Good bye 07 and welcome 08

Can you believe it? 2007 has come and gone. A ton of incredible memories. We have seen people invest and invite their family, friends and neighbors. WOW! God gave us land and we owe NO money on it. Can you believe God has given us 15 acres of land in Madison County. The most expensive county in Mississippi. We are in the throws of the next step.

We have added some incredible volunteers who serve and give of their time and energy. As we continue to grow we continue needing new volunteers. We saw three or four baptism services that were awesome. Always cool to see men, women, boys and girls cross the line of faith. We had two big Sunday's that turned out a ton of food as well. Our biker life group has stepped up to the plate and set the bar high when it comes to service.

What about 08......man we have some awesome teaching series planned. We start the second week of January talking about "How to be rich." It will be fun. We also have two mission trips planned and one is out of the country........Argentina! More on that later. I hope you will continue to invest and invite. Let's make a difference in Madison County.

Philip Thurman

Land Party Sunday

We loaded up on three buses and headed out to the property

The prayer area on the property

Some of the folks at the service and finally the awesome Biker group who took care of all the food and fun.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

We come to that time of the year where we quickly put away any memory of Christmas and start focusing on the goals, resolutions we want to set for the New Year. We take down all the decorations for Christmas and go back to our ruts we live in day in and day out. I plan to live my life differently this year. I want to live it wide open in relationships. I want to get to know more folks this year and hopefully be a positive influence in their lives. I'm ready for the challenge.

I want to take a moment and brag about a few things. In December I have taken a break from teaching and Greg, Scott Woody and Brock have taught or will teach. Man, they have all done a phenominal job. Thanks guys for your heart and abilities to communicate God's word in a fresh and relevant way. We have had incredible crowds in the month as well. Then Christmas Eve service was LIGHTS OUT! Man, we had to at the last minute run around and find chairs for the huge overflow crowd. Largest Christmas Eve service ever. I want you to say thanks to some folks for me. Obviously, Scott, the band and the sound guys were incredible. Did anyone see Steve Theim in the tie? What was up with that:)? He looked sharp. His brother was with him and was an incredible help as well.

Our staff and their spouses are amazing. One of our nursery workers no showed, so Kathy Jones stood in the gap and served in the nursery. This is a real hero to me. I know she would have loved to have been with her husband or ever watch him whale on the electric guitar, but she did the greater good......stayed and loved on babies. Kathy, you rock! Russell, Sean, Joey, Greg, Brock busted a gut to find chairs....thanks guys! Brock also took care of lighting candles, getting the Lord's Supper elements ready to go as well. I know I have left someone out and it is not intentional, thank you to you as well. I get to serve and be in the greatest church around town. I truly believe that with all my heart.

Last but not least I want to thank all of you who "Invested and Invited." You know who you are. There's one lady who brought a ton of her family with her. She really gets what we're doing and is rocking my socks off. She loves this place and constantly shares her story with others. ROCK on! Another family shared how they had invited a daughter that is currently running from God and she was present. So, God continues to use normal folks like you to grow His church. I love you guys and wish for you a Wonderful Mew Year.

Philip Thurman

Is It Really Christmas Time?

This weather is something else. Driving home today I saw a flashing signboard that said it is 82 degrees outside. I wonder if this was what it felt like the week Baby Jesus was born. I don't know about you, but I would like it a bit cooler. I usually think of the Christmas season as a bit cooler.

I want to brag about the team God has assembled at LifeBridge. This past Friday night the staff and Advisory Team spent time celebrating this time of year. I say it every year, but this is the best team I have ever had the chance of serving with in a church. Every week our Porch environment gets better and better. Greg is doing an amazing job trying to make it flow and be staffed properly. John continues to make sure the visual and business side of things run smoothly. Johnny works overtime trying to keep me in line and our small groups working. I love watching Davis connect with our youth, Sharon singing and talking to kids in xtreme and Natalie working with the preschoolers. Each week Scott prepares us to worship God through song. I am overwhelmed at all God is doing through this team.

Thanks to all of you who serve, invite and give. This place is what I envision when I think of a church. Pretty close to perfect:) We do have a long way to go, but thanks for all each of you do. As we go through this season, I pray you will prayerfully ask God who you might invite for the Christmas Eve service. We will meet at 5:00 p.m. and will be out in 45 minutes.

