On July 16th, I abandoned Twitter, Facebook, Email, etc.
It’s honestly driving me bonkers not being connected.
I can’t see comments, likes, tweets, RT, or anything.
I’ll begin posting again after I preach on Sunday, August 14th.
I’m writing this from a simple text editor & forwarding it to my blog.
The world could be ending around me.
I wouldn’t have a clue.
But, being on sabbatical has so far been refreshing, challenging, and stretching me beyond anything I would have ever imagined.
Here’s a unedited breakdown of some things I’m processing…

• Been doing a ton of reading (mainly Genesis & Exodus).
• Go read Genesis Chapters 1-12, mind blowing happenings in there.
• Read Erasing Hell and Love Wins again. Eternity is HUGE.
• So pastors attract who they are… You know what, that is encouraging- because every week people are getting baptized, the church is growing, and people are stepping up. It reminds me that we’re all built for more. Let’s keep this moving in God’s name.
• I’ve cried a lot.
• God is helping me heal from a heavy couple of years. Thank you Jesus for your promises.
• God sorry for not having the &@%#! (self edit, I’m trying *wink*) stones to do some of the things I should have. That stops here.
• Your letters mean more than you know. Over 100 letters or emails sent to our family. Your encouragement challenges me. I plan on returning the encouragement and challenge for you all when I return.
• Status quo is for pansies. I will not ever play it safe.
• I’ve cried  some more. Yep, I’m a mess.
• Self proclaiming Christians (<–term used loosely) who critique God’s Church from afar carry no authority. Anybody can play Monday Morning Quarterback from the side lines. Try getting in the game. Being hurt or damaged by the church is no excuse. We’re not promised an easy road, so let’s work together. (God’s reminding me of this more and more)
• Everyone should experience a week away from everyone in life. Just a pen, Bible, paper, and quiet.
• Reading the Bible for teaching & encouragement is way more fun than reading it for sermon preparation.
• I’ve found joy again in things I was getting tired with.
• That is just plain refreshing. Holy smokes! Love it!
• God wants you to be a part of His church and you sleep in, play golf, make excuses for why you cannot go. Something big is gonna hit the fan and then you’ll find yourself with the church.
• Don’t wait until it hits the fan.
• God has plans for Forefront church that scare me to death (but my faith is growing in it).
• You. Yes, you. I’ve been praying for you.
• Praying for your family (single or not).
• Praying for your commitment to God’s church.
• Praying for your relationship with the Creator of the Universe.
• He’s been weighing on you lately… right. You know He has.
• God’s been challenging you and you’re running from it.
• Stop. Running. Scared.
• Galatians 6:9 is your promise (and mine apparently too, I’ll explain more August 14th)
• You were built to worship God, love Him, love others, and do good.
• Bring your friends, co-workers, and loved ones Aug 14th to Forefront.
• God’s been building up something in me, but I’m not writing it until a couple days before.
• I don’t want to taint what He’s trying to say to all of us (including me).
• My wife is more special to me than she’ll ever realize. I poorly express with words and actions how she makes me a better man before God. Wow, I need to get together with other guys just to talk about how we can love our wives better. She says I do good at this, but she deserves more (calling out for accountability, hint hint).
• Turn. Off. Your. Cellphone.
• Oh, and remember to  Turn. Off. Your. Cellphone.
• I’ve been told I have over 165+ emails waiting for me. Ha. I still have two more weeks.
• Here’s a thought… think to yourself, would I write this down, fold it up, lick a stamp, place it in a mailbox and wait for a response? If not, don’t type it out and press send.
• I’ve written 45 thank you letters to people who have impacted my life over the last 8 months. Man, the art of writing needs to be a staple in your life. Go write a letter.
• What if we didn’t do Sunday morning services at all like we do now? Just a thought.
• That last one scared a bunch of you.
• Good. *wink*
• If you haven’t already, verbally or via written letter- thank Dan Pollard, James Davis, Lisa Gollihur, Becky Bruner, Justin Allen and Barbara Austin for sacrificing their lives for you and your family. Seriously. They could all be paid double they make somewhere else. but they serve God and you daily. They are worthy of thanks for their service to God.
• Staff, I love you guys (and gals).
• My story is changing drastically as I stay away with God during this sabbatical.
• Tony Bates’ funeral really wrecked me a couple weeks ago. I keep replaying the Dr. coming in and sharing the news with Cori. The air could have been cut with a knife. Bates family, your strength and conviction to God is inspiring.
• Forefronters. Your life in Christ means the world to me. Your successes bring me joy, your failures burden me to help, your sorrows weigh heavy in my prayers, when you aren’t there on Sundays- I wonder if you’re alright. When I hear you’re missing Gel, I wonder what is wrong. When you fall off the map, my Spirit aches that you won’t keep in touch. You’re life is intertwined with mine. Remember, together we are all “one body, one church.”
• Chloe and Roxy, your Daddy loves you. You girls miss out on some things because Daddy is called away from time to time. Every morning I wake up, I pray, “Let me love your mommy the way Jesus loves us, let me love you both in a way that teaches you how a man should love you, and let’s all have a new adventure every day as God guides us. Amen.”
• Hold me accountable to that.
• This week was the first time I had ever kayaked before. Loved it. I would love to own one. It could become a new hobby.
• While I was camping alone, the people at the site next to me told war stories, childhood tales, and thought about the days of old, loudly- until the wee hours of the morning. It was endearing for a moment. It also made me tear up a bit. I don’t want to talk about the past so much that I miss the present and don’t dream about the future.
• This was my nightly sunset during the week of camping. God said a lot during this moment each evening.

