Leading Timber Ridge

Why Talk About Money?

2012-01-04T14:41:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we kicked off a brand new series at Timber Ridge Church called Dollars and Sense. It's all about understanding the practical wisdom God gives us in His Word about money and finances. I believe that we're going to see changed hearts and changed lives over the next few weeks and that really excites me!

But you may be wondering why a church would talk about money? Let me give you a few brief reasons:

God's Word talks about money. Money and finances are mentioned around 800 times in the Bible. We're called to teach the full counsel of God's Word.
Jesus talked about money. Throughout his life and ministry, Jesus taught about money.
Our view and use of money reveals our hearts. Jesus taught that where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also. How we spend and use our money reveals a lot about what we really believe about God. It's just as the old saying goes: "Show me a man's bank account & I'll show you what's really important in his life."
We talk about money everywhere else. We talk about money in our homes, in our jobs, and in our daily lives. We see commercials and advertisements that tell us how to spend our money. We are bombarded with messages about money and possessions from our culture. Why wouldn't we address such a major life issue within the church?

Giving Our Best

2011-12-13T15:35:00.001-06:00

I am PUMPED about this Sunday at Timber Ridge Church! We are participating in our first ever special Christmas offering which we're calling My Best Gift. We believe that, as Christ followers, God has called us to use everything He's given us to advance the Gospel and message of Jesus. We're committed to giving God the best of our time, our talents, and our treasure in order to make an eternal impact.

This year 100% of our My Best Gift offering is going toward our mission of reaching the lost, the least, and the lonely through three avenues:

Church Planting - funding new church plants that will reach those far from God.
Global Missions - supporting mission work and projects outside of the United States.
Local Benevolence - helping families in Stephenville & Erath county with practical, physical needs.

You can find out more about the My Best Gift offering by clicking here. You can also email info[at]timberridgechurch[dot]com with any questions you might have about this special offering.

Whether you attend Timber Ridge regularly, support us from afar, or simply know about what God is doing in and through this new church, I want to ask you to pray for the My Best Gift offering this Sunday. Pray that God would use it to grow us in our generosity and to advance the Gospel of Jesus through our community, our country, and our world.

At Timber Ridge Church, we believe what the Bible says in Proverbs 11:25, where it reads, "A generous man will prosper. A man who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." This Sunday, we have a great opportunity to be generous in a way that will allow us to refresh others and meet real needs throughout the year in 2012...and that PUMPS ME UP!

A Little Christmas Cheer

2011-12-09T08:11:00.001-06:00

Why Serving Matters

2011-12-05T12:37:00.001-06:00

Yesterday at Timber Ridge Church we did something that is somewhat unusual for a church. We didn't host weekend services. Yes, it was Sunday. Yes, the weekend worship experience is a HUGE focus for us as a church in reaching people. And yes...we shut the doors. Instead of having our usual worship experience on Sunday morning, we instead went out into our community and served. We took the morning to serve together and show God's love in real and practical ways to our community. We became the hands and feet of Jesus in a very real way.

One of our Core Values at Timber Ridge is that we add value to our community. We do that by serving. Our community doesn't exist for us. We exist for the community - to serve it, bring hope to it, and add value to it. Serving is a core part of who we are as a young church. And I believe that serving matters - not just for Timber Ridge - but for every church and every follower of Christ. And below are some reasons why:

Why Serving Matters

We are never more like Jesus than when we serve. Jesus' life mission involved serving others. (Mark 10:45)
People in our culture don't need to hear another sermon about how much God loves them. They need to see people who claim to follow Jesus actually live out his love by serving others. People who've given up on church and given up on God need to see us actually walk our talk. (James 2:14-18 & 1 John 3:16-18)
The only form of religion that God accepts always involves serving others. (James 1:27 & Isaiah 1:17)
Serving allows us to use the spiritual gifts and talents God's given us. It's spiritual exercise & how we build our spiritual muscles. (1 Peter 4:10-11 & Romans 12:4-8)
We were created to serve. (Ephesians 2:10)
Serving others blesses us. (Matthew 23:11 & Proverbs 11:25)

I am so proud to pastor a church that puts it's faith in action by serving others. Timber Ridge, yesterday you WALKED the TALK and I'm so pumped to be on this journey with you. Somebody serve somebody!

Timber Ridge Christmas Wish List

2011-12-05T11:07:00.001-06:00

I've received a couple emails in the past several days from different people who have helped start Timber Ridge Church in our early stage through their generous financial support. They inquired, as the year is coming to a close, if there were specific needs we have as a church that they could give toward. That gave me the idea to share a "Christmas Wish List" for Timber Ridge for those who might be interested in giving a year-end gift toward the ministry and work that God is doing with Timber Ridge Church.

Here's our Christmas Wish List:

Fresh Start Material: Every time someone commits their life to Jesus Christ or shows interest in trusting Jesus as their Lord and Savior, we offer them a devotional resource that walks them through the basics of a relationship with Jesus. You can provide a bundle of these materials, which will go into the hands of 6 people, for $15.
Two Ipads to be used as Giving Kiosks: We're rolling out online and mobile giving early in 2012 & we'll be including two kiosks to receive tithes & offerings since we live in such a debit card driven society. Cost per Ipad: $499
Timber Ridge Kids Curriculum: We are in constant need of new curriculum for our kids ministry areas. A gift of $30 sponsors a week of kids curriculum and a gift of $120 covers an entire month.
Bibles: We're consistently reaching people who are new to church and thus, who are in need of a Bible. You can cover the cost of an entire case of Bibles for $48.
Mailers: One of the best marketing tools we've discovered for this area to spread the word about Timber Ridge Church is through mailers. A year-end gift of $1800 allows us to distribute an invite mailer that covers almost the entire city limits.
Outreach Events: We're constantly finding new ways to reach out to our community with the love and message of Jesus in practical ways. We do this through things like Family Movie Nights and block parties. You can provide a partial sponsorship of an outreach event for $35. Each outreach event only needs 6 partial sponsorships to be fully funded.
Invite Cards: We try to consistently put new, relevant invite cards into the hands of our regular attenders so that they can invite their family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. A gift of $24 covers an entire box of invite cards so that people can find out about Timber Ridge Church.
My Best Gift Offering: This Christmas at Timber Ridge Church we are taking a special offering within the church called My Best Gift. 100% of the offering received for this special offering goes toward our mission of reaching the lost, the least, and the lonely by planting churches, being involved in global missions, and helping local families in need through our benevolence ministry.

These are just a handful of the many ways a year-end gift can make a significant impact and help us continue to see lives changed at Timber Ridge Church. Every dollar given goes to see lives changed! If you'd like to make a year-end, tax deductible gift to the ministry of Timber Ridge Church, you can do that in two ways:

You may give securely online at www.timberridgechurch.com/give. If you'd like to designate that gift toward one of the specific needs above, please include that in the note section when you give.
You may mail gifts to Timber Ridge Church, P.O. Box 2574, Stephenville, TX 76401. To designate your gift to one of the above needs, please include that desire with your gift.

Timber Ridge Church would not exist without the generosity and faithfulness of people from all around the state of Texas and the United States. Those of you who have generously and faithfully contributed to this ministry are a part of seeing lives changed and God's kingdom grow. THANK YOU for what you do in supporting the ministry and work God is doing in and through Timber Ridge Church!

5 Christmas Tips for Dad

2011-11-30T10:26:00.001-06:00

Christmas time is here again. Time for dad to get frustrated with house decorating, stress out over how much money is spent on gifts, and have his family overcome with a crazy, chaotic calendar. But what if it doesn't have to be that way? We have a unique opportunity at Christmas to create great family memories and lead our families in growing closer to Jesus. And let's face it: Our kids grow up way to fast. So here are some tips for dads to make the most of the holiday season for their families.

Check your Cheer - Dad's, don't let the stress and spending of the holidays rob you of your Christmas cheer. Be joyful. Be hopeful. You're family takes their cues from you.
Model Generosity - The holidays are a great time to teach your family about giving and generosity. Who are you planning to adopt, bless, and serve this holiday season?
Dive In To Decorations - We need to help our wives with decorating the house. We need to make it a family affair. We need to take time to drive around and look at Christmas lights with the family. Embrace the sights and sounds of Christmas and be sure your family is having the complete holiday experience.
Make It About Jesus - It's easy for the message of Christmas to get lost in the hype. Dads need to be leading their families to remember that Christmas is all about Jesus. Dads need to be leading their families spiritually. How are you doing with this dad? (For a great Christmas Bible reading plan click here.)
Plan A Christmas Calendar - I started planning a Christmas calendar last year and it made the holiday so much better for our family. Here are 4 things you can do to be successful with this dads:

Make sure you're planning family time where memories will be made.
Create time to build family traditions.
Check out local events that can make the holidays fun for your family.
Be wise about what you say yes to and what you say no to.

Dads, let's be intentional in making the most of Christmas for our families this year. Let's lead well. Let's model the Christmas spirit for our children & not miss out on a great opportunity to build memories that can last a lifetime!

Irreplaceable Team Members

2011-11-29T12:03:00.000-06:00

All of us are on a team at some stage in life. As kids, we're in teams for things such as sports and band. As adults it comes in the form of the teams of people we work with in our jobs, the places we serve in the community, and can even appear in working with others on community projects or leadership teams. Over the years I have worked with tons of teams of various forms, functions, and sizes. Here's some things I've noticed about team members who excel and make themselves irreplaceable.

They are SOLUTION people rather than PROBLEM people. Anyone can identify the problem. Anyone can point out what is wrong. When a problem arises, great team members approach their leaders, not just with the problem, but with a list of possible solutions.
They are TEAM focused instead of POSITION focused. Without fail, if a team of people form for any purpose, there will be people who begin to seek out position and power. Great team members realize that the good of the TEAM is always more important than any individual credit or credentials.
They see other people as a RESOURCE and not COMPETITION. For many individuals, there is a natural human tendency that exists to see other people as competition on a team. Great leaders and team members understand that people are their most valuable resource, so the INVEST time building relationships with others
They understand VISION and how to FOLLOW well. Everyone has an opinion about how to do something, how to approach something, or about what they feel is best for a situation. Great team members understand authority and they follow well, knowing that there are times where the leaders see things they don't see.
They never EXPECT others to do what they WON'T. It amazes me how many people think leadership is gained through POSITION or title. The truth is, great team members lead by doing the difficult things themselves and modeling for others the expected behavior/standard/action. They are the first ones to show up. They work the hardest. They lead by example.

We all find ourselves on a team from time to time - at work, in school, in the community, at church. If you want to make yourself irreplaceable but duplicatable follow these five simple suggestions. Your team or organization will be better because of it. And after all, isn't that the purpose of a team?

Dig In

2011-11-28T09:28:00.001-06:00

Over the past three weeks I've had several people at Timber Ridge ask me about Bible reading plans. It seems there are a lot of people taking the step to spend time with God in His Word on a daily basis. And that is a life-changing step to take!

I wanted to share some online resources and reading plans for those of you who might be interested in getting into God's Word each day. Below you'll find a few resources that can help you as you spend time with God each day.

30 Days With Jesus - What better topic to study than the life of Jesus? This reading plan takes you on an overview of the life and work of Jesus in just one month.
30 Days For New Christians - If the Bible and church are a new thing for you, this reading plan is a great option to give you a general, very brief overview of some major topics in the Bible.
First Steps Reading Plan - This reading plan is designed for people who are new to faith in Jesus. It's a year long reading plan that covers the Bible basics with a light amount of reading each day.
The Bible in 90 or New Thru 30 - If you're looking for a more intense, deeper reading plan check out one of these plans. The Bible in 90 takes you through the entire Bible in just 90 days. New Thru 30 is a journey through the entire New Testament in just a month.
YouVersion.com - YouVersion is a great tool to read the Bible online from your computer, phone, or other mobile device. YouVersion also offers several reading plans to choose from as well.

The key to getting the most out of God's Word is to simply make the commitment to read it and then DO IT. So pick the plan that's best for where you are right now in life and jump in. You'll be amazed at how spending time in God's Word each day will change your life!

Are YOU Ready For Some FOOTBALL?

2011-11-02T15:46:00.002-05:00

This Sunday (November 6th) we're hosting our first ever Timber Ridge TAILGATE! The tailgate party will begin immediately following our 10:30am worship service. I'm pumped up for this & here's 3 reasons why you should be too!

Free Food & Fun - We're gonna' be grilling tons of hamburgers and hot dogs and they'll be plenty of food for everyone! Plus we'll have a blast hanging out together & watching the Cowboy's game.
Can you say BIG screen? - We'll be projecting the game on the big screen at The Conference Center so you'll have a great view of the game!
Friends, Friends, Friends! - Our church is less than 2 months old...so that means that literally EVERYONE is new! The tailgate party is a great opportunity to meet new people, connect with others, and make some great friends!

I hope you and your family will make plans to join us Sunday for the 1st ever Timber Ridge TAILGATE! It's sure to be a blast!

The Weekend Update

2011-10-24T11:01:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've shared a Weekend Update, but I'm going to get back in the habit starting NOW. Here's a glimpse into the weekend at the Burleson household. Check it out:

Friday evening we had some family fun at the pumpkin patch & hay maze that is sponsored by the Stephenville Christian School. If you're local to the Stephenville area, you should go check it out. You can find more info here.
On Saturday, I ran my first ever 5k! It was a very cool experience. I've been training and working out for a couple months now with the goal of being able to finish this 5k by running the entire race...and I did it! Hayden ran out on the course when I was about 40 yards from the finish line and I even carried him the rest of the way. It was a big personal accomplishment in my life & I'm already planning to run another race to raise money for charity.

Sunday was all things Timber Ridge! Met a lot of new people and we concluded our Paparazzi series. You can check out the weekend's message here.
This weekend we start a new series at Timber Ridge called Worst To First: The Bible's Greatest Comeback Stories. I was already getting pumped up for it this past Sunday. It's gonna' be a lot of fun! You can get a sneak peek here.

A Little Link Love

2011-10-11T15:54:00.004-05:00

Today I feel like sharin' the love...So here's a little link love on the blog. Below you'll find a few things that I've found interesting lately & a few things that just happen to be on my mind. Check it out:

A couple weekends ago we talked about Making Monday Morning Matter at Timber Ridge. It was all about how to use your job to impact the kingdom of God. I came across a great article today that's full of practical ways to live out your faith at work. Check it out here.
We kicked off a brand new series this weekend at Timber Ridge Church. It's called Paparazzi. You can catch the message online here.
My wife is an unbelievably talented photographer...and I don't just say that because I'm married to her. She's about to kick-off some amazingly affordable sessions called Christmas Minis that are perfect for getting that great family holiday pic. You can check out her work for yourself here.
My good friend & fellow church planter Zak White is laying down some LEGIT basic money principles on his blog this week. He's offering some great practical ways to make the most of your money. Check it out here.
Our Creative Arts Pastor & my friend Micah has started a new venture here in the Ville. If you're looking for anything audio/video/technical/computer/web he is your man! Check out his new website here.
Earlier this week Pastor Steven Furtick shared some great insights into how to have a meaningful time with God each day. Check it out here.
If you haven't watched this video of the biker in Africa, it is a MUST SEE. Check it out here.

Move Your Seat & Move Your Feet

2011-10-04T11:54:00.002-05:00

This Sunday, October 9th, we're adding a new service at Timber Ridge Church. We will have two service times, with worship experiences happening at 9 & 10:30 am. You can read the details as to why we're moving to two services by clicking here, but the short version is that making this move opens up seats and allows us the opportunity to reach more people...and that's what we are all about at Timber Ridge.

Here are 3 quick, easy ways you can help make this move successful THIS WEEK if you're a part of Timber Ridge. As your pastor, I want to ask you to make a commitment to reach people this week for the kingdom of God. Here's some practical ways you can do this:

Get The Word Out. Pass out those invite cards you received on Sunday, use your Facebook account to share about two services & invite your Facebook friends, and personally invite your neighbors & your co-workers to join us this weekend. There is incredible POWER in a PERSONAL invitation. Don't come alone this weekend!
Move Your Seat. If you call Timber Ridge your church home, commit to making the move to the 9am service for at least the next month. That way we have more seats open at 10:30...and you can serve in the second service to help first-time guests connect with God & have a great experience!
Move Your Feet. Meet me this Saturday morning, October 8th, at The Conference Center at The Deluxe Inn to canvass neighborhoods and hand out invite cards letting people know about our new service times. We're meeting at 9am and everyone will be done between 10 & 10:30am. It's a small time commitment that can make a HUGE difference in someone's life!

It's all about reaching people who aren't here yet! And we'll do whatever it takes to reach those far from God with the hope of Christ. YOU can be a big part of that this week! Get the word out...move your seat...move your feet...and watch how GOD changes lives because of it all!

Move It!

2011-09-27T21:31:00.001-05:00

At Timber Ridge Church we're committed to doing whatever it takes to reach people. In fact, our goal is to make it hard to get to hell from Stephenville & Erath County. One of the obstacles that any church that is striving to grow & reach people will eventually face is the obstacle of space. At some point, you simply have to make more space so more people have an opportunity to come and experience a weekend service.

