VBS / VBX

VBS week here at Second Baptist Church is always exciting. This year, thousands of kids have come out to the North Campus for VBS and VBX (for 5th and 6th graders). It has been an exciting week and we have seen hundreds make decisions for Christ. Here are a few pictures of the incredible BIG SHOW:

How Big is Your God?

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to preach in our weekend services. I had the chance to stand in front of our whole church body to share 3 obstacles to BIG FAITH:

1. Ourselves - we think God could never use us

2. Our opposition - we think the opposition is too great

3. Our view of God - we don't think God is big enough to do the impossible.

Over the past 9 months, we've had a group of students who have chosen to believe that God could do BIG things through them and tons of students on their teams and in their schools have committed their lives to Christ and are actively involved in a growth journey!

God is doing the impossible through students with BIG FAITH!

Thoughts from My Hospital Bench/Bed

My wife was readmitted to the hospital last Friday and told she'd need to stay for 24 hours... 4 days later, she was finally released. In the midst of much prayer, joy with our new son, frustration and uncertainty about what was happening, and sleep deprivation, I had a few thoughts stick with me:

1. Family is more important than ministry

I know I always hear it and say it, but as hard as it has been to be gone for another weekend (I've missed church for a couple weeks in a row... and I'm still in Houston), I want and need to be with my wife and son.  My dad always made it a priority and it impacted me.  When he missed every Wednesday night as a pastor of our church to watch me play baseball or basketball, people often asked how he could justify that.  His response was, "Anyone can lead a Bible study.  I'm the only one who can be a father to my children."  No one can take your place in your family.

2. Duplicating myself is critical

I've never had a time where I felt like I was completely bailing out last minute on weeks at a time.  While we were somewhat able to prepare for one weekend, being back in the hospital and missing 3 straight weekends is enlightening.  Fortunately, we have AMAZING staff and volunteers that are prepared to take it and run, without missing a beat.  If function of ministry ever suffers because I am missing, then I'm not doing as good of a job as I need to training people and giving ownership.

3. Quality leadership can't be replaced

It's amazing how at peace I am knowing that quality people are leading the ministry while I'm away.  I'm very particular, so that's a huge deal for me to have peace when I'm not there.  Quality leadership is crucial.

4. Sleep is good

No explanation needed.

Just One Week

The last week has been amazing.  It has been tough - how can a baby poop that much all day long?  It has been exciting - we never know what is coming next, like when he smiles one minute and pees on my mother-in-law the next.  It has been tiring - he sleeps all day and is wide awake at night... It has been amazing.  

There are a lot of memories that really stand out to me about the last week - seeing him the first time, standing by the table holding him for the first time, our first time together as a family, having my "moments" with him every day where I just get to hold him, talk to him, and sing to him - I love those moments.

One other thing that really stands out about the last week was when he was in the nursery right after he was born (they let us hold him for about 10 minutes, then they took him to a transition nursery for 5 hours and we weren't allowed in - we could just look through the window).  They took his foot and made a small cut so they could take blood, then they squeezed it and scraped to get the blood into a tube.  I wanted to jump through the window and take him out of there.  I knew it was for a good reason, but I didn't care.  I couldn't take it anymore.  I left.  I could not stand there and watch my son go through that. 

As I walked away frustrated with the face that I could not do anything about it, I began thinking about what God must have gone through watching his one and only Son be beaten, mocked, whipped, tortured, and hung on a cross by nails through his hands and feet.  Here's the part that got to me most - God could have done something about it.  He could have said, "No, I'm not going to watch this happen to MY SON!  You are not going to do that to MY SON!"  He could have just ended it.  Taken them out.  But He didn't.  How could God stand back and watch that happen to His Son who He loves?!?  It's because He loves my son that much.  Because He loves me.  Because He loves you that much!  He loves us so much that He would allow His Son to die so that we could be His children.

1 John says it this way: "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"

10:10

Jesus said, "I have come that they might have LIFE and have it TO THE FULL."
John 10:10

What an incredible blessing it is to have our beautiful 10:10 baby boy!

Brayden Brooks Gray

Brayden Brooks Gray arrived yesterday at 1:00PM. He measured 10 lbs 10 oz (10:10 - awesome, if you know my favorite verse in all of Scripture!) and was 22 3/4" long! Since no one really cares about what I'm writing, I'll give you all what you really want...

One Day

We're down to less than 24 hours!  Tomorrow morning, we go to the hospital for the medically assisted delivery of our son.  This is the first time for us.  What is it like?  What do I need to do to be a good husband in the delivery room?  (Really, I'm just praying that I won't pass out!)  What will the next few weeks be like?  How will the baby respond?  How will Michelle's recovery go?  We're both a little nervous about the procedure and process.  We're both unsure about what it will be like.  But most of all, we're both sure that this is one of the most exciting and anticipated moments of our lives!  I can't imagine what it will be like to hold my son for the first time.  Now that I've started this blog, I even wonder if I'll even remotely be able to communicate the depth of love, joy, and excitement of the next few days... probably not.  But I guess that's really ok.

I wonder what my prayers will be like.  For the past nine months, it has been "God, there is nothing I can do, but trust You.  I have no control, but I trust that You do."  I wonder how much that prayer will change.  I also wonder how much that prayer will continue to be the same.

All I know is that tomorrow is a big day.  Tomorrow is my son's birth day!

rookie blog

In my rookie blog, I couldn't think of anything better to write about than the one thing I am most excited about right now - the upcoming birth of my son Brayden.  He will be born this week - either on his own or medically induced - and we can't wait.  My beautiful wife Michelle  - radiant even pregnant - has been carrying him for over 9 months now and we're both ready to hold him and carry him in a new way.  People always ask if I'm nervous.  I might be crazy, but I think I'm just too excited right now to be nervous.  I can't wait to see my son and to hold him in my arms.  This whole process has been a very spiritual one for me.  I have grown to understand that I will never understand the depth of God's love for each of us... and I haven't even seen or held him yet.

I can't wait.