Last Saturday I was taken to a little slice of Heaven known as Maggiano’s. It’s a family style Italian restaurant that is slap your mamma good. Oh, and it’s all you can eat.

We started with not one but two appetizers and a salad. We ate fried mozzarella and spinach artichoke dip. Then we moved on to the main course where you pick four items. We  devoured ravioli, chicken parmesan, fettucini alfredo, and chicken marsala. At this point in the night I was so full the food was piled from my stomach to the back of my tongue. I could taste the food digesting in my gut. I was so full I couldn’t swallow another bite. That was until…

Then they brought out not one but two desserts. Cheesecake and an apple crostada.  It was glorious.

Now you need to know that this restaurant is an hour away from our house. You also need to know that we didn’t eat until 8:30 at night. I eat at 5:30 every night whether I need to not. By the time our appetizers came I was hungry like the wolf.

The next day I felt disgustingly full. So full that I didn’t eat breakfast. I thought that going for a four mile jog would help me out. I went on this jog with a friend. I’ll call this friend Kevin. I’ll call him Kevin because that’s his name. While we started the jog I could feel a little rumbly in my tumbly. I said to Kevin that he’d have to forgive me if I farted. I then told him that whether they like to admit it or not pastors fart.

I don’t like to fart in front of people. It took me a good three years before one slipped out in front of my wife. I don’t like to, but on this jog I knew I was going to experience a little gas power. As Shrek says “better out then in.”

If you have a pastor then you should know he farts. Why? Because he’s human. I know that sometimes he may not seem like it with his life lessons, funny illustrations that make a Biblical point, and his perfectly behaved family.  I can promise you that your pastor is not perfect and you really should know that.

I think it’s important for people to know that pastors aren’t perfect so that they can pray for them. What if when you felt a temptation you prayed for your pastor to have strength to resist that same temptation?

This week I’ve felt an enormous amount of pressure. Some of it’s good and some of it’s bad. All of it comes with being a pastor. I am so blessed to have people who drop me emails, texts, and Facebook messages to encourage me. I felt blessed to carry the pastoral burden this week because of the awesome people in my life. This blog post is not to muster up more support for me. It’s for other pastors.

I heard a speaker talk about how many pastors end up seeking out an affair because they can’t take the pressure of their church. They don’t want to quit so they’d rather be forced out. That’s sad.

I think that pastors should be honored and respected for their work, but I don’t think they should be put on some spiritual pedestal. Pastors pass gas whether we want to think they do or not. They need people to know that they are human and in need of Jesus just as much as the next human.

That day jogging was not fun. I burped Maggiano’s for four miles. I kept the gas power down but I maintained a rock like feeling in my gut. In fact I didn’t eat anything until dinner that day. I was too full. Thankfully Kevin didn’t judge me. Instead he encouraged me to write a blog post about the fact that pastors fart. If you hated this blog post blame him.

What is one thing that you could pray for your pastor about? Would you be willing to pray for your pastor on a weekly basis?

This post is not really about basketball.

Over the weekend something amazing happened to me. It was something that I had been hoping would happen for two years.

It all started with my son crying. I waited a few minutes to see what type of cry this was. It was 10 something at night and sometimes he cries just because he needs a good cry. Other times he cries because he’s pooped himself, got his legs stuck between the bars of the crib, or in this case thrown up all over himself. I could tell that this wasn’t a just need a good cry type of cry so I went to check on him. Puke was everywhere. It was gag nasty and smelled like butt musk. Lucky for me I’ve never thrown up and this type of thing doesn’t affect my stomach.

After the whole ordeal was over with I was a little shook. I felt really bad for my son and I couldn’t quite shake the smell from my nostrils. Then like an angel from heaven my wife says “It just went through. Hurry up and turn on the TV, Dwight Howard is a Laker.” Not even nostril stained puke smell could ruin this night. In fact I was so excited I told Monica that it felt like Christmas Eve. I stayed up until 1:30 watching Sportscenter and reading articles online. I fall asleep at 10:30 whether I have to or not. This was a big night for Lakers fans.

Now as a Lakers fan it would be easy to jump out and say that the Lakers will now be the greatest team and win a championship. In fact it would be easy to say that they’ll win not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7 championships. The problem with that is Lebron James.

Lebron James joined the Miami Heat and declared that they would win multiple championships. He guaranteed it before it happened. He celebrated before they won a single game. The following summer they didn’t win the championship and he looked foolish.

I think that often in life we celebrate way too soon and we worry way to early. We declare that movies, albums, people, or events will be the best ever before we’ve experienced them. Then we are let down when they don’t meet our expectations. At the same time we often worry about things before they come into fruition. I think a more balanced approach is in order.

I think what’s best is to live in the moment. Let’s not celebrate the future before we’ve accomplished anything and let’s not worry about the future until we’ve got something to worry about. Instead let’s soak up the now.