We have been blessed with great momentum & God has been moving in some big ways from day one at Timber Ridge. God is changing lives and we want to do everything we can to keep that momentum going & continue to see lives changed.

That's why beginning Sunday, October 9th we will be adding an additional service on Sunday mornings! Our new service times will be at 9 & 10:30 am.

Why are we already adding an additional service at such a young stage in our church? I'm glad you asked! Here are a few of the reasons why:

We continue to have new families check out Timber Ridge Church each week. And our meeting space in our worship center at The Conference Center at The Deluxe Inn where we meet each Sunday is already at about 85% capacity - and that's with already adding a second level of seating at the back. When new guests come in, typically a few minutes late, the worship area is already pretty full & it is hard for them to find a seat unless they go up to the front row.
Because we have had to add the second seating area toward the back of the worship center where our cafe & welcome center are located, we have had some noise issues with our kids ministries. Due to the fact that the doors of those two rooms join each other, we've asked our kids workers to stay as calm & quiet as possible. But let's face it: Kids can be loud...and we want them to be loud & rowdy & crazy because it means that they are having a BLAST learning about Jesus. If we move to two services we won't have to use the back area for seating and that will allow our kids to have more fun & make more noise without worrying about disturbing what God is doing in the worship center.
We have a passion to see people use the gifts & talents God's given them to serve others and make a difference! With two services, everyone at Timber Ridge will have the opportunity to attend a service and serve a service. This allows people to find a way to plug into serving at Timber Ridge without having to miss out on our weekend worship experience.

So how can YOU and YOUR FAMILY make a difference in this move? Well, I am glad you asked! If you consider Timber Ridge Church your church home & are a regular attender, I want to ask you to MOVE IT, MOVE IT! Seriously. I want to ask you to MOVE IT in two specific ways.

Move IT!! from Timber Ridge Church on Vimeo.

MOVE YOUR SEAT. I want you to consider attending the 9:00 service with your family. This helps in two ways. First of all, it frees up seats at 10:30 which is the most likely time a new guest will check out Timber Ridge. Second of all, it allows us to start the 9:00 service with a good size crowd & we all know that earlier services are tougher to fill.
MOVE YOUR FEET. I want to ask you to join us on our Street Team to help get the word out about starting this new service. We will be meeting in the parking lot of the Conference Center at the Deluxe Inn at 6:00pm this Sunday evening, October 2nd & again on Saturday, October 8th at 9:00am to walk neighborhoods in our community & place invite cards on the doors of our friends & neighbors. It's vital we get the word out & YOU can help by committing to pass out invite cards at one, if not both, of these times.

Every week God is changing lives at Timber Ridge Church. We're willing to take bold risks & make big moves of faith in order to continue to see God change lives and transform our community! I hope you'll consider BUSTIN' A MOVE in order to help other people connect with God through Timber Ridge Church!

(Thanks to Micah Petrea - our super-talented Creative Arts Pastor for the killer video!)

5 Ways to Grow Up

2011-06-20T10:34:00.002-05:00

Last week I spent a lot of time thinking about how people grow spiritually. At it's very core, what do people need to know in order to grow in their walk with Jesus? The more I've thought about my own personal walk with God & about what I've learned observing some of my mentors in the faith, I think growing spiritually boils down to just a handful of things as basics. Here's five things I think we need to work on in order to grow in our walk with God:

Study God's Word. - If you are going to grow in your walk with Jesus, you have to spend time in the Bible. Plain and simple.
Pray. - If you want to know God more, you have to communicate with Him.
Serve. - Serving is exercising your spiritual muscles. You have to figure out how God's wired you and how you can use that to make a difference in the kingdom.
Share. - Growing your faith means sharing your faith. People who really develop maturity in following Jesus are people who share the message of Jesus with others.
Find A Mentor. - We all need accountability. We need people to keep us on track. But we need more than that. We need someone to follow. Someone who's been where we want to go and can advise us on the path ahead.

There ya' go. Five things you can do to grow in your walk with Jesus. And we all need to grow.

Because here's the truth: When a baby is learning to eat baby food and drools all over the place people think it's cute. They take pictures and videos of it and share them with their friends. But if the 35 year old dude sitting next to you in Chili's is drooling all over the place as he eats or is still using a bottle, it's really not that cute. It shows that a maturing process hasn't happened.

It's the same when it comes to walking with Jesus. We'll never be perfect. But we can be growing. In fact, we need to be growing. We need to be maturing. We need to be striving to look more like Jesus. That's what following Him is all about.

***If you're in the Stephenville/Erath County area and are interested in learning how to develop these 5 habits of growing with God, I'd love to invite you to our very first Spiritual Growth Group at Timber Ridge Church. It's a small group setting where you can learn how to do the five things listed above. I'd love for you to be our guest. For more info, email me at info [at] timberridgechurch [dot] com.

When I Grow Up - Part 3: Bold Risks

2011-05-19T11:00:00.001-05:00

I'm in the middle of a series here on the blog about what we envision Timber Ridge Church to look like when we "grow up" and the plans, values, and steps we're taking now to get to that point.

You can read about the idea behind the series here.

You can read part 1 here.

You can read part 2 here.

When I think about what Timber Ridge Church will look like in the future - 5, 10, 15 years from now - there is one thing I am certain that I want to define us and that is this: We Act In Bold Faith. In fact, one of our core values is that very statement. We believe that without faith, it is impossible to please God. We also believe that the message and grace of Jesus really can change our lives, our communities, and our world. So we want to follow Him with radical, audacious faith.

Acting in bold faith is not the norm. In fact, we've created a culture in many churches and places in America where the norm is to play it safe. We want to live protected and safe lives, avoiding risks at all costs. But Jesus didn't call us to be safe. He never talked about our faith being comfortable or sheltered or free from danger. He taught quite the opposite. Jesus has called us to live out a bold, audacious faith that believes and acts in a way that shows anything is possible for our God. At Timber Ridge Church, we believe that bold faith is birthed from bold commitment and obedience. If we want to have a radical faith it is going to be directly related to our radical commitment to Jesus and His mission.

So from the very beginning we will refuse to play it safe. When God leads us to do so, we will make bold moves and take audacious risks that are doomed to fail unless He intervenes on our behalf. We want to live and lead in such a way that people see God at work simply because of the risks we're willing to take because of the faith we've placed in Him. And we want to be bold from the start, because if you're not willing to risk it all when you have nothing, you sure won't risk it all when something is established and there is something to lose.

We believe that bold faith honors God...and that God honors bold, audacious faith. So we will exhibit radical commitment and obedience to Jesus in order that we might live out bold, audacious, risk-taking faith that honors our God.

When I Grow Up - Part 2: Maturity

2011-05-17T10:08:00.002-05:00

A few days ago I started sharing a series of posts about what we want Timber Ridge Church to look like once we "grow up." You can read about the idea here and you can read part 1 here.

Today I want to share about our core value of teaching the Bible for life transformation. At Timber Ridge Church, our desire is to teach the Bible - through our weekend services, small groups, and other avenues - in order that people's lives might be changed. That means that as a church, we will measure success by life transformation. The trend in some churches today is to measure success and growth by Bible knowledge. Some churches are consumed with how much of the Bible their people know. But the problem that creates is that in most cases this produces spiritually obese Christians who gorge themselves on knowing the Word, but don't practice it and do what it says. Don't get me wrong - I believe that people need to know God's Word. I believe God gave us the Bible as our playbook & blueprint for life. But biblical maturity is not measured by how much Bible you know. Maturity is measured by how much Bible you do. At Timber Ridge Church we want to measure our success and our growth by Bible action, not Bible knowledge.

With that core value in place, we have the desire to be a church that is strong in it's spiritual maturity. That maturity will be shown not in the number of verses we can quote or the number of Bible study classes we can schedule. Our maturity will be shown in how we practice God's Word in sharing our faith, loving our neighbors, caring for the poor, and living out the commands God gives us in His Word.

The Weekend Update

2011-05-16T10:41:00.003-05:00

The Weekend Update is a quick, bullet-style recap of the weekend at the Burleson household. Enjoy!

Friday was Family Day for us. We took Hayden on an adventure to the Children's Museum that is a part of the Ft. Worth Science & History museum. Cool place. It was PACKED with kids that were there for school field trips, but we still had a blast.
Saturday we spent getting the house & yard cleaned up and prepared for Launch Team meeting on Sunday.
Saturday evening we ate with some family at Cook's Fish Barn - a little place in Sipe Springs, TX. If you are ever in that area (Brownwood, Comanche, etc) you have got to check this place out. The food is amazing...and yes, it is a literal barn!
Sunday morning we worshipped with the folks at Rocky Point here in the Ville.
Sunday night we had our weekly launch team meeting. We talked about our core value of taking bold risks of faith in order to follow God. Great stuff. More on that here on the blog mid-week.

Hope your weekend was great!

When I Grow Up - Part 1: The Vision

2011-05-05T13:35:00.002-05:00

I announced last week that I'm going to be sharing a series of posts here on the blog entitled When I Grow Up. It's all comes from a challenge I was given in a church planters training course to envision what Timber Ridge Church would be five years from now & put practices in place now to lead the church to that place. I shared the basics of the concept in an earlier post that you can read by clicking here. So today, I'm going to kick things off with The Vision.

The vision of Timber Ridge Church is very simple and succinct. Timber Ridge Church exists to move people from where they are to where God wants them to be. The vision is simple...but the vision is BIG.

We want to be a church that meets people exactly where they are in life. That means that we're willing to accept and love people just as they are - baggage, junk, and all. Loving people right where they are in life can be messy and it can get hard...because let's face it: All of us have made a mess of our lives when we've tried to do it on our own. But we're committed to meeting people and loving people right where they are - mess and all - because that's how Jesus approaches us. Jesus loves us - mess and all - and he died on the cross to convey that unconditional love to us.

And once we accept people just as they are, we refuse to leave them that way. Every single one of us - whether we've been trying to follow Jesus for years or whether we've turned our back on Jesus and tried to live life on our own for years - has not arrived. No matter where we are in life, we can all get closer to who God wants us to be. Plain and simple: None of us are there yet. In fact, we have a saying that we've started using at Timber Ridge Church already: No Perfect People Allowed. That's right - there are no perfect people allowed, because quite frankly there are no perfect people. We all have our own issues & struggles and have work to do to get closer to being who God made us to be. And we're committed to help people through that process. We're committed to walk with people as they discover who God made them to be & as they pursue the great purpose & plan God has for their life.

So Timber Ridge Church will be a place full of messy, imperfect people who accept & love others just like them - and who will stop at nothing to help others become everything God designed them to be. When I grow up...I want to love people right where they are - mess & junk and all - and help them see that, through Jesus, God has an incredible plan for their lives!

The Weekend Update

2011-05-04T09:29:00.002-05:00

Here's the Weekend Update...just a couple days late!

This past weekend Johanna spent Friday afternoon through Saturday early evening at Stonewater Church's IGNITE Women's Conference with a couple great friends. Hayden & I had a blast hanging out together, although several of our adventures got cancelled because he was a little under the weather. And I'm so thankful my wife got to get away for a little while & spend some time being ministered to & have people pour into her heart.
Saturday was our 6 year anniversary as husband and wife. I simply cannot imagine my life without Johanna. She is simply amazing. She brings out the best in me and challenges me to be the best that I could possibly be in every area of life. I thank God every day for the gift He gave me when he brought Jo into my life. We celebrated by having dinner at the Buffalo Gap Steakhouse in Granbury...and is was G-O-O-D!
Sunday morning I preached at one of our partner churches, New Hope Baptist Church, in Gorman. New Hope has been beyond generous in their support of what we are doing at Timber Ridge Church! Their generosity & help is simply unbelievable! (If you'd like more info on what we're doing in planting Timber Ridge Church or how YOU or your church can partner with us click here!)
Sunday evening we had our weekly launch team meeting. We had a great night talking about God's heart for his lost children. And we threw down some massive amounts of pizza too!

A weekend spent with the people I love and sharing about the God I love...doesn't get much better than that!

My Best Buddy Turns Two

2011-04-28T20:14:00.004-05:00

Two years ago today God placed an incredible, life-changing blessing in my life in the form of my son, Hayden. Today, my little buddy turns two. I cannot even believe that I just typed that sentence. To think that two years have already passed with Hayden in our lives blows me away. Time goes by so fast...and I want to cherish every second I'm given, making the most of the amazing opportunity, responsibility, and blessing that God's given me as Hayden's father. Hayden, maybe one day you'll read this...and if that ever happens, here's a letter I wrote today just for you.

Hayden,

I love you buddy. I cannot believe that two years of your life have already flown by. But I can honestly say it's been the best two years of my life. I absolutely love that God gave me the gift of raising you as a son. Over the last two years, I've taught you a few things...like how to ride your big-wheel four wheeler and how to throw and catch a ball. I've taught you how to say "frog" when you pass gas and how to say "Peace Out!" when you tell someone good-bye. I've taught you some cool hand shakes, some funny sayings, and some practical stuff that will help you in life, like how to wink at the ladies. But in the last two years, what I've taught you pales in comparison to what you've taught me. Hayden, you've taught me how to be a man. You've taught me how to live for something outside of myself - and to put you and your mom before my own self. You've taught me how to be a better person. You've taught me how to be a better husband. You've taught me how to love life more, cherish every moment, and love God with all that I am. You've taught me all these things - and so many more - simply by being you. With your own personality and in your own little way you challenge me to be a better me. I want to be a more godly man and a better pastor because I know you're watching. I want to be a better husband, because I know you're watching. I want to be a better friend, a better teacher, a better neighbor, the list goes on and on...all because I know you're watching. Son, I want you to know that I love you. There will be days when I blow it. I'm not perfect. I've messed up in the past and I'll mess up in the future. But I want you to know that it's not about being perfect. It's about giving your best. And so I promise you, as your dad, to give you my best. I'm striving, with God's help, to be the best father I can be and I promise you that I'll continue to do that. I love you buddy. Happy Birthday!

When I Grow Up

2011-04-26T16:02:00.002-05:00

I have been super blessed to be a part of the Northwood Church Planting program over the past few months. Northwood Church in Keller, TX doesn't just talk about planting churches. They do it. They have planted literally hundreds of churches in the last few years. The wisdom & guidance that the Northwood staff has poured in to me is unbelievable.

A couple weeks ago we finished up our last weekend training session called a module. Toward the end of it we did an exercise where we acted like our church plant was 3 years old and had been wildly successful. We had to present to the group how we arrived at this point - what we did right, what we focused on, what challenges we faced, etc. Through this process, the team at Northwood challenged each of us to know what we want to be when we grow up. Basically, to know what kind of church we want to lead in the future and to take the steps necessary to begin to build that DNA into the church from day one.

Over the next couple weeks I'm going to be sharing about the values & vision of Timber Ridge Church in a series of blog post called When I Grow Up. I'll share what we dream Timber Ridge to become and give some brief, basic ideas of how we'll get there.

If you're on the Timber Ridge team, have been checking out the launch team meetings, support Timber Ridge, or are interested in what God is doing with Timber Ridge Church, check back over the next couple weeks for a good picture of some things that will be important to us as a church.

The Weekend Update

2011-04-25T19:12:00.002-05:00

It's been a long time (think months instead of weeks) since I've posted a Weekend Update, but I thought I'd give it another try. Here's a recap of the weekend in the House of Burleson.

My brother & sister-in-law welcomed a new baby boy into the world on Friday night, so we made a quick trip to Houston to be there to support them. It's about a 5 hour drive one way. Hayden was a champ. He complained a lot less than I did!
Welcome to our world Lucas Wade Burleson (a.k.a. Luke). Congrats Justin & Christie. Luke is one handsome little fella...in fact, he looks a lot like his uncle. ;)
On Saturday we made the 5 hour drive home, with a stop at Old Navy to grab some Easter clothes. I scored one pair of Old Navy premium denim jeans for $6.97 and a second pair for 97 cents!
Saturday evening we spent cleaning house & getting ready for the Easter Cookout & Egg Hunt we hosted on Sunday evening.
Sunday morning my family & some other Timber Ridge peeps went and served at Stonewater Church, our sponsoring church. We served in their front-line/welcome crew at the Granbury campus for the first service and then made a flying trip to the Glen Rose campus to serve in the kids ministries for the second service. Crazy, action packed morning for sure!
Sunday evening we hosted the Timber Ridge Church Easter Cookout & Egg Hunt. We had a blast meeting people and hanging out & the kids loved the Egg Hunt. Every basket went home overflowing with Easter Eggs.

Overall, it was a pretty busy, but productive weekend!

The Little Thing

2011-04-21T15:18:00.003-05:00

Earlier this week, we had the opportunity to take a family movie night and went to watch Rio. Johanna has been wanting to take Hayden to see it for a few weeks, so we went to the local Cinema 6 to catch the matinee. What we didn't realize is that they were only showing Rio in 3-D...which is totally cool...unless you have a 23 month old who doesn't really dig wearing glasses.

