Fear and faint goats

Apparently the subject material of our recent series FEAR, hit a nerve with many of you. This animal of fear is something that all of us deal with in some way shape of form. Unfortunately, it is a school that we never graduate from, yet there are some practical things that we can do to address the crippling nature of fear and anxiety. Go here to catch up on part two. Alright, many of you have been asking so here is the faint goat deal I mentioned from stage last week. Hilarious...my disclaimer "Don't try this at home--or at a neighbors house---or at a stranger's house":

Listen before you vote!

Does God's Word tell us who to vote for? If it did would you listen? Before you vote, if you haven't already, then take time to listen to this message by Ed Young Jr. I'll admit that he's a little bit over the top sometimes but he makes a really strong case. He's definitely an entertaining communicator and will keep your attention!:

Politicked - Rock the Vote from Fellowship Church on Vimeo.

My Coach-A class act!

If you have read more than one post, then you know that I love the Georgia Dawgs. You may not know why though. It's pretty simple. I grew up in Athens, so red and black runs in my veins. I'm a bulldog through and through. I grew up listening to Larry Munsen call the Georgia games between the hedges in Athens. But as passionate as I am about the Dawgs it doesn't compare to my passion for my Savior, Jesus. To think of my life apart from a relationship with Jesus is...well it's unthinkable, and purposeless. So put those two things together--a love for the Dawgs and a love for Jesus and you'll understand why I love Coach Richt so much. The guy is a straight up class act. Check out this video. Trust me it's worth your next 4-5 minutes:

Click Here to Watch

Easier said than done

Fear is an equal opportunity offender. It strikes people of all ages, all social status, and all walks of life. The "economic melt down" has obviously heightened fear for many so this is a pretty hot topic. We had a great start to this two part series. You can catch up on part one HERE: "Easier Said Than Done!" God says "Do not fear"--but that's easier said than done, right? Rueben Bidez lead worship for the first time at Ridge Church and did a phenomenal job. He covered the Daniel Powter song "Bad Day" to open. Upstreet is doing a pretty awesome movie theme right now too. Man, if church had been like this when I was a kid, bribery for attendance wouldn't have been necessary:-)

Fear

Fear can strike a mind, a home, a corporation, or even a nation with little warning and massive consequences. We find ourselves lying awake at night wondering: What will happen with my retirement? Is our country safe for our children? Will I lose my home? Will I lose my job? What will I do when I graduate? What will the Doctor's report say? Unfortunately our first response to fear is often the worst possible response. Fear can be paralyzing but there is a way to be free from it. That's exactly what we will be addressing during this two part series called FEAR. See you at Ridge Church.

Then is Now

I've had a pretty crazy week, but have been so encouraged by the passion and reckless abandon for Jesus that I see in this 20 something generation. They will raise up the kind of church that my generation and my parents generation failed to do. I am so excited to be empowering them. I'm convinced God will use Ridge to touch the lives of people near and far in eternally significant ways. But between here and there we must act like THEN IS NOW! Sometimes a snapshot of the future gives us an appropriate sense of urgency here in the present. So as you invite, as you give, as you invest your time--do it with the end goal--the destination--in mind...Live as if THEN IS NOW!

Financial Update:
To the right is a graph showing our financial progress. You can click on it to enlarge it. You are doing a great job and we are making significant progress. On average, churches across the country were down in giving close to 12% last month and we managed to make progress. I want to thank those of you that have stepped up in significant ways for us, but keep it up because we aren't there yet. I think we will need roughly 5-7 more months of visionary giving to help us Bridge the Gap to being completely self sustaining financially as a church.

And last but not least. Here is a little reminder of why we do all of this. It's all worth it when people's lives are changed! Enjoy:

Moral Authority

This current series at Ridge Church, "Letters to the Next President" is both timely and powerful. The second talk in the series is about moral authority. It is a powerful principle for all people with authority--from parent to President. Listen to Part 2 here.