I. Love. Harris. Teeter.
They treat kids like royalty.
Cart just for her (and in her size)? check.
Free balloon when you leave? check.
What? You want a free cookie too? Chiggity check!
All the employees are so nice to the kids and make them feel special.

While walking through, Chloe turns with a smile, “Daddy, is this Disneyland?”
I couldn’t contain my laughter.
“No baby, it’s a grocery store.”
“Oh, I like this place. It’s the best.”

For a brief moment, all that separated a grocery store from Disneyland was costumed characters. She was overwhelmed with joy from the moment we entered until we got in the car. Actually, she was upset we had to leave. Seriously, she was upset to leave the grocery store! What in the world?! They made it such an experience, not by going over the top, but by simply letting her know she’s special. She felt taken care of.

I wonder, how many people encounter your life,
Your attitude,
Your actions and think: “I feel taken care of. I feel special. I feel loved.”
Being around you and the church is like Disneyland!
Not because of the lights, characters, and music.
But… because they felt cared for.

When was the last time you were taken care of and made to feel loved?

There’s artwork all over our office at Forefront.
It’s a way to keep the environment fun, exciting, and inspiring us.
This is a mural we just finished in the office kitchen.
Combined it with our series posters from “Identity Theft”
There’s something so enjoyable about creating something.

Where is your outlet?
What do you create?
When was the last time you turned off the TV?
Hit shutdown on the laptop and smartphone?
Decided not to click into the DVR or Netflix?
Just sit down with an instrument, paper, pencil…
Go out to the garage and build something.
Sit down with your kids and paint. Get crazy with it.

God is the Creator of the Universe.
We’re made in His image.
You may believe the lie that creativity ends with childhood.
It’s time to break free.
Go create something.

jdel

Well, it’s not just a catchy lyric from C+C Music Factory.
It’s what I believed I had, with my X-Ray Specs.
I loved superheroes.
Every kid wants to have special powers and save the day.
Leap buildings with a single bound.
Be invisible.
Turn into something that’s super human.

I wanted to see through walls… and other stuff.
Yeah, um, it was the mischievous young man I had become.

What special superhero power have you always wanted?

With friends in my generation/people in general, I’m seeing a trend that really burdens my heart.
When we discuss God, they claim to believe in Him.
When we talk about being a Christian, they have made that step.
Then, the church is brought up, and I begin to hear things like…

“I really don’t need to go to church, my relationship with God is personal.”
“The church is filled with hypocrites, I would never go there.”
“The institution of church just wants my money, it’s not about the Bible.”
“I get my relationships and community without being a part of a church.”

