me. God gave his best. I should give my best. No excuses. I guess you could say that you’ve got the “play the cards you’ve been dealt.” Are you satisfied with just being good? Or, are you outstanding?
4August2008
Posted by Sam under: Uncategorized.
Two guys stepped up to the plate yesterday and did a great job. Taylor and Cole lead our music yesterday. It was the first time these guys had ever done anything like that. They did a great job. Their excitement pumped us up. It’s refreshing to see guys in high school sold out for Jesus. Taylor and Cole, thank you!
2August2008
Posted by Sam under: Life.
Rhonda and I saw “The Dark Knight” last night. It was good. We enjoyed it. It was long. It was intense from the beginning. The Joker is sick. I mean sick. His character is from the dark side. Because of the Joker, I would not take younger kids to see this movie. There are many twists and turns. There were times, though, that I thought the movie could have ended. Overall, it was good. I enjoyed it.