But we weren't deterred. We decided to go ahead and give it a try & bought three tickets. And Hayden absolutely loved the movie. He sat in our laps the whole time, mesmerized by the movie, and at times even interacting with it by talking to the characters or telling us what was going on. He had a blast. But here's the thing...he never wore the 3-D glasses. He watched the entire movie without the glasses. A couple of times during the movie I took my glasses off just to experience what he was experiencing. And it was just as I thought. It had that blurry, hazy look that 3-D movies have when you don't have glasses on.

That got me to thinking about my relationship with Jesus. How many times do I go through life happy and content, but in reality missing out on something so much better that God wants from me because of some little thing. You see, Hayden really did like the movie. But he missed out on how great it actually could have been because he wouldn't wear the glasses. I'm convinced that many times in life we get stuck in living good-enough lives when God wants us to experience incredible, better-than-great kinds of life. I recently read a quote from a pastor that said too many times we settle for good-enough lives while serving a more-than-enough God. And I think the reason we miss out so many times, is because of the little thing. It's not the big thing that trips us up. We may not have some great moral failure or some shortcoming that is super significant in the eyes of the world. But at times, we allow the little thing - that little act of disobedience or that small failure to ignore God's still voice - to keep us from missing out on all that God has in store for us.

I think we all need to be reminded to live life with our 3-D glasses on. Don't settle for good-enough because you have that little thing keeping you from experiencing God's best in your life. Good-enough living is ok...it's just not for people who serve a more-than-enough God.

What I Could Not Do

2011-04-13T11:11:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday we attended StoneWater Church in Granbury, TX. StoneWater is partnering with us to launch Timber Ridge Church & we've worshipped with them a couple times in the past few weeks. The Lead Pastor, Jeremy White, continued their series "Jesus Is..." by talking about Jesus Is Sacrifice. Jeremy taught on how remembering the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross should impact us every day that we are alive. Quite frankly, it was one of the best sermons I've ever heard on the cross & death of Jesus.

At one point in the message Jeremy talked about how Jesus not only died for us as individuals, but that he also died for the people we love. Jeremy used a cross that a friend had made him with his family name in the center as an object lesson to talk about how Jesus sacrificed on the cross not just for us, but for our families as well.

God really used this message to remind me of an important truth: Jesus did for me what I could not do myself. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross paid for my sin which I could not do. His death & resurrection gave me eternal life, which I could not earn. Through the cross, Jesus put me in right standing with God, which I could not achieve on my own.

But Jesus also did what I could not do for the ones I love the most. Jesus didn't just die for me. He died for my family. He sacrificed his life for my wife, which I love with all of my heart. Jesus gave himself for my son, whom I would do anything for. Jesus did for my family what I could not do. On the cross, Jesus paid the ransom for my wife and my son that I could never afford. He not only saved me, but through his sacrifice on the cross, Jesus saved the people I love the most.

That's a sacrifice to remember. And remembering ought to make us want to live for Him even more. I was lost & considered an enemy of God. Myself, my wife & my son were subject to God's complete wrath. But Jesus changed that on the cross. He did for me - and for the ones I love the most - what I could not do.

Jesus Is In The Trying

2011-03-23T13:35:00.002-05:00

Every day when I get home from work I try to spend good, quality time with my son Hayden. Since moving to Stephenville, that time usually results in us playing catch or some kind of game involving some type of ball in the back yard. Yesterday was no exception.

I got home and Hayden found my basketball and took it out into the yard. He told me to "'Mon!", which combined with the proper hand waving, is his way of saying, "Come on. Follow me." We went to the back corner of the yard and he begin to shoot "bakkets" or baskets. He loves to shoot hoops on his Little Tykes basketball goal, but yesterday he was convinced that the cylinder shaped transformer box on a power pole behind our back fence was a basket. There was only one problem: It's about 25 feet in the air.

He shot and shot...and shot....and, well you get the picture. The highest he ever got the ball was about a foot above his head. And after every shot that failed to reach the "basket" he would make one, determined, repeated statement: "I twy." (Which means "I'll try again.")

And so he did. He tried and tried...and tried...and, well you get the picture. We spent about 20 minutes trying to make a basket yesterday afternoon. At one point his arms were so tired that he couldn't even get the ball above his head. So he asked me to hold it for a second, and within about 30 seconds he was ready to "twy" some more.

God used my basket shooting adventure with my son yesterday to teach me something. He taught me that Jesus is in the trying. You see, when it comes to following Jesus, we will all stumble. We will all miss the mark. There are days where I struggle and fumble and fail miserably. Some days I don't get anywhere close to the basket.

But being faithful in following Jesus isn't about making the basket every single time. It's about trying again when you miss. And trying again...and again...and, well you get the point. I don't know about you, but I don't have it all together. There are days when I blow it - as a Christ-follower, as a pastor, as a husband, a father, and a friend. But I am determined to try. Because I believe with all my heart that Jesus is in the trying.

So you've messed up? Who hasn't? So you've blown it big time? We all do. Get back up. Dust yourself off. And try again. Jesus is in the trying.

Big Time Power

2011-03-15T09:05:00.003-05:00

I believe in the power of prayer. I have seen it's power in my own life and in the lives of others. The Bible teaches that God hears our prayers and responds to them. I think for a lot of Christians, prayer is an untapped power source. We say we believe in prayer, but no one would be able to tell it by the amount of time we spend actually praying.

Prayer is basically communicating with God. When we pray, we have the unbelievable opportunity to communicate with the author and creator of the entire world. By His very word, he spoke everything we know into existence...and he cares about what is going on in our lives enough that he wants to talk to us about it! That is incredible to me.

As we plant Timber Ridge Church, we want to be people of prayer. We believe that through prayer we can see and experience God move in amazing ways. In fact, we have a goal of having a Prayer Team of 300 people who will pray for Timber Ridge as we start this incredible new church. We have a lot of people that are a part of the team already, but I'd be honored to have YOU as a part of the prayer team as well. You can sign up for our Prayer Team, where you'll receive a monthly prayer update via email, by clicking here.

I believe God works through prayer. I believe that there is power when God's people pray. And I'd love to pray for you! If I can pray for you about something, please leave a comment or email me privately at nic [at] timberridgechurch [dot] com. I would consider it an honor to talk to God on your behalf!

Timber Ridge Church and YOU

2011-03-08T10:37:00.003-06:00

As you may know, my family & I recently moved to Stephenville, TX to start a brand new church for people far from God in the Stephenville & Erath County area. It's called Timber Ridge Church and we're excited about what God is doing & is going to do in and through us!

Several of you have asked how YOU can be a part of what God is doing through Timber Ridge. Here are a few ways to get in on the action!

Join the Prayer Team. We want 300 people praying for Timber Ridge Church because we believe that there is GREAT POWER in prayer. You can sign up for the prayer team, where you'll receive one email a month with prayer requests, by clicking here.

Become a Partner. Starting a new church is hard work. And it takes lots of time and lots of money to pull it off. If you would be interested in partnering with us financially to accomplish God's vision for this new church, check out our launch site at http://www.launchtimberridge.com/ for ways to give. We're looking for individuals, families, and churches who would be willing to either give a special gift toward the launch of our church or would be willing to give a recurring, monthly amount to go toward our ministry budget needs. Every dollar given goes to seeing lives changed! And every gift is significant - no matter how large or how small.

Share Timber Ridge. You can be a great asset to us by sharing what God is doing with Timber Ridge with your family, friends, and your church. If your church or someone you know would like to partner with us, please feel free to pass along our launch site or have someone from the church contact me at nic [at] timberridgechurch [dot] com. I'd be happy to talk with them!

Get Involved! If you live in the Stephenville or Erath County area and are looking for a church to call home, we'd love to talk to you about being a part of the launch team for Timber Ridge. Email me at the email address above to find out more info. You can also check out our facebook page here.

We believe that GOD is going to do amazing things in and through Timber Ridge Church! And we would love for YOU to be a part of it all! Feel free to contact me with any questions about Timber Ridge Church or about other creative ways you can be a part of what God is doing!

Why I Need A Connection Group...

2011-01-20T14:50:00.002-06:00

This week I've been working on lots of stuff related to our Connection Groups ministry here at The Connection Church. We have a Group Expo this Sunday at TCC. Basically, the expo is an opportunity for people interested in checking out a Connection Group to get more info on each of our groups and to sign up for one they might be interested in. Then, next Sunday, January 30th our new semester of Connection Groups officially kicks off!

All this Connection Group stuff has me thinking...and I thought I'd share...about how much I love my Connection Group. I absolutely love the people in my Connection Group. And I need them in my life. In fact, I think we all need a group of people we can do life with. And below are some reasons why I think that:

I need real friendship. Never in human history have we had the opportunity for connection. With social media, the internet, and so many other forms of technology that help people connect, the opportunity for connection is everywhere. But in spite of that opportunity, many of us are as lonely as we've ever been. Sure we may have a couple hundred "friends" on Facebook, but when we evaluate our real friends in life, we feel isolated and alone. That's where my Connection Group comes in. Through a group, I have the opportunity to connect in real ways with people who can walk beside me in life.
I need support. Each day I wake up and want to be more like Jesus than the day before. But there are days where that goal just isn't reached. There are days when I struggle and when I stumble and need someone there to help me along. That's where my Connection Group comes in. I have a group of people to do life with who are real and authentic and allow me to be real and authentic (the messiness of life and all!) and have my back when I need it most.
I need accountability. I'll gladly be the first to admit that there are days when following Jesus is flat out HARD. There are times when being obedient to God is difficult. Those times are often the most important times to follow Him closely as well. That's where my Connection Group comes in. Because I'm in a group, I have people who are there to help me and challenge me in my walk with God. They'll pick me up when I stumble, but they'll also challenge me and push me forward when I need that accountability too.

I could easily list 50 other reasons I need and love my Connection Group. I can't imagine doing life without them! If you're not in a small group, I encourage you to take that step and get plugged in. And if you attend The Connection Church, there is no better time to get connected to a group than this Sunday at our Group Expo. We really are better together. Find out for yourself and get connected this weekend! I guarantee you'll be glad you did.

We Are Moving...

2011-01-18T19:03:00.005-06:00

Today on the blog I am sharing some BIG NEWS about our family. It's really bittersweet news too...some of that news that's both happy and sad at the same time. We talked about it in church at The Connection Church last Sunday. In fact, you can watch the service here, with our news at the end of the service.

So here we go: We are moving. That's right...Johanna, Hayden, and myself are moving to Stephenville, TX to start a brand new church. I will be the founding pastor and church planter of Timber Ridge Church in Stephenville.

I want to be sure I say something right from the start with this announcement: Johanna and I LOVE The Connection Church. We love the people that make up TCC, we love our friends and ministry partners at TCC, and we love the vision of TCC. In fact, it is that very vision - seeing God change lives one life at a time - that has brought us to this place in our lives. And without the leadership and mentoring of Pastor Cole and other incredible people at The Connection Church I would never be able to step out and follow God in faith to make this bold move! In fact, I feel very strongly that we're not simply moving, but that The Connection Church is sending us out to continue the vision of seeing lifes changed!

So after a ton of praying and seeking God's direction and leadership in this area, we feel confident that He has called us and prepared us to plant our lives in Erath County and Stephenville, TX to plant a church that helps people move from where they are to where God wants them to be. Our new church will be all about reaching those far from God and planting more churches that will continue to the vision of seeing God change lives one life at a time.

While it is beyond difficult to think about moving away from so many incredible friends that have become family to us and such an amazing church, we are excited about what the future holds. We know that we are being obedient and following God's leadership in our lives. And we are excited to see where this next step in our lives leads.

There will be a lot more to come about our upcoming move and where we're heading in life, so be sure and stay tuned. In the meantime, please pray for us and for this new church that God is going to birth to reach people who don't know Him.

Change Your World...

2010-07-22T09:36:00.003-05:00

Wow. It's been two months since I've last blogged. To say life has been busy since the summer got here would be a huge understatement I guess...But I'm going to try to get back into this blogging groove and wanted to share something we talked about at our Connexion Students worship gathering last night.

Last night at our SHOCKWAVE worship service, we talked about how God has given every one of us the ability and call to change our world. But it starts by changing one life at a time. Too many times we feel like we don't have something to offer that can make a difference in the world. But that's just not the case. Here are three things that all of us have that can impact the lives of others in our world.

1. MY STORY - For those of us who are Christ followers, God has given us each a unique story of how he has worked in our lives and how he has brought us into a relationship with him and changed our lives in the process. When we share our story with others, we can help them see how God is working in their own life story as well.

2. MY LIFE - Our world is full of fakes and knock-offs. You can get a fake Coach purse or Oakley shades at any little flea market. You can get knock-off brands of name brand sodas by the hundreds. And, sadly, even the church has become a place known for fakes. But when you and I take our faith seriously and actually live out what we claim to believe, then we can impact our world. People are drawn to God when they see authenticity in us. When we make sure the talk and the walk of our life matches up, then we can impact our world!

3. MY LOVE - Jesus said that the world would know his followers by the love they showed for others. The way that we love and treat others gives our faith credibility. Jesus' love forever changed the world. And when we model his love to others, we can change the world too!

You can change the world...But it starts one life at a time! Go be a world changer!

Parenting Tip of the Week: The Do's & Dont's of Discipline...

2010-05-18T14:30:00.001-05:00

At The Connection Church we're talking about raising indesctructible kids this month in our series Kidstruction. This Sunday, our lead pastor, Cole Phillips, talked about Making Kids Mind Without Losing Yours. You can check out the sermon here.

With that in mind, this week's parenting tip is all about discipline. Here are 5 Do's & Don't of Discipline for kids of any age:

The Do's

DO Be consistent. Consistency is the key to discipline. If your kid isn't getting a consistent message , they're clueless about how to behave, and may be feeling confused, insecure, and perhaps unloved.
DO Clearly Communicate Expectations. As a parent, we must overly communicate our expectations for our kids. Children can't follow rules or live up to standards that they don't understand or know about.
DO Enforce the rules you set. Don't make a rule that you don't intend to enforce. It only creates mixed messages for your kids and creates confusion within your family.
DO Present a united front. As parents, if you undermine your partner (or another consistent authority figure) you are not making your kids love you more (Admit it; that's why we do it!). You are actually confusing them and undermining their respect for both of you. If you present a united front, you create an atmosphere where your children feel secure and respect authority.

The Don'ts

DON'T bribe. While rewarding your child for good behavior is a great discipline tool, bribing kids to avoid bad behavior only reinforces that negative behavior.
DON'T get personal. When you tell your child that they are naughty, rude, lazy, etc, you are labeling them. Instead, try to condemn the behavior, not the kid. Instead of saying, "You're so rude! Why can't you share?" try saying something like, "That was a selfish thing to do. It's very rude to take Joe's toy from him."
DON'T go overboard with punishment. Punishment is just one aspect of biblical discipline, so don't go overboard on that alone. Make sure you're following the old saying of "making the punishment fit the crime."
DON'T expect children to behave like adults. Newsflash: Your kids are not adults. That means that sometimes they'll do foolish or irresponsible things because...well, they're kids! Our children don't have the wisdom that we do from the life-experience we've gained so we need to remember that as we set proper rules and expectations.

Check back here on Thursday for the Parenting Resource of The Week!

Parenting Resource of The Week:

2010-05-13T11:30:00.000-05:00

While kicking off our Kidstruction series this past Sunday, Pastor Cole talked about how our homes should be places where God is honored and where we are pointing out God's blessings and work in our lives. Having a family Bible study or family devotional time is one of the most important things we can do as parents for our familes. It's also one of the most intimidating! But it doesn't have to be that way. Below are this weeks Parenting Resources of the Week, which all offer some great insight and helpful tips on how to get comfortable leading your family through a weekly or nightly devotional time and becoming the spiritual leader that your children need. Check these resources out!

Free Online Resources:

The Christian Parenting website offers 10 Tips For Fun Family Devotions here.
Pastor Mark Driscoll offers Four Constants For Better Bible Study With Our Spouses and Children. You can read his blog here.
Mark Driscoll also has written a book entitled PastorDad: Spiritual Insights on Fatherhood that would be a great read for all men who are trying to better lead their family's spiritually. While you can purchase the book at local Christian bookstores, Driscoll has also made it available for free online and in PDF form here.

Book Resources For Purchase:

Wayne Rice has written the book Generation to Generation which is full of practical and creative ideas for raising kids to know and love God. It would be a great resource for any family to have and can be purchased at most Family Christian Stores or online here.
Teenage counseling guru Josh McDowell's book The One Year Book of Family Devotions is another great resource for families. It can be purchased here.
Mike and Amy Nappa provide another great resource for families in their book 52 Fun Family Devotions: Exploring & Discovering God's Word. This book provides a devotional for each week of the year & uses the ordinary things of life to demonstrate and experience spiritual truths. You can order the Nappa's book here.

Parenting Tip Of The Week: Effective Communication...

2010-05-11T15:30:00.000-05:00

One of the best ways to ensure that your child or teen will communicate with you is to create a home environment where they feel safe and comfortable to share what's going on in their lives and where they feel that they are listened to and not simply heard. So how can parents go about creating an environment where communication takes place in the home? Here are some helpful tips.

