Recently I spent a lot of time at an event called Bikes, Blues & BBQ. It is the 3rd largest biker rally in the country, and the 1st largest as far as how much money is raised for charity.

If you have never been, here is an idea of what it looks like: Thousands of bikes, plenty of food vendors, fair type atmosphere, loud live music, stunt bike shows and plenty of other things.

I helped with what was called Kids Zone. It was an absolute blast! We had the opportunity to see more than 1500 people come through our tent!

Before coming to BBB (Bikes, Blues & BBQ) I wanted a bike, now I need one. That was just a little side note.

The culture of people at this biker rally was quite different than the culture I live in every day. The way people dressed was different, they way they talked, what they ate, the music they listened to and so on. The biker community is really their own culture.

I went to the event with a small expectation of a somewhat dark feeling. I kind of thought that it would just be dirty, and their would be that evil feeling in the air. I was wrong! The realization that I was wrong happened immediately. It was quite the opposite in fact, the feeling I got was good, fun, cheerful...it kind of almost felt like going to camp or something.

Not only did we have great success in our tent, I am encouraged and challenged by this whole event.

As Christians we should minister to everyone. We should lay our judgements aside, lay our pride aside, lay our religious beliefs aside and simply share Jesus. In the first letter Paul wrote to the church at Corinth Paul laid it out for us: Read this then come back!

I am not telling you to become a biker and turn your life over to reaching more bikers. I am simply saying that we need to minister where we are.....

We need to pull our heads out of the religious hole wipe them off and get to Jesus business.

I enjoy watching football, particularly NFL. I am a college fan as well, just not as much as the NFL...especially the Giants!

Last Sunday I watched parts of a couple of games. One game that I referred to earlier in the week in another blog was the Colts vs. the Jags. The Colts are my second favorite team and I could care less about the Jags, even with an ex Razorback druggy on the team. Naturally, I was cheering for Peyton Manning and the Colts.

Towards the end of the game, only about 2 minutes or so left, the Colts came from behind and barely got ahead. This whole part of the game was so intense for me, I could barely sit down. When the points were scored I was... very excited to say the least. I thought the game was over at that point. I celebrated and in my celebration my lovely wife says:

"It is amazing how people can get so excited about something that doesn't matter to them personally. I wish people would get more excited about Jesus."

This is not a perfect quote, but it's pretty close.

At that moment I simply agreed. And went on in my celebration. Sometime later in the week some show or something came on and my wife got excited about it so I said:

"I wish people would get that excited about Jesus"

And it was funny. But that is not the point. Here is the point:

We should be more excited about Jesus than anything else in the whole world. Here is the play by play: Here is a guy that straight up died for each of us on the cross... He was nailed to beams of wood... for us! He was mocked, spat on, beat, battered, stabbed and killed, dying one of the most brutal and painful deaths, for us!

Now, we all have the opportunity to serve and live for Him. Why wouldn't we? He died for us.

As Christians we should not be able to stay seated out of excitement for Jesus. God created us, sent His only Son to die for us, saved us. And here we are, boring old Christians. Come on!

The challenge for all of us: WAKE UP, and GET EXCITED ABOUT JESUS!!!! Talk to Him, live for Him, read His Word (The Bible), TELL OTHERS ABOUT HIM!

Michael Phelps recently won 8 gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. What a victory!? What an athlete!
Most of his races were very close. Do you remember the one that he won by 100th of a second? That was close!

Indianapolis Colts, an NFL football team that in recent years has taken home the super bowl championship. They lost by 2 points on Sunday to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Give me a break! (personal note)
It was a pretty cool game to watch it all went down in the last 2 minutes. First, Peyton Manning took the Colts to a last minute lead. Then, with only 1 minute left in the game the Jacksonville Jags came back for the victory. With only 4 seconds left they scored again, giving them a 23-21 win.

What if Phelps would have gotten distracted for a half a second in each of his races?
What if the Jags would have put in their 2nd or 3rd string players for the last minute?

Phelps wouldn't have gotten all the medals, and the Jags wouldn't have won the game.

