I’m on the bandwagon with this post from Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA…had to re-post.

’Tis the season for Dad to drop the holiday ball, stress out as the money is being spent for presents, and miss yet another providential opportunity to lovingly lead his family. So, this blog is intended to help dads not fall into the same old rut of holiday humdrum, sitting on the couch watching football and eating carbs, but rather intentionally plan out the upcoming holiday season. Our children grow quickly and if we miss the sacred moments God opens up for us to connect with and bless our families, everyone suffers and we set in motion generations of missed opportunity.

Dad needs…

1. a plan for the holidays to ensure his family is loved and memories are made. Dad, what’s your plan?
2. to check the local guides for what’s going on to make fun holiday plans for the family. In Seattle it’s here.
3. to carve out time for sacred events and experiences to build family traditions that are fun and point to Jesus. Dad, is your calendar ready for December?
4. to not let the stress of the holidays, including money, cause him to be grumpy with Mom or the kids. Dad, how’s your joy?
5. to give experiences and not just gifts. Dad, what special memories can you make this holiday season?
6. to manage the extended family and friends during the holidays. Dad, who or what do you need to say “no” to?
7. to ensure his family is giving generously during the holidays. Dad, who in need is your family going to adopt and bless?
8. to schedule a big Christmas daddy date with his daughter. Dad, what’s your big plan for the fancy daddy date?
9. to schedule guy time with his son. Dad, what are you and your son going to do that is active, outdoors, and fun?
10. to help Mom get the house decorated. Dad, are you really a big help to Mom with getting things ready?
11. to ensure some holiday smells and sounds. Dad, is Christmas music on the iPod, is the tree up, and can you smell cookies and cider in your house?
12. to snuggle up and watch some fun shows with the kids, especially the little ones. Dad, is the DVR set?
13. to take the family on a drive to see Christmas lights while listening to music and sipping cider. Dad, is it mapped out?
14. to help Mom get the kids’ rooms decorated. Dad, do the little kids get lights or a small tree in their room?
15. to read about Jesus and pray over his kids. Dad, how’s your pastoral work going with each of your kids?
16. to repent of being lazy, selfish, grumpy, or just dumping the holidays on Mom. Dad, are you a servant like Jesus to your family?

God is powerful. He created all power and owns all power. The verses below are significant. They’ve given me a renewed confidence in my God and His work in my life.

Psalm 115:3
3 Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

Daniel 4:34-35
34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”

This makes me happy. God has all power He is doing as He pleases in my life.

jmoore

Currently headed home from Catalyst Leadership Conference in Atlanta. Fantastic content as usual!

I sit on the plane…high in the sky…really enjoying the in-flight wi-fi…my first ever experience.

I’m overwhelmed at the massive scale of God’s work in the US & around the world. It feels so good to be part of something this massive. Someone said that life is too short/important for us to spend it investing in something as unimportant as ourselves. Andy Stanley said, “It’s not about who’s on your side but who’s side you’re on.” Yep. I’m happy to be on His side & happy to invest in His work….His purpose.

I’ve felt recently much like Israel must have felt in Joshua 3 when they camped at the flooded Jordan for three days just prior to crossing. Their promise was just on the other side of these raging rapids. In church planting, it seems like we encounter one set of raging rapids after another. In fact, it appears that there are never any major steps forward without a flooded river crossing or two.

In Joshua 3, after Israel stared at the river for three days, they acted as instructed and followed the Ark (presence of God), and crossed over, unscathed on dry ground…into the fulfillment of God’s plan for their lives. They followed the presence of God…didn’t jump ahead, didn’t sit & watch. When the Ark moved, they moved. It’s really simple isn’t it?

God bless,
jmoore

There is no award given away at the close of the football season for huddling. No such thing as the MVH. Most Valuable Huddler. There will not likely be any huddles on ESPN’s top 10 plays of the night. Huddles are great…they are important…necessary…but they don’t win games. No, you actually have to leave the huddle after hearing the play, approach the line of scrimmage and MOVE FORWARD when the ball is snapped.

