It's my first blog...be kind

Hi,

I am not sure who will read this but I'm here. My hope is to enter into the conversation that Pastors are having today. I feel many times like a man without a home. I am the Lead Pastor of a church in Sugar Land, TX called "Crossbridge Church". Our website is www.crossbridge.cc , you should check it out. Our church is three years old, we meet in a school and do all the normal things a church plant does.

I feel like a man without a home because I deeply want to reach people far from God. I dream of seeing hundred and thousands of lives transformed by Jesus using this church. I want to be as authentic as possible in this pursuit and be culturally relelvant and all that jazz. But there is something in me that is disturbed by much of what is going on in new church plants today. It seems we do cool things but are we loosing the Gospel. We are told things like "discover the champion in you" but if there is a champion in me do I really need a Savior or just positive thoughts? We can copy the culture and do a sermon series called "Extreme Makover: the Life Edition, the Heart Edition, the church edition, the family edition, and the do we have keep going edition" but are really presenting the message of Jesus and are we forming radically ever deepening followers of Jesus?

Are our churches becoming all about fun videos and cleaver rip offs of the culture or are we really presening the Bible. One pastor I admire says it is "lazy to preach through books of the Bible.", yet I feel guilty when I just do topical. Do I need medication? One pastor says preach book by book only, one says topical, and one says preaching needs to be "re-imagined." but what is the best way to proclaim the truth that God is glorious, we are sinful, Jesus came died, was buried and was raised from dead, He reigns on a throne calls all people to repent, He has sent His Spirit to dwell in His children, will return and get the girl, slay the dragon and live happily ever after.

I have read more books on the church that I can care to say. I am not a coffee shop, organic, house church guy but God bless them. I have read books about context and all that jazz. I have read "Good to Great" and Brian McClaren and Andy Stanley and even Richard Baxter.

So what does it mean to be faithful to the Bible yet be on mission? I know people out there have opinions and easy answers. I just want to confess that I am still seeking and still looking for what it means to follow Jesus and make disciples.

So let's rock!