Have a great week

Philip Thurman

I Got Some Juicy Information About...........

Have you ever been greeted by a family member, co-worker, neighbor or friend with that line. "Hey, I know something that I have to share with you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone!" And what do we do, we fall hook line and sinker and say, "i won't, tell me." The next thing we know we are jammed packed with the good stuff. We know something about someone that no one else knows. WOW! We feel powerful over that person. It gives us a false sense of security in ourselves. Unfortunately this type of behavior is the norm in our society and very few people take a stance. What would happen if all of us stood up and said, "Nope, stop there. I'm NOT interested in hearing anything about anyone." Wow, that would take some awesome courage, but would be cool to see.

Yesterday we looked at James 3 to see what God has to say about the tongue, but specifically about gossiping. It is like a small spark that explodes into a massive wild fire. We can control such massive things like horses, ships with tiny things, but this small tongue we cannot control at all. The truth be known, the Bible says that the heart reveals the true you. The mouth only says what is in the heart. So the challenge is this week to ask God to give us a new heart, then to also step back and take some time to think about what I will say in response to someone. My natural tendency is to reply instantly, but that is NOT always the right response.

I was sent this email about a man and his office that take the issue of gossip very seriously. How cool would it be if everyone took this approach. Check it out.

Sam Chapman, founder of Empower Public Relations in Chicago, Illinois, has banned gossip in his office. Two years ago, Chapman left a larger company where office backbiting was epidemic and damaged both careers and morale. Now he calls the shots, and one of his primary rules is that if you have something to say to or about a colleague, you must say it to their face.

The penalty for breaking this rule is stiff. "If you're committed to gossip," Chapman says, "you get fired."

While censoring water cooler conversation was difficult at first, most Empower employees appreciate the environment honesty creates. If they must vent, they do so elsewhere. "If I still have some unresolved issues at the end of the day," says Empower executive Jayne Spottswood, "I save the drama for my mama."

["Caution: This Office Is a Gossip-Free Zone," ABC News online, 11-13-07]

Philip Thurman

Time Off

Every now and then, it is important for all of us to have some time off to refresh, rest and relax. I got to have one of those weekends this past weekend. Well, I got to do most of the R's. I went with my oldest son to Fairfax, Virginia for an invitiation soccer tournament. Adidas had a youth showcase tournament for U-14 only along with the MLS (Major League Soccer). We played three teams. One from Southbay, California, one from Virginia and the last one from Massachusetts. Oh, wait, no body else really cares about that except this crazy father.

I had the privilege of attending NCC (National Community Church) that meets in movie theaters around the D.C. and surrounding areas. I went to Union Station service and man it was awesome. Sitting beside me was a street guy who really had an odor, but he was welcomed and seemed to know a ton about that church. After church I was walking out and aother guy two rows behind me was out cold. It was probably the first food and warm spot he had been in for a while. It was a great service, but I got to tell you something! Our band rocks! I think we have some of the best music around. It was great to worship with someone else though and have a Sunday to relax. He taught on Super Ma III. Wow! The video clips were awesome.

The icing of the weekend was to be able to go to RFK stadium and watch the MLS championship game between Houston Dynamo and the New England Revolution. It was a great game and the Dynamo won their second championship in a row. The celebration and party was incredible. They had a huge fly over at the beginning of the game. It was an emotional event for me. Well, I'll probably refelct more on all this later.

I hope when you travel out of town on Sunday's that you will take time to worship somewhere and see what they do and be encouraged by what God is doing at LifeBridge.

Philip Thurman

What the H___

If you missed Sunday, you missed the big comment. I read a verse out of II Philip 3:1 that stated men can be judgmental, difficult to deal with and a__h____. Yep, that's right, we said it in church in regards to the way we use our tongue. We started a new series in regards to the power of the tongue. It has the power to give life, but to also kill people. We talked about those among us whose spiritual gift is "Compaining." If you havent heard it, please go to www.mylifebridge.com and then click on the tab "Experience A Service." By the way men are airheads, I know where you were going though. By the way, there is no such verse in the Bible II Philip 3:1.

