Great Lunch Today

I went to Canyon's today for lunch. I met with andy Jones, the student pastor of Watermarke Church (a Northpoint strategic partner). Andy was one of the competitors that Jared and I ran against in the D-fat pastor's weight loss challenge.

We met so that he could pay up his team's $100.00. Actually we met because we have been trying to hook up for some time. Andy is the real deal. His love for God and for people was evident with every sentence that came out of his mouth. I look forward to having Andy as a friend and to seeing all that God desires to do through this humble, but powerful servant of God.

Next time Andy let's hit the trails for a little mountain biking. Maybe I'll give you a chance to win back your money :)

First Time on a Mountain Bike

Yesterday I got the call from Mitch asking if I wanted to go try out mountain biking. After work we headed over to Blanket's Creek Trail System. On a borrowed bike I hit the trail and loved every minute of it.

I felt good out there and realized that my cardio regime has me in pretty good shape. We did about 7 miles. After wards I went to my Journey Group. I told Mitch when we finished that I feel like such a schlepp. To have a place like that, as close as that, and I got as fat as that...that's ridiculous. I'm so glad I have gotten back into shape. I can't wait to get my own bike and start hitting the trail frequently.

Mountain biking felt a lot like dirt biking...just slower. There was some things I liked better. Without a full helmet you get a better view of nature. You have less clothes on so you're not as hot. You can hear the person your with talking. NO GAS TO BUY!

I think if I get a bike I'll just ride it the three miles to the office and save on gas money plus get my cardio all in at the same time. Can't wait for my next trip out.

God Answer's Prayer Fast

This morning I was on my way to Macon to speak with three GA church planters. On the way there I was praying and God began to place in my heart a desire. This is not a new desire. It's a desire that was birthed in my heart and acted upon in Ohio in various ways.

When we first came to Woodstock, from an outsiders point of view, there didn't seem to be a lot of need for food distribution or ministry to the impoverished. In the past two years as I have driven every street around our community praying I have seen areas of great need. With the economy the way it is many of our city's residents have found themselves to be "stuff" poor. This is when you have great vehicles and nice homes, but not enough to keep up with rising gas and food prices. Many budgets are being stretched to the limit.

OK let me get back to this morning. As I prayed a renewed desire surfaced to do something for those in need. I was talking to the Lord about getting our hands on some food or clothing...anything we could mass distribute. Just something we could give as a way of showing the love of Jesus to our community. I even called Jared to tell him about what I was thinking. I told him a potential name and domain name we could use to put more focus on Jesus than anyone church's benevolence (I'll let you in on the name and webpage soon)

Tonight I got a call from someone who said they have 20 tons of food and would like to give us a trailer full to distribute however we please. I don't even know what that much food looks like. I'm going to check it out in the morning. All I can say is that God answers prayer fast! Too Cool!

If you are interested in helping to get things ready for distribution just let us know.

Sunday Remix 5-11-08

-I can't just post when things are going great. The thought that we will never have rough Sundays is appealing, but not realistic.

-Today we had a tough dose of realism.

-I don't think we have ever started a service later. Do to some technical difficulties we started 26 minutes late. To be honest, that just threw the whole thing off for me.

-We had a gas leak outside the theater that threatened to evacuate the building. I kind of wish I would have pulled the plug after service still hadn't started in 25 minutes .

-OK I'm glad I didn't pull the plug because even though the morning craziness had me worked up to the point I didn't enjoy preaching, Amie said the teaching was great and that this current series is really speaking to her. When your wife tells you that she loves that you are her pastor as well as her husband, that's cool.

-Amie has been an amazing friend, wife, mother, and co-laborer in the vision God gave us. I love you baby girl...Happy Mother's Day!

-I know it's Mother's Day and our attendance always drops, but seriously we had close to 100 people gone. Dude that messes with your head a little.

-To end on a positive note...I love the way the volunteers at emc have all stepped up. You blow me away with your faithfulness. Great job!

EMC Men's Night tonight 5-9pm

In a few hours guys will be making their way to my house. We will be grilling whatever stuff you bring. We have some hot oil to fry whatever you think needs fryin'. There's food, fishing, guitars, and yes poker. So the night should hold a lot in the way of good healthy competition.

If somehow you missed out on getting an invite. It's not too late. Show up with some meat for the grill and a 2 liter of coke. Bring your fishing gear. If you play guitar, bring it too.

See ya'll at 5pm! BTW no offense ladies, but tomorrow is your day. Tonight the only ladies invited are in the picture above. Guys you better remember to go crazy for your wives and mothers tomorrow.

"One Prayer" Video

Jared and I went over to hang out at Gary's place. The video shoot they did for "One Prayer" came off great. Man it was hot up in there! Gary did great. He didn't even start sweating until the last few minutes.

The only thing he needed to make the video taping a true Christian Broadcasting experience was a bad suit and some miracle oil. OK that was just wrong. God forgive me and bless all the children in Africa. Amen.

The River of Grace

One thing I have found to be true is that experiencing God's grace is awesome. It's like a river that refreshes you and carries you away from the place of your sin. We all love to by the recipients of grace and for many of us we come to expect it from God. This doesn't mean we should take it for granted, but we should appreciate the gift of grace extended to us because of Jesus.

Now think about this...we come to expect His grace to flow freely to us, but when someone is in need of grace how are we at allowing grace to flow through us. Oh yeah...We're all about God's forgiveness for the junk we do,but what happens when someone says a cross word to you. Maybe a co-worker got a promotion above you, or one specific person drives you flippen' mad with their idiosyncrasies. How are you about allowing God's grace to flow through you.

A few years ago I was speaking to someone who over a period of three years had grown physically sick, emotionally crippled, and spiritually dead. As we talked we discovered that she held titanic amounts of bitterness towards a few family members. In my mind I pictured a river that was flowing to her, but when it got to her the waters piled up on themselves until they became a dammed up pool. This pool grew stagnant and nasty. It was devoid of life.

I told her that I believe God was giving us a picture of her life. Although the river of God's grace was flowing to her she refused to extend that to those in her life that she held resentment toward. Can you earn God's grace no, but the effects of God's grace on our lives can be diminished if we hold back from extending His grace to others. The Bible even says that "He forgives our trespasses (wrong doings) as we forgive those who trespass against us".

So check yourself before you wreck yourself. If you feel as if things in life are unhealthy, growing stagnant, and on the verge of dying you may be damming up the river of God's grace in your life.

His grace can't flow to you if you won't let it flow through you! Ride the river baby!

I Need A New Activity

Most of you know that I use to dirt bike. I sold my bike last year, and I miss the woods terribly. Now that I have gotten back in decent physical shape the woods are calling me.

I don't plan to get back into dirt biking right now because it's not cheap, and my insurance package isn't that great. I still need a fix so I would love to try out Mountain Biking. I have never done this, but I think it would satisfy my craving for the woods and running dirt.

Here's the thing...I don't want to throw down cash for a bike that just might sit in the garage. I would like to try the whole mountain bike thing first before I buy a bike. If anybody has sometime and an extra bike I would love to go check out Blankets Creek trails in Woodstock. We can take it easy so I don't break your bike in half. I just want to see if it's something I would like or should I wait a few more years until Grant and I can get a couple of dirt bikes.

OK shoot me an email if you would want to show your pastor/friend the joy of riding.

D-fat Competition is Officially Over

Team EMC has been officially declared the winners! Thanks Jared for going all out. Thanks Debbie for kickin' our butts. Thanks Amie and Charla (the wives) for buying and cooking so healthy. Thanks d-fat competitors for sending your money to: P.O. Box 2086 Woodstock, GA 30188. I promise we won't gloat...ok maybe a little.

Family Life Series

I am really looking forward to this Sunday's teaching. we will be looking at the subject of "discipline" in the home. Everyone of us at times wants to pull our hair out. The kids can bring your greatest joys and deepest frustrations. This Sunday is going to be full of great principles that will help us all be better parents.

If you have a friend who has kids you need to invite them to come with you this Sunday to the Embassy. I promise you they will thank you for asking them to come.

The D-fat Pastor's Weigh down is Over!

10 weeks ago 7 pastor's and their associates stanced off to compete against each other in an epic battle of the bulge. Although it is not official yet, rumor has it from our mediator, this guy, that Team Embassy will be crowned the champions. I'll let you know when it's official.

Most of you know there was a friendly little wager attached to this. Jared and I will be getting $600 to split once everything is official. I need the cash bad. Frankly I don't have any clothes that fit.

