This Sunday we will also have our annual "Back to School Blessing". We started doing this a couple of years back and it has been a very powerful event each year. We will take the time during our Sunday morning worship experience to bring all of our children, students, and teachers on the stage where we will pray for God's blessing and protection over them during this next school year. Get the word out that this weekend is the "Back to School Blessing" and I'll see you there!

We had a great weekend with Greg and Kristin Evans from Life Church of Memphis. Greg brought one of the most inspiring and practical (how to kind of) message that I have heard in a long time during our "Dream Team" meeting Saturday evening. Greg took a few minutes Sunday morning during the service to share their vision for Africa. Greg and Kristin leave in three weeks and move to Africa as missionaries. I ask you to keep this precious couple in your prayers.

The family and I have arrived in Destin Florida for a very much needed vacation. Angel and I look forward to spending alot of uninterrupted time with our two beautiful girls. I am headed down to the beach so I'll get back to ya later!

I am pumped about VBS! We have distributed almost 1,000 invite cards to homes within a couple miles of our church and we are believing God that lots of new kids will come and give their hearts to Jesus. Immediately after tomorrow's service we will be tearing down our current stage design and setting up the new one for VBS. Stay and help if you can.

For me, VBS brings back memories of colored sand in little bottles, eating hotdogs outside, and having lots of fun while learning something about Jesus that God used later to bring me into a relationship with Him! What is your favorite VBS memory?

Today we will be having a SERVE TEAM water outreach.  Please come participate with us.. we'll be meeting at the church at 4pm to pass out 500 or so bottles of water and vbs invitations. Wear your serve team shirts, or a red t-shirt and let's serve it up lifechurch style..  Nothing like the adrenaline rush of slamming servin'.

Also our teenagers have been working really hard to raise money for their Xtreme Life Youth  Trip to Baton Rouge to be in a worship service with Refuge/Pathfinders of  Healing Place Church for one of their EPIC services on Wed. July 24th, then on to a day of fun at Blue Bayou Water Park. They'll be coming home on Friday.  Our kids have raised  $1200 towards their trip so far and will be having a CARWASH THIS SATURDAY  FROM 10-1  at Brookshire's on Cypress ST. in WM. So if you got a dirty car,  want to help our teens  (by getting a wash or you can wash if you like ) or like to get sprayed with a water hose =), come on out. If not please help spread the word to all  your friends , co-workers and neighbors.  We're believing for their lives to be greatly impacted for the kingdom on this trip as well as building friendships that will last a life time..

David was very fortunate to have a man like Eleazar in his life. One of the greatest blessings as a leader is to have someone who will be with you in the battle! There are many people who will come into your life for a season and they will be a blessing in their own way. True friendships are not tested in the good times. You may never really know who is with you until you get into a real battle. Isn't it amazing how many people feel led to move on and move out of your life when you go through a battle or a time of real testing?

Eleazar found a high ranking in the leadership chain of David's army because he was with David in the battle. Our leadership ranking may not change because of our education, our ability, our talents, nor our reputation, but if we will master faithfulness and committment through the tough times we will ascend to levels of leadership that we may have never thought possible. I want to be an Eleazar for someone and I want to be surrounded by some Eleazars in my own life. Do you have an Eleazar? Tell me about him or her. 

The Serve Team preparing to pass out water and candy at the 4th of July Fireworks display. 500 bottles of water passed out in 20 minutes. We underestimated and should have taken more water. It is awesome when we hear the same question over and over during each water outreach..."Why are y'all doing this?" Our answer, because God cares about your most basic needs and so do we!

Pastor Greg Surratt and myself just before last year's LSU / Auburn game. Remember that game? LSU throws a touchdown pass with one second left on the clock to win the game! Today, we were blessed to have Pastor Greg teach his One Prayer message at Life Church via video. His one prayer..."Lord, Make us Obedient." Greg spoke from Luke 5 and the miracle catch of fish with Peter. Greg's message... "In God's relentless pursuit of us he uses no fish moments to lead us to because you say so obedience resulting in boat-sinking miracles that can change our destinies forever."

I read this verse today in my daily Bible reading and I immediately realized that I am still a missionary at heart. Upon reading the verse, I felt that lump in my throat, that certain racing of the heart, as I thought about the possibility of impacting nations for Christ from West Monroe! We are looking at some awesome possibilities of expansion and faith adventures for Christ and I find myself dreaming of reaching multitudes both here in north Louisiana as well as the "uttermost" parts of the earth. The nations are there for the asking. God said, "Only ask...!" So...I AM ASKING GOD FOR THE LOST OF THE WORLD!

Me with Cassidy RileyThis past Wednesday night 14 year veteran wrestler Cassidy Riley shared his testimony with the youth. I hear they saw some video footage of Cassidy in the ring and heard some of the behind the scenes stories from the world of professional wrestling. Cassidy's message to the youth was simple..."Keep God first in your life and He will do more in and with you than you ever imagined possible. Take your eyes off of God and trust in your abilities and talents and you will never fulfill your potential in life." Now, that's some good stuff!

I am thanking God today for our freedom and for the huge blessing of being chosen to be born in this great nation of America. This is the greatest nation on the planet! I gotta run, gonna eat me some bar-b-que and then go join the Life Church Serve Team for a water outreach at the fireworks display on the river tonight!