According to Scripture "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

For Phelps it came down to 100th of a second. For the Jags- 1 minute.

How is your life story? Don't count on tomorrow to re-write it. Go with today.

Seriously! Are you really going to act like a Christian just because you go to church every once in a while? What a joke! It's not like people don't know. Oh, so you go to church almost every time the doors are open. Still, it's not like we can't see right through you. It's not like God can't see right through you. Come on.

Yes, I'm talking to you. You have been going to church and playing the roll, but get real, you're only going for your image. Oh, you're different huh? How is that? I see, you go because you feel guilty when you don't. You think going to church will make you better? Get real. How old are you anyway? Hmm, I would have never guessed.

You know, you know what you need to do. You know you can't go on the rest of your life living like this. You know one day it will all fall apart. Why are working so hard to have a guilty conscience? Why are you working so hard to be a hypocrite? Don't you know that God can see you all of the time? Don't you know that God even knows your thoughts?

Why don't you make up your mind and quit wasting your life? Wow! I still can't believe how old you are. That is just about ridiculous! One would have thought you would have grown up by now. Wow.

How do you think God feels? He created you for HIMSELF. He didn't make you so you could lallygag around life like a pathetic hypocrite, being one person on Sunday and a totally different person on Monday. Get real, you are breaking God's heart! You are breaking God's heart!

Sure, I wrote this today. But I could have written this to myself a few years ago. God wants you.

If you hear this letter today. Come on, give it up! Give God yourself!

Have you ever quit doing something? Maybe you were going to quit drinking soda? Maybe you wanted to diet, so you quit eating carbs?

You are committed and excited. Then after a week or so someone offers you just a little bit of what you had stopped consuming and you say to yourself:

"Just a little every once in a while won't hurt."

And for the most part that is true. I mean seriously, what will one soda a week do to you? The problem is after that first time, because then there is a second, then a third, and before you know it you have stepped back into your old ways.

Have you been there with something? I have many times.

Here's the thing, sin is the same way. You have repented and committed to not doing sin or a certain sin any more. How many indulgences does it take? That's right, just one.

Here's the good news. With discipline, self-control and commitment coupled with the power of the Holy Spirit you can do it. The longer you abstain from that sin, the easier it gets to not do it anymore.

If you don't have self-control or self-discipline: What are the fruits of the Spirit? Aha! Isn't one of them self-control? Yes! Surrender power over to Him and He will set you free!

Take the trash out.
Clean your room.
Wash the dishes.
Bathe the kids.
Change the babies diaper.
Clean the car.

Have you ever heard any of these request/commands before? Maybe from your spouse or a parent? I have heard plenty of them, as I'm sure most of us have.

What is the attitude when we are told or asked to do something? Do you remember that movie "Big Daddy" with Adam Sandler? Do you remember that scene where Adam Sandler (Big Daddy) was quietly eating chips and watching a hockey game when the boy (Julius I think) woke up from his nap and he wanted to watch the "Kangaroo Song?" It was so important to the boy that he watches the video because it is his routine...nap, watch the kangaroo song. However, it was very important to Big Daddy to watch the hockey game. They went back and forth for a minute then finally the boy was allowed to watch the video.

What's the moral here? Do whatever kids want to do? Absolutely not! Big Daddy wanted to make the boy happy, he wanted to serve him, sure a little of that desire came from the fit the boy was throwing, but genuinely deep down inside he wanted to serve the boy and make him happy.

Shouldn't we be this way with everyone? Not to simply give everyone everything they want. We should have a desire to serve everyone, we should have a passion to put other people first. Why? To share Jesus.

According to Scripture we are free from all men. We are not in slavery. We are free. "Land of the free, home of the brave." According to Scripture we should be servant to all.

"I am free and belong to no one. But I make myself a slave to all people to win as many as I can." 1 Corinthians 9:19

"To win as many as I can." We are called to serve others in order to win them to Christ. We are not to serve others to bring glory to ourselves. We are not to serve others to give your life to them. We ARE to serve others in order to WIN AS MANY TO CHRIST as we can.