I am currently reading a book that is really challenging the socks off of me. It is called unChristian. It is a researched book that has interviewed many people outside of Christianity about what they see and feel about Christians. We are known for being hypocites, not living what we say we believe. He also says that we are homophobic. We treat the sin of homosexuality with greater consequence than we do someone who is in pornography, or lies, our cheats on their spouse. We become compartmentalists in our levels of sin and thus become known for what we're against instead of what we are for, or whose we are. The authors challenge me to think beyond my southern Bible belt background and challege me to think about how Jesus would treat them. He always showed compasion and love to those who disagreed with Him. Yet time and again through the New Testatment we see people outside of the faith who loved to hang out with Him. They had nothing in common with Him, but yet loved to be around Him. Those that hated Him the most were the religious people who knew the laws, systems etc, but yet could not love. By this (LOVE) men shall know we are His disciples.

I want to challenge us as a church, as individuals within the larger body, can we get beyond that and see people through the eyes that Jesus saw them. He did not see black or white, Republican or Democrat, Liberal or conservative. He always saw them and felt compassion upon them. It never says He felt judgment, condemnation, but COMPASSION. I hope and pray we will be a church that will continue to put HIS compassion into play for all who enter into our doors.

So what the heck! Love like there's no tomorrow.

Philip Thurman

Remedy

This past Sunday was amazing! We spent the day reflecting on all God had done for LifeBridge, but we also looked to the future of what God might want to do through His church LifeBridge. We started the morning at the school and then loaded on busses to go to the property where we had our service. Comments ranged from "WOW" to "beautiful piece of land." But in this blog I want to recognize some amazing folks that give, give, and keep giving.

First, Jim and Tracey Fries led out with the Biker Life Group to make the weekend a celebration to remember. You guys rock. Thanks Johnny and Dianne Gilmore, Woody and Melanie Osborn, Wayne and Kim Williams, Mike and Terri Traylor. This group provided the food tent, decorations, the trimmings for the food, drinks, ice and on and on I could go. They also help Woody Osborn paint and erect the incredible wall on the property in the prayer garden. They spent Friday night sanding, cutting, and painting everything. Then on Saturday they spent the day putting it all together. We also had a first time guest who helped a ton. Jay Gujrati thanks for your contribution. You were a huge help! The food was amazing.

Thanks to Sean Dodds who lined up the busses, the grill to cook on, and for getting the inflatables for the kids. You always go the extra mile. He built the cross that will stay on the property and arranged for getting the rocks on the property. He also enlisted a good friend who also did a huge job. Tommy Jones, thanks for cutting the trails, cutting the grass and so many other things. You're a huge help. Joey Butler, thanks for escorting the busses to the property and making sure that the trip went smoothly.

I also want to say a massive thanks to some other volunteers that I think ROCK. The First Look Volunteers and Xtreme volunteers who stayed behind and loved on our kids while we were gone. Thanks Natalie Cain, Nancy Miller, T.J. Williams, and John Mark and Sharon Coon. You guys and gals are real heroes. I love and appreciate this amazing group of believers.

All of you did a great job making a lasting impressions. I heard many guests talk about how awesome their experience was at LifeBridge. You all are truly incredible. Thanks for "Investing and Inviting" into people's lives.

I hope you will spend this week thinking about what it is God is calling you to do through LifeBridge. The best is still yet to come.

THANKS EVERYONE FOR MAKING IT AN AWESOME SUNDAY!

Philip Thurman

Football or Futbol

I used to think American football was boring and for meat heads. Just a bunch of guys who liked to hit each other or try to take each other out. As I would watch the NFL it seemed the harder they hit, the more they thought they could hurt their opponent and thus the better they thought they were. I never could understand that mentality. But this year, my 13 year old son has started playing and man I'm having a blast. It is a great team sport as is the other futbol (soccer). Last week though I experienced something that made me really think about sports, team sports and the importance of having someone else to rely upon. Let me explain.