Now, I’m a total introvert who moonlights as an extravert due to my occupation.
It would be easy for me to work at Walmart stocking shelves at night.
I probably wouldn’t speak to anyone at work or home.
I have to force myself to be social.
If we’re friends and we’ve never hung out… it’s probably my fault.
Seriously. I’m scared of calling people only to get rejected.
Me = total weirdo.

So, now put a bunch of people in a room and we’re supposed to share?
About God?
Faith?
My personal relationship with Jesus?
Um… uh… yeah. Exactly.
I would almost always result in choosing to be secluded. But, there problem is…

Church membership, for someone who claims to be a Christian, isn’t an option. Although, many people do run to the church when the mess hits the fan… they just don’t enjoy a committed relationship with the church. In the Bible, the New Testament (NT) teaches that every Christian is to be a member of a local church that is preaching the Bible, taking communion and practicing spiritual disciplines, and being led/protected by elders. Some of the other functions of the local church include serving the community locally, building up other believers, and sharing in community.

The strongest reason to not sit back like a lone ranger and engage the church, is that the church is the body of Christ (I Cor.12:12-27). When someone accepts Christ and is baptized, God does not save them in isolation from themselves and from the others in the church. He brings them all together and unites them. Through the church, God encourages each person by the teaching of the Bible and by the practicing spiritual disciplines as the early church did (communion). Through the church God provides opportunities for each person to honor and serve Him alongside all the other members of the church (Eph.4:15,16).

For a follower of Jesus to live in separation from the church, is to break the heart and very design of God. God’s plan for us is to join us together for the work of His kingdom.

This is tough for me.
I imagine this is difficult for you.
While we long to be accepted and loved, we’re scared to live in community.
Here’s to encouraging each other together.
Let’s live it out, or as we say @forefrontchurch, “Let’s Gel Baby!”

Here are some ways I’d like to challenge you…

Sundays:
If you go to Forefront and just kind of come here and there, I encourage you to make a 1 month commitment. Come every Sunday for one month. And, when you engage the service, I’d ask you to pray, “God, what are you trying to teach me today? What do I need to let go of to be closer to you? What is it that I need to do, so I can be more devoted to you?” And… see what happens!

Gel Groups:
Maybe you feel alright coming on Sunday mornings, but getting into a living room with people is too close for comfort. I want to make a deal with you- email dan@forefront.org and tell him, “Jason challenged me to get into a group, but I’m not sure it’s for me. I’m going to try it for one month and see what happens. What is a good group for me?” He will help you with a group and I promise it will change your life (this is coming from a guy who is really weird in groups, I LOVE my Gel Group and look forward to it every week).

Let’s Eat Together:
My wife and I eat every day. I know it’s a crazy concept, but we’re wild like that. How about we get together? A meal. You, us, our wild little girls, and just share life for an hour or so? No one should do life alone. We can talk more about life, Sundays, Gel, and get to know one another. Wanna try it? Don’t want to hang with us, but you’d like to eat with someone else on staff? That’s cool too. Just email: ieatfoodtooandwouldliketoeatwithyou@forefront.org (yes, that email address does rule) and we’ll make it happen.

Also, if you have any questions about Forefront or are new to the church, we’re offering ELEMENT, a class to learn about what we do, why we do what we do, what the Bible says about it, and how to be involved here. You can email dan@forefront.org or lisa@forefront.org and say “Hey, I want in on that ELEMENT Class. Jason said I need to be there!” It’s Saturday, July 16, from 9-12. It’s going to be a great time.

Until next time,
Jason

*content concerning church membership was adapted from David J. Engelsma’s book, “Bound to Join: Letters on Church Membership”

I love music.
From touring with a band, playing shows to sitting with my iPod.
It’s so refreshing.
Music just stirs the soul. It’s remarkable.