7 Keys to Creating Communication Within Your Home

When your child or teen begins a conversation with you, STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING. Your child wants, and needs, your undivided, complete attention. When talking with him or her, put down the laptop, turn off the television, or silence the cell phone. You'll be amazed at what you hear when you actually focus on listening.
Eye contact is key. It's hard to tell if someone is paying attention if they're reading the newspaper and responding with random "Uh-huh"s as you talk. Look your child in the eye to ensure that they have your complete attention when they're talking to you.
Comment on what you heard. So many times our children & teens are sharing something because they are looking for our advice. You don't always have to give them the easy answer, or even give them a "yes" or "no" but commenting on what you think you are hearing from them is a great way to foster communication. A good way to do this is to use a statement like this: "I hear you saying _____. Is that what you are saying/mean?"
Spend time together. There is nothing like simply doing life together that fosters relationships where good communication can grow.
Praise, praise, praise. Your child/teen receives criticism and judgement from so many sources. Be sure to give praise when praise is due!
Admit when you've blown it. If you mess up in your relationship with your kid, admit it! They know it already! And you being able to admit it will build trust in the relationship that will open up lines of communication in the future.
Be an askable parent. There are times when parenting requires that you take disciplinary action and make judgements. But you also want to make sure that your child or teen know that they can approach you when they need help and that you'll react in a non-judgemental way, helping them solve their problems.

Be sure to check this blog later in the week for the Parenting Resource of the week!

Kidstruction, Parenting Help, and Blogging...

2010-05-10T14:54:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we started a new series at The Connection Church called Kidstruction: Raising Indestructible Kids. For the next few weeks, we'll be looking at some building blocks of parenting to help strengthen families.

As a Family Pastor, husband, and dad, this is a series that is close to my heart. I want to do all I can to equip our parents to create families where the love of God is modeled, where families are growing stronger, and where there is fertile spiritual ground. Too many times, often without any intention on either part, the church and the home are in conflict rather than working together. At The Connection Church, we want the church and families to be walking side by side to help kids of all ages learn what it means to love God and love others.

So over the next few weeks, I am going to be sharing a Parenting Tip of The Week and a Parent Resource of The Week right here on my blog. Stay tuned each week to gain some challenging, encouraging, and inspiring material for the difficult job of parenting. And in the meantime, if you missed Sunday's kick-off message to Kidstruction, you can check it out here.

My Best Buddy Turns One...

2010-04-28T20:03:00.004-05:00

Today my son and best little buddy Hayden turns one year old. Wow. It's impossible to even put into words the emotion contained in that first sentence alone. I could not even begin to put into words the love I have for the Hayden-Bear...and the hatred I have for time. Time is a cruel, evil, relentless son of a gun. That's why I cherish every single second I get to spend with my family. Each moment with my wife and son are literally a gift from God. I could write for an audience who might read this and try to express my feelings for my son and the emotion contained in this day. But today, it's Hayden's day. While I appreciate all of you (or both of you) who might read this blog regularly, this one's for my best little buddy.

Hayden,
I love you, son. I cannot believe how fast time has passed in your first year of life. It seems like just yesterday I was carrying you from the delivery operating room to the nursery, whispering the words of Romans 5:8 in your ear as we walked down the hall. (I wanted the very first human words you heard to express to you how much God loves you and what He did to prove it.) I can remember letting you nap on my chest in that hospital room. I even caught a few naps right along with you! And I remember how super tiny you looked in the little football sweater we brought you home from the hospital in. (But you started growing really quick!) I can remember your first dr.'s appointment (we dressed you in your Longhorn gear!), your first bath, and changing lots of diapers. I remember the first time you smiled and the first time your momma left us home alone together (that's a funny story that's turned out to be a great sermon illustration about how much God loves us regardless of what we've done!) It seems like just a few days ago that we were teaching you how to eat "real food." We learned together because it was my very first time to feed a baby and your very first bites of real food! Buddy, we've had a lot of good times this first year. We've had a tradition of spending a ton of Friday mornings together eating breakfast, killing time at Marshall's or Best Buy or Academy, and letting momma rest while we had a "Dada Day." We got to celebrate your first Thanksgiving and Christmas and you even had snow on your very first Christmas. That doesn't happen very often in Texas, Hayden-Bear. We've played trucks, and ba-ba-baw (basketball) and read a ton of books (You love reading!). We've had a lot of fun at the neighborhood swing in the past couple months too! You really love that swing! And you love to do what Dada does. You copy what I do. You copy what I say. I've really got to watch myself these days, because I have a mini-me always in my shadow! But it is AWESOME. Hayden, I want you to know that I have ABSOLUTELY LOVED every single moment that God's blessed me with in this first year of your life. And I want you to know that God has LITERALLY changed my life in so many incredible ways because of you. God's taught me a ton of lessons about his love through your first year and your little life too. Hayden-Bear, I consider it the highest calling in my life, other than following Jesus, to be your father, your dada, your spiritual leader, your mentor, and to love your mother and model for you what a man who loves God and loves his family looks like. I hope that as you grow you see the love of Jesus in how I love you and how I treat you and how I live my life. Your mom and I know you are a gift from God, given to us to care for. Ultimately, you are His and we want you to always know how much we love you so that you will know how much GOD LOVES YOU. Hayden, there's no way I could put into words how much I love you buddy. But I hope one day when you can read this it will help you get a picture of just how crazy your Dada is about you. Happy Birthday Hayden-Bear! I love you so much, son!

Eggs, Agua, and YOU...

2010-03-29T15:53:00.002-05:00

This Saturday, April 3rd, The Connection Church is hosting our annual Easter egg hunt extravaganza, The Big Hunt! If you've never been a part of this incredible event, just imagine 30,000 eggs, live music, inflatables, puppet shows, and the Easter Bunny. (Get more details here.) It really is a great day of fun for the entire family and if you live in the Hays area, we would LOVE for you to be our guest.

And if you call TCC you're church home, we'd love to have your help to make this incredible event possible for our community. Here are three great ways for you to make a difference in people's lives through The Big Hunt:

Donate Eggs. We're shooting for 30,000 eggs. (Yes, you read that right: 30 THOUSAND) Buy plastic eggs, fill them with non-chocolate candy or small prizes, and bring them with you on Saturday.
Donate Water. We are expecting literally THOUSANDS of people from the community to show up to this event. We need lots and lots of bottled water to give away to all our thirsty guests. Our goal is to have at least 200 cases of H20.
Serve. It takes a team effort to pull off an event like this. And we'd love to have you on the team. If you can serve at The Big Hunt email nic [at] theconnectionchurch [dot] org and I will get you in touch with Jennifer Williams, our Big Hunt coordinator.

To Belize via Duct Tape...

2010-03-23T11:03:00.004-05:00

We have some remarkable students within our ministry here at The Connection Church. Some are creative, some compassionate, and some are just a little wacky [in a good way]. And then there are those are all three: creative, compassionate, and a little wacky...all rolled into one. Here's a story of two of those girls and how you can help them change the world...literally.

Makenzie Phillips & Mali Lewis are just two middle school girls who want to make a difference in their world. Makenzie's dad is the Lead Pastor of The Connection Church and Mali's parents lead an incredible puppet ministry called P.A.L.M.S. The puppet team traveled to Belize last summer on a mission trip and had an incredible experience sharing God's love with others. In fact, Mali's mom, Kamala, is a dentist who regularly goes on medical mission trips to Belize. Kamala was planning to go back to Belize this summer for one of those mission trips and Mali insisted that she go. After some discussion about the idea, Kamala told Mali no because she didn't want her exposed to the infectious diseases, such as HIV, that can occur on these trips. And Kamala thought that was the end of it. Here's what happened next in Kamala's own words:

A few months back Mali started asking to do extra stuff to earn money in addition to her chores. She wouldn't say why, and I just figured she was saving for something like someone's birthday present or something. But, she just kept on and on. Finally, I asked her why and she didn't want to tell me because I would say no. I promised her I wouldn't, and that is when she told me she was saving to pay her own way to Belize so I would have to let her go. What was I going to say then? So, needless to say I couldn't tell her no! Who am I to go against what God is speaking to her?

Fast forward to the past several weeks. Makenzie and Mali are close friends and Mackenzie decided she wanted to do something to help Mali follow God's call for her to go serve in Belize this summer. But what's a 7th grade girl got to offer to a fundraising project, right? Well, it's amazing the creativity that God gives you when you are willing to do whatever it takes to follow him.

These girls came up with the idea to take your everyday, regular notebooks and design custom covers on them to sell in order to raise money for Mali's mission trip to Belize. And what better way to design cool, creative, custom covers than to use DUCT TAPE! That's right. Mackenzie & Mali are designing the covers of these notebooks out of duct tape [some have ribbons, stickets, buttons, etc too] and selling them for just $3.99. I think the creativity & compassion that God has placed within these two young ladies is absolutely inspiring. I believe that they are living, breathing models of the fact that nothing is impossible with God.

You can see a few examples of the notebooks below. But the possibilities and designs are really endless. I think these two girls will even put together a custom design at your request for a few bucks more. So if you live in Kyle or go to The Connection Church, you can buy a $4 notebook and literally be involved in changing someone's life in Belize. Your 4 bucks can change the world. And if you live outside of the Hays County area, I've got a deal for you. If you want to support these young ladies and their efforts by getting a notebook [or several notebooks], then I will personally pay for the shipping cost to get the notebooks to you. Simply leave a comment on this blog or email me at nic [at] theconnectionchurch [dot] org with your name, address, and how many notebooks you want to purchase.

Notebooks that can change the world. Creativity out of compassion. Belize via Duct Tape. Get involved and do something.

Enormous Egg Throwdown...

2010-03-15T13:46:00.006-05:00

Every year at The Connection Church we do it BIG at Easter with The Big Hunt. The Big Hunt is the biggest Easter Egg hunt in Texas, with thousands upon thousands of eggs, live music, puppet shows, giveaways, and fun for the whole family. [You can find our more details about The Big Hunt here.]

One of the coolest things about The Big Hunt is that it is a 100%, completely FREE event for our community! We want to show our community that God loves them and that we do to in a very practical way.

In order to do this, it means all of us at TCC have to step up BIG TIME to donate eggs filled with candy and to volunteer to serve at the event. Making The Big Hunt happen is no small task! So I wanted to let all of you know that this week Hobby Lobby has eggs on sale for 50% off (through March 20th). That means you can get a dozen eggs for only 33 cents!

That brings me to my ENORMOUS EGG THROWDOWN Challenge:

Beginning today, Johanna and I will MATCH your egg donations for The Big Hunt egg for egg.

UPDATE (3/16/08): Three other familes have joined Johanna & I in the Egg Challenge. Shep & Kristi West, Trey & Jennifer Williams, and Joe & Melanie Barnes have also agreed to MATCH any egg donations egg for egg with the following contest details! Thank you to these awesome families for jumping in & making this contest even better!

Here are the challenge details:

The challenge begins immediately and runs through this Thursday, March 18th at NOON central time.
Your donated eggs must be filled with something - either individually wrapped candy or a small prize for a child. (Please do not use chocolate candy because of the melting factor.)
We will match every egg donated up to 100 dozen or 1,200 eggs.
This challenge will be based on the honor system. For us to match your eggs, simply leave a comment here on my blog, send me a message on Twitter, or comment on my Facebook page. With each comment be sure to let me know how many eggs you are donating! [And you better believe I will be making sure we get those eggs!]

So there it is: My Enormous Egg Throwdown Challenge. Go buy some eggs. Fill 'em with candy or a prize. Let me know how many you're donating. We will match it. And you've just doubled your egg donation to The Big Hunt & made an ENORMOUS impact on our community!

Creative Bible Resource...

2010-03-02T10:04:00.003-06:00

If you're a parent of a younger child, you have got to check out this new resource from Phil Vischer, the creator of the Veggie Tales. Phil has developed a really creative way to teach kids the Bible in a way that is fun and relevant to children. The first couple videos in this series are being released this month and can be purchased at Family Christian Stores - in stores and online. Check out the video below:

Five Ways To Talk To Your Teen About Sex...

2010-02-15T16:04:00.005-06:00

For the past week, the topic here on this blog has been about parents having "the talk" with their pre-teens and teens. After 13 years of student ministry, I'm convinced that for parents, talking to their kids about sex is one of the toughest parts of parenting. And I'm also convinced it's one of the on-going conversations between a parent and teen that cannot be overlooked. In light of that, here's today's list:

Five Ways To Talk To Your Teen/Pre-Teen About Sex:

Seize the moment. As I've previously stated, we live in a sex-saturated culture. Sex is all around us - on tv, in the movies, in advertising, and in our music. When a tv show or song on the radio raises an issue about sex, use the everyday moment as an opportunity to bring up the subject with your teen. This seems to be far-and-away the best, informal opportunity to broach the subject with your kid.

Inquiring minds want to know. Many times, your pre-teen or teen will bring up the topic of sex before you as a parent do. That's why it's important to give thought to what you want to teach your child about sex and relationships far earlier than you actually plan on talking to them about it. Because if they've got questions and you aren't ready to talk, they'll find someone who is - and that someone may not share your values & wisdom.

Find a partner. Most student minstries in churches and many schools talk to teens about sex and relationships. Find out when and what your teen's church or school is teaching about sex and use this natural time to bring up the conversation at home.

Ask about their friends. One way to initiate "the talk" with your teen is to ask them what their friends or peers think about the topic of sex. Ask what they think they might know or questions their peers might have. This allows your teen or pre-teen to open up without feeling direct pressure on themselves as an individual.
Develop a culture of openness & listening within your home. If your teen feels that your home and your relationship with one another is safe and open, they're more likely to talk to you about tough topics like sex and dating. Be sure your child knows your door is always open to talk and that you're there just to listen if they need to talk things out.

10 Tips For Parents When Having "The Talk"...

2010-02-10T14:21:00.004-06:00

Earlier this week, I encouraged parents of pre-teens and teenagers to be sure they are talking with their kids about sex, dating, and relationships. Because here's the truth: No matter how sheltered or protected you think your child is, they are being exposed to messages about sex. Our culture is sex-saturated and your son or daughter is hearing tons of messages about sex. Why not let them hear the truth from the people who should love them the most? So I thought I'd use my blog to help spur on those conversations and help those of you who are parents with some guidelines about having "the talk" with your teen. I'm kicking that off today with 10 things parents should remember when talking to their kid about sex. Here we go:

10 Tips For Parents When Having "The Talk":

Just because your child may ask questions about sex doesn't mean they are sexually active. - The teen years are full of confusion and chaos on this subject. If you're teen is initiating the conversation, don't freak out and assume it's because they're sexually active already. Be thankful they trust you enough to come to you with their questions instead of going somewhere else for answers.
In today's society, talking to your teen or pre-teen about sex, MUST include talking to them about pornography and the dangers of it. - If current statistics hold up, your middle school or high school child not only has a close friend who is involved in watching pornography, but they most likely have a close friend who is already considered addicted to pornography. Some statistics even show that the average age a child is exposed to pornography for the first time is 7 years old. You MUST address this topic parents!
Know that your kid wants to hear the truth about this from you...and not from their friends in the locker room. - Teen polls consistently show that the #1 influence on teens is their parents. And it's head-and-shoulders above any other influence in their life.
Be sure you cover the basics of sex with your teen or pre-teen, but also spend some time talking about body image & self-worth. - When a teen makes poor decisions in the area of sex & dating, the majority of the time it is out of a longing for love, value, & worth. Make sure they know they're loved and valued by you and by God.
Talk about consequences of pre-marital or casual sex. - Consequences are real and teens need to be aware of them.
Be ready to talk about difficult issues. - Most teens have more questions than simply "What is sexual intercourse?" Be sure you're teen knows that your door is always open no matter how difficult or uncomfortable their questions may be. And then don't act shocked when they come to you with those questions.
Be prepared. - Having "the talk" is difficult. No one argues that. But being prepared and having a game plan will do wonders in eliminating that uncomfortable feeling.
Be honest. - Teenagers can ALWAYS smell a fake. You don't have to share every single mistake you've ever made in this area, but be honest with your teen and don't be afraid to share what you've learned from experience.
Listen. - A big part of having "the talk" involves listening - to your child's questions, struggles, and concerns. The more you listen, the more likely they are to keep talking and come to you with their questions.
Don't be afraid to ask for help. - If you're struggling with how to engage in these conversations with your son or daughter, don't be afraid to ask for help. Talk to a parent of with older children who's been down this road, speak with your local pastor or youth pastor, or find a family friend who can offer some advice in this area.

Check back tomorrow for ways to bring up the topic of sex with your teen or pre-teen!

Sex, Teens, Parents, & The Talk...

2010-02-08T16:14:00.008-06:00

This past Sunday at The Connection Church, we kicked off a new series called Red Hot. We're looking at the Song of Solomon and spending the next few weeks talking about heating up your love life. We're also talking about the topics of sex, dating, & relationships with our teenagers here at TCC. This past week we kicked off a series called I Heart U that challenges our students to choose God's plan for our relationships rather than simply blindly following our culture.