There are too many people that are stuck between the huddle and running the play. There are stuck in that “in-between” place. Some have been set free from some sin issue but have not moved forward into God’s ultimate purpose for them. Others have had God direct them toward a mission but have reasoned it away again & again. They’re stuck behind the line of scrimmage.The enemy gives us an unlimited number of excuses as to why we should stay in the huddle and not run the play. James called this, “hearing the word, but deceiving ourselves.”

Sometimes, we tend to build our lives around the huddle. Some people build their ministries around the huddle. They are master huddlers. Masters at calling plays…never carry them out mind you…but masters at calling amazing plays. Let me encourage you today as James admonished us in James 1:22…do not just listen to the play call and somehow deceive yourself, but actually move forward to the line & run the play!

Worlds are not changed by those who huddle. Worlds are not changed by those who study, read, write, go to conferences, and listen to leadership podcasts. Worlds are changed those who prepare by doing all of these things listed…but then they DO SOMETHING. Leave the huddle and run the play.

May you follow God forward.
jmoore

I’m really excited about all that’s happening at Northrock. Tomorrow is a huge day with former TX Longhorn Octavious Bishop along with music by the Royal Tailor Band. Can’t wait!

FYI, we’ve got some new stuff happening in the auditorium to improve our look! Truss, lights, rod & drape…etc! Come check it out. We’ll try to post some pics soon.

Next Sunday, the 27th, we’re doing our 1st baby dedication. That’s another special little landmark for us.

Then, Oct 4 is a cool day with baptisms & tailgating. We’re having our 2nd baptism experience and having a tailgate party to help us celebrate people making their decision to follow Jesus public! It excites me to no end when I see people clothing themselves with Christ! We like to say it’s like you’re putting on your “Jesus” jersey and letting the world know you’re His! When you’re wearing His jersey, you are an unstoppable force! Excited about Oct 4.

Good times coming over the next few weeks and months.

God bless,
jmoore

It’s late summer. It’s still VERY hot in TX. This has been one of the hottest summers ever recorded in San Antonio. We dream of highs in the 90’s…only to wave to 99 somewhere around 4:30 each day as we move toward triple digits.

I’m personally anxiously awaiting the fall. Temps will undoubtedly drop, people will undoubtedly come home from vacationing…because they have to…and we’re beginning a series at Northrock called “GAMETIME.” Gametime is about getting in the game. Showing up, suiting up, and joining the fun! I am very excited about this series. We have some great things planned, including a surprise or 2…it’s gonna be fun! People are serious about their football here in TX…as am I…but at Northrock, we’re consumed with reaching the spiritually disconnected with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We intend to see lives [re]defined over the 5 weeks of Gametime.

Currently, we’re in a series called SALT. It’s simple. Jesus called his followers Salt. He called them preservers of their planet. Not so much in an eco kind of way (not that there’s anything wrong with that)  as a spiritual kind of way. We are to be the carriers of a moral mindset. We are to be the conscience in our culture by living out the principles of God in our context.

There’s something about God in that He has patience with the unjust as long as there are God-fearing people around. Look at the story of Sodom in Gen 18. Abraham bargained with God to the point where God was willing to preserve Sodom if there we even 10 righteous people found. The undertone here says that the righteous are the preservers of the unrighteous. They are Salt. Do you see yourself as the Salt of your workplace. Do you sense that your morally corrupt co-worker is being preserved because they rub shoulders with you every day? Do you embrace your Salt alias given to you by Christ?

We have 2 more Sundays of SALT. You need to hear this…you need to allow it to seep into you spirit.

God bless…peace,
jmoore

Yesterday, we had a massive number first time guests walk in off the streets to Northrock. July 12, dead of summer, one of our largest influxes of first timers ever. No special advertising, no special day, in fact a very average day as far as that goes. (This is another proof positive that you must have your GAME FACE on EVERY SUNDAY….and we did.) Yesterday was unexplainable. I blame Jesus.

I kind of believe that God was giving us a taste of what we believe is going to happen in the Fall…massive influx of people…exponential, unexplained growth. I don’t want to be able to explain it. If I can explain why it’s happening, it’s not big enough.