So, with that, here are some of the songs I’m enjoying at the moment:

David Crowder & Daniel Bashta, “Like A Lion”

Bon Iver, “Calgary” (Snow Panda Remix)

Imogen Heap, “Hide And Seek” (Murdok Dubstep Remix)

Listener, “Wooden Heart”

Gym Class Heroes w/ Adam Levine “Stereo Hearts”
(this isn’t GCH, but I liked the acoustic version these guys did)

What are my late night people listening to? (include a link for me to check it out)

Jason

Seconds into the verdict, Twitter, Facebook and all of social networking is in a frenzy.
A few posts from people I’m friends with or follow on social networks included…

“I cannot believe it?!”
“WTF!!!!!!!!!!! Are they crazy???”
“Way to go, another G@# Damn OJ set free…”
“OMG!!! i just threw up in my mouth. I cant believe this.”
“Can I just grab my gun and shoot her now? Who is with me…?”
“I hope the jurors can sleep at night knowing they let a child killer loose.”
“I AM F*#@IN’ ANGRY! WHO DOES THIS AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!!??” UGH!”

I don’t know all the facts of the case.
I’m not her lawyer or the states lawyer.
If she did kill her child, by law, she deserves a penalty for that.
She admitted about lying to the police, she will be penalized for that.
Do I think a mother who cannot find her child should be out partying? Absolutely not.
Does her story comes across shady at times, needing a lot of clarification? Yes.

As a parent, I’m pretty certain I would do anything for my girls.
I mean swim oceans, climb mountains, battle reptiles…
Nothing short of beg, hitchhike, and grovel to keep them safe.
I’m their father. It’s my job. It’s my duty and promise to them.
So, I get a bit of the outrage people feel when they watch a case like this.
Parents want justice.
Crimes are deserving of a punishment.

But, before we start chanting “IT’S ANOTHER OJ!” (which is ridiculous to begin with)
Let’s just step back for a minute…

As a Christian, I’m reminded of a couple of truths:

I have crossed the line God has set (too many times), and because of that deserve a penalty. Romans 3:23
Though I deserve a penalty, God saw fit to save my sorry tail and show me love. Romans 5:8
Because I’m thankful for that love, I show that love to others. Actually, I’m commanded to. Eph 4:31-32
When things arise, I’ll listen way more than I talk. Being angry accomplishes nothing. James 1:19-20

I’m not sure where you’re at in your journey with Jesus.
This isn’t about rules and regulations to follow, it’s about a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe. In that relationship, I’ve learned that I never have the whole story. Even when I think I do, it’s usually tainted with bias, emotion, and turmoil. As a Christian, my role is to love others, help lead people to Jesus, help hold my fellow Christians accountable when I am in the position to, and if someone walks through the doors of Forefront or I pass by them in the community… I’m to be Jesus to them. Period.

So what if a pedophile walked into service next week?
A prostitute? A murderer?
Casey Anthony? OJ Simpson?
What if it was someone who just lied a few times?
The guy that just had a little side action without his wife knowing?
The woman who just needed a fix to calm her down. But she promises it’s the last time?

Listen, I’m not saying it’s easy.
Things like this get me all worked up.
And right before I’m about to shoot out with my emotions in a heated conversation or post all over social networking and fuel the fires of the American way, I’m reminded…

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;  ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:5-8

Sometimes I need to just slow my roll… and realize I put just as many nails through the body of Jesus as the next person. It’s time for us to stop throwing daggers at people and start passing out shoulders to cry on and arms to embrace those who are hurting. When I was at my worst, that’s when Jesus died for me.

Let’s show the world Christians can behave better, show love more, and be compassionate.
I for one and glad that Jesus stands as my advocate, because even though I deserve death, I’m going to be in Heaven for eternity.
Oh, and I definitely do not deserve it.

Jason

To be a part of something bigger.
To watch God perform the miraculous.
To let go of our own egos.
To be a part of the church instead of simply “showing up” @ church.
To be free.
To accept and trust in God’s promise.
To believe in that Jesus doesn’t make bad people good, he makes dead people live.
To give back to His church and others from the overflow of our hearts.
To be still- and experience this week after week…

Baptism: Jake & Kelly Lengel from Forefront Church on Vimeo.

Dan Almos, Rick & Chrissy Hoyt Baptism from Forefront Church on Vimeo.

Forefront Baptisms: Jordan Kay from Forefront Church on Vimeo.