We should be imitators of our Savior, the Lord of all, Jesus Christ. He came and became servant to all. He did not become servant to all for His sake but for the sake of His Father. He came that we might receive true life and to bring Glory to God The Father.

We know what Christ did, He served all and died for all. We can hear the instruction from Paul in 1 Corinthians, "be a slave to all so we can win as many as we can." What is holding you back?

In the movie "Big Daddy" the hockey game held him back, but eventually he surrendered. What do you need to surrender? How much fuller would your life be if you did as Christ did and became a slave to all?

I am not suggesting that you throw yourself into a slavery as of old times. I am suggesting that you serve others, making them more important than yourself. For what purpose? Winning more people to Jesus!

What is the focus in your life today? Yourself, or others? What do you need to do immediately to become more like Christ? How many are destined for eternal separation from God because you are not willing to serve and share?

Instead of the request/commands at the top of the page, how about these:

Thanks for taking the trash out, I didn't even ask!
Thanks for cleaning your room, you weren't even told!
Thanks for washing the dishes, what a surprise!
Thanks for bathing the kids, what a blessing! Etc.

Thanks for getting that door for me or helping me with my groceries or getting that off of the top shelf for me, etc. By serving others we are being imitators of Jesus. By serving others we are sharing Jesus, who knows what God will do next? You could be serving someone and they ask you what you have. Then you lead them to Jesus.

Are you ready to serve?

Have you been searching for that great feeling?
That feeling that sweeps over you and deletes every negative part of your life for at least a few moments?
That feeling that starts low and works it's way up, so far that you just want to yell out of pure excitement?
That feeling that gives you goose bumps?
That feeling that won't allow your face to go without a smile?
That feeling that seems like everyone wants?

In my small view of our country, America, it seems that we have an incredible desire to feel good. The commercials tell us how great it will make us feel to have:
The new Caddy, the new shoes, that restaurant, those clothes, that candy bar, this cologne and that kind of b/f, g/f or spouse.
What we learn from these commercials is that we need to have these things and eat at these places to feel good. We need to look and dress a certain way to feel good.

The interesting thing is that a lot of times we treat God, The Bible and church the same way. We are looking for that feeling or that fix. You know what I'm sayin'! Maybe a quiet time is done in expectation that God will make us feel good the rest of the day. Maybe you go to church to get that feeling that sweeps over you. I don't know what it is for you. I think you can identify with this though.

What is wrong with pursuing the feeling? Thanks for asking. I will answer with a question: When you bought that new car, you felt great! What happened after you owned it for a while? Maybe after you ate in it a few times? That's what I thought. Eventually the feeling disappeared.

God requires much more from us, more than us pursuing a feeling, more than us wanting to feel good for a few moments. God wants us to get to know Him, God wants us to surrender fully to Him regardless of how it feels. See, just like anything else, the feelings won't be there every second. The difference between God and everything else is the fact that GOD WILL ALWAYS BE THERE! He will never leave us or forsake us.

How are you pursuing God today? Are you looking for a feeling, or are you striving to know Him?

This morning my 4 year old came running into the room, ran straight to me and latched on to me in quite possibly the biggest hug I have ever gotten from her.

A birthday hug that made the entire 1 year older thing worth it. I filled up with joy and had to restrain the tears of happiness and love. My heart was touched.

The morning has been absolutely great! My lovely wife, my favorite breakfast, decorations and gifts. What more can one ask for?

For some reason this year I had not been that excited about my birthday. I haven't even been excited about gifts...what is up with that?! It's not like I am really old or something. Maybe it has just been the business and distraction.

Even though my excitement level was not up, this day has turned to be one of the best birthday's ever!

This has gotten me to thinking...as I always do.

A lot of birthday's for many people mean a lot of presents, parties and attention. For some if they didn't get exactly everything they put on their "list" than they are devastated. For others if they don't get the most expensive of everything they are crushed. For me, this year was different. I didn't come in expecting a whole pile of expensive gifts or an outrageous party. It was almost just another day. Until...

The joy of the Lord filled my soul! Does that sound traditionally religious or what?! I have everything I ever wanted: An intimate relationship with Jesus, a FABULOUS wife and 2 daughters that love me.