Here's the stats on our past ten weeks. Way to roll Jared! Thanks guys (Gary, J.R., Andy, Mark, Michael, and Zach) for the extra motivation we all needed to become much healthier leaders.

I think the next challenge should be an ulimate fight...royal rumble style. "OOO yeah...whatcha going to do when Rossamania runs wild on you?!"


Starting weight: Ross 240
2-22-08 Jared 234
Total 474



Week 1 weight: Ross 234 (-6)
2-29-08 Jared 224.5 (-9.5)
Total 458.5 (-15.5)


Week 2 weight: Ross 226 (-8)
3-7-08 Jared 224 (-.5)
Total 450 (-8.5)


Week 3 weight: No Weigh-ins the Tornadoes took of with the scales


Week 4 weight: Ross 221 (-5)
3-21-08 Jared 216 (-8)
Total 437 (-13)


Week 5 weight: Ross 218 (-3)
Jared 216 (-0)
Total 434 (-3)


Week 6 weight: Ross 218 (-0)
Jared 212 (-4)
Total 430 (-4)


Week 7 weight: Ross 218 (-0)
Jared 208 (-4)
Total 426 (-4)


Week 8 weight: Ross 217 (-1)
Jared 205 (-3)
Total 422 (-4)



Week 9 weight: Ross 213 (-4)
Jared 203 (-2)
Total 416 (-6)



Week 10 weight: Ross 211 (-2) Total -29
5-1-08 Jared 201 (-2) Total -33
Total 412 (-4)


Ross total weight loss: -29
Jared total weight loss: -33

Team Embassy Total loss: 62 pounds

Starting weight: 474
Final weight: 412

I Love the Embassy!

-Hey emc-ers today Jared is in the office working on the weekend's podcast. I keep hearing you all laugh and whoop, and respond to things said and done. I love it that you guys are a vocal bunch.

-Bill from the Bean was up and heard it. He said and I quote "man our church has a great laugh"

-He is right. Y'all have a great laugh and I love it. I know it thrills God's heart to hear His people having a great time on Sunday morning.

De-tox finally over

No your pastor wasn't in rehab. For the past 10 days I have been doing a de-tox recommended by my trainer/R.N. Yesterday was the 10th and final day. It was tough to preach because my cotton mouth was as thick as lamb's wool. A couple times I about choked on my own tongue. It's been a long time since I had to drink that much water while speaking.

Well, after ten days of a serious liquid regimen I am looking forward to solid foods. That won't happen until tomorrow though, as I ease myself out of the regimen.
Tomorrow will be O.J. and Vegi soup. The next day more of the same plus salads. Finally Thursday I'll be ready to Wok and Roll baby. Digestive track cleaned out and feeling good.

It's funny how everybody wanted to know my "diet" this weekend. I can understand. I did drop a lot during the ten days of the de-tox, but that wasn't the purpose of it. I had already lost 50 pounds from October to before I did the de-tox. The de-tox cleans you out, but being that it's all liquid you end up losing also.

If you want to know how I lost the weight then look back from this past Fall to before the de-tox. I was at the gym 5 days a week. I ate 6 times a day combinations of good lean protein, healthy carbohydrates, and fibrous vegetables.That's how I lost the weight. Not some 10 day fad diet.

I hope y'all get the point of this. I want you to be healthy. Health doesn't come in a can, nor does it come over night. You can do this! Get moving. Get eating healthy, and Watch over time your body will respond.

OK I'm your pastor not a health guru so that's all I have to say about that. I will say that in life rarely anything that is sustainable happens overnight. If you want to see changes in any area of your life you have to get intentional. Be intentional about applying your resources to the vision you have and watch it begin to take shape!

Baptism Videos are on You Tube

-Pastor Jared has all the baptism videos up so you can tell your friends and family to check out what God has done in your life.

-Click here for the videos.

-This Sunday those who were baptized will be given a DVD of the event.

-Great job Jared!

Loving the Office

-You can't know how awesome it is to have an office outside of the house. I can already tell that I am being able to shut things off a little and I'm finding more balance in my schedule.

-The vibe of the office is making it a very good place to chill and be creative. Definitely diggin' it.

-Today is cool because Brantley's up making a couple of crazy videos for "Kid's Live". He even got Jared to dance for a video. That's hilarious. I'm loving what Brantley and Hannah are doing in Kid's Church. Parents be sure to give them props at every chance.

-I want to try and make Wednesdays for me sacred at the office. No appointments or projects, just a day for prayer, study, hearing from God and prep for teaching. If emc-ers would help me out on this one I'd greatly appreciate it. You want me hearing from God. You want me having something fresh from His heart. So try and help me protect that day. Thanks!

Sunday Remix; 4-20-08

-Awesome day at the embassy.

-Record setting attendance again. We had a lot of guests and we look forward to them being back next week.

-We baptized 9 people Sunday. Their stories were amazing. I'm so proud of those who took that step to publicly profess Christ.

-I am also proud of all of you who give of your time, abilities, and finances. Sunday should have made you proud. God is truly using you to impact lives in significant and eternal ways.

-Special thanks to some freaks of the week. This week we did set up at midnight. This allowed the sound/tech guys and the band to work all through the night. They were able to dial in our new digital mixing system. Those who stayed up to help. Thanks! I am so glad that emc-ers are freaks about the vision God has all of us accomplishing. Great Job! Now go take a nap.

-Enjoyed being at the dinner with all of you after the baptism. Man the fried chicken and buttered corn looked insane. I'm glad you enjoyed it because I'm doing a 10 day detox/cleanse and couldn';t touch the stuff. I guess I'm becoming a health freak. HA!

-Looking forward to the start of next week's family life series.

Random Monday Thoughts

-Loving our church offices.

-Digital sound was better this week, but still needs tweaked. Saturday night the team will be setting up after the last showing. The band and tech team will then tweak the system out until it's tight and right.

-My allergies have been crazy the past two afternoons.

-Looking forward to the baptisms at the theater this weekend. This will be the first time we have done them as part of the service. The tank rocks and yes it has a heater.

-Glad the Life Bytes series is over. Loved the first three weeks...kind of struggled yesterday.

-My personal times with God lately have been so rewarding. Oh, He's always on, but sometimes I go through periods where I'm just not listening so good.

-Looking forward to the next couple of months at the embassy. We're kicking off a Family Life series. Then a two week mini series for singles. In June we will be hooking up with pastors from around the country as we go into our "One Prayer" Series.

-During "One Prayer" we will be doing a community project/event with the other theater church in Cherokee County. My friend Gary Lamb and Revolution Church have been getting it done in north Cherokee County. It will be an awesome thing to connect with these guys as we both have a passion and no-excuse approach to reaching the unchurched of Cherokee County.

-Paying Taxes Suck!

-I have an idea that would stir up some serious spiritual discussion in and around Woodstock. I would love to have someone financially sponsor a billboard for August/September and the production of a website geared to provide a discussion/resource board for the stuff we stir up. The series promoted would begin in September. If you have a few thousand and want to risk it to impact lives in Woodstock GA shoot me an e-mail.

Sunday Remix 4-06-08

-EMC went digital today. If you didn't notice all the sound was being mixed and processed through a computer today. It will take a few weeks to work out the kinks (like what the heck was going on with the bass and subwoofers) but it will give us a consistency with our sound that we have never had. We will be offering training by a profesional to all our sound guys and any one wanting to be a part of of the sound team. Jared will have dates for the training soon.

-The third week in the Life Bytes series was powerful as we asked God to "defrag" our operating systems. As I preached I could just see people dealing with God and the broken things in their lives. People were given paint sticks to write on the things in their lives that they felt were broken files messing up their lives. Some of these things are because of poor choices. Others are the result of other peoples actions towards you. Either way we need to defrag and allow God to deal with the broken files that keep breaking our lives.

-At the end of the service we had everyone on the count of three break the paint stick. This was to symbolize that we are choosing to allow God to deal with the broken files in our lives. Dude the sound was incredible, powerful, and to be honest made me want to shout. To know that we were giving our stuff to God to deal with, and to know that He will, make me amped because over the next few months we will begin to hear the stories of life change that will result because of that one service. I loved the pile that the sticks made as people came and threw them on the stage. They did that because there's no use in carrying that stuff around. In Christ we are forgiven. In Christ we are secure. In Christ we are FREE!

-For it being spring break our attendance was great.

-We have had a bunch of guests the past few weeks. I look forward to getting to know you, to seeing God work in your life and family, and to seeing you find your part as we serve together to impact Woodstock!

