Proverbs 3:11 - My child, don't reject the Lord's discipline, and don't be upset when he corrects you. For he corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. I love my youngest baby, Ben, with all my heart. He is a two year old full of life and energy. Lots and lots of energy. I found him jumping on the bed a couple of months ago. I told him to stop. He cried. I found him jumping on the bed a couple weeks later. I told him to stop. He cried again. My wife, Dara, found Ben jumping on the bed last week. She told him to stop. He cried. Really loud. We were...

I have so fallen in love with walking the streets of Uptown Charlotte. I love spending time praying for our community. For each person as they pass me by in the busyness of Uptown life. For each family that is connected to each person. For the opportunities to come in the future that we can share the love and life found in Christ with so many. I love the pace of the city. I love the sounds of the city. Buses rolling by. People talking on cell phones. Sirens in the distance. City life. All five senses. I love it. This city has captured my heart. I pray that God keeps us here forever. That's...

Click here to view this week's message from Center City Church. [vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/21571479 w=398&h=299]Joshua 23-24 shows the final scenes from the life of an amazing leader: Joshua. We look into his final instruction, caution and encouragement to the people of Israel.

Dara and I pray over our kids every day. We thank Him for their safety, protection and health. With four energetic kids, we know that we need a little extra help from their angels 🙂 We were putting our kids to bed tonight when we heard a scream from the other side of the house. We found our baby, Ben (2), sitting on our bed, bleeding profusely from his mouth. No one saw what happened, but it looked like he fell from the mattress to the foot board of the bed. His tooth was sunk back into his gums and he was absolutely freaking out. After a terrifying half hour of uncertainty, the doctor...

Center City Church combined with other local churches in a day of service called "What If Everyone." Our group headed out to Samaritan's Feet today to help at a warehouse that sends shoes to people in need all over the world. Keep your eyes (and your schedule) open for more upcoming projects around our city. A great way to get involved and show the practical side of our love for Jesus!

Click the link below to view this week's message from Center City Church. Joshua 11 - The Battle of Merom After experiencing incredible victories, Joshua faces his most fierce challenge before the final victory comes in the conquest of the land of promise.[vimeo 21309031 w=400 h=300]Joshua 11 - The Battle of Merom from Center City Church on Vimeo.

I absolutely love this picture. This was taken during our friend, Hunter's, last chemotherapy treatment today. It is a picture of the joy that Hunter has found in the midst of the greatest hardship of his life: Hodkins Disease (cancer). This picture tells so much of the story. A cheerful spirit during a terrifying season of life. His Bible has become his road map that led him to peace in the midst of uncertainty. We celebrate with Hunter today the completion of his treatments and the fact that the doctors have declared him cancer free. Praise God! The next step will be to undergo radiation...

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/20999134 w=398&h=299]Joshua 10 - Confidence: Joshua finds his confidence fully in the Lord, secures a great victory and passes on an important lesson that he learned along the way. Click the link above to view this week's message from Center City Church.

Lent is a season of time leading up to Easter that helps us focus our attention on God. Accompanying this season of reflection and prayer is the practice of fasting. I highly recommend some sort of a fast multiple times per year. Fasting, quite simply, is removing something from your normal routine and replacing that time with prayer and reflection toward God. Many times, people mistakenly assume that fasting is simply going without food. Not true. You can fast anything that will draw your attention to God consistently. One of the most effective fasts that I have seen in recent memory was...

I'm having a serious flashback. I remember sitting at the very same table I am at right now at Central Coffee fifteen months ago. We had a blank slate in front of us and a paintbrush in hand. Center City Church was yet to open to the community and I was thinking about the future. I distinctly remember the thoughts racing in my head, "we only get one shot at our beginning of this church." That's when I came across this verse in Proverbs 4:25-27: Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path.Don’t get sidetracked;...