So today I’m really excited that Dwight Howard is a Laker. I’m really excited because it gives us the potential to win. You like how I said us even though I don’t play for them? I will  not declare that they are the best ever until they become the best ever. I also won’t worry about them when they lose a few games. I will wait to be in the moment and react accordingly. Like I said though, this post really isn’t about basketball.

What is something that you celebrate or worry about too soon? Do you give a rip about Dwight Howard becoming a Laker? 

A Billboard, Tots, Next Level Groups. It must be another Next Level Update…

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  Next Level Tots having fun learning to be fishers of men

  My nephew is two years old. His name is Connor and I love him! He’s awesome. He missed church two weeks ago because he was sick. On the way to Next Level this week he said, “Church makes Congo happy.” We call him Congo and his quote is awesome! I love the work that Amber does on a weekly basis to create amazing lessons for our Tots and Kids. She’s wicked awesome! If you see Amber this week please give her a high five for all of the work that she does.

• I am loving having Stephen Haggerty on staff with us. If you’d like to read about his first day on the job check out his blog post here.
• So, Next Level has a billboard. We rented space for the month of August. The idea came after a prayer session. I was asking God how we were going to get the word out about our little church. As soon as I said amen I wrote down three ideas. This was one of them. If you live in the 757 it’s located on 64 W before you get to 664. I pray that God uses it to connect people to Himself.
  

  Thanks to Jeremy Wall for taking the picture!

• The last two weeks I’ve been meeting with the leaders for our Next Level Groups. The  groups are starting on the second week of September. Information will be available in two weeks. I can’t wait to start our groups. I think they are unique and have the potential to help us love Jesus, love people, and make a difference.
• Tomorrow we continue our series entitled Hot Topic. We kicked it off last Sunday by talking about Science and the Bible. If you are interested in listening to last weeks talk click here.
• I praise God for the people He’s brought to Next Level. Our graphics, getting sermons online, admin, Tots/Kid’s Ministry, and more are run by volunteers. Amazing volunteers who do what they do for Jesus. Someone told this week that after they visited they couldn’t believe we were only a few months old. They said that we are dealing with things that churches that have been around for 10 plus years are dealing with. They meant that we have our act together. Now I don’t know about that but I do know that God has brought amazing people to Next Level and that He’s using them to make a difference.

Hampton Christian Class of ’96

Dear high school age Rob,

I don’t remember what you were thinking in this picture but it looks like you are missing out on a lot of fun. You tended to do that a lot in high school. The following is some advice for you and your future.

First off your hair is looking great. Don’t get too attached to it. Around the age of 30 it starts going the way of the Walkman. What happened to Walkmans you ask? Well, they get replaced by really cool things called iPods. You are going to love your iPod and then have your mind blown by an iPhone. Oh, your only images of a cell phone are…

A lot has changed since Saved By The Bell has gone off the air. Don’t worry it will be replaced with other shows that you will love.

Your adult memories of high school are pretty fond. There are a few things that I wish that you would have known. I know you get bored reading paragraphs so I will put this in bullet form.

• People like you. I know that you are insecure and you feel out of place, but you shouldn’t.  The same year as this picture was taken you will be on the homecoming court (you lose but the person you voted for and who is also your best friend wins), you will win three senior superlatives, and be asked to speak for a church service on your senior trip. All of that was selected by your fellow students.
• You had a really cool class. You should have enjoyed them more because you won’t talk to most of them for ten years. You will then go to your ten year reunion and feel insecure once again. Stop this now. Get to know the people in your class really well. Invest in them. Spend time with them. Don’t be afraid to be silly with them.
• I know you hate academics and you will continue to struggle with them until your third year of college. In your third year of college something clicks and you start making really good grades. Now before you get too excited it takes you six years to finish college. Calm down. Don’t get mad at us. You will work full time at a church so it takes you a lot longer to get school done.
• Just to ease your mind you do get married at a young age. She is awesome. She was worth waiting for. She thinks you are attractive and she doesn’t lose interest in you.
• You will still love the Lakers and all of those Bulls fans will no longer be Bulls fans. Once Michael Jordan retires a second time they all jump ship. Oh and a highlight of your life will be your first NBA basketball game with your wife. Michael Jordan comes out of retirement and plays for the Wizards. You see the Lakers beat him.
• dc Talk breaks up. I’m sorry. I feel like I needed to be the one to tell you. They will call it an intermission but it’s been over ten years and they still aren’t together. Tobymac still makes music as a solo artist. You won’t believe what Michael Tait is doing. He’s now the lead singer of the Newsboys. Sorry to rock your world.
• You did a good job with your wordrobe back in 96. Looking at what the mannequins were wearing at the GAP and then buying their exact outfit payed off for you. It kicked off a love for plaid. You still wear a lot of plaid as a 33 year old.
• At this point in your life you need to start investing in your little brother. He’s a great guy and he becomes one of your best friends. There is about a four year period where you have no memories of him. Work hard to fix this. Spend time him starting now. He’s a great guy and you can’t get those years back.
• One last thing from me…the quicker you find your identity in Jesus the quicker you will lose your insecurity. Or at least most of it. Jesus loves you! Get that into your head. His opinion matters more than anyone else. Once you get that things change quickly for you.