-I was looking at our growth and in just 13 weeks we are averaging 20% more in attedance than our year average for 2007. Wow! Everyone that works so hard to make emc what it is. Thanks!

-I'm out of the digital world until Thursday. Talk at ya'll then.

We Need God's Power

This morning I will be teaching the 3rd part in our Life Bytes series. We are looking at the subject of "Defrag" allowing God to deal with the broken files in our lives. This is one of those mornings where teaching won't be enough. We need the power of God to show up and do works of healing to the hearts, minds, and lives of those who have experienced fragmentation. Fragmented values, memories, self worth. Some because of our doing. Others, the result of lies and abuse. Today will be a powerful day as God brings hope and healing to those gathered at the embassy. Please pray for His power to touch hearts today. Thanks!

Spring Break

The past two school vacations my wife and kids left me to go see the in laws. Well not this time. I'm looking forward to a little fishing, pickin', and reading in south Georgia for a few days. We leave tomorrow after church and we'll be back sometime on Wednesday. Oh yeah you may be on your way to Daytona (Robby) or Disney (Deena). Some of you are PC bound. Well, we're on our way to Waycross and I couldn't be happier. Ya'll can have the beach and college students in rodent costumes. I hope to pull a big one out of the Okefenokee along side my boy and the best father in law you could ask for.

Office Update!

The office was bright yellow so I think just a coat of paint made it 100% better.I'll have to get some before pics from Jared, but here's some after pics of our new office space.

We still have to move in the copier, printers, and file cabinets. It will be so nice to have our own place 7 days a week.

We're In

In the month of June Embassy Metro Church will be joining hundreds of churches in the nation for a series called "One Prayer". I'll fill you in on more as it begins to get some traction.

Each pastor will begin the four week series with the statement: "Father make us..." at the end of those three words the pastor will put in his hearts cry for the church. Some of the pastors that have joined this campaign are:

LifeChurch.tv (Craig Groeschel)will teach "Make Us One."
Fellowship Church (Ed Young) will teach "Make Us Creative."
NewSpring Church (Perry Noble) will teach "Make Us Dangerous."
Free Chapel (Jentezen Franklin) will teach "Make Us Passionate."


We will have the opportunity to hear from some of the greatest communicators in our nation.

We also may attempt to submit our "One Prayer" sermon via video for use by other churches during the series. The deadline for the video is May 12th. Keep your ears open as we announce a special night of preparation for this amazing month. I'm picturing us having an evening where I deliver the teaching and we get the recording. We then take some time praying for our city and the other churches that we will be partnering with in the month of June. I'll get you more info as we figure things out.

The churches unite! We will partner with all the churches to bring one offering as we impact a combined missions project. We also will be partnering with three other local and like minded churches to impact our communities. Be praying for this as all of it comes together.

Getting the Office Ready!

-Last night a bunch of us finished painting the office. Today we will get the desks, printers, bookshelves etc.... in.

-Just being there gives me a sense of excitement. It will be nice to find the balance I need between my family and the ministry. For 2 1/2 years it's like you never stop working. The office has been in the house and it was just too easy to jump into doing work anytime, all the time.

-The office will allow us to have a structured schedule. This will make us more productive both for church and our families.

-Starting next week we will go to a Sunday-Thursday work week. We will take Friday and Saturday off. On Sundays my day usually starts at 4:00am. When church is over we will go home with the families or out to eat with people, relax a little in the afternoon and then come back into the office to get things started for the coming week. We will go with this schedule for a month or so, evaluate it, and then decide if it's working or not. Anyways that's the plan.

What a Sunday!

-We had the largest regular service attendance in emc's 2 year history. As we approach 200 in attendance on Sunday mornings we are beginning to look to the future for how we can create space to handle 300-500 people on Sunday mornings. Emc-ers please pray for your leaders as we begin to look at solutions that will help make healthy growth possible over the next few months and into the end of 08.

-My mind goes back to our first series of the year..."Epic 08". Truly the first quarter of 08 has measured up to be an epic three months. Emc-ers enjoy being part of what God is doing in this "story of unfolding greatness". God is authoring an epic tale and we have front row seats...no we all together are key characters in His story for our lives, church, and city!

-EMC I'm loving being your pastor!

-Our three big announcements:

#1 Echo Students will begin to meet at the Jaycees club house on Rope Mill Road on April 16th. The youth have had a great time while meeting at Lindsay's house but they have outgrown the environment. Echo, enjoy your new location as you continue to reach your generation.

#2 We have a place that is ours 7 days a week! The new creative offices of embassy metro church are now located above the Woodstock Pharmacy in downtown Woodstock.

#3 The biggest announcement of the day is that we brought our worship/media pastor on full time. I am so stoked about Jared being full time. It was too cool that we made the announcement today because today is Jared's B-day. Happy birthday bro...now get back to work!

Embassy, we are in exciting times. Remember as we grow, acquire facilities, hire staff, and do all the other things that a thriving movement does, don't forget that it isn't about any of those things. What it's all about is Jesus, helping people find him, helping them become fully devoted followers of Christ, and watching Jesus change their lives forever!

Special Announcement Sunday

-I can't wait to tell you our two special announcements on Sunday.

-I want to give you a hint, but you are just going to have to be there. See ya Sunday.

-Bring a friend with you this week as we get into our second week of the "Life Bytes" series.

Wiseman Easter Photo at the Embassy 08

Easter weekend; Heaven and Hell!!!

*Front page of the Sunday paper. (not sure what's up with the color of the image)

-Our weekend was completely off the hook...Incredible!

-We let more people know about the "over the top" love of Christ in one weekend then I ever could have imagined. Heaven.

-Before I say anything about the egg drop let me say that Sunday was one of the best bigs days we have ever had at the embassy. We didn't do much different then what we do every week. It seems like for us we are at our best week to week. When big days come we end up wearing ourselves out before we start. Not this time. We strategically decided no crazy props this year, no special artists, features, elements etc. Oh we had pictures for families, and balloons and candy for the kids, but if you visited this week you experienced us as we are. This doesn't mean that we won't have a big day ever again with a huge city scape stage set-up, football goal posts, or any of the other crazy ideas we have done. This week we just wanted to be sure we had time and focus spent with our guests and fellow emc-ers. Heaven

-Sunday went so smooth and thank God because as you'll read on you'll see how nuts Saturday was. We had a bunch of guests from all walks of life. I love the diversity that is embassy. Polo wearing IT guys standing talking to tattooed twenty somethings. Business ladies serving along side of domestic goddesses. I loved that I got to spend this weekend with Biker Bob, Rocker Russ, and Ex-stoner Ed...combined hair length 7 ft...opportunity to be their pastor=priceless!!! I can't wait to see many of our guests come back next Sunday. We loved having you and look forward to you being a part of our community of faith, love, and acceptance. Heaven.

-We had over a dozen people commit their lives to Christ yesterday. Praise God! Heaven.



OK Now let's talk about the egg drop:


-Over *5000 people came to Woodstock's Largest Easter Event. I could not have been more proud of all of our volunteers. Yeah you got pushed, cussed, and treated pretty badly by a lot of unruly parents, but you maintained your desire to show people Christ's love and I thank you. Heaven and Hell. (*Being told by a couple sources who are experienced with big crowds that the event had between 5000 and 8000 people in attendance. I hate to elevate numbers. We can with confidence say over 5,000 people. I am so blown away)

-The parents were crazy one lady was helping her 17 year old gather 200 eggs in a garbage bag. Ok the 17 year old part is a lie, but literally a parent was flat out fillin her kids garbage bag up while acting like she didn't hear the closest field attendant's attempt to stop her. Hell.

-To be honest it was, insane, messy, frustrating, and awesome all at once.
Woodstock get ready for next year. We will find a location that will work for this event. We will have at a minimum 100,000 eggs. The event will be a few hours long with
jump houses and tons of activities. We will figure out a away to keep parents from acting like two year olds. And our field attendants will have Tazers!!!

-To be honest a few bags of eggs didn't make it out of the helicopter. We had those rushed to the field. Every kid that hung around got eggs. We also had prizes left over after the prize eggs were redeemed. So we were able to give most of the "eggless" kids something to go home with.

-Woodstock: Give us another chance on this one. We planned, prepared, prayed, and worked our butts off. In the end we just never knew. Well, we know now and get ready because The Woodstock Egg Drop 09 will be one of the largest gatherings of any kind in Woodstock History. Heaven and Hell.

-Woodstock: We love you, God Loves you, and We hope to see you at Embassy Metro Church this Sunday at the Cherokee 16 Cinemas 10:02am. Heaven.