Today my joy did not come from ripping the paper off of the newest gadget. My joy came from the Holy Spirit living in my life and the love that was given to me on my "special day" from my family.

Still morning time I am already reflecting on my day, my birthday. Here is the break down:

My wife and daughters are my gift from God- I am incredibly blessed!

Thanks to my family, definitely my wife and daughters this birthday has earned it's place in my personal birthday hall of fame.

If there are candles to be blown, my wish will be for tomorrow and every following day the be the same. Days filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit and love in my family.

It may not be your birthday today, but that doesn't mean it can't be a "special day" for you too.

The Patriots have confirmed that Brady is out for the season, the Boston Globe reports. The team released a statement Monday that read: "After extensive tests this morning, it was revealed that Tom Brady's left knee, which was injured in the first quarter of yesterday's game, will require surgery. He will be placed on injured reserve and will miss the remainder of the 2008 season."

And just like that. The rise and fall of one of America's greatest athletes. Super bowl champion, undefeated in the regular season- maybe the greatest quarter back of all time?!

Tom had no control over his injury, he did not go out on game day knowing he was going to get knocked out of the rest of the season. He did not ask to be hit. Yet, it happened.

What about your life? Sure, you may not be a great quarter back, neither am I, but what about you? See, Tom Brady has spent many years polishing and detailing his talent and skills in the game of football. He has invested numerous hours and dollars to become the best. Now, after just one hit he is out for the rest of the season.

I see two morals here. The first:
Live your passion! That is what Tom Brady has done. He probably wakes up nearly every day thinking about his passion-football. What is your passion? Are you investing in it? Is it a healthy passion?

The second:
Live today as if it were last! As I said earlier, Tom didn't know he was going to get knocked out of the season that day. The same goes for all of us. Scripture tells us that we don't even know what will happen tomorrow, we are only a vapor that appears and then vanishes. How are you living? Are you living counting on the future? How much value do you hold in today?

Even though I am not a Patriots fan, I see the loss of Tom Brady from this season as painful to the whole NFL.

Let's ask ourselves this question: "If today was my last day, how would I live?"

Out of frustration the truck behind me jerked from behind me over to the "fast" lane in order to pass me and the slow goer in front of me. Only to end up behind me again about a half a mile ahead.

Have you ever been this person? You may not even be in a hurry, you are just on a mission, a mission to get from point A to point B. The problem is that every one keeps getting in your way! People pull out right in front of you while eating a sausage biscuit and talking on the cell phone. Grandma drives 10 MPH under the speed limit. And for some reason the car in the fast lane can't go any faster than the car in the slow lane who is going UNDER the limit. What is up with that?! So with a small amount of frustration you take every chance you get to advance in the race to wherever you are going. You swerve in and out of a traffic, you tail gate the person in front of you in order to squeeze over and in the end at the finish line or at least at the light before exiting to your finish line you realize...all of that racing, swerving and reckless driving got me 1 car length in front of the grandma who was driving 10 under.
What was the point? You didn't make any major advancements and you certainly didn't "win!" After all, no one else knew you were racing!

I drove through this situation this morning, only I for once was the person casually driving along in no major hurry. (this may be a first).

Isn't this how life is sometimes? We speed though constantly changing lanes, trying everything to make advancements and in the end we may be no further ahead?

I am not saying that the turtle wins. I am certainly not a believer in that joke. What I am saying is that when we have a mission, a calling if you will. We should be consistent, solid, on a pace. See, in the end the person who wins is the person who makes it, the person who successfully lived in God's will and plan. We all need to count the cost of wreckishly changing lanes in our life at any little desire.

If you keep driving down life's highway changing lanes, speeding, tail gating and the like you are more than likely to get in a wreck, therefore devastating all hopes of making it to the finish line. Much less with any amount of success or accomplishments.

That person going 10 under the speed limit, don't just pass them by without a second thought. God may have placed them in your life for a reason. You may be speeding right by the people God wants you to make deposits in.

Allow God to lead you, peacefully let Him guide you through the highway's of life.