Sincerely,

Rob (the older version of yourself)

Yesterday I went to breakfast at IHOP. I don’t know how you feel about IHOP, but I respect them. Their food comes with a side of pancakes. A side of pancakes! Normally pancakes are a meal but if you get a gigantor omelet from IHOP it comes with three buttery fluffy pancakes. That’s intense.

Some people tell me that they prefer Waffle House to IHOP. I say that Waffle House is just like IHOP if you take IHOP’s food and dump it on the floor of a public restroom and then take away the side of pancakes. Just kidding. I like Waffle House. Whenever I go to Waffle House I play the song “there’s a special lady waiting for me at the Waffle House” on the jukebox. I love breakfast food no matter where it comes from. I’ll even eat at Denny’s.

So I went to IHOP and got an omelet. I got the chicken fajita omelet. The guy I was with said he liked the Colorado omelet. I looked over the description of the Colorado omelet. It’s a meat paradise. Here is a description of the Colorado omelet from IHOP’s website…

“Colorado Omelette A meat lover’s delight. Bacon, pork sausage, shredded beef, ham, onions, green peppers and Cheddar cheese. Served with salsa.”

I commented to my friend that I’m not sure why it’s called the Colorado omelet. I mean, Colorado is filled with healthy people who love the outdoors. This thing is filled with meat. It should be called the Dallas, Texas omelet. It’s a fact that pound for pound Dallas is one of the fattest cities in the world. Dallas if filled with cowboys. Cowboys who love meat!

The description of the Colorado omelet doesn’t fit who it is. I wonder if it’s the same thing for us?

If you are a Christian then look at your description – “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Those are Jesus’ words.

So how will people know that you are a Christian? If you put a cheesy bumper sticker on your car? If you only eat Christian chicken? If you go to church? Nope. They will know that we are Christians by our love. If you claim to be a Christian and people don’t know you for your love then you are more misleading than a Colorado omelet.

What do you get at IHOP? 

What’s the point of parenting? That’s a question that everyone but Eunuchs, nuns and priests, and dead people should know. I’m serious. Even if you don’t have kids you should know what the point of parenting is.

There is a great chance that one day you will have a child or a reality show. If you have a child you need to know this. If you have a reality show and it involves kids then you are probably a teenage mom, a mom of a toddler wearing a tiaras, or you have more kids than the Duggars. Good luck out producing Jim Bob Dugger. Oh, and if you have your own reality show then you will definitely need to know this.

What is the point of parenting? I’m glad you finally asked.

The point of parenting is to raise your kids to leave.

I’m not kidding.

The point of parenting is to raise your kids so that they don’t still live with us when they are 40. Oh, wait. I still live with my parents. That’s not the point. I am living with my parents, but I have a wife and kids, and I’m doing it for Jesus. Stop judging me.

Let me rephrase that. The point of parenting is to raise your kids so that they can leave you and survive.

I think this is why we get so excited about babies first steps, potty training, and high school graduations. They are all signs of kids leaving.

Now I’m not trying to be cold hearted. I love my kids. I love spending time with them, but it’s selfish of me to want to keep them all to myself.

I want to raise kids who leave. I want to raise kids who leave home and know who they are in Jesus. I want to raise kids that leave and love coming to visit mom and dad. I want to raise kids who leave and go out to make a difference in the world.

As a parent it’s hard to let go. It’s hard to watch our kids grow up. It’s so hard that many parents don’t raise their kids to leave. Here are some things that I think parents need to do to help their kids leave well…

• Teach them that church is important. From an early age my parents modeled for us that church was a priority. I didn’t skip it. It’s a huge part of my life and once my kids stop hating it they will see that it’s a huge part of theirs. My kids currently scream like a viper is in their diaper whenever we bring them to church. They may have a little separation anxiety. I’ll have to work even harder to raise them to leave. I digress.
• Teach them about money. It should start early. Money should be earned, budgeted, saved, and spent. Parents need to help kids see this so that when they leave they don’t jack up their finances.
• Teach them about personal responsibility. Teach kids to take ownership for themselves so that they don’t sit around and wait for others to pick up after them.
• Teach them about family time. Whether it’s eating meals together or doing fun things as a family kids need to know that family is important.
• Teach them about love. I know it’s awkward to have a sex talk with your kid, but it’s less awkward then having your kid tell you they just got cast for the reality TV show Teen Mom on MTV. We need to teach kids about love. We need to teach them that love is more than sex. We need to teach them that love is about putting someone else above yourself.
• Teach them about Jesus. The church plays a big role in teaching kids about Jesus, but the church shouldn’t replace the parents. Teach kids about the value of living for Jesus by modeling. With kids things are often caught more than they are taught. As a parent you are teaching your kids great things when you model what it means to live for Jesus.