Woodstock Egg Drop: Brief Update

-I can't thank all of our volunteers enough. You rock! Today was an absolutely amazing day and as we expected the biggest thing embassy has ever been a part of.

-1200 family registration cards filled out. Many with multiple children. We ran out of cards quickly and hundreds of children didn't get registered, but they still were able to be a part of everything.

-Our best estimate until we take everything into consideration was about 5,000 people. That's more than twice the amount of people we anticipated!

-That's insane! The problem was...that's insane! We never thought we would have that many at a first year event. We had some logistical errors, but on a whole the kids had a blast.

-Next year we will have tens' of thousands of more eggs. Our nearly 11,000 eggs was no way nearly enough. For that I apologize. Next year we will fix our errors. Woodstock we can't wait until The Woodstock Egg Drop 09 when we bring it to you on a whole new level.

-The Jaycees have been awesome to partner with on this event. Thanks Woodstock Jaycees.

-Finally pray for the many that will come to the embassy tomorrow from this event. We are going to have a great Easter Sunday! See ya in the morning at 10:02am!

The Buzz about The Woodstock Easter Egg Drop

-The phones have been ringing off the hook. The families around Woodstock are pumped. Tomorrow's Easter Egg Drop is going to be a blast.

-The event starts at 10am at Hobgood park, but if you want a close parking space get there early. Parking attendants will point you to overflow parking if necessary.
Overflow parking will be at Bascomb Elementary. From there you can walk over to the softball fields or wait for a shuttle.

-This will be the biggest day emc has been a part of and we can't wait.

-See you there!!!

D-fat: Pastor's Weight Loss Challenge Update

Some of you know that Jared our worship/media pastor and myself entered a weight loss challenge with several church planters that we know. Well below is an update on how we've been doing. May 1st is the finish of the challenge so wish us luck!

By the way in October I had hit 270 pounds. That's crazy. So Since then I have lost 49 pounds. Too cool. Thanks for all your encouragement and for calling me a "fat pastor" every time I picked up a donut at church. OK you didn't call me names, but you could have. Thanks!

Starting weight: 2-22-08, Ross 240, Jared 234; Total 474

Week 1 weight: 2-29-08, Ross 234(-6), Jared 224.5(-9.5); Total 458.5(-15.5)

Week 2 weight: 3-7-08, Ross 226(-8), Jared 224(-.5); Total 450(-8.5)

Week 3 weight: No Weigh-ins. The Tornados took off with the scales

Week 4 weight: 3-21-08, Ross 221(-5), Jared 216(-8), Total 437(-13)

Team Embassy Total lost in four weeks: 37 pounds

Easter Egg Drop Buzz

-Everywhere I go today people are talking about the Egg Drop at Hobgood Park.

-Over 10,000 candy filled eggs, 2 ipod nanos, 2 $100 wal mart gift certificates, $100 in small bills:1's,5's,10's. And tons of stuffed animals and other prizes. It's going to be insane!

-6,000 elementary students will receive the invite for Saturday's event. We were given permission to invite every elementary student in Woodstock.

-All of the Daycares and Preschools in Woodstock will be invited today and tomorrow.

-The Jaycees gave out 400 Easter baskets. They included an invite card in each one.

-Our people have invited friends, family, and neighbors like crazy the past week.

-Nearly 10,000 invite cards and the 6,000 school invites have went out.

-Saturday is going to be insane. This will be the biggest community event emc has done to date.

-Tell everyone you know, plan to serve, and have a blast as we go over the top in showing the love of Jesus to our community this weekend!!!

First Day Back at the Gym

Today was interesting. I wasn't able to meet with my trainer so I just decided to do my own thing for the day. I haven't lifted in 2 1/2 weeks because of my surgery and doctors orders. Today is the day I've been planning on going to the gym. I couldn't wait to get at it again.

I got there and my trainer came over and wisely told me to take it easy. She's an RN and was concerned that I ease back into my regimen. Well if you know me you know I don't ease into anything. I hit it for 35 minutes doing every lower body exercise I could remember. I then did core exercises using the elevated bench and bouncing the medicine ball from side to side. Followed by the roman chair with leg lifts, and then the crunch machine. I then did a plank for as long as I could hold it. Man I felt great. I felt strong and light. I was loving it. Well now off to get a book and my ipod so that I can get in 40 minutes of cardio.....or NOT!

On the way to get my stuff I began to talk with a pastor friend of mine. As Pastor Norman Hunt was telling me about some things happening at his church I began to see stars. Within a few seconds the stars grew into big white clouds until all I could see was Norman's mouth. Well I knew something was wrong, but I thought I could fake it 'til I made it. Nothing doing. His voice grew too quite to where I couldn't even hear him. At this point I knew something wasn't right. See I have never passed out before, but that was just about what was going to happen. I said to Pastor Norman.."Man I need to sit down I think I'm about to pass out."

How embarrassing. I get seated he tells me to do the whole head between the legs thing. One trainer is putting a wet compress on my neck. My trainer has run over with juice and a banana. Within a few minutes I'm ok. Debbie the trainer is like "I told you to take it easy". Well I have learned my lesson. Sometimes in life there are things you need to ease into. One of those apparently is exercise after surgery, while still medicated. Go figure.

James gets to go home

Yesterday we laid to rest James Harbour. Many of you remember he and Linda from our early days of starting EMC. Linda was the lady with the oxygen that I thought was going to blow up the back row during last years Palm Sunday service.

This amazing couple faithfully for years took their grandkids to church. When emc began they were with us even back at the coffee house. Their grandkids loved the embassy so they came. They were so cute always apologizing for missing services so they could go off to a gospel sing or good old fashion revival meeting. EMC was a bit much for them, but they came for their grandkids. Not only did James come...James jumped right in there and helped too.

I loved it that he laid his personal taste aside so that his grandkids could connect with God. He never did get use to our "rock and roll" worship, but he loved Amie and I , and he loved emc. What I love most is that through all of that his son Jimmy came to visit emc and is now a Christ follower. James Sr. doesn't have to bring those kids any more, why the baton of faith was passed. His son Jimmy the father of the grand children brings them every week. Jimmy serves on our set up team and along with his kids once a month serves in the children's ministry.

That's what I'm talking about!!! I know when James came into the presence of Jesus he heard the words we all hope to hear...."Well done my good and faithful servant."
James and Linda I was only your pastor a short while, but I would like to say to you..."Well Done"

A Little Attention from the AJC

Our Woodstock Egg Drop got a little attention today in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. There was an article about one church doing an egg drop. Then they listed three other churches in the metro area with all their egg drop info and websites.

EMC was one of those three churches. Oh yeah I would have loved the article, but the church and pastor that got it are great friends who are putting a ton into their event and they deserve the props.

The article was on the front page of the lifestyle section. Not sandwiched into the religious or Cherokee County paqes, but in the main paper that hits all of Metro Atlanta. Too cool.

If you live in Woodstock you don't want to miss next Saturday The Woodstock Egg Drop. It will be at Hobgood Park 10am.

Thoughts About Unleashed

-The Unleashed Conference at NewSpring was incredible.

-Perry Noble has got to be one of the most amazing communicators I have ever heard. I know in the years to come we will learn a great deal from this pastor and this church.

-It's great to know so many amazing guys and churches that are making an impact all around the country. I am proud to be a part of the divine move of God that He is stirring through church planters.

-The best thing about the day: Having my guys with me at the conference. Embassy, we are blessed to have Jared, Robby, and Brantley. After Perry's last session, and our time together on the way home, I really believe they would charge the gates of hell with me and for me.

-Ok...so let's charge the gates of hell!!!

-I am looking forward to taking dozens of emc-ers with us next year to Unleashed.

-EMC I can't tell you enough that we are in for an amazing ride! I am full of anticipation for the next few weeks...and am dreaming already about our next five years!

-What could God accomplish through a group of people who just imagine the dreams of God and then act on them! You are that people and I am so jacked that I am your pastor.

I Should Be in Bed

I can't wait for tomorrow. Myself, Jared (worship/media), Robby (youth), and Brantley (children) are heading up to New Spring Church in Anderson, SC for a one day conference. The Unleashed conference has become one of the greatest tools for releasing passion for ministry in the nation.

I am so amped about the conference and about getting to be with my guys for the day. Right now I am the only full timer at emc. We don't get the day to day time that a lot of staffs enjoy. Tomorrow is going to be off the hook. Well I need to force myself to sleep because 5am will be here in no time.