After spending 13 years in Student Ministry, I know it can be tough for parents of teens and pre-teens to talk with their kids about sex, dating, and relationships. For a lot of parents, the most dreaded part of parenting is having "the talk." If that's you as a parent, know that you're not alone. In fact, a lot of parents struggle with talking to their teenagers about sex. But even though it's difficult, it still needs to be done - because your son or daughter IS talking about sex. They are getting messages daily about sex & dating - from their peers, from things overheard in locker rooms and school hallways, from tv, movies, music, and billboards. Our culture is sex-saturated.

So parents here's a word of wisdom from someone who's spent their entire adult life working with students: Talk to your kids about sex & dating...because they need to hear God's plan & the truth from someone who loves them & cares about them. Who better for that job than YOU? And if that's a tough topic to talk about, it's ok. You're not alone in that. But talk about it anyway...And be sure to check back here throughout this week as I'll be posting some pointers for parents when it comes to having "the talk" that just might make it a little easier.

Gifts That Make A Difference - Part 3

2009-12-17T14:27:00.003-06:00

Over the past couple weeks I've shared various alternative Christmas gifts that can really make a difference in changing the world in which we live. Today, I want to share one more way that you can use your Christmas gift-giving to make an impact in our world.

One way that you could make an incredible impact this Christmas season is to give to a church plant. Al around the world God is doing incredible things as men of God step out on faith to start new churches and reach people that no one else is reaching. These men and their families risk everything in order to share God's love and hope with people who are far from God. I am a huge fan of church planters because I believe Jesus is a huge fan of church planters. I believe he delights in their risks and is honored in their obedience. So what better gift to give at Christmas than the gift of hope and salvation to others by supporting a new church? Check out the churches below. See what they're doing to reach people in their community. Pray for the pastors and the churches they lead. And then give. Give a gift in honor of a friend or family member. Get your Bible study class or small group at your church to give one of these churches a financial gift for Christmas this year. Support these pastors and these churches and help them reach those who no one else is reaching...because by doing that, you're giving the gift of Jesus in a tangible way to those who've never experienced his love. Here are some great pastors and church plants I'd recommend you give to:

You could help Launch The Revolution. Go here to help Pastor Zak White launch Revolution Church in Shertz, TX.
You could become a Verve Venture Capitalist. Go here to help Pastor Vince Antonucci raise enough money to lease a building for his new church on the Vegas Strip.
Email Pastor Caleb Southerland at caleb [at]urbanhills [dot] org to find out how you can help support Urban Hills and there 20/20 vision.
Help Pastor Nick Carnes launch New Passion Church and reach those far from God in the Grovetown, GA area by going here.

When you give to support your local church and when you give to help plant churches, you are literally helping to give the presence of Jesus to a hurting world. I can't think of a better, more fitting gift at Christmas than that.

Gifts That Make A Difference - Part 2...

2009-12-09T09:13:00.002-06:00

For the next few days I'm sharing Christmas gifts that really make a difference in our world. (You can read part 1 here.) 2,000 years ago, Christmas changed the world...and it still can. If we look beyond our own consumerism and look at our world with compassion, Christmas can really change the world.

Think about it: Will your Aunt Gloria really wear that butt-ugly sweater you're gonna' get her? Does your cousin really need another coffee cup warmer? What if you gave gives that impacted the world in their honor, instead of wasting money on something they didn't need?

What if you bought them a goat? Or maybe your more of a chicken-and-ducks-giver? What about some seeds to plant or an education? That's exactly the kind of gifts you can give through World Vision. If you've never heard of this organization, then check it out here RIGHT NOW. They have an amazing Christmas gift catalog that is full of gifts to give in someone's honor or memory that are literally changing the world. A goat to a hungry family in a third world country means an ongoing supply of milk, cheese, and yogurt. Chickens provide a sustainable source of food, while allowing the recipient to share newly hatched chickens with others in need. Or you could provide education for a child in need...for only $32. Whether you want to feed hungry kids, provide clean drinking water, further a needy child's education, or send medical aid to a village in need, World Vision is your place to find Christmas gifts that matter.

Let's be honest: You know that fruitcake that you give tastes terrible anyway. So head over to World Vision's website today and give a gift that helps Christmas change the world.

10 Ways To Teach Your Kids The Real Meaning of Christmas...

2009-12-08T14:00:00.002-06:00

1. Start a family tradition of reading the Christmas story together. The story of Jesus birth can be found in Luke 2 and reading this story together as a family is a great way to make sure you’re focused on the true meaning of Christmas.

2. Involve the entire family in setting up the Nativity Scene. You could even do this while reading the Christmas story as a family. And if you’re worried that your children are too young to handle your antique Nativity set passed down from generation to generation, you can find kid friendly nativity sets at your local Christian bookstore and in many toy sections of department stores. Fisher Price even makes one that can be found here.

3. Attend a Christmas worship service together. Christmas is a time when we should focus our minds attention and our hearts affection on Jesus. Don’t let the busy-ness of the season rob your family of spending quality time worshipping together.

4. Play Christmas music in your home that focuses on the reason for the season. Sure, Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer is musical genius. But be sure to include Christmas music in your home that communicates God’s gift to us in his son Jesus.

5. Give to others. If you know a family or child in need this Christmas, adopt them and shop for them as a family for Christmas. If you don’t know anyone personally who might be in need this year, then check out your local Angel Tree, or something like it, and adopt a child for your family to provide for.

6. Give alternative Christmas gifts. Let’s face it: Uncle Johnny doesn’t want that ugly sweater you’ll buy at the last minute anyway. So check out ministries such as World Vision, Advent Conspiracy, or Charity: Water and give a meaningful gift in someone’s honor. Then use this opportunity to talk with your kids about the difference between compassion and consumption.

7. Adopt a new strategy for giving your kids gifts. Nothing sends more mixed signals to our kids than when we say Christmas is about Jesus, but then turn around and make it about how many presents they can get and how much we can go in debt doing it. Come up with a better plan as parents to use even your gift giving as a way to teach your kids the real reason for the season. A strategy I heard recently that I really liked was a couple who give their kids four gifts: “Something you want, Something you need, Something to wear, and Something to read.” Love it.

8. Visit your local nursing home or an elderly neighbor who is shut-in or might not have family close by. Take some cookies or a basket of fruit and give the gift of your time and presence to someone who might be alone this season. Christmas is all about God making himself present among us through his son, Jesus. As a family, practice presence this holiday season by being present in the life of someone who may be overlooked by others.

9. Have a birthday party for Jesus. On Christmas day, before anyone opens gifts and begins to play with that new toy or video game, begin by focusing on the best gift of all: God’s gift to us in Jesus. You can even go all out with a cake, candles, and a family sing-along of “Happy Birthday to Jesus.”

10. As a family, make gifts and cards for friends and other family members. What better way to promote giving, family, and togetherness than to make gifts and cards for your friends and family. You’ll save money, your gifts will mean more because they’re from the heart, and your family will grow from the time spent together.

Regardless of how you choose to teach your children and teens about the true meaning of Christmas, be sure that you at least do it. Don't be reactive in teaching you're kids what Christmas is all about. Be intentional. Be proactive. Use this incredible opportunity to let your kids see God's message of hope: that He loved us so much, He sent his son Jesus. That's what Christmas is all about. And as parents, it's our responsibility to make sure our kids know the real reason for the season.

Gifts That Make A Difference - Gift 1...

2009-12-07T20:25:00.003-06:00

For the next couple weeks I'm going to be sharing some Christmas gifts that can actually make a difference. Because let's face it...no one wants that ugly tie that you're going to buy at the last minute anyway. Last Christmas, through some friends, I discovered this movement called Advent Conspiracy.

Advent Conspiracy is an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption. It operates under one premis: Christmas can still change the world...just like it did a couple thousand years ago on the very first Christmas day.
So for the next couple weeks I'll be sharing some alternative Christmas gifts that really can make a difference in our world. Whether you're shopping for that person who has everything or the family member who's just so hard to buy for, consider checking out some of the charities and ministries you'll find on this blog in the next several days.

First up, check out Advent Conspiracy here and their charity Living Water International here. And after you check that out and consider providing a cup of clean drinking water to those who don't have access to it, check out this video from Advent Conspiracy:

So what about you're idea for an alternative Christmas gift? Are you doing something this Christmas that is making a difference and moving from consumption to compassion? If so, I'd love for you to share about it by leaving a comment and letting us all know how we can help.

20 Things I'm Thankful For - The Wrap-Up Edition...

2009-11-30T14:48:00.003-06:00

In the days leading up to this past weekend and the Thanksgiving holiday, I've made a conscious effort to choose to be grateful each day. I want to be proactive in my thankfulness to God for all the blessings he's given me in life. And today, I'm concluding my Thankfulness Series of blog posts by expressing thanks for one of the people I'm most thankful for: my incredible wife.

My wife Johanna is absolutely amazing...and I don't say that just because she cooks the most incredible chocolate pie that man has ever tasted. When God brought Johanna into my life he blessed me with a phenomenal gift. She's encouraing and supportive in all I do. She is a great partner in ministry. She's a loving, caring wife. And she's a freakin' fantastic mother. On top of all that, she puts up with my messiness, my crazy, ADD-driven personality, and my constant joking with her. When I'm down, she knows just what to say to pick me up. When I'm unsure of myself, she knows just how to give me that extra boost of confidence. I really believe that when God created her and put her on this planet, he was thinking about exactly what I would need in a life-partner.

Johanna, I love you so very much. I want you to know that I thank God for the gift of you in my life every day. Thank you for loving and supporting me. I'm so happy that I get to spend forever with you.

20 Things I'm Thankful For - Day 17

2009-11-25T20:28:00.002-06:00

For the last several days, I'm making the daily choice to be thankful. Leading up through this Thanksgiving Weekend I am blogging about 20 different things I'm thankful for.

Today, I'm grateful for Youth Pastors. I've spent my entire adult life working with students as a Student Pastor. It's what I've dedicated my life to up to this point. My best friends: Youth Pastors. Most of my college buddies: Youth Pastors. The people I love doing life with: Youth Pastors. I can spot a Youth Pastor from 100 yards away. I don't know if it's because we have a certain look about us (the goatee, cap, and faded jeans) or that there really is something deep inside of us that just recognizes the heart of a student minister in each other. But I do know this: Good, hard-working, Jesus-loving Youth Pastors represent what's best about Jesus and what's best about our world.

There is so much I love about youth pastors. They believe that teenagers can not only do something of value, but they can change the world. They believe that God doesn't make junk. They believe that students are worthy of unconditional love. They believe the church is still a place where you can have fun. They're some of the most creative people I know. They believe following Jesus shouldn't be boring and should be full of life and risk. I love youth pastors. And I am so very thankful for the men and women who have dedicated their lives and callings to serving students and allowing students to know that they are loved by God.

If you're a youth pastor, THANK YOU. I want you to know that what you do is not only important, but it is one of the MOST significant jobs on this planet. I believe in you...and more importantly, God believes in you - and in your ministry.

20 Things I'm Thankful For - Day 16...

2009-11-24T09:00:00.003-06:00

Each day leading up to this weekend, I'm choosing to be grateful. Today, I thought I'd throw out a random list of several things that I'm thankful for. You could even call it a Thankfulness Blitz...

I'm thankful for political debate...because it means I live in a country where I have the freedom to speak my mind and be involved in the political process.
I'm thankful for my water bill...because it means I have clean water to drink. (That's not something everyone in the world has access to. In fact, almost 1 BILLION people in today's world don't have clean water to drink. You can find out more about this need and how you can make a difference here.)
I'm thankful that we've only had to buy 3 packages of diapers in almost 7 months for Hayden because of the generosity of others.
I'm thankful that the Texas Longhorns are undefeated and on their way to a National Championship. Hook 'Em!
While we're on the subject of sports, I'm thankful college basketball season is here so my UNC Tarheels can begin defending that National Championship.
I'm thankful I get to go to work everyday with people I love doing life with.
I'm thankful that I'll get to spend time with family this week.
I'm thankful that I get to preach at TCC this weekend!
I'm thankful that I have the most amazing wife and son in the world and that I get a couple days off this week to spend with them.
And I'm thankful that you spent a couple minutes reading this. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and are reminded off EVERYTHING that you have to be thankful for.

20 Things I'm Thankful For - Day 12...

2009-11-20T16:03:00.003-06:00

I'm in the middle of a blog series about choosing to be thankful. Each day leading up to Thanksgiving weekend, I'm acknowledging something I'm grateful for.

Today, I'm thankful for friends and community - specifically for my Connection Group. I believe very strongly that God created each and every one us for relationships and community. We're not meant to be alone and we all want some place where we belong. That's why I love my Connection Group! In group, we have friends who accept us right where we are, celebrate life's joys with us, and help us through the tougher times in life that come our way.

If you attend The Connection Church and aren't plugged in to a Connection Group, you're missing out on a place where you can connect with other people who care and can walk through life with you. If you'd like more info on becoming part of one of our groups, email me at nic[at]theconnectionchurch[dot]org.

20 Things I'm Thankful For - Day 10...

2009-11-18T21:34:00.002-06:00

This month I'm doing my best to choose to be grateful. Each day leading up to Thanksgiving weekend, I'm expressing thanks for someone or something in my life.

Today, I'm thankful for my electric bill. I know that may sound odd or strange, but I really am. The fact that I get an electric bill in the mail each month means several things. It means on cold mornings, like today, I have electricity to heat my home. It means I have light to turn on when it's dark. I have power to run a refrigerator to store the food I'm able to purchase. When I get a bill in the mail, it also means that I've had the money to pay my bills so far and my electricity hasn't been shut off!

There are millions of people in the world who would love to have the blessing of electricity and the resources and means to pay an electricity bill. The fact that I get a bill each month means I'm blessed. And I'm thankful today for that blessing.

20 Things I'm Thankful For - Day 9...

2009-11-17T18:53:00.002-06:00

Each day leading up to Thanksgiving weekend, I'm choosing to be grateful. Today I'm choosing to be thankful for our Family Ministries team here at The Connection Church. Our student minister, Bryan Moore, our children's minister, Trey Williams, and our preschool minister, Jennifer Martinez all serve within our family ministries area here at TCC helping people connect with God, connect with others, and connect others with God. They are committed to the vision and passionate about reaching kids and students with the love of God.

I'm so thankful for Bryan's enthusiam and energy. It is unmatched and it oozes out of him, just like his love for students. And it amazes me that someone who works the night shift still has as much energy to be involved in all the student activities he's leading at TCC.

I'm so thankful for Trey's commitment to excellence and growth. He just recently took over the leadership position within our kids ministries and I am so excited about what the future holds. Trey wants our kids ministries to be top tier and he's growing a great team to reach that goal.

I'm so thankful for Jennifer's positive attitude and spirit. No matter how bad a situation is, Jennifer can always find the positive in it. She always sees the glass as half-full and convinces others to see it that way too because she's so positive!

Bryan, Trey, and Jennifer - You guys rock! And I'm so thankful you're on the team!

20 Things I'm Thankful for - Day 5...

2009-11-14T20:18:00.002-06:00

For the 20 days leading up to Thanksgiving weekend, I'm choosing gratitude. Each day I'm sharing something I'm thankful for - sometimes serious, sometimes lighthearted.

Today (Friday, Nov. 13th), I'm choosing to be thankful for football. This weekend marks the beginning of the state high school football playoffs and I'll be the first to admit that I'm not just a fan of football...I'm a fanatic. I love the game. I loved playing the game. I love watching high school football on Friday nights and college football on Saturdays. (But to be honest, I could go without the pro game for the most part. It's more about the money than the game in my opinion.)

Growing up, I learned so many life lessons from the game of football. I learned that you're only as good as you practice. I learned about hard work and determination. I learned that success means sacrifice. I learned that the TEAM is more important than the one. So much about life I learned from a game. And I'm thankful for that game...and for all the life-lessons it's taught me!

20 Things I'm Thankful For - Day 4...

2009-11-14T20:12:00.003-06:00

Each day leading up to Thanksgiving I'm choosing to be grateful. I've challenged myself to blog about something I'm thankful for each day leading up to Thanksgiving weekend.

And if you've been keeping track, you realized I skipped the end of the week. Well, I've got a good reason. On Thursday, I was planning to write this blog about something goofy I was thankful for...You know - keep it lighthearted. And I planned to write that blog that evening. The only problem - my sister-in-law had an unexpected c-section to deliver my new niece into the world and we had to spend the evening at the hospital in Austin.

As you can imagine, that also changed what I'm thankful for. So on day four of my 20 Days of Thankfulness, I'm thankful for Luralie Kate Albright and for her parents Clay & Jackie Albright who welcomed this 7 lb. 8 oz. 2o.5 inch lovely baby girl into the world. Luralie, we're so thankful you are here! Jackie & Clay, we are so happy for you both!

20 Things I'm Thankful For - Day 3...

2009-11-11T19:53:00.002-06:00

Each day leading up to Thanksgiving weekend I'm choosing to be grateful. I'm sharing one thing each day that I'm thankful for.

Today the choice is simple. Today, I'm thankful for our veterans. The character, strength, integrity, and dedication of our servicemen and women, both past and present, simply amazes me. I grew up with a great respect and awe of those who served in the military. My Papa, who passed away earlier this year, was my hero. He was a career military man, serving in multiple wars and being stationed all over the US and abroad. (You can read about my Papa in this post from last year's Veteran's day by clicking here.) So from an early age I understood the sacrifice and dedication our military personnel show in serving our country.

