faithrunner

Legacy Church hosted our 5th annual World Cultural Fair this past Sunday. Lue Kraltchev , our English Language Program Director, brought a new look and a graduation program to the event. I love this event because we see how God has allowed us to truly impact the lives of people around the world simply by opening our doors to our neighborhood and meeting a need . When I was growing up I got the idea missionaries gave up everything and moved to some remote corner of the globe never to be seen again except every four years when they came home with their native dress, artifacts, and slide show of their work.  At Legacy Church, we challenge people on mission with us to be missionaries in his or her own mission field .  That means if we are planted as a church in a mission field of internationals, we will be God's missionaries to them. This means that wherever you live there is a people-need that can be met in the name of Jesus. This need is your bridge of influen...

CIW@Legacy Last weekend, Legacy Church , partnered with six other churches and the City of Plano's Love Where You Live Service Day and Block Party to be "salt and light servants" in our community. Markus Lloyd of Legacy led us into the mission field of our neighborhoods to serve in the name of Jesus. This weekend highlighted one of Legacy's core values , "We are most like Jesus when you serve."  Meeting the needs of others motivated by Christ-like love and borne on the message of that love is the lowest position of human status yet the highest expression of following Jesus. Partnering with six other churches has built within our fellowship the value of what we call Big "C" Church , the reality that the local church is an expression of the larger body of Christ that spans a community and the globe. We are not arrogant enough to think we are the only Christ followers or that we can complete Christ's mission on our own. Jesus ...

This past Sunday, Legacy Church blessed my family and me by celebrating our 25 years of ministry with the church . We were humbled by the kind words and gifts, but most of all we were reminded of how good God has been and that people are the why behind the what and how . So, what have I learned in 25 years of ministry with one church? There are too many lessons to write about now, but here are four big ones. 1. God is faithful to those he calls to serve. ( 1 Cor. 1:9 ) Never once in 25 years of service have I doubted God's faithfulness and presence. His call for me to serve in full-time ministry and his specific call to serve with Legacy has never wavered. I have questioned the circumstances I thought he allowed, and I have made messes I wish I had not created, but I am convinced that no matter what, God does not abandon those he calls on mission with him . Trust him. 2. Relationships matter most . While I lean more to tasks than people in my ministry style, I d...

Book Description Legacy Church has begun to partner with other churches in our city to address needs that are impossible to meet without the cooperation of other churches . For example, on April 27 and 28 , we will join seven other churches to partner with the City of Plano in order to serve our community. We call it Community Impact Weekend .If you live in the Plano area, please feel free to join us. You can sign up to serve here . Another aspect of partnering with the Big "C" Church to meet needs in the name of Jesus, is creating a dialogue around how our faith intersects our public lives . In order to start such a dialogue, three pastors and three churches have joined together to discuss this important topic. Father Bruce Bradley, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Community , Rev. Dr. David Batchelder, West Plano Presbyterian Church , and I will host community dialogues at the three churches around the topic raised in the book, Christians and the Common ...

The most unlikely player won The Masters golf tournament this past Easter weekend: Bubba Watson. If you were to paint a profile of a pro golfer, Bubba Watson would not fit in it at all. Never had a lesson. Never had a coach. Never watched a video of his swing. He's a Georgia Bulldog who own the Dukes of Hazards' General Lee 1. And, he makes goofy videos with his friends . Masters' Champion? Not from that profile. Yet, he just won the tourney that any golfer would say, "You'll never be considered great until you win the Masters." You gotta luv Bubba. Bubba Watson I don't think it was a coincidence that he won on Easter Sunday . What better time for a player who had confessed his trust in Jesus, baptized with his wife, and had been working to change his habits on the course in order to reflect his faith to win on Easter Sunday. Check out his Twitter profile @bubbawatson. The order of who he is goes: Christian. Husband. Daddy. Pro Golfer . Looks l...

I am a follower of Jesus because his life matched his message . I have been impressed with charismatic leaders who can capture a crowd with speeches and promises only to find his life is nothing like his message. Jesus lived everything he taught...even his promise he came to "give up his life as a ransom for many." ( Mark 10:45 ) Jesus stepped out of obscurity into the messianic limelight and taught, " Blessed are the peacemakers , because they will be called the children of God." ( Matthew 5:9 ) What is it about being a peacemaker that gains someone such a title or reputation? Follow Jesus and find out. To gain the reputation as a child of God, you need to know these things about who Jesus blessed that day. Peace making is not the same as peace keeping . Jesus did not walk into hostile situations or broken relationships and ask, "Why can't we all just get along?" and broker so-called peace. Nor, did he avoid century-old prejudices by walking...

Last Saturday, I ran the Grasslands Trail Marathon outside Decatur, TX. The trails are part of the Caddo-LBJ National Grasslands , which are mostly used for horse riding, but last Saturday, the runners took over the trails early. Thanks to the Race Director and all the volunteers (and cooks!) who made it a wonderful experience. The weather was ideal in the morning , but got up to 80F in the afternoon, which made for a warm finish. What added to the fun was it had rained hard the week before , and the trails were muddy and many places had standing water --memories of our trail half-marathon about a month ago . (Although, that was a much more rugged course.) Every run is a laboratory. You learn something every time you go out because every time is different. You are different. The course is different, and the conditions are never the same.  Grasslands Trail Run, NTTR.org So what did I learn this outing? Running in creation is still better than running on streets....