Health Update

Last night I strung 5 hours of sleep together for the first time since the surgery. I am actually able to breathe with out feeling choked up. The swelling in my throat seems to have diminished in just the past 24 hours.

I am not dozing off at the drop of a hat anymore and I am able to talk somewhat clearly. What a difference a day makes. 11 days into this recovery and I feel 85% finally. This really has been the slowest thing I have recovered from, but I am on fully on the mend and can't wait to get back to 100%. It is amazing to not have had a headache in a week and a half. Before the surgery I had 3-5 headaches a week. The doctor said he felt this surgery would help and it looks like he was right. For that alone it was worth it.

I have also dropped 10 pounds since the surgery weighing in this morning at 224. That is 46 pounds less then when I started at 270 in October. I had to buy another pair of jeans because the pair I bought last month are too baggy to look proper. I'm not allowed to lift anything for 14 days so I am looking forward to getting back in the gym next week. My goal was to be 225 by Easter. I have surpassed that. I guess I need to set a new goal for the next couple months. I do love feeling better and that's what it's all about.

Don't Miss the Next Three Weeks

You don't want to miss the next three weeks at emc. This Sunday we have an amazing experience planned. If you were with us for Palm Sunday last year you already have a clue. We will worship, receive communion, and experience Christ's sacrifice in a unique and memorable way. Also this is the week that we are digging deep, swinging hard and giving our "Imagine" offerings.

Next Sunday is Easter weekend. Get the the kids...get the whole neighborhood out on Saturday 22nd for the Woodstock Easter Egg Drop at Hobgood Park. And on Sunday...You, your family, and everyone you know will want to be at the embassy for this day of celebration. God has given me something to share that you will want your family and friends who are far from God to hear. Plan to bring at least one other person/family with your to Easter at the Embassy. Come early for family photos and for the extended cafe (lot's of extra good stuff and fruit for the day).

Then on March 30th I want everybody that calls emc home to be at the embassy. Don't miss this day. We will be making a very important and exciting announcement. I can't wait to tell you.

OK emc-ers we are in for some exciting days ahead.

Crazy Easter Video

The media team at embassy metro church has put together a hilarious video to promo Easter this year through the web. Check it out and forward it to all your friends.

EMC now has a Myspace

I love the community of faith that EMC has become. One way that we can all stay connected and get the word out about coming events is through Myspace.

Join the emc myspace community today!

Kindness in action

We have all heard of kindness in action. Someone in a moment engages another person in a random act of kindness that asks nothing of the other. Well today I experience a KIA or maybe it was more a KMIA. Kingdom Mindedness in Action.

The whole easter egg drop is not original with embassy although we'll never act like it wasn't our idea. A couple of years ago Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC hosted one for their city. Over the past two years churches around the nation have jumped on the chance to do something that will blow the kids minds. Most egg hunts are a little hard to get too excited about, but having a helicopter bringing the Easter bunny to the kids while dropping thousands of eggs…that’s over the top. We want to go crazy over the top for the kids in this area so they will know that Jesus is crazy over the top for them!

Well were are not the only ones who want the kids in their community to think that Jesus is the best party going. Revolution Church in Canton is hosting a Canton Egg Drop. Oak Leaf Church in Cartersville is hosting a Cartersville Egg Drop and Embassy Metro Church in Woodstock is hosting a Woodstock Egg Drop.

Potentially thousands of children in these three communities will see the over the top love that God has for them on Saturday March 22nd. Be praying for these events. Help serve at these events. And get involved with these churches that are willing to go all out to reach the people of their communities.

I was surprised today to experience a "random act of kingdom mindedness." A letter and a check came from Gary the lead pastor at Revolution Church as he wished us and our event huge success. Too cool!

Gary, Michael...I can't wait to hear about the huge success in your events as well. Just stay out of the helicopter and everything else should go as planned.

Easter Weekend Events

Please Pray :)

I usually get through pain with no problems. I'm the guy that had his humeral head broken off his arm and into four pieces. I then waited 10 hours before going to the hospital. Crazy. This time it's different and I feel like a wimp, but I'll admit it..."I've been whooped."

The healing process took a detour today and I have been just about "out my mind" in pain. My nose and sinuses feel great, but my throat feels like a roto-sander spent the better part of a Saturday afternoon on it.

I guess it's all a part of the process ,but I would implore your prayers at this time.

Sunday Remix 3-02-08

-The doctor said I needed to get up and about so I decided to drop into the greatest church around! I went to the embassy today. I was so proud to see how well things go when I'm gone.

-Mary and the worship band did an amazing job and the presence of the Lord in the service was palpable. It was also great having Celeste play keys today for the first time at emc.

-Jared our worship pastor transitioned so smoothly into lead teacher for the day that it makes me a little nervous about my job security. No really you did a great job bringing God's word today. Thanks Jared!

-All of you emc-ers just make me so proud. I love you and am so glad we are all getting to do life together at the embassy. We have an amazing future as God continues to do great things in and through you at emc.

-From 4:45-6:15 I was at the doctors office. He sucked, scraped, and pulled all sorts of things out of my sinuses. Oh My Gosh! Imagine the dentist office, but instead of your mouth they're doing all the stuff to your nose and sinus membranes. I thought I was going to die. Oh well...I can already breathe better than I can ever remember.
Please pray for my quick recovery. Easter is coming soon and we have too much going on for me to slow down. I will take it easy the next 2-3 days, but then It's back in the fast lane.

Weight loss Update

OK I know I just came off of surgery, but I'm still pretty amped about my current state of health.

If I would have had this surgery when I weighed 270 I think I would feel like dying right now.

So where am I at in the whole weigh loss thing...since October I have lost 38 pounds.

Right now I am at 232. This has been achieved through exercise and good nutrition. I have not been on a fad diet, a fast, or weight loss supplements.

I have although had a great systems of friends backing me up. Amie my wife, Deb my trainer, and the whole emc family that keeps me going with their encouragement.

I am committed to being the best and healthiest husband and leader I can be. Thanks guys!

BTW: Team Embassy is rockin after the first week of the D-fat Competition!

I'm Alive

On Thursday I underwent what turned out to be some serious time under the knife. For over five hours Dr. Edwards reworked my sinus cavities, took my tonsils, adenoids, and the tip off my uvula.

I guess they found a bone spur growing into my sinuses. That can't be good. Dr. Edwards told the family that this was one of the worse sinus conditions he had ever seen. He was surprised I didn't affect me more.

I can already breathe through my nose more clearly than I can remember. I know I am going to feel like a million bucks once I recover. Right now...I hurt. I hurt really bad. Not only do I hurt the pain medicine I am taking keeps knocking me out. I'm suppose to stay awake and walk around, but I just keep falling to sleep. The family took me to the mall today and I ended up dozing off while standing up.

It was like the family was walking the neighborhood drunk around the mall, but the Dr. said I needed to be up and moving.

With that in mind I plan on being at emc tomorrow. I want to pay Jared back for sleeping during my talks. So if you hear any snoring from the dark corners of the theater, it is probably me.

Thanks for all the prayers and concern. Ya'll are the best!

Woodstock Easter Egg Drop

We have just finalized everything on what should be one of the greatest events we have ever been a part of. On March 22nd at Hobgood Park we will drop thousands of Easter eggs from a helicopter. The helicopter will deliver both eggs and the Easter Bunny to the park. Your kids are going to go nuts!

We will be getting out all the information over the next few days:

The event will be at Hobgood Park from 10am-12pm. Registration begins at 10am. The Egg drop will be at 10:30. There will be games, prizes, face painting, and free photos taken with the Easter Bunny.

Start telling all your friends. Plan on volunteering on the 22nd as we host Woodstock's Largest Easter Egg Drop!

More thoughts on Sunday 2-24-08

-The team at emc is the best around. It blows my mind that we have nearly 100 teens and adults that serve one or more times a month. That's insane.

-Our finances over the past four weeks have been up 25% and today we actually were up 120%. Thanks for your faithfulness in giving. I don't ever want to be a church where it's all about the money, but frankly you sure can do a lot more... with a lot more!
I really do believe that the door of God's blessing for you and our church will swing on the hinges of our faithfulness in giving. With this increase begin to anticipate great things from God over the next few months.

-I was loving the band today. Jared I am so proud of you and your team. Thank you for your faithfulness. Everyone this week let's bombard Jared's e-mail with appreciation for what he does at emc. jared@embassymetro.org


Two firsts today:

-We had record attendance at the embassy today (our highest attendance for a regular service, and this is on the backside of a vacation week for Cherokee Schools)

-Someone actually had to ask our head usher, "Could you please find me four seats for my family that are together." Dang that's cool. Not sure, but we may need to do double services for Easter! We'll let you know!