To all of you who have, and are currently, faithfully and bravely serving our country, preserving our freedom and ensuring me and my family the privileges of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, I say THANK YOU. You truly know that freedom is not free. And I am grateful that you were willing to pay the price for my freedom. Happy Veteran's Day.

20 Things I'm Thankful For - Day 2...

2009-11-10T15:46:00.003-06:00

For the twenty days leading up to Thanksgiving weekend, I'm choosing to be grateful. Each day I'm sharing something that I'm thankful for. You can read about the idea behind this blog series by clicking here.

Today is day two of things I'm thankful for and today I am expressing thanks for The Barnes' Kids. Joe & Melanie Barnes are two of the great people on the team here at The Connection Church. They do a ton to serve here at TCC and make a difference and impact on the lives of people in our church and community. And they have two incredibly awesome kids!

I'm thankful for Joe & Melanie's children, Britney & Aaron and here's why: Because of how much love and generosity they show my son Hayden. Outside of our family, there may not be anybody who loves our son more than Britney and Aaron. Everytime we go over to the Barnes' home they want to hold him and play with him, without ever getting tired of it. They've given him the sweetest gifts ever too. Britney is learning to sew and she made Hayden a little blankie. Aaron has given Hayden one of his own teddy bears. Britney just recently won a game at our Trunk or Treat event where she got to pick out any stuffed animal she wanted. She came up to me and told me about how she won the game and then said this: "I wanted to win so bad so that I could pick out something for Hayden. So win I won I tried to think to myself, which one of those things would Hayden like?" Is that not awesome?!?! She then gave Hayden a little Winnie The Pooh bear that also had baby rattles attached to it.

Over the past few months God has been teaching me a lot about generosity. He's been working in my heart to make me more generous. And he's been using people to do it. Two of the people God has used most just happen to still be in elementary school! Britney and Aaron, if you read this I hope you know that Johanna, Hayden, and myself are very thankful for both of you and so grateful for all the love you show to Hayden.

Today...and every day...I'm thankful that God uses little kids, just like Britney & Aaron, to make me more of who He wants me to be.

What about you? Who are you thankful for today? Feel free to comment away.

20 Things I'm Thankful For - Day 1...

2009-11-09T20:15:00.003-06:00

I'm starting a new series of blog posts today that will continue through Thanksgiving weekend. Each day I'm choosing thankfulness and will be posting something or someone I'm thankful for. You can check out the thoughts behind the idea here.

Today to kick things off I'm choosing to be thankful for a healthy baby boy. My son, Hayden Russell Burleson, turned 6 months old last week. He has forever changed my life. He makes me want to be a better man, a better pastor, a better husband, and a better friend...all because I know he's watching every single move I make.

Several years ago I was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor and underwent surgery to remove the tumor. The damage done to my pituitary gland has several affects on my body. When my wife and I talked to my doctor about having a child and the affects of what that tumor did to my body, my doctor literally laughed at the idea that we even thought it was a possibility.

Fast forward less than a year and Johanna is pregnant with Hayden. Within 16 months of that doctor's laughter, we welcomed a healthy, strong, incredible baby boy into our lives. And after 6 months, we haven't done anything to screw him up yet! At his 6 month appointment last week we were told we have a strong, healthy, growing son. And I thank God EVERY DAY for the blessing of His gift to us.

What are you thankful for today? Being thankful can change your entire outlook on life!

20 Things Im Thankful For...

2009-11-09T11:55:00.003-06:00

Today I'll be starting a series of blog posts that will run for the next twenty days - through Thanksgiving weekend. Each day I'll be giving thanks for someone or something...Some days will be deep and introspective. Some days will be random and light. But each day I will choose to be thankful.

In our "it's-all-about-me and I've-gotta-have-more" society, gratitude is a dying virtue. We live in a world where we feel entitled to everything and owed anything we could ever want or wish for. It's a sickness. And so often that sickness results in diminishing thankfulness.

So for the next 20 days, beginning with the first post later this afternoon, I'm choosing to be thankful - for God's provisions, for His blessings, and for things and relationships I don't deserve.

So what is it that you're thankful for? Comment away.

Habits of Great Group Leaders...

2009-11-05T09:45:00.000-06:00

At The Connection Church we believe that our Connection Groups are the best place for people to experience authentic life-change, build healthy, biblical relationships, and find a place where they belong and can be cared for. That means that our Connection Group Leaders play a vital role in the health and growth of our church. So what makes a great Group Leader? I'm glad you asked.

8 Habits of Great Group Leaders:

A great group leader prays daily for their group and for the individual group members.

A great group leader is always looking for new people to invite to check out the group.

A great group leader makes sure that group members are contacted regularly and kept informed of group happenings, schedules, and needs within the group.

A great group leader spends time preparing for the group meeting so that it is the best it can possibly be.

A great group leader is always in the process of raising up new leadership by mentoring a person as a co-leader.

A great group leader plans activties to build community and connections within the group outside of the normal group meeting time.

A great group leader is committed to their own personal spiritual growth, understanding that you cannot lead people farther than you've been.

A great group leader consistently pushes the vision of seeing every person at the church connected in a group, which leads to adding healthy, growing groups each semester.

Developing Low-Bar Leaders...

2009-11-04T10:08:00.005-06:00

Back in my middle school & high school days, I played football...and loved it. But what I didn't love were the off-season workouts that went along with playing football. One drill in particular that I hated were the hurdle drills. With the goal in mind of developing our movement and agility, our coaches would make us jump, flat footed, over track hurdles set at different heights. Now don't get me wrong: There were days when this was easy. When the hurdles were set to the lowest height, this drill was a piece of cake. Everyone on the team could do it and we could jump those things all day long. But when the bar was raised, that was another story. With the hurdles set on high, it was a lot more work, it was sometimes painful, and there was a bigger risk of failure. And it definitely wasn't something everyone could do with ease.

As I think about those days of jumping hurdles, it makes me ponder where we set the leadership bar in our churches today. I think far too many times, as pastors and leaders, we're guilty of lowering the bar. We think that this will give us more leaders, erase the roadblocks to becoming a leader, and somehow eventually result in maturity, growth, and positive change. Unfortunately, that just isn't the case. So how do we know if we've set the bar too low? Check this out below:

How To Develop Low Bar Leaders

Steer clear of accountability. If you want low bar leaders, then be sure you never hold people accountable. Make sure you don't have any standards that leaders are held to and, by all means, don't step in when there are problems with a leader's character or actions.
Refuse to develop clearly communicated requirements and standards. If it is one thing that low bar leaders hate, it is being held to a standard that is clearly expressed throughout your organization. In order to keep low bar leaders happy, be sure to water down your requirements for leadership and be unclear in your communication of these requirements.
Give everyone in your church or organization an equal amount of time. In ministry, more is caught than taught. It's a simple principle. Great leaders spend more time with less people, in order to invest in their leaders. If you want low bar leaders, be sure to spread your time evenly among everyone, never giving any extra attention to those who have the potential to make a major impact within your church.
Avoid dealing with people who knowingly and willfully fall short of the bar. Let's face it: When we set the bar low, it makes it a lot easier for everyone to jump over with very little commitment, effort, or dedication. When we set the leadership bar high in our organization or church, it means that we will have to confront those who continually fall short of the bar and that means dealing with conflict. And no one likes that, right? So let's keep the bar low. It's more comfortable that way.
Never ask people to step up or to take the next step. Churches and organizations that produce high level leaders are consistently challenging people to grow by taking the next step in their faith, in their leadership, and in their commitment to the cause. If we want to keep low bar leaders, then we need to keep ourselves from making the "big ask" and challenging people to step up to the next level. Let people get comfortable and complacent where they're at and they'll be content at the low bar level for life.

In our churches, when we set the leadership bar low, everyone clears the bar...but no one wins - especially the people we're trying to reach with the love and hope of Jesus Christ. Raising the bar may mean more hard work, the possibility of dealing with some pain, and a bigger risk of failure...but in the end, it produces change that the low bar never will.

Happy Birthday Mom!...

2009-09-23T21:00:00.003-05:00

Today is my mom's birthday. From what I've heard, she's been showered with flowers, gifts, balloons, candy, and the whole works...And she deserves it. God has blessed me with an incredible family. My parents have always believed in me, pushed me to be the best I can be, and provided all the support in the world for me to accomplish anything I set out to do. I always say I won the parent lottery and on days like this, I am reminded of that even more. So Happy Birthday Mom! We love you!

Wow Wednesday (One Day Late!)...

2009-09-17T16:05:00.003-05:00

Several months ago, I had a weekly post entitled Wow Wednesday. Every Wednesday I would post a video that would leave you saying only one thing: "Wow." That could mean, "Wow, that is incredible!" or (most likely) "Wow! Are they serious?!?!" It's been a while since Wow Wednesday has taken place here on the blog, but I saw this video yesterday and while I was showing it to some peeps today, someone said I should post it as a Wow Wednesday. So here you are: For your viewing pleasure, I present The Breakfast Song.

We Don't Freestyle Texas Fight...

2009-09-14T15:48:00.002-05:00

My good friend (and unfortunately, Sooner fan) Steve Etheridge shared this over on his blog page at The River 102.3 Radio Station and I just had to pass it along...

The Weekend Update...

2009-09-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a recap of Labor Day weekend in the Burleson household:

Friday we spent most of the day in Round Rock & North Austin. Johanna had been wanting to take me on my first IKEA experience so we spent a few hours roaming that monstrosity. The bonus of the day: There is a Razzoo's right next to IKEA, which just happens to have one of the finest meals on the planet: The Jaws Platter!
Saturday was dedicated to the greatness that is college football. I watched a lot of games this weekend and the highlight was watching the Longhorn game with Micah & Bryan. Hook 'em!
Sunday was a great day at TCC. Zak White, our former executive pastor and now the pastor and founder of Revolution Church shared his vision about reaching people with us on Sunday morning. Good stuff!
Monday was a Dadda Day for us. Johanna is a little under the weather so I took Hayden out and we spent the morning and most of the afternoon hanging out. I love spending time with Hayden! We came home mid-afternoon to hang out with Momma and spent the rest of the day lounging around the house and resting.

The ABCs of Why I Need A Connection Group...

2009-09-03T14:46:00.002-05:00

I’ve been up to my elbows in Connection Group work this week! With Zak moving to plant a church in Schertz, our group’s ministry is a new area I’m leading. We had our fall training camp for group leaders last weekend. I’ve worked on other group stuff all week. Yesterday, Cole & I spent the afternoon recording leadership training sessions for our group leaders…Like I said, I’ve been up to my elbows in groups.

This Sunday, immediately following our morning celebration service at The Connection Church we’re hosting our Connection Group Expo. This is an opportunity for people within our church and community to find out information on our Connection Groups, as well as find a group that best fits them. If you’re a part of TCC and you aren’t connected to a group yet, let me encourage you to be there this weekend and find out how you can begin connecting with God and with others through our incredible Connection Groups. You may be asking yourself why you should even take the time to get plugged into a group. Well I’m glad you asked.

1. We all want to be ACCEPTED. – Let’s face it: We’re all looking for a lot of the same things in life…and one of those things is acceptance. We want to know that people will accept us and welcome us right where we are in life. We want people to accept us for who we are, without any masks or pretension. It is our desire that our Connection Groups reflect the love and acceptance of our God, who accepts us just as we are and loves us right where we’re at in life.

2. We all want a place to BELONG. – Being a part of a group gives you a place to belong. The theme song from the old TV show Cheers said it best: “You want to go where you can see your troubles are all the same. You want to go where everybody knows your name.” Our Connection Groups give you a place to belong – where you can share the ups and downs of life’s journey, where you can find friendships with people who care about you, and where you can find a group of people who are eager to share life with you.

3. We all want people to CARE. – If we’re all being honest, we want people to care about us. When life gets tough, it helps to know we’ve got a group of people who are there to fall back on, who are praying for us, who are eager to help, and who have our back in life’s tough times. Our Connection Groups allow us to build community with people who care – about us, about our lives, and about our future.

There you have it! The ABC’s of why you and I need to be in a Connection Group. If you’re not already connected, I hope this Sunday will be the day you step into a life-changing Connection Group!

Six Ways To Make An Impact at Your School...

2009-08-24T13:09:00.003-05:00

Last night at SURGE, our middle school ministry, our students spent time praying for the school year that starts today for most of them. They prayed that God would use them and that he would guide them this school year. With that in mind, I thought I'd post a "top-ten" list (even though I only have six) of how to impact your school this year with the love of Jesus.

Six Ways To Make An Impact At Your School:

Pray. - Pray that God would let you see your friends, classmates, and teachers as He sees them.
Be A Friend. - For most of us, our biggest fear is to be the loner, the left-out-one, the kid who has to sit all alone in the cafeteria. One of the best ways to make friends is to focus on being a good friend yourself.
Be Intentional. - Use the friendships and relationships God has given you to point people toward Jesus and show them his love for them.
Be A Good Student. - One of the best ways that you can show your teachers respect is by being a good student. This doesn't mean that you have to make all A's. It just means that you turn in your work on time, do your best, and act respectfully toward your teachers and professors. If you have a teacher that is not a Christ-follower, being diligent about your work and respectful to those in authority shows your teacher the difference that God is making in your life.
Be Vocal About Your Faith. - Don't be afraid to talk about your belief in Jesus. Contrary to popular belief, there is no law that says you can't talk about God in your school. So be open about what you believe...and invite your friends to church or to your next youth group activity!
See Your Campus As Your Mission Field. - Yes, you are at school to learn. But if you allow God to work in you and through you this school year, then He can give you a much bigger purpose and mission for getting up early and going to school 5 days a week. Understand that every day you get to go to a place where you are surrounded by people who may not know the love and truth of Jesus. Live in such a way that your school is your mission field. By the way you act and talk, let others see the love of Jesus in real and practical ways.

Touching The Untouchable...

2009-08-06T14:15:00.002-05:00

Last night I had the privilege to speak to our Middle School & High School students at our monthly joint ministries gathering that we call Shockwave. It was a blast hanging out with them and our student ministry team did a great job with the event. I spoke on the passage in Mark 1:40-45 where Jesus heals the leper and talked about how in the midst of the incredible pain, isolation, and loneliness that the leper felt, Jesus brought hope, healing, and restoration. Jesus was the only one who could clean the unclean. He was the only one who could cure the incurable. And Jesus was the only one who was willing to touch the untouchable.

The cool thing is this: Jesus treats us the same as the leper. When we've wandered far from God and realize we're dirty and sick in our sin, it's only the person of Jesus who can clean and cure. When we seem to be so isolated and lonely in the world, it's Jesus who offers a caring touch.

But it doesn't stop there. Jesus then calls us - commands us - to go and touch the untouchable in our world. We've been made clean. We've been given a cure. We've been touched by hope and love. And we're called to share that hope with even the very least of the people around us...the hurting, the helpless, and the hopeless...so that we might become the very hands of Jesus.

Who was the last "leper" that you touched? Whens the last time you showed love to someone simply because God loves them? How long has it been since you've served someone without expecting anything in return? When is the last time you've touched the untouchable?

And if you're currently involved in sharing the hope and love of the God of touch within your community, I'd love to hear your story. Feel free to comment away and share your ideas of bringing hope into our world.

Youth MiniStarZ...

2009-08-04T21:56:00.002-05:00

I've devoted my entire adult life to student ministry. My closest friends are all youth ministers. So I know we all know that there's a lot of truth in this video I saw today over at MoreThanDodgeball.com. It cracked me up. Enjoy!

This Little Guy...

2009-07-28T13:31:00.004-05:00

This little guy turns 3 months old today. Hayden came into our world on April 28th and our lives forever changed. You here people talk about how much they love their kids, but you really can't understand until you experience it...it is amazing. Happy 3 Month Birthday Little Man!

For a ton more pics of this little fella, check out his website.

A Little Link Love...

2009-07-24T11:15:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've shared some link love here on the blog. Check out the following blogs and websites for some fantastic stuff!

Tony McCullom has a message for men...and I couldn't agree more! Check it out here.
Ben Arment has some ideas to help your improve your preaching. Seriously, if you preach or teach God's word, this is a MUST READ. Check it out by clicking here.
I was completely honored and humbled by this blog from my wife, announcing a recent change in our lives. I get to serve God with the most amazing woman in the world as my partner. Wow.
In case you missed it, my brother is now blogging. He is one of the funniest people I know, but instead of devoting his blog to humor, his site is focused on his life and lessons as a basketball coach. If you work with youth, coach sports, teach, or need some great life lessons, check it out.
Tony Morgan consistently challenges me with his thoughts on leadership. He did it again with this post on the Four Stages of Leadership.
Pastor Steven Furtick shares Elevation Church's church growth strategy here. I like the simplicity of it!
Perry Noble shares 5 Questions Every Husband Should Ask His Wife. Great post for men looking to make the most out of their marriage relationship!

Making My Marriage Great Before It Even Starts...