Our Northrock attendees are excited. There is a feeling of expectancy in the atmosphere. I understand that summer is here and families are traveling, going to see family, cruising, driving, flying, swimming…but there something in the air. Get ready.

Last Friday, I read where the 2 men on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 were “kept from recognizing” Jesus. For some reason, He didn’t want them to SEE what He was doing. Among other things, He wanted them to just believe…even w/out physical proof. He called them “slow of heart” (vs 25) because they didn’t believe. May God help us all in the weeks to come when we can’t SEE God working to believe nonetheless. Sometimes Jesus doesn’t want you to see what He’s doing. Sometimes He intentionally blinds you from His work.

During those blind days, don’t let your “slow heart” condition control your life. Instead, allow your “burning heart” as mentioned in vs 32 drive you. Herein is the two fold heart condition that I, like the 2 on the road to Emmaus, have been diagnosed with….slow heart & burning heart.

God bless…
jmoore

Freedom Sunday rocked yesterday! The Holy Spirit was SO strong throughout the service as we took communion, honored our country, and worshiped the original Freedom Fighter. I’m loving the freedom and community that is felt in a brand new church. It’s exhilarating. We are “enjoying” our first summer as a church plant and eagerly gearing up for an amazing Fall in which we are expecting exponential growth!

I’ve been consumed of late with a question that Jesus asked Bartimaeus in Mark 10:51. He called him, looked at him, and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” Wow…that question rings with possibility…it resounds with hope. What would you say? If Jesus stopped, called you to Him, and asked you “What do you want me to do for you?” What is your answer?

What’s your what? Then tell Him now.

God bless…
jmoore

The people who keep up with numbers and stat stuff say that June is the worst attended month of the year for churches. So far, Northrock is hanging in there and holding it’s own. The first summer for a brand new church can be a little daunting. I must be honest though, I feel really good about where we are. Our perspective is clear, the vision is at the forefront, people are buying in, there are new volunteers (RockStars), we’ve seen new faces every Sunday in June…this is why we’re here!

Our 5 month mark has us well on our way to doing what God has led us here to do…reach the spiritually disconnected of SA with the love & grace of Jesus. As I look back, there are a handful of things I might do a little differently but as far as I can tell…all is going as Jesus planned!

I read Galatians again on the plane today…wow. We’d better stay focused on the simplicity of the Gospel and the Gospel alone.

On a personal note, God is leading my ministry in some amazing new, fresh directions. As I humbly lead the amazing people of Northrock, I’m striving to listen to God more attentively than ever, follow behind Him closer than ever, watch for Him to show up with clearer focus, and work harder than ever to cultivate my relationship with my Savior. I’m very excited about the new horizons and limitless possibilities that God is placing before me.

Get ready San Antonio…

God bless,
jmoore

Summertime in San Antonio. HOT. It’s mid June and we’ve already topped 100 about 7 or 8 days. Wow.

We’re having fun at Northrock though! We baptized 6 people in our first baptism experience a couple of weeks back. Our average attendance for May was our largest month yet…in fact, we’ve seen consistent increase in numbers over our first four months in existence. God is guiding this ship…we’re just along for the ride!

We just completed a six week series called “Vintage” that was SO MUCH FUN to preach. We talked about ancient truths that are still very fresh and relevant to us today. You can check out the messages at NorthrockSA.com on the media page. Sunday I closed with the sermon called “Seek & Save.” That is why Jesus came and that is why Northrock exists. We want His purpose to be our purpose so that His anointing can be our anointing! In Luke 4, reading from the Prophet Isaiah, Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me….” I felt this passage so strong on Sunday morning as it relates to our mission at Northrock Church. I believe with all of my heart that God’s Spirit is on us and He has anointed us to reach San Antonio, TX with the love and power of Jesus Christ! This is a very exciting time for us…as well as for the spiritually disconnected who are going to come to know Jesus through the ministry of NRC!

Next week, we’re beginning a new series called, “Can You See Him?” In it, we’ll explore the concept of seeing God in everything that happens in life…good and bad. That one is going to be fun. This coming Sunday also happens to be a very special day for Dad’s…we plan to honor them!

Feeling footloose and fancy free and loving this church plant thing!

jmoore