-Everybody at emc...get ready we are going to have a blast as we try and keep up with what God is going to do at emc this year. Don't forget this will be an "EPIC 08"

-If you are not a part of emc then you need to come check it out ASAP...see ya soon!

Incredible Day at the Embassy

It is amazing when you sense God's leading, act upon it, and then see Him accomplish what He was trying to do through you. This weekend we at emc experienced the reality of that.

Today at emc we looked at stories of what God has done in the lives of specific people because of the efforts of the team at emc. I then shared about the converse of what these people may have experienced if we hadn't created the unique community that is the embassy.

I shared how the converse isn't that they would have to go to a "boring church". EMC wasn't established just so we could wear jeans, rock out , and have cool lights. You can get all that at a bar, and actually have sincere friends more than most of you ever found at a church. The converse of not establishing emc is that many of these would go to hell if they died. Others would have succumbed to their addictions. Many would have repeated the patterns of their families only to destroy future generations.

I then challenged our body to "imagine" if they really believed this...how should that change their lives.

God has created a unique community of faith in Woodstock, GA that is beginning to make a huge impact. It is time for us to rise up and "swing hard" and see what God can do if we will give him an opportunity (II Kings 4:1-7)

The next few weeks will be holy, sacred, full of intensity, passion, and anticipation. We have never challenged our people to go large in the area of giving. As you sensed today God is up to something amazing. It's time to pray hard, dig deep, and do something audacious for God. Make plans to present your sacrificial gift on Palm Sunday.

I am believing that together we will be blown away by what we can gather for God's use. I am praying for you to have courage, and faith to give a crazy offering to the Lord. Let's just see what we are made of, and then let's watch as God shows us what He can do!!!

"A Historic EMC Experience"

Tomorrow will be an amazing and historic day at emc. I can't wait to speak about what God has been showing me. Just expect me to be worked up...cause I plan on bringin' it.

We have called everyone in our database. Sent e-newsletters out. We have told everyone, you don't want to miss church tomorrow for nothing. If you are on vacation...get back early. If you are going out of town...wait until church is over. If you are in the hospital...wheel yourself and drag your IV stand. Just get there!

Pray for tomorrow's service. Come expecting to never be the same again.

Lead Healthy...The D-Fat Challenge

The past few months I have been really working hard at getting in shape. I have actually dropped 30 pounds and 12% body fat since November. The only thing is the past few weeks my motivation has slowed way down. Not sure why, but that all changed yesterday.

So what is that has me ready to run back into my fat burning plastic jogging suit faster than Christie Alley to a buffet. I will tell you...it's a friendly wager amongst some of the wildest church planters in the nation.

At the Evolve conference Shawn Lovejoy spoke about being a healthy leader. Well that pretty much made most of us feel like crap. J.R. took it upon himself to lay out a field of competition. Here's the deal 10 teams of 2 pastors. Each team throws in $100. Whichever team on May 1st has lost the highest combined percentage of weight loss is the winner and pockets $1000. Right there my mom just freaked out..."Oh honey ain't that gambling...WWJD" Well mom Jesus wasn't fat... and the son of God didn't need any motivation. I do and one large works for me.

I like how J.R. put it "No we’re not gambling - it’s an investment in preventative health care and WINNER TAKES ALL"

Keep checkin in. To all the emc-ers stay on me and Jared as we bring home the gold..er I mean green. Oh and we aren't bringing it home Jared and I are going to spend every dime on useless crap :)

So far there are four teams: Team Embassy, Team Freedom, Team Revolution, Team Reveal

Evolve Conference

At the beginning of the week I went to a church planters gathering in Cumming at Mountain Lake Church where Shawn Lovejoy is lead pastor. The conference was probably the best I have ever been to. It certainly was the most timely and meaningful.

God has been stirring my heart for weeks concerning personal growth, passion, and the future of emc. These two days threw some serious fire on the mix in my heart right now.

Bil Cornelius' sermon challenging us to swing hard has deeply affected me.

I am so not one that goes to a conference, gets jacked up,and then comes home trying trying to be everything I am not. So often conferences and speakers put things out there like..."here's what we did, you go and do it, and then you will get the same results."

People leave events and try doing everything God told someone else to do. This never works and only serves to make pastors poor copies of the originals. What's worse than being a poor copy is never becoming the original that God made you in the first place. Evolve was great because it stirred everyone to get past the cookie cutter crap, get to God, and get to doing everything He is called you to do without holding back anything.

Myself and EMC will never be the same because of these two days.

Sunday Remix 2-17-08

-Enjoyed teaching "The Power of Love" with my wife today. We leaned heavily on Gary Chapman's Five Love Language. I have loved seeing my wife develop as a speaker.

-We had over 40 people less this Sunday than last Sunday. Cherokee County Schools are out and we have a bunch of families on vacation. We also had a ton of people sick. Looking forward to next Sunday and having everybody back.

-With so many gone I was impressed at how well set up/tear down went.

-We had a sweet older lady visit the embassy today. When service was over she came up to me and handed me a crumpled up one dollar bill. She said, "now honey this is for you." She then pulled out another one and said, "this one is for your wife". She asked how many children do you have as she pulled more dollars out. So I told her I had 47 children. I figured the Wiseman family's going to Longhorn's. Ha ha. No really she handed me three more singles one for each of my children. How sweet. This lady is now my new favorite of all time.

Sunday Remix 2-10-08

-I was sicker than a dog, but we had a great day at the embassy.

-I had a blast preaching today even if I sounded like a cross between Barry White and Don Corleone.

-We finished a great series today. I look forward to you having an "Epic" year.

-Our crew was rockin' today. I love the team work that I see at emc. You all are doing an amazing job!

-We had another church planter visiting today. It's always great having people in the service checking things out.

-Had a pastor at emc today that I knew in Ohio. Tim Davis and his wife have moved to Duluth. What a surprise to see them.

-Chuck did a great job telling his story about God making him a different man. Proud of ya bro.

If you Pray....Pray

I am sicker than a dog y'all. My head is killing me and I'm all stuffed up. I can't wait to teach tomorrow though. I might sound a little like the God father, but I am ready to bring it. This week has been crazy and I think it's because tomorrow is going to rock. Don't miss the emc experience tomorrow. We will conclude our epic series with a teaching that relates to all of us.

Listen, if I am draggin' my sick sorry hide there tomorrow then you can too. Ha! Ha!

See ya then!

In the Trenches

This has been a week heavy with people needs. Every day this week we have been in the trenches. Often people don't realize the stuff others are going through. I love it that God is there for us at our worst moments. I also loved that as a pastor I get to be a part of people's victories and their struggles. At times life is a fight and we can't be afraid of getting in the trenches.

I heard something from someone that kind of troubled me. They said they loved their church because as soon as you walk in everyone is smiling and always happy. I guess that's great and all, but frankly how many times did you not feel so smiley and happy. Is being smiley and happy all the time the ultimate mark of a "successful" believer.

The folks I spent time with this week would probably not come to church this Sunday if they felt they had to put on a show. Frankly at times life is war and war is hell. I hope emc is always a friendly and joyful place, but on the other side when a person is feeling like crap, lost, bound, defeated, or etc... they will realize that they are not the only ones. There is hope for those who feel like they are going through the war. And there are people willing to be in the trenches with you.

This Sunday if you are facing a lot of stuff be at the Embassy. I can't wait to teach the final sermon in our Epic series.

I Love Church Planters

Yesterday I spent the better part of the afternoon with this guy. Mark is preparing to plant a church in Flowery Branch.

There are two things common to all successful church planters...hunger and purpose. I love that most guys I meet with realize that they have heard from God, but that is where it begins, not where it ends.

Successful church planters are tuned in to God's will for their lives and their city's needs. They also are willing to go to school on everybody else. I think we need a healthy balance of hearing from God and picking the brain of others.

Mark for the past year has been mentored by Pastor Johnny Hunt. That just goes to show the spirit of church planters. Mentored by one of the greatest pastors in America, but still wanting to spend the afternoon with a guy a couple years into this thing.

We need to always be looking for others ahead of us. This way we can learn from both their mistakes and their successes. It was great sharing with Mark a little of both. My prayers are with you Mark. Go tear Flowery Branch up with the message of Christ!