Last Tuesday night was cold and rainy and miserable. Nonetheless our Middle School team played Northwest Rankin's eighth grade team. Our coach decided we were going to spend the night running the ball until they could stop us because it was cool and wet and slippery. So we did. Man we won big time. We have a kid that is a great running back. By the third quarter we were up 21-7 and still rolling. This running back came to the sideline and was jawing back and forth with his dad. At one point the son pointed to the board and bragged, "Yea, I did all that...look at it!" The moment he said that the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I know for a fact that twice that my wide receiver son made critical blocks to free him to get into the end zone. Then I began to think about the linemen who were blocking and the other players who blocked for him. What an arrogant thing to say. Have none of those guys and that kid couldn't do jack!

As I thought about that, I thought about the local church. We can't do jack without people who care, who set up chairs and tables, teachers teaching the kids, greeters making connections, and everyone else. For a moment it made we realize what a special thing we have going at LifeBridge. Thanks to the whole team who makes it possible. I love and appreciate each one of you.

Philip Thurman

Total Nudity

I'm currently reading a great book. It is by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons called unChristian. It is a challenging book to those of us in leadership and those who have been in church all of our lives. It takes a painfully honest look at how those outside the church walls see us Christians. At first glance I had a tendency to get a bit defensive, but when I stop and think about my actions and thoughts, the book has really challenged me to think about myself and how I react to those outside the church.

The current chapter I'm reading is talking about "total nudity." They (16-29 year old unChristian) say that they have a number of issues that turn them off about the churh and the "inside" people. They see massive hypocrisy. We've been hearing that for years about the church, but it seems to be growing with greater intensity. As I thought through people I have seen or been with, it is too often true. There's something about us when we become followers of Christ and we seem to take on this "Holier than thou" type attitude. We look at everyone else on the outside as if they are not as good as us. Sometimes we may do it by accident, but many times I think it is done on purpose.

So what do we need to do?

First, we need to strive to be more like Jesus Christ. Did you hear what I said--like Him, not someone else. Jesus never possessed a "me verses them" type mindset. He was always part of the "outsider's" world. Through His life on this earth He shared His life. In fact, when He walked this earth, more people who were unlike Him loved being around Him. Today, unfortunatley, very few outsiders care about being around any Christian people.

Second, let's be real with our lives. Let's let people see we don't have it all together; we're not perfect. But as we go through our lives let's strive to be honest, transparent, and more like Christ. If we do these simple things, we could make a huge step toward building incredible relationships. People might be drawn to the Jesus coming through your life.

Philip Thurman

Sunday's Heroes

Every Sunday we have some amazing heroes who make things happen. Our Sunday morning Porch leader Greg Miller continues to do an amazing job to make that environment work. We also have some amazing non-paid heroes such as Sean Dodds and Glenn Trammel who show up at 7:00am this past Saturday to unload the trailer and set everything up in its proper location. Then on Sunday morning the band under Davis Jones' leadership rocked out. We had a new guy in the band, Richie Hootsell, who was banging away on the drums. Russell Atkinson did a great job on the sound board. He so gets what we're doing and is encouraging. Just weeks ago this guy had never done sound and now he's the man! Jim Fries was one of the Sunday setup guys who shoed up at 8:00am but stayed to the end of tear down. He is a marketing genius as well. He's helping John Chappelear with some ideas for helping LifeBridge be better known throughout Madison County.

We also had a number of guests hanging out with us as well. Johnny Gilmore invited a couple. The man works with Johnny and through that relationship Johnny was able to "invest and invite." After worship I talked with the couple and they want to come back. In fact, the wife is going to be a part of the Sunday refreshment team led by Dianne Gilmore. It's so simple--invest and invite--and people get connected.

I heard that Xtreme also had an incredible day. Sharon Coon had a ton of volunteers working with her and the 1st-5th graders. In fact, my youngest son came home talking about TOP: Telling Other People. He got home and walked through our cul de sac inviting friends to come to his church. WOW! You never know the impact you can have. Great job volunteers! You are our HEROES.

Jay and Andrea Criddle have a new family member. Carli Grace is in the world, but is experiencing some problems with hearing. We're praying for you guys.

Philip Thurman

Big Money

Today is the day! We head to the bank to pay off the land! YEA! I have never held such big amounts of money in my hand. It's funny how having that much money in my hands makes me feel different. When I carry it around I act like I am somebody. Why is that? Even though it's NOT mine, I try to act like I'm somebody important. Isn't it funny (or maybe just sad) how money makes us act?