2009-07-23T11:48:00.003-05:00

Since I preached on how God can make marriages great this past Sunday at TCC, I thought it would be appropriate to share some marriage resources on my blog this week. While doing that, it hit me that many marriages seem doomed even before they begin. With that in mind, I thought I'd provide some links to great resources for those who are single and dating, single and waiting (for Mr. or Mrs. Right), or just not at a place in life where marriage is a now-thing, but hope it will be in the future. If you fall into one of those categories, then check out these resources:

Devotions for Dating Couples by Ben Young & Samuel Adams
100 Answers to 100 Questions Before You Say "I Do" by Amy Hammond Hagberg
Before You Plan Your Wedding, Plan Your Marriage by Dr. Greg & Erin Smalley
Before You Get Engaged by David & Brent Gudgel
The Ten Commandments of Dating by Ben Young & Dr. Samuel Adams
When God Writes Your Love Story by Eric & Leslie Ludy

Making The Most of My Marriage...

2009-07-20T15:39:00.003-05:00

As some of you know, I spoke on God's Proposal for A Great Marriage at The Connection Church this past Sunday. I wanted to follow that up by providing some resources for couples who are wanting to take their marriage to a whole 'notha level. Check out these sites for some great tips on making your marriage the most it can be!

Focus on The Family - This website has a ton of resources for married couples on everything from communication and challenges in marriage to dealing with conflict and sex and intimacy. While some of the resources are for sale, this Christian organization offers an enormous amount of marriage helps on there website for free.

MarriagePartnership.com - Marriage Partnership is an arm of Christianity Today's publishing that is dedicated to helping couples grow their marriage through Biblical principles while living in the real world with real issues. This site is stocked full of marriage advice from some of the leading marriage counselors in America.

You also might want to check out the following books:

His Needs, Her Needs: Building An Affair-Proof Marriage by Willard F. Harley Jr.
Every Man's Marriage by Stephen Arterburn
Every Woman's Marriage by Shannon Ethridge
Love & Respect by Emerson Eggerichs
Your Time-Starved Marriage: How To Stay Connected At The Speed of Life by Les & Leslie Parrott
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

God on Film - The Proposal...

2009-07-20T15:11:00.005-05:00

At The Connection Church we're in the middle of our summer series God on Film. Our Lead Pastor, Cole Phillips, was out Sunday, which meant that I got to preach Sunday's message. We used the movie The Proposal to talk about God's Proposal For A Great Marriage. You can check it out below...And join us this Sunday as we conclude God on Film by looking at Transformers 2.

Be sure to check the blog again later in the week for some great marriage resources for couples!

Thanking Away The Blues...

2009-07-15T22:38:00.004-05:00

Last week, through a series of crazy events, we put both our blue Chevy Blazer and our Nissan Sentra in the shop. In the past couple days I've found out the fuel pump is out on the Blazer, which is estimated between $350-$450 to fix, and the Sentra has a blown head gasket, which could end up costing around $1500. Needless to say, we hadn't expected to spend $2,000 on car repairs this week. And anytime I have to spend money fixing one of our cars, it always gets me down. So, in an attempt to fight off the blues, here's a list of things I am thankful for and things I am blessed with. It's a lot harder to be down and out when your giving thanks! Here's what I'm thankful for these days:

I'm thankful for my incredible family. I have a loving, supportive wife and the most adorable baby boy on the planet. I'm also surrounded by the best parents, brother, and extended family that a guy could ask for. I am blessed.
I'm thankful for the church I get to serve and the team I get to work with. The Connection Church and the TCC team are phenomenal and God allows me to be a part of it all. I am blessed.
I'm thankful for the people who support my family financially so that we can serve in a place that is doing whatever it takes to reach those who are far from God. I am blessed.
I'm thankful that I have a job in a time when the economy is bad and so many people who want to work can't. I am blessed.
I'm thankful that my parents gave us their Trailblazer a few months ago so that we have at least one dependable, running vehicle! I am blessed.
I'm thankful for the incredible friends God has placed in mine & Johanna's life. We have great friends who love us and support us. I am blessed.
I'm thankful I live in a country where my biggest complaint can be, "I've got two cars in the shop, but I still have one to drive." I am blessed.
And if you're reading this, I'm thankful for you...especially if you know of a great deal on a good used car! :)

Just One More Reason...

2009-07-02T22:35:00.002-05:00

Tonight I was given yet another reason why Johanna is an incredible wife and an amazing mother. On the way home from running a few errands and grabbing some dinner, Hayden started to get fussy. I was driving and Johanna was in the back seat sitting by his carseat trying to calm him down. Here is the conversation that ensued:

Johanna: "Can you hit #5 on the programmed stations on the radio and turn it up?"

Me: "Yeah. (then hearing the music that was being played...) Wow. This is country music. Does Hayden like country?"

Johanna: "Yeah. This is what I listen to and sing to him when it's just us in the car."

Me: "Awesome."

And that, ladies and gentelmen, is a great mother. Some children get lullabies and my son gets to cut his teeth to greats such as George Strait, Willie Nelson, and David Alan Coe and new blood like Aaron Watson, Randy Rogers, The Zac Brown Band and Kevin Fowler. My wife rocks.

It's Camp Time Again...

2009-06-28T22:49:00.002-05:00

Monday morning (tomorrow) I head out with a group of about 20 students to Pre-Teen Camp at Highland Lakes Camp & Conference Center on Lake Travis just outside of Austin. It has been a long, long, LONG time since I've been a sponsor for Pre-Teen Camp. In fact, as soon as I could con someone at Goldthwaite to go for me, I checked that annual duty off to volunteers. (Thanks Speegles!) They were a lot better at it than me anyway. But with a lack of sponsors this week, I'm packing up my bags in the morning and heading back to camp. I'll have the chance to spend some time with some of our younger students who are just now coming into the youth group this summer so that'll be fun. And our group of kids going is a great group. But I'm not looking forward to two things: Missing Johanna & Hayden and the ridiculous HEAT we've been having in Central Texas. But even in the crazy-devil-like Texas summer heat, it ought to be a great week for our kids...and that's what it's all about. So pray that God moves in our group this week and that our kids are shown and reminded of how much God loves them.

"And that's a wrap!"...

2009-06-26T11:27:00.003-05:00

I got a Flip camera for Chritmas and have been using it a good bit since Hayden's been born. Last night I uploaded my first couple videos onto Youtube. As you can tell, I'm not meant for filming, directing, producing, or editing video. In fact, I should probably just stick to watching. But with such a great star in the films, I had to share these videos of Hayden. Plus, grandpas, grandmas, aunts, and uncles don't care about how good the video editing is...they just want to see Hayden! Check 'em out.

God Is...

2009-06-22T21:37:00.002-05:00

At The Connection Church this month, we've joined with thousands of churches and over 1 million Christ-followers for One Prayer. All month we have been talking about the characteristics and attributes of God by completing the statement "God is ______." This Sunday I had the opportunity to share the message "God is Father." When you've got a little time, check it out!

One Prayer - God is Our Father from The Connection Church on Vimeo.

What's Next?...

2009-06-19T09:45:00.000-05:00

I've noticed something about Hayden since he came into the world just seven weeks ago and that is this: He's grown! He is growing like crazy! He's gained weight, he's gotten longer, his cheeks and face have filled out, and he's already outgrown newborn clothes! But really, that shouldn't shock any of us, right? Why? Because we expect babies to grow. We don't call 911 or rush them to a specialist just because they are growing. It is natural. In fact, it would be unnatural if the opposite occurred...if they never grew. Then we would know there was a problem!

When it comes to our relationship with Jesus Christ, far too many times we are willing to settle for the unnatural. When we quit growing in our walk with God, we are far to willing to overlook what obviously is something unnatural and unhealthy. After all, it is natural to grow. When you go out to a restuarant, no one expects to see a 30 year old man being fed a bottle and having his diaper changed by his mother. That's not natural! Then why settle for a lack of growth in our spiritual life?

Maybe you're in the midst of a growing time in your walk with God. Or maybe you've hit a wall and it seems like growth just isn't happening. Either way, as you evaluate your relationship with Christ, asking yourself the following questions and honestly evaluating your answers can be like adding Miracle Grow to your spiritual journey. So ask yourself these questions, be honest with your answers, and if growth isn't taking place, then make the needed changes to see it happen!

5 Questions To Evaluate Your Current Relationship With Christ:

Am I Following? Jesus' basic call on our lives is to follow him. How well are you playing follow the leader when it comes to your walk with Christ? (Read John 1:43 & Matthew 9:9)
Am I Obeying? Are there areas in my life where I am being disobedient to how God has called me to live? Does my life match his Word? (Read James 1:22 and 1 John 2:6)
Am I Growing? What steps am I taking to spend time growing closer to God? Do I spend time in His Word and in prayer on a daily basis? Do I have people in my circle of friends who are encouraging me to follow Jesus more closely. (Read Colossians 1:10)
Am I Serving? Am I using the talents, gifts, and abilities that God has given me to servfe others and to connect others with God? (Read Mark 10:42-45)
Am I Sharing? Am I using the relationships and conversations God has given me to point people to Him and His love? Am I actively investing in relationships that connect the people I love with the God I love? (Read Matthew 4:18-20)

When babies grow, no one is shocked. Why? Because growth is natural. It is the lack of growth that is unnatural. The same is true in our walk with God. God wants to see us grow to become more like Jesus. Have you found ways to "add Miracle Grow" to your walk with God? What are some things you do to see healthy growth happen in your spiritual walk? Feel free to share your experiences and comment away!

Beach Bash Recap...

2009-06-18T14:36:00.001-05:00

Johanna, Hayden, and I spent last week on the beach at Port Aransas, TX for the 5th Annual Beach Bash Youth Camp. I started Beach Bash back in the day when I was serving as the Youth Pastor at FBC Goldthwaite. Over the years, it’s taken on different shapes and sizes, as we’ve combined with various churches and groups. But every year one thing has not changed and that is our vision of using the draw of the beach to reach unchurched students and get them to come to camp with our various churches to hear that God loves them and wants a relationship with them.

This year’s Beach Bash was probably the best one yet. Around 200 students from six churches spent a week hanging out in the pool, lounging on the beach, getting sunburned, and most importantly joining together to experience the life-changing power of God. Throughout the week we saw God do some incredible things as students’ lives were forever changed. God took dead things and made them alive by drawing students into a relationship with Jesus Christ. He restored broken relationships. He poured his love and grace out on hurting teenagers. He gave hope to the hopeless and peace to the troubled. God showed up…BIG TIME. And there were tons of lives changed. We still don’t have the final numbers, but with what we already know, almost 30 students gave their lives to Christ for the very first time and almost 60 other students made some other type of significant commitment in their spiritual walk. Beach Bash 2009 was incredible. And now that the sunburn is fading, I can’t wait until next year!

Happy Birthday Pops...

2009-06-04T22:15:00.002-05:00

Today is my dad's birthday. I have the most incredible parents in the world. They would literally do anything to see my brother and I and our families safe, happy, and secure. I've worked with kids and teenagers for my entire adult life and I've observed parents of every shape and kind. I always say that I won the parent lottery and the more I minister to teenagers and kids, the more I see it is true. My dad has always been there for us, put his family and our needs before himself, sacrificed for our needs and provided a model of what it means to not only be a biological parent, but to be a father and a dad. Now that I'm a dad myself, I appreciate his model of fatherhood even more. I appreciate the sacrifices and love he's always shown us. He really is not only a remarkable man, but a remarkable father...and those are few and far between. So Happy Birthday Pops! I love you and hope I can be half the dad to Hayden that you were and are to Justin and I!

Forever Young...

2009-06-02T20:44:00.002-05:00

I had to share this video and brag on my boy, Michael Pittman. Michael just graduated from Lockhart High School and was my worship leader for the better part of the almost 3 years we were in Lockhart. He is easily one of the most gifted and talented musicians I've ever worked with. And when he leads worship he's not just playing music. He takes seriously his call to lead people into the presence of God through music. It has been awesome to watch him grow and mature as a young man and a worship leader. At his graduation service he covered the song "Forever Young" by Stoney Larue. I think he knocked it out of the park, but I'll let you judge for yourself. Check it out:

The Weekend Update...

2009-05-31T21:55:00.002-05:00

Here's a look at the weekend that was.

Seems like this weekend flew by? Or is that just me? Anyone? Anyone?
Spent some time with some great friends this weekend. I am so thankful for the people God has blessed our family with to do life together.
Johanna and I went and saw our first movie at the theater since Hayden's was born. We watched Angels & Demons, which was pretty good. I am suprised they let Hayden in since it was a PG-13 movie...Does that make us bad parents? :)
We shared several good meals with great friends this weekend. On Saturday night we went to Texas Roadhouse in South Austin for a "going away" dinner of sorts for our fantastic friend (and Hayden's godmother) Jenna Coe. Jenna leaves tomorrow to spend 2 months serving orphans in Uganda and sharing the love of God with them. Please pray for Jenna while she's in Africa. You can even check our her blog here and leave her some words of encouragement.
Today at TCC was good. We commissioned the PALMS Puppet Team for their upcoming mission trip to Belize and also announced a local mission project we're undertaking to share God's love by feeding hungry children right here in Kyle, TX. If you want to be involved in that incredible ministry, leave me a comment or send me an email and we'll get you connected!
Overall, we had a great weekend with incredible friends...too bad it just flew by!

A Little Link Love...

2009-05-28T21:25:00.006-05:00

It's been a while since we've had any link lovin' here on the blog. Go check out these great posts and you'll be glad you did!

My brother is a little late, but he's finally joined bloggerdom. You can check out his new blog about the experiences in the life of two coaches over at http://www.justinburleson.blogspot.com/

Chris Roberts is the new worship leader at Freedom Fellowship in Greer, SC and also happens to be one of my youversion accountability friends on Twitter. He posted a great blog about lessons we can learn from a five year old.

Want the secret on innovative growth? Then check out what Pastor Steven Furtick has to say here.

In a day and age of where so much of what is done in churches is copycat ministry, Mark Batterson has an excellent post pn Finding Your Voice. Whether you lead a church, a team, a business, or a family, this is a great, quick read. Check it out here.

Brad Ruggles suggests that before any of us hit that publish button on our blogs, we ask ourselves this question.

Clayton Bell talks about the John and Kate Plus 8 marriage fiasco here. He blogged thoughts that I shared in my living room just the night before. Clayton, are you spying on my conversations? Honestly, I think John and Kate are on the road to Splitsville...I just hope other young couples can learn from their mistakes...and from the wise words Clayton shares.

Making The Most of My Summer...

2009-05-27T21:37:00.002-05:00

Tonight at our weekly gathering with our high school students we talked about how to make the most out of your summer. With summer rapidly approaching, it's natural for our thoughts to turn to things like vacations, beaches, relaxation, and summer fun. (Insert thoughts of National Lampoons Family Vacation...) But is that all summer is about? Here are some tips to make the most of your summer and grow in your walk with God.

Make the commitment to stay plugged in. - The Bible talks often about the importance of worshipping together with others, learning from God's word, and spending time with people who encourage us in our faith. Too many times, summer vacations from school or work mean long vacations from church involvement. If you want to grow in your walk with God over the summer, then make the commitment to attend your local church regularly.
Take a vacation from school and work, but not God's word. - Too many times we think rest and relaxation mean doing absolutely nothing. And far too often we make the mistake of resting from God's word insted of resting in God's word. If you spend time each day readign the Bible, don't stop this summer. If you don't, use the extra time you have over a summer break to get in the habit. A great place to start a daily Bible reading would be to read a chapter of Proverbs or Psalms each day. For other Bible reading plans, check out www.youversion.com.
Share, share, share. - For a lot of us, summer offers us extra time to build relationships with neighbors, meet new people as we travel, and spend time pouring into already established friendships. And that means that we have a chance to share the life-changing love and message of Jesus through our relationships and friendships. As you spend time with friends and neighbors this summer, use that time to let them know that God loves them and has a plan for their lives.

When it comes to summer, we all want and need to relax. We all need to spend time away - from work, school, the mundane, and the daily routine. But don't take time off from God. Use this summer to grow in your walk with God. And use this summer to share the love of God with those he puts in your path. As a Christ follower, our goal should be to make it hard to get to hell from wherever God has planted us. And that mission doesn't take a summer vacation!

The Weekend Update...

2009-05-26T16:41:00.006-05:00

Here's a recap of what was Memorial Day weekend in the Burleson family:

Friday Johanna, Hayden and I headed to Austin so Jo & I could get our Pertussis vaccinations. That's the vaccine you get to keep from getting The Whooping Cough, which can be passed on to your infant and that would be bad news. I've had TONS of shots over the years, especially since 2001 when I had my pituitary tumor operation. None have ever had the after-effect pain that this one had. My arm is still sore!

While in Austin we took a risk and went out to lunch - with Hayden along with us. His first meal out was Jason's deli. But to be honest, his bottle didn't look near as good as my deli club or Jo's grilled chicken pannini.

Friday night we made a quick trip to Lockhart for a former student's graduation party. It was actually a little too quick, according to the Lockhart police officer that wrote me my ticket for going 41 mph in a 30 mph zone. At least the party food was good!