Safe Haven Project

This Saturday we begin the Safe Have Project. Safe Haven is a children's home in Woodstock. They are connected with the Atlanta Dream Center. We will be adding 2 bedrooms, hall, rec area, and some closets. Our first two work days are this Saturday and the 23rd; 9:00am-3pm.

Bring 'em if you gott'em: Basic hand tools: hammer, tape measure, tool belt, pencil, speed square, level, skill saw. Optional- frame nailer with guns, compressor, and hose.

Can't wait to hang out with some fellow emc-ers. Oh....you may have a friend that isn't into the whole church thing, but would love to help. Bring them. A buddy of mine is planning on helping during this project. A lot of good people have written off church, but they haven't written off being good. What a way for them to be around some of the real-est (is that a word?) Christ followers I have ever known.

See you Saturday!

Another Tragedy Back Home

Some friends of ours in Ohio lost their son yesterday in a single card accident. We have known the family since Isaiah(18) was Grant's age. Our hearts and prayers go out to Larry & Johnna. Also to Isaiah's little brothers Andrew & Joshua.

Sunday Remix 2-3-08

I have been slack on blogging lately, but here are some thoughts from yesterday.

-We have added a bunch of new emc-ers in all areas of ministry at the embassy. It is good to see so many getting involved at emc.

-We had church planters with us again yesterday. It is always good to hear what planters have to say after visiting emc. These guys are planting a church in Savannah that might be strategically working with Northpoint Church.

-I laid it out heavy this Sunday. We looked at our third week in the Epic 08 series. This week we challenged people to live to "inspire others". People who have offered great sacrifice for Christ have always been inspirational to me. We weaved stories of martyrs who laid their lives down for their faith. I challenged us to not die, but to live for our faith. We realize that we are not our own, but we should live to inspire others.

-I told one story of a girl that was part of the 38th Street gang in LA. When she came to Christ, the gang members beat her out of the gang for 38 seconds. A 17 year old that passionate about God...that's what I'm talking about.

-My trainer goes to emc and this morning she had me do a core exercise called a plank. When she told me how long to hold this posture she said "38 seconds" She told me if a 17 yearl old girl could do that for Christ, at least I could hold on that long. OOOO the guilt, but it worked. There was no way I was dropping. By the Way, I am closing in on 35 lbs of weight loss.

Sunday Remix 1-27-08

-I was so looking forward to preaching Sunday. Actually I think I was looking forward to it so much, I preached about two sermons. Ha! Ha!

-I was preaching on "pursuing change". I had the idea to take my clothes off on stage. If we never change our clothes over time we begin to stink, grow stale, and go out of style. If we never pursue change in our lives than our attitude will begin to stink. We will lose our freshness and vibrancy. We also will go out of style. Or in other words, we will stop moving in step with the season God is leading us into.

I talked about things we have to take off. As I did this I got down to a t-shirt and jeans. Then i said there are somethings we need to change in private before it goes public. During this part of the sermon I went into a curtained off area we made on stage with pipe and drape. Well I forgot to throw my t-shirt and Jeans over the curtain when I took it them off. That limited the illustration a little. Worse then that, when I pulled the side curtain, only the top drew together. This left a bit of a swag that left me arse visible. OK it wasn't quite that bad, but a few folks stage left began to say, "close the curtain." I didn't hear them. When I looked to the right it was fine because the upper part was closed. The thing is, my lily white legs were still visible...so I am told. We had planned to have the lights turned down so there would be no chance of me being silhouetted. Our fast acting tech team (thanks guys) killed the stage lights altogether. This relieved me of any further embarrassment.

I changed in there as i spoke about changing some of the more difficult areas in our life. I then stepped on in a suit. Cuffed links and all. This was the first time I have ever worn a suit at the embassy. It was pretty cool to see everybody's reaction. Or maybe they were just reacting to seeing a shot of me in my skivvies. Lord I hope not.

-All in all it was a good day. It was neat seeing so many new people helping tear down. I love it when someone has only been at the embassy a week or two and they are already jumping in. Too cool(thanks Paul)!


-I look forward to next Sunday for our 3rd part in the Epic 08 series.

I am seriously itchin' to preach

I can't wait until Sunday. It's going to be a great day. Plan to be there and bring every friend and family member that you can.

As we go into this new year I am so pumped about the momentum that we are experiencing. I sense passion for God increasing in the emc-ers. There is a hunger to grow and a desire to move forward into what God has for us individually.

I am committed this year to growth. I'm not talking about numbers on Sunday. We have that and will continue to grow until it eventually blows our minds. What I mean, is growth in the lives of those who are coming to the embassy. I so desire to see you connect with all that God has for you. I hope you are sensing the expectancy that is rising in our midst. I also hope you realize that this sense of expectation is the Spirit of God preparing to take us on a journey like never before. All I want to ask today is this...Are you ready? No...I mean really ready?

Hebrews 11:6

6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Two weeks ago I talked about expectation (faith). I said that expectancy sets in motion experience.

There is a promise in this scripture, but it is connected with the action of "diligently" seeking God. I want you to take some time to think about two ways that we can be active in our expectation.

#1 Make Space for God. What does that look like for you?

#2 Give God something to work with. Is there anything this year that you need to commit to God?

Miracle Sunday?

God has always provided for the needs of the embassy and I know He will continue to do so. We came out of 2007 a little tight in the area of finances. In December we received a special offering for the African Well project and the Safe Haven Children's home project. On that day the general giving was lower than normal. Then the last Sunday of the year we gave everyone the week off to be with family and friends. The following Sunday we did not recoup those funds. Even though we experienced our highest attendance for a regular service, our offerings for the first two week's of 2008 were 38% lower than usual. Then to follow that up, we didn't have service this past week. Whew!

So what does all this mean:

#1 We are going to make it. We always have and we always will!

#2 We are experiencing momentum in every area, but our finances. The great thing about this is...it can be fixed.

#3 We have many at the embassy who are not used to going to church, let alone give 10% (Tithe) of their earnings. On Sundays we rarely talk about money...and I want to keep it that way. Although, I do want to see more people experience the benefits of being faithful in this area. It's not about the money, but people moving in God's plan for their finances will be blessed and will be a blessing. I want all of us in that flow. Don't feel guilt or condemnation, but rather feel a sense of anticipation about what God is about to do in your life because of your faithfulness!

#4 I think at times people don't give because emc functions at a high capacity. Our commitment to excellence is something that we do not back down from. On a Sunday morning most would never imagine that in spite of our size we receive thousands less than many other churches the same size. We have to be very creative to stretch finances and we are. The need may not appear to be there, but it is.

#5 God desires to do great things in your life personally and through your church collectively. This will never happen if we don't go all out for Him in every area of our life.

#6 Let's make this coming Sunday a miraculous day financially. Let's allow our giving to match up with the blessings and momentum that God is granting to our church!


I love you guys... you are amazing. I can't wait to see all that God desires to do in your lives this year!


This Coming Sunday is going to be off the chain...See you then!

Blizzard of 08

Ok so it wasn't quite the weather we expected. There is ice out there and the DOT asked people to stay off the roads through the night. Most of the roads dried up before they had a chance to freeze, but as of last night we just didn't know.

One thing is for sure, Atlanta overreacts to weather. Last night I told Amie that there is no way we would cancel a service in Ohio the night before. That is unless it was dropping 18 inches of snow. She said "when in Rome do as the Romans" Well all I have to say to that is from now on we are not canceling the night before. We will get out and take a look the morning of. Then we will post our decision by 6:00am.

What to do during the "Blizzard" of 08:
-Make a stack of sandwiches with all the bread you ran out to buy.
-Wash down 2 dozen cookies and a big bowl of cereal with the extra milk.
-Enjoy the day and plan on coming back next Sunday for an amazing emc experience.

EMC is Cancelled

OH! that just hurts to say. I think that things will be fine by 10:02, but our set up crews have to get there early. The drive up to the theater is steep, the back of the theater where we load out is soaked. If it does freeze, getting things ready by 10:02 would be pretty tough.

Two things: #1 If this was Ohio we'd stinkin' be having church #2 If we had a building we'd stinkin' be having church. We would start at 11:00 or so to give it time to thaw, but we would be in church.

Canceling makes me feel like such a wus. Believers around the world tomorrow will be beaten for their faith. 1000's will make their way to watch the football game in conditions worse then we'll ever experience, but we canceled...folded...caved.

We have had such an amazing past two weeks. You can tell God is up to something at the embassy and I don't want to miss anything. Let's all plan to be back in force next Sunday. We'll see you next week.

Church Cancellations?