I’m sure I missed a bunch of stuff, but you get the point. The point of parenting is to raise kids to leave. What else should parents teach their kids? What is one thing that you wish your parents taught you?

When was the last time you were moved to action? For all of you comedians out there your bowel movements don’t count. I’m talking about real action.

I might be the only one who will read this that struggles with apathy but it’s just as bad as sin.

ap·a·thy/ˈapəTHē/
Noun:
Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

Apathy is sad. It’s sad because there is a lot of brokenness in world. We don’t have time to be apathetic. Most of the time preachers talk against sin, but apathy does just as much harm and misrepresents Christ equally.

Have you ever read Jesus’ story about the Good Samaritan? In the story the religious people that should have had mercy didn’t. They walked right past someone that was hurting. The person that did help was not supposed to be the hero. Samaritan’s were not highly liked by the religious groups in Jesus’ day.

You want to know who the good Samaritan’s of our day are? God is using Hollywood activists like Angelina Jolie, and party planners like Scott Harrison to make a difference. The church has been passing by the hurt of the world. This isn’t a good thing. I mean it’s a good thing that people aren’t apathetic, but it’s a bad thing that the church is.

When was the last time you were moved to action? Why not make a move today?

If you have hated the Blogging All-Star Challenge the good news is that this is the last post about it till next year. The bad news is that this post is all about the outcome of said competition.

This years competition received 135 likes on Facebook, 94 tweets, 165 comments, 1,309 votes, and was featured on 10 different blogs.

Last year Team Ricky was ahead for the first few days and then Jon Acuff (Blogging superstar) sent a tweet heard around the world. Literally his one tweet destroyed the competition. This year Team Ricky knew what they were up against and they brought there ninja game. That’s higher than an A game.

Team Rob wouldn’t go down without a fight. After practically man-napping Jon Acuff and forcing him to send out a tweet he sent out the following on Saturday…If you only vote for one blogging challenge today, please vote for this one and vote “Team Rob.”

I pretty much made a public scene when I saw his tweet. I might of squealed like a guy who just got tweeted by Jon Acuff. It was to no avail. Team Ricky responded. Whenever it got close Team Ricky would find a way to pull ahead. For a good part of Saturday Team Rob was up by 11 votes. Then like a Nigerian runner Team Ricky took a commanding lead. By Sunday it was a 40 vote difference.

Thanks for everyone who voted. It was  a lot of fun. Team Ricky won, but you better believe I’ll be back. Oh, and for the record it’s now tied 1 to 1.

Was the Blogging All-Star Challenge fun for you or do you wish it would die a quick death and never return?

_______________________

The artwork for the Blogging All-Star Challenge was done by the uber talented Wes Molebash.  Well, Wes is starting a brand new adventure. He has created a really cool web comic. It’s called “Insert Image”, and it’s about two guys who work on the creative team at their church. They basically sit around and comment on church culture and pop culture. It debuts today. You can check it out by clicking here.

A new series, a new month, and a new Make A Difference. It must be time for another Next Level Update…

1. Today we kick off a brand new series entitled “Hot Topic.” We are going to be talking about some of the hottest topics that our culture wrestles with when it comes to God and the Bible. These topics are hot like fire. In fact I’m a little nervous about preaching on the first topic.
2. Today I’m speaking at Great Neck Baptist Church. The pastor is on vacation and they called to ask me to fill in. They asked me if I owned a suit. I haven’t preached in a suit in years. I hope I represent Next Level well. I’ll be rushing out from there to get back over to the run through for Next Level.
3. Our mission is to love Jesus, love people, and make a difference. Each month we try to make a practical difference in our world. For the month of August we are writing our senator to help renew a bill to combat sex slavery. Over 27 million people are slaves today. That’s more than any other time in history. By simply clicking on this link you fill out a simple form to make a practical difference.
4. Tomorrow Stephen Haggerty officially starts working at Next Level. I’m so excited to have Stephen join our team. Stephen and his wife Brooke have been leading worship for us every other week. It will be nice to have him in the area. It will also be nice to have him full time and help us take our services to the next level.
5. Last week Next Level had the privilege of hosting a banquet for the homeless. I loved seeing our church serve. I was so proud of everyone who was there. It was an amazing week to be the church. In case you missed it here are some pictures…

We collected a lot of food to send with the organization that we partnered with