Late Friday night my parents and my brother and sister-in-law came in to spend a part of Memorial day weekend. I really think they came to see Hayden, but it was great to get to hang out with them on Saturday and through Sunday morning. We had a great time and my parents, my brother, and me even squeezed in a Cabela's trip on Saturday afternoon.

Sunday was a BIG day @ TCC. Our Lead Pastor Cole Phillips did a great job casting vision for the future of our church. You can watch it online here. Our executive pastor, Zak White, also made a big announcement. You can read about that here.

Sunday night at our SURGE, our weekly middle school gathering, we had a pool party. It was a blast but my shoulder is still sore from all the football we played in the pool...If you weren't there, you missed out!

I spent Monday morning through mid-afternoon with some high school guys along the banks of Lake Bastrop and the Colorado River. We took a little Memorial Day fishing trip that was a ton of fun.

The remainder of Monday, Johanna and I rented movies, lounged around the house, and had a great time just enjoying one anothers company.

On a side note, this Memorial Day took on a different meaning than it usually does. If you read this blog regularly, then you know that my Papa was a career military man serving for over 20 years and in multiple wars in the United States Army. He served his country with honor, courage, dignity, integrity, and bravery. He was a model officer, a model soldier, and a model man. He was my role model and my hero. He passed away earlier this year to cancer caused by agent orange in Vietnam. For as long as I remember, I have called my Papa every single Memorial Day and every single Veteran's day to thank him for his selfless service and sacrifice for our country and for our freedom. I'd give just about anything to have been able to make that call this year. And this year I realized this too: While I am 100% in favor of a special day to honor those who've served and those who've paid the ultimate price for our freedom, I don't need a special day in order to remember. I remember every day. And I hope that if you know someone who has served or is serving in our Armed Forces, that you remember...their sacrifice, their commitment, their willingness to serve...and that you honor them. Because it is in remembering that we give them the proper honor and respect that they so richly deserve.

The Man Moments...

2009-05-23T17:43:00.002-05:00

This month at The Connection Church we've been in the middle of a series called Beauty Full. It's a series aimed at women and the men who pursue them. At TCC we try to be very intentional about being a church where men feel like they get something out of what we do. In that spirit, we've included a "Man Moment" each week during the Beauty Full series. Check out the first two weeks below:

Beauty Full Man Moment 1 The Connection Church from The Connection Church on Vimeo.

Beauty Full Man Moment 2 The Connection Church from The Connection Church on Vimeo.

The Weekend Update...

2009-05-11T15:32:00.003-05:00

This weekend was Mother's Day and for our family it took on a new meaning. It was Johanna's first Mother's Day so needless to say it was a special day for us. Here's a recap of the weekend.

Spent Friday shopping for clothes for Hayden for his baby dedication at The Connection Church on Sunday and looking for Mother's day cards for Johanna and for our moms. It's amazing how many cards there were in Spanish...none of which helped me at all.
On Friday, I realized I could probably get a job writing cards for Hallmark. 97.3% of the cards I picked up and read were terrible.
Saturday my parents came in to see us. Ok, who am I kidding. They came to see Hayden. My dad and I made a quick trip to Austin to pick up the necklace I bought Jo for Mother's Day and then we just hung out all day.
Sunday was a fantastic morning at TCC. We kicked off our new series Beauty Full. We also showed a video of me hitting our executive pastor, Zak, in the face with french bread. It was our "man moment" of the day. Once this week's video is posted you can check it out here.
Sunday was also Baby Dedication at TCC. We dedicated Hayden and basically made the commitment to raise him in a way that honors Jesus and do our best to point him to the love of God. To me, that's the best commitment parents can make. I'm not sure if my parents ever had me "dedicated" but they raised me to have a passion for Jesus and for those who are far from Him and I'm so thankful for that!
On a non-weekend-update related matter - If you want to see several pictures of Hayden, you can check out his website. (Yeah, he already had his own website at two day old. He's a balla.) Check it out here.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner...

2009-05-06T15:09:00.003-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a winner. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I started a little contest (click here)a couple weeks ago to guess the date that Hayden would be born. Johanna also posted the contest over on her blog Life or Something Like It. We had several people take a guess at the date and time, even after Johanna was scheduled for induction on April 27th. One person even guessed April 28th. We tried to persuade her to change her guess since it obviously wouldn't be the 28th right? But she stood her ground, even when everyone joked about it. And guess what? She won. She picked April 28th and Hayden Russell was born on April 28th at 1:40 AM.

So congratulations Mackenzie! You're the winner. That's right folks. Mackenzie Phillips, one of the coolest sixth graders I know, is our winner! She'll be getting her Starbucks card this week. In the meantime, everyone can check out her blog here.

The Weekend Update...

2009-05-04T20:51:00.003-05:00

Here's a brief look at our first weekend home with Hayden. Check it:

Friday we had Hayden's first appointment with his pediatrician. She said he was a healthy, happy, good looking baby and everything looked great! I was SUPER IMPRESSED with the doctors and staff at Pediatric Junction in Buda. If you need a pediatrician, this crew is top notch.
Friday afternoon I spent running errands. My mom and Jo hung out at the house with Hayden while I made the ultimate Target run. I was looking for some specific stuff that only Target carries so I started out heading north into Austin and was only semi-successful, so I ended up heading back south to San Marcos. We have two Target stores within ten miles of our home going in opposite directions. I put over 50 miles on my Blazer trying to buy two items from them. Crazy.
Saturday was a nice lazy day around the house, enjoying our new son.
Sunday Hayden had tons of visitors. The highlight of the day was that my brother and his wife came up from Houston to meet Hayden. So Uncle Justin & Aunt Christie got to see and hold their nephew for the first time! That was super cool.
The weekend was filled with lots of fun moments experiencing the new joys of parenthood. What it wasn't filled with was much sleep. But it's all good. I wouldn't change it for a thing.

He Is Here!!!

2009-04-29T10:52:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday morning (or really, really, really late Monday night) Johanna gave birth to our son Hayden Russell Burleson. He came into our world at 1:40 am Tuesday morning, April 28th at 7 lbs, 14 ozs and 21 inches long. People told us it would be amazing. People said it would instantly change our lives. Let me just say this: It is indescribable. There are no words to describe it. All of human language is incapable of explaining this feeling. Now I understand why people say you just can't put it into words.

Everyone's been asking to see some pictures and we finally got an adapter for our memory card here at the hospital so here are a few pics to hold you over until you can meet the handsome little fella.

It All Changes...

2009-04-26T19:24:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow everything changes. For Johanna and I, life as we've known it will be forever altered. We are scheduled to be at St. David's Hospital at 6 am on Monday to induce baby Hayden. He just seems to be so happy where he's at right now, the doc says he needs a little encouragement to come on out. We've been told life will be different. We've been told it will all change. And while we know it (in our heads, rationally at least), I know experiencing it will be something else entirely. So while we go through this incredible change, which is in each and every way nothing less than a complete blessing and miracle from God, we'd love to have you pray for us. I believe in prayer big time. I've seen it work. So while we're heading into this next phase of life, we covet your prayers.

Pray for Johanna's health and for labor and delivery tomorrow.
Pray for Hayden's health.
Pray for us as parents - that our actions, words, decisions, and lives would reflect to our son a God who is madly in love with him.
Pray for Hayden. Not just that he's healthy and everything goes well for him, but that he would grow up with a passion for His Savior Jesus and for those people in his world that might be far from God. Pray that he becomes a mighty man of God used to reach those who've not yet heard of God's love.
Pray for me. I want my son to be able to say his earthly father modeled for him and showed him the love of his heavenly Father. My parents gave that gift to me. I want to be able to live in such a way that I pass it on.

Making Porn Part of The Past...

2009-04-20T15:03:00.002-05:00

Yesterday at The Connection Church, our lead pastor Cole Phillips continued our series The Ultimate Fighter: Beating Men's Toughest Battles by talking about The Eye Gouge. You can watch his message here. Basically, Cole talked about sexual temptation and how it can destroy men, families, marriages, and more. He was upfront and honest about the temptations men face and he spent a good bit of his message talking about the "elephant in the room of every church": Pornography. Most churches, for reasons I don't understand, rarely address these topics. But statistics show us that most men, churched or not, struggle in the area of dealing with pornography. Here are a couple tips to follow up Pastor Cole's sermon on some practical ways you can win the battle against an addiction to pornography.

First of all, you need to GET HONEST. Find someone who you trust and with whom you can be 100% honest and share your addiction and struggles with them. So many times men live in unnecessary guilt and shame in this area because they are afraid to get honest. When you get honest about your struggles you do two things: First, you can begin to learn from people who have been there and might have previously gone through the same struggles you are now facing. Second, you realize that there are a lot more people out there who've fought similiar battles and you are not alone in your struggles.
Second, you need to GET ACCOUNTABILITY. Once you've got a person you can be honest, open, and accountable with, you need to get some real online accountability. There are tons of sites that are great at providing online accountability or filtering for you in your struggle with pornography. Filter sites block certain objectionable material and allow someone to place a password on your computer to block these things. Most accountability sites take a record of any questionable websites you visit on your computer and send that list out to your accountability partners, via email, on a regular basis. These sites provide you with real, 24 hour accountability because you know that whatever you see online will be seen by others who are helping you through this struggle. The best website, hands down, for any online accountability, or anything dealing with porn addiction or sex addiction is XXXchurch.com. In fact, if you struggle with pornography, I encourage you to go to their site RIGHT NOW and click on the "Get Help" button.
Third, you may need to GET PROFESSIONAL HELP. For many men who've become addicted to porn, finding accountability through a trusted friend and through online filters or accountability websites just simply isn't enough. The addiction to pornography is real and can, like any other addiction, begin to control one's live to the point where trained, professional counseling is needed in order to beat this battle. If that's the case, find a Christian counselor in your area or call a local church in your area for a recommendation on counseling services. Whatever you do, don't let the addiction win. Get the help you need to beat this battle!

Here are some resources you can check out for fighting the battle against pornography and sexual temptation. Check these out for more help. Just click the title and it will take you right to the resource listed.

XXXChurch.com

SafeEyes Internet Filtering

Central Texas Sex Addiction Ministry

Every Man's Battle - Books & Resources from Stephen Arterburn

Questions You Can't Ask Your Mama About Sex by Craig Gross & Mike Foster

How He Loves Us...

2009-04-15T16:00:00.002-05:00

I am getting pumped up about Beach Bash, our annual summer camp for teenagers on the beaches of Port Aransas, TX. It will be here before we know it. This year Mark McConkey is going to be leading us in worship for the week. I've served alongside Mark in the past and there is a passion that oozes out of his every pore for God to be made famous and for people to connect with Him. You can check out Mark's music here. And in the meantime, I thought I'd share Mark's version of a song that I am absolutely lovin' right now. It's called How He Loves Us.

The Weekend Update...

2009-04-13T16:01:00.003-05:00

Here's a recap of the whirlwind that was Easter weekend. Check it out:

My parents came in on Friday and spent the weekend with us. They helped me do some cleaning and organizing before Hayden gets here...it's just too bad they couldn't have stayed longer. I could've kept them busy!
TCC's Easter festivities kicked of Friday Night with a Good Friday service. Burgundy Road led worship for the service and it was absolutely incredible.
Saturday was The Big Hunt. Over 1700 people showed up to hunt eggs, jump on inflatables, and have an all out blast. It was a great event that showed how absolutely awesome our TCC Volunteers are! Great job everyone!
Saturday afternoon and evening, Johanna, myself, and my parents went shopping for baby stuff that we still needed. My parents hooked us up and blessed us big time by purchasing a ton of last minute stuff for us.
Sunday was an unbelievable day at The Connection Church. The vibe was incredible as we celebrated the fact that we serve a Savior who is ALIVE. We kicked off our Ultimate Fighter series and Cole knocked it out of the park! We had 835 people show up for church and 29 people made the decision to follow Christ with their lives. UNBELIEVABLE day.
I spent some time Sunday afternoon painting furniture for the nursery. I've still got some work to do to finish that up.

What an incredible weekend. Worshipping God. Serving God. Showing God's Love To Others. What a celebration of the fact that He Is Alive.

Tell The World...

2009-04-12T11:29:00.003-05:00

Don't want to stand here and shout Your praise
And walk away and forget Your name
I'll stand for you if it's all I do
Cause there is none that compares to You

And all I want in this lifetime is You
And all I want in this whole world is you, is you

Tell the world that Jesus lives
Tell the world that, tell the world that
Tell the world that he died for them
Tell the world that he lives again

No longer I but Christ in me
Cause it's the truth that set me free
How could this world be a better place?
But by thy mercy, by thy grace

And all I want in this lifetime is You
And all I want in this whole world is you, you, you

Tell the world that Jesus lives
Tell the world that, tell the world that
Tell the world that he died for them
Tell the world that he lives again

C'mon, c'mon we'll tell the world about You
Tell the world that Jesus lives
Tell the world that, tell the world that
Tell the world that he died for them
Tell the world that he lives again

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!
Luke 24:1-6

HE. IS. ALIVE.

Easter Reflection #1...

2009-04-10T10:05:00.002-05:00

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:2-6

Pick The Date...

2009-04-09T21:02:00.003-05:00

Johanna and I have decided to have a little fun with everyone who's been trying to guess when Hayden Russell will show up. And we've decided to make it fun that pays off too. It's this simple: Leave a comment on this blog with your guess as to the date and time of day that our son, Hayden Russell, will be born. The person closest to the exact time and date wins a Starbucks gift card. Just so everyone's on the same page, the actual due date estimated by our doctor is April 20th. Let the games begin. Comment away!

BIG Weekend @ TCC...

2009-04-09T10:00:00.001-05:00

We've got a BIG weekend coming up this weekend at The Connection Church. And when I say big, I mean enormous, huge, massive, gigantic...well, you get the point. And all the fun starts Friday. Here's what's going on and how YOU can be involved!

FRIDAY - We are having our first ever Good Friday Service at 7:00 PM at Tobias Elementary School. This service will be a time of intimate worship, praise, and celebrating Communion as we allow God to prepare us for what He wants to do in and through us during Easter weekend. Burgundy Road will be leading our worship time. How can YOU be involved? Show up and allow God's presence to fill you for the weekend ahead!
SATURDAY is The Big Hunt. We'll have two HUGE Easter egg hunts with THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of eggs, pictures with the Easter Bunny, a live band, inflatable games, puppet shows and race cars on display. All the action takes place from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM at Thunderhill Raceway in Kyle. How can YOU be involved? If you regularly attend TCC, then be sure you find a place to serve during the Big Hunt. We need you on the team! If you live in the Hays area and don't regularly attend TCC, please come be our guests at The Big Hunt and have a blast with your entire family. And don't forget...it's all free!
SUNDAY - We will be having two Easter Celebration Services at The PAC at 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM. We will be kicking off our new series The Ultimate Fighter and this will be a day at TCC that you won't want to miss. Come celebrate the Easter season and the resurrection of Christ with us as we examine what it means to be a real man by looking at the life of Jesus, the one who conquered death and is the living King of Kings! How can YOU be involved? If you don't normally attend a church, please be our guest on Easter Sunday. It would be such an honor to have you join us on this special day. If you normally attend TCC, you can help by doing three things. First of all, don't come alone. Bring your friends and neighbors with you and let's pack the PAC! Second of all, consider attending the early service to make more room for our guests at 10:30. Third, find a place to serve. We want our guests to feel valued and at home as they experience TCC and we need all of you serving to make that happen!

Like I said, this weekend is BIG for The Connection Church. If you are a part of the TCC family, know that we can't do this alone! Spend time this week and this weekend asking God to use our efforts to change lives and do what only He can do - draw people to Himself!

Impact Weekend - It Took A Team...

2009-04-07T16:34:00.004-05:00

This past weekend was our first ever IMPACT weekend here in TCC Student Ministries. And to be honest, the weekend was rockin’! We had almost forty students come together for a weekend of growing in their faith and growing in the friendships and we all had a blast!

But, like all things at TCC, it wouldn’t have been possible without the team. It took tons of people to pull this weekend off! Bryan and Jamie Moore were jacks-of-all-trades all weekend long, doing TONS of stuff to serve our students and God like crazy (and like they always do in our Connexion Students ministry)! The Ojedas, the Geigers, and the Barnes all opened their homes to large groups of crazy students…the weekend would not have happened with those host homes! Rico Ojeda even taught his group’s sessions – that’s whole nutha’ level! Our group leaders, Jordan, Jenna, and Kaylen all gave up a weekend of their lives to come and pour into our students…for free…and they rocked it! Amy DeFillipi helped drive students all over town all weekend and the Smith family donated their big blue van to the TCC student ministry cause once again. And my incredible, lovely, 38 ½ week pregnant wife hosted the High School girls' group in our home and hung out with them all weekend long. Seriously babe…that is amazing. To top it off, almost forty students spent a weekend learning what it means to love God and love people and lives were changed. And that’s what it is all about.

No one person can pull a weekend like this off on their own. It’s too much. It becomes too hectic. And it’s too important to do half-heartedly. So thanks for a great weekend team. YOU made it happen!