I'm from Ohio. The thought of canceling church, for the little bit of weather that's out there, makes me sick. We have a service planned for tomorrow that will impact lives greatly. I would love to say suck it up and just be careful getting there, but that would sound too much like a dang yankee. I don't want to pull the plug on the service, but I don't want to put emc-ers at risk either. We will make this decision within the next hour.

Road Trip to Unleashed 2008

Unleashed Conference 2008 Thursday, March 13, 2008. This is a one day conference for church leaders. I would love to see as many emc-ers as possible make this trip to New Spring Church in Anderson, SC. New Spring church began in 1999 and today has over 8000 in attendance. They have done an amazing job of not just drawing a crowd on Sundays, but truly impacting their surrounding communities.

Let's road trip together, get to know each other better, have an amazing time, and expand our vision of what God can do with a group of people "unleashed" for Him!

We'll take off early Thursday morning and come back when the meeting is over. The cost is $55.00 for the ticket. You will then be responsible for food. God is going to use our time together huge! Can't wait!


Email: ross@embassymetro.org if you might be interested in making this road trip.

Safe Haven Project

During our "Peace on Earth" series last month we raise support and awareness of the need at the Safe Haven Children's home in Woodstock. We are ready to begin the work in February. We will be doing a complete build out of the home's basement.

-First two work days will be Feb. 9th & 23rd. Make plans to come help create space for the children at Safe Haven.

Sunday Remix 1-13-08

-Sunday was insane.

-Worship was great.

-Attendance makes me think we may need a 2nd service for Easter.

-Easter, man that will be here in no time.

-You can sense that emc is a buzz with our vision casting from last Sunday. People are ready to flow, grow, and go. And God is putting everything together to help people get involved with what God is doing at emc, in our community, and in our personal growth.

-I spent the afternoon with our Drive Discipleship Team. These guys are passionate about helping people grow. Starting in February we will have a class that meets on Sunday mornings from 8:45-9:45 to help propel people on their journey with God. "Why walk when you can drive" be a a part of Drive Discipleship.

-Spent sometime dreaming about the next step at the embassy. Not sure when that step will take place, but God is definitely up to something. So I would like to encourage our emc-ers to serve, give, and anticipate in preparation for where God will lead us in 2008.

-Amie and I dropped in on Brantley and Hannah's gathering of Kid's Church team
members. They are doing such a great job with E-kids. It was amazing to see how many people want to minister to our children.

-I put my head on the pillow and realized that this Sunday was one of those days in the history of a church planter that will stand out. I am so proud of what all of you are doing to help people journey through life with God, Purpose, and Friends. Keep up the great work!

Leadership Roundtable

Yesterday my worship/media pastor and I went to Oasis Church for a leadership roundtable. The Oasis was listed as the 34th fastest growing church in the country last year. It was great spending time with Troy Shaw, his staff, and 15 or so other pastors.

You got to love Troy's heart to just "love on people". He is strong about his vision and committed to the mission God has for them. They are doing an amazing job. The three sessions were short on teaching and designed to make the time together a true round table. It was great hearing from Troy, and we got a lot out of the dialogue. I look forward to the next round table in a few months.

I know the pastor of Church Alive, Wayne Pugh. They currently are leasing the facility that the Oasis used before they built. After the roundtable we went to see this facility. To see where Oasis was at and where they are now in just a little under four years is mind blowing.

Yesterday served to expand my vision of what is possible. If you are an EMC-er this is going to be a great year. Own the the thought for yourself that together we can radically reach the people of our communities. If we are going to do something significant for God and for our communities than we need to be significantly committed. People are lost, marriages are struggling, addiction holds many, people need a growing relationship with Jesus. This year apply your time, talents, and finances to the cause of Christ and let's dominate this area for Christ!

Clairity for 2008

The week between the holidays I took some time to finish laying out our teaching plan for 2008. As a staff we have in the past designed a preaching calendar based on human need and what categories of thought work best for specific months of the year. Using that as a starting point and getting alone with God to ask the question, "what do you desire to teach into and do with your people this year?" a teaching plan for the year began to be sifted out. During the year this may shift some. Titles or the length of series may change. God may call an audible and we will respond to His game plan in a heartbeat, but we believe at emc that God can speak to you well in advance. God will anoint and use good planning. Working ahead allows a greater number of people's giftings to be used to reach a greater number and diversity of people. With all of that said here is where we are headed:

-"Epic 08" Everyone loves an Epic tale, an adventure of dynamic proportion. On January 13th-Feb 3rd discover with us your place in the story that is unfolding...go beyond the ordinary, surpass life as usual. Get ready to begin your EPIC YEAR.

-"Power of Love"

-"The Office" Positioning yourself for Success on the Job

-"F-3" Fuel, Force, Flow a series on the Holy Spirit

-"Life Bytes" IT for the Soul (This series will launch on Easter Sunday)

-"Check Mate" A series for singles looking at God's word to help us find what it takes to make the right choices in relationships.

-"Parenting" This series is still untitled but will look at the difficulties of and directions for Parenting.

-"Summer of Rock" Jesus told Simon one of his disciples that he would be known as "Peter" which means "Rock" We will develop a solid foundation for our faith as we look at Peter and the two letters Peter wrote in the New Testament.

-"God @ the Movies" We will again this year use movies as a means to illustrate the realities of humanity and the power of Christ's teachings to impact our lives.

-"Confessions of a Pastor" an honest look at the frustrations, doubts, fears, and struggles we all face.

-"Pirates: Reclaiming my stolen treasure" In our Christian lives stands an enemy who desires to steal, kill, and destroy. If we can recognize this enemy and the strategies used to steal from us, the better equipped we’ll be to win.

-"Escalator: Growing Up" Every Christ follower is called to be a leader. This series will help you to unleash your leadership potential.

-Christmas Series: not titled yet

OSU vs LSU

Last night was painful. Chuck text messaged me during the game and asked if OSU's quarterback came from Fumbleton, OH. Ha Ha....not funny.Two years in a row now my Buckeyes have thrown the championship away.

We did have a great time watching the game with a bunch of guys from emc and one new friend I met just yesterday. We set the kid's church projector up with a big screen and a powered speaker. Maybe next year.

OSU vs LSU

It is right now 31 to 10 LSU...third quarter. My hearts hurting...

2nd Anniversary Celebration Thoughts

-We had a great service as we looked to where God is leading us as a church. We took some time looking at Joshua 3 and challenging ourselves to not get stuck between where we have come and where we are going.
-Took time to cast vision on how we're going to flow, grow, and go this year.
-Closed the service with everyone crowding the stage and praying together as we begin the new year.
-Looking out and seeing everyone and realizing where we have come from in just two years really affected me.
-So proud of all the hard work everyone has done the past two years. Great job Team EMC.

I Can't Wait for Sunday

...It's been nearly 2 weeks since we had a service and I miss seeing everybody already.

...The band is going to be amazing

...I can't wait to preach what God has laid on my heart.

...I will reveal some of the plans God has for EMC in 2008.

...CAKE!

...You do not want to miss this important day in the history of EMC as we look back a little and forward a lot! See ya Sunday at 10:02.

...Everybody try and bring a guest with you.

...It will be one week closer until we unleash our new series "EPIC 08".

New Year New Notebook

I have always been one to keep my thoughts and ideas in a planner, a journal, or most recently on my MAC. I use to use Franklin Planners for personal management. Over the past 7 years I have become increasingly digital. I miss the therapeutic and creative nature of putting ink to paper so beginning Jan. 1st, 2008 I have went back to journaling and creating in ink. I recently have decided to try a Moleskine for recording my thoughts, ideas, and dreams.

Blurb from Moleskine's Website:
"For two centuries now Moleskine (mol-a-skeen'-a) has been the legendary notebook of artists, writers, intellectuals and travelers. From gifted artists Henri Matisse (1869–1954) and Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), to poet and leader of the surrealist movement André Breton (1896-1966) to Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) considered the most influential writer of the last century, to famous travel writer Bruce Chatwin (1940-1989).

These notebooks have proven they can withstand the trials of travel and abuses that ensues from normal use. This is the one true trusted travel journal."

I like that I will be able to continue to buy the same notebooks for years to come. Leaving something that my children and their children can look back on has great appeal to me. I plan on buying one for each of my children ASAP. I then want to record Daddy's "Life Lessons" and other thoughts I have about them and their experiences. Upon graduation or their wedding I would like to present them a book full of the thoughts their Daddy has had of them through the years. I wish I would have thought of that 11 years ago when we had Adalee. No time like the present.