Yesterday I read in the Gospel of John about the rich guy and the beggar. The beggar ends up in heaven and the rich guy goes to hell. (He didn't go to hell because he's rich, but because of the way he USED his money and focused his life--all on himself.) This passage intrigued me all day. Here's a guy who had everything, but really had NOTHING. The beggar had nothing, but in all reality had EVERYTHING. If the truth be known, wouldn't we all have wanted what the rich guy had? Money and possessions make us feel, look, and act important. But that $$$$$$ makes us do weird things.

Philip Thurman

Do You Ever Get Excited About Anything?

The last few weeks have been amazing at LifeBridge. We have watched some amazing things unfold, some of which have been several years in the making.

First, in September we received a monetary gift from a family for land and/or building for $216,000. Then just this past Monday we received a check from an organization for $300,000.00. WOW! Friday we will go to the bank and pay off our loan. LifeBridge now owns LAND free and clear! Can you believe that?

On Sunday, November 4th we're going to have a great service on the property and then a massive tailgate party back at the school. There will be inflatable games for the kids and some great food. Our Biker LifeGroup is hosting it. You guys are awesome!

We have been in the process of adding on to our office complex. Greg Miller has given amazing leadership to this project. Jay Criddle, Chris Davis, Sean Dodds, Jim Fries, Johnny Gilmore, Mike Jarrett, Tommy Jones, Woody Osborn, and Scott Stacey have given of their time to help with framing, hanging/finishing drywall, and wiring as well. Thanks guys--you ROCK!

Week after week we are also hearing stories of life change: Men and women talking about all the things God is doing in their life. Thanks to everyone who makes LifeBridge an awesome place.

I also want to say thanks to the greatest Staff Leadership Team. I feel so overwhelmed getting to work with such a dedicated team. They challenge and push me in incredible ways. If you don't know them, I hope you will get to know them. They are the real brains behind LifeBridge.

Philip Thurman

What in the world is this life coming to?

Can you believe this? There are very few things in life that I can do. And few is the operative word. There are a ton of things that I am terrible at doing. One thing is writing. I write like I talk. In addition, I am NO technical guru. I like to act the part, but in all honesty have no clue how to do anything. Yet, here I am doing the two things I am terrible at doing. Greg is standing behind me with one hand tied behind my back and typing with the free hand. He's even telling me what to say! Just kidding.

I've felt for sometime now that I wanted to have a blog to share ideas and thoughts with my friends from LifeBridge and others. So Greg Miller pushed me off the cliff by starting a blog. No, he really figured out how to do it and walked me through it.

I'll be posting periodically, so I hope you will come back and see what all we talk about. It might surprise you!

Philip Thurman

Creating Environments

At LifeBridge Church, our mission is to connect people with God and others so they can experience life at its very best. We do this by creating environments where people can discover the difference God makes when He's directing our lives and the value people make when they come alongside us in the journey. We focus primarily on three environments:

PORCH
In a house, the front porch usually is the place new persons come the first time (or first few times) they visit. It's often a person's first impression of the house (and perhaps the family). It's the place where a family works to "put its best foot forward."

At LifeBridge the same is true for our worship on Sunday morning. We call this environment simply, "the porch." It's the place where guests usually show up first and make their first impression of us. Thus it's where we work hard to put our best foot forward, so that God's Spirit can be at work in people's lives.

DEN
While guests may come first to the porch on your house, you usually invite them off the porch and into the house. Often the first place you go is to the den. And while some people call it a living room or others call it a family room, it's the place where you spend time together getting to know each other.

At LifeBridge the same is true for what we do in some of our gatherings beyond Sunday morning. It may be a cookout, a motorcycle trip, a building project, or a short-term study. But whatever it is we've created so that people can spend time together and get to know one another a little better.

KITCHEN
There's one place in every home that's the primary connecting place, and often that's the kitchen. The kitchen is the place that the family gathers; it's the place where friends gather as a meal is being prepared; it's the place where people talk about things that are important in their lives.

At LifeBridge the same is true for our small groups, which we call "Life Groups." This is the place where people gather as friends and become like family. It's where we talk about things that are important in our lives. It's where we consider how we can live according to God's plan so we can experience what the Bible calls the "abundant" life (which we call life at its very best).