Back from the Beach

Stephanie and I just got back from a week at Panama City Beach with the students of Crosspointe. Man, what an incredible week! God did some amazing things in the lives of our students and our adults as well. Oh yeah...and in my life too!

I know that I have a tendency to be a bit nostalgic at times, but it's impossible not to think about the times I was in Middle School and in High School at this same camp. The way God moved in my life at those times still impact me to this day. I'm praying that the decisions made this week will impact our students for the rest of their lives...and for all of eternity.

You can view daily updates and pictures here.

What to Do When the Crisis Comes

I began a series this morning on the Old Testament book of Habakkuk.  This Minor Prophet book (because of its length, not its message) is absolutely incredible.  I think this could be one of the most meaningful series I've done at Crosspointe.  Why? Because trouble is the common denominator in the Christian experience.  Everyone will face times of difficulty and crisis at one point or another.  The question is not, "Will the crisis come?" But, "How do I respond when the crisis comes?"

God did a great work at Crosspointe today and this series has just begun.  I think we'd be amazed if we really knew how many people were facing a crisis at any given moment in our church.  The good news is, God is not unaware, unconcerned or uninterested; and He is capable to deal with the situation better than we ever could on our own! 

Freedom FROM Religion

People have certainly confused the founding father's intention of Freedom OF Religion. They have misinterpreted or misrepresented their desire for the free exercise of religion. Many now believe, or at least purport, that their intention was for religion to have no impact or mark upon society whatsoever. As you well know, this couldn't be further from the truth.

We are in a day where our religious liberties are being attacked from every side. I realize that you might not experience what these folks have gone through, but be prepared for the shrinking of the parameters when it comes to the freedom of expression.

Watch for bills coming through Congress like the Hate Crimes legislation that could limit what can be said from the pulpit and mark certain types of preaching as "hate speech." How long will it be until we have to spend time in jail for preaching against the things the Bible condemns?

Interesting and Encouraging News

Through a friend's post, I found this study on gallup.com. This indicates that for the first time since this poll began in 1995, more Americans would define themselves as pro-life than pro-choice. This is very interesting considering the majority of the country just elected the most pro-choice administration in history. I wonder if this will have implications or ramifications in the next presidential election and the mid-term elections in 2010. It will be interesting to see for sure.

The lost story in this past year's election cycle was the sweeping victory for morality across the country. One simple example is the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Remember, this is CALIFORNIA!!! Not a state that typically clings to "God, guns and religion." Many other "moral" victories across the country were widely ignored by the mainstream media.

All of this could be an indication that Americans are waking up to morality. Or, it could be a blip on the radar when history records our moral decline and eventual demise. For now, we'll chalk it up as interesting and encouraging news. I hope the trend towards morality continues and we can correct our path of "Slouching Toward Gomorrah."

Very Interesting

I saw this speech and thought...I hope this never happens to me when I'm preaching! Then again, if I say things as stupid as Ahmadinejad, I probably deserve it.

Hi!

This is Stephanie. I noticed that Jim hasn't posted in a while so I thought I would take a second to give you an update.

Jim is married to a pretty awesome gal:-) She loves him deeply is so proud of him. He is doing a great job following the Lord as he leads Crosspointe. God is truly moving, working and changing lives at our church. I am just thankful to be apart of what God is doing. I am amazed each week.

I love you, Jim Perdue! Hope you are having a great day! I hope this post will bring a smile to your face when you finally read it. Although I am not sure how often you are looking at you blog.

SHMILY!!!

Quote of the Day

It's been awhile since I've posted a quote of the day. It's not that there haven't been any clever or pithy comments by our kids, it's just that there have been so many great quotes, it's impossible to record them all. So, when a great one comes along, I am compelled to include it here. Here goes...

I'm changing Anna Kate's NASTY dirty diaper (yes, I do that from time to time) and Jake is watching me.

As I'm changing this diaper, I ask Jake, "Hey buddy, do you want to help me wipe Anna Kate's bottom?"

He says, "No thanks daddy, I like to wipe my own bottom."

CLASSIC!!!