With Everything.

Growing up playing sports I heard the phrase "Give it all you got" or "leave it all on the field" or "don't hold anything back" a lot and I especially remember hearing it near the end of games, specifically in the last quarters of the games...

Why at the end of games? Because that's when you are at your weakest and feel like giving up. The thought was, if you leave everything, "out there", then no matter the outcome, you have given it your best... no matter win or lose, victory or defeat, if you give it everything you've got, you done your job...

But in our journey with God the outcome does matter! God wants us to win every time so that we may glorify His name. The Bible tells us in Luke 10:27 to love God with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your strength and with all your mind... basically LOVE HIM WITH EVERYTHING...

Not just at the end of the game but right now where you are! And here is the kicker... we don't have to live like this on our own... what do you mean Mario... the Bible, again, tells us in Galatians 2:20 that if you have died with Christ, it is no longer you that live but Christ lives inside of you! And the life you live now do so in faith in the Son of God, who loved you and gave his life for you!!

If you are feeling weak, if you are feeling down, like your on you last leg.... with everything you've got go hard after God, because "For when you are weak, then I am strong"! (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

(click here to view embedded video)

Mongolia, Misfits, & Florida.

On November 19th: My good friend and old college homey, Chris Durso, will be stopping through on his way to Atlanta to speak at Arise.

If you have never heard of Chris and the Youth Explosion ministry, do yourself to the favor and check them out here and follow him on t

witter. They are rocking it out hard for the kingdom of God in the heart of the NY. I love the quote "if the club can a line around the block of people waiting to get in, so can the Church!!!"

On November 20, I am looking forward, to helping m.c. the Mission for Mongolia Benefit Concert. In the summer of next year a team of guys and girls are going to Mongolia to help start children and youth ministers in the churches. But before that we need to raise a lot of money. God has already shown strong in the process by providing the material needed to teach the youth about Him for an entire YEAR!! Come out and support of go here to support online!

More Info:

With "Life Spring Foundation Inc." & "N

orth Cleveland Church of God" ( J103, Gilbert Collision, and LEE UNIVERSITY) We are going to share our Mission to Cleveland, TN with music so we can raise up the funds to bring the Mission to Mongolia.

Christian Hip HOp, Christian R&B, LIVE Worship ( Artists like Bonaifde from "Grits", Clark & Kristen Campbell, Ternae, Lil Prophet, KAS, Da Chosen, Anthony Pollard, Jennifer Slack, and
T-Ran & 22Visionz...

Last but certainly not least from November 24th - 29th "The Hoods" are heading to the FLA to spend Thanksgiving with Megan side of the family. Megan and I use to go to Florida every year during the summer but didn't get a chance this summer so we are looking forward to getting down there and just relaxing for a few days!

Road work!

If there is one area of my life that I struggle with daily it would be DRIVING!!

How can you struggle with driving... come drive in Cleveland, TN and you will see!!

If it's not the slow drivers... you can bet there is some can of road work going on.

I wouldn't say that I have ROAD RAGE (my wife just says I'm a bad driver) but that's not true...

I just like to get where I'm going as fast as I can... and it doesn't help that I might be running a little behind time... ANYWAY...

At the moment, the great city of Cleveland is repaving another road... and that road just happens to be one of the main roads of town... when are they doing it...no not at night... but in the middle of the day!!

If you have ever seen the repaving process you know that they have to break up the old road and get down to the original road in order to have a solid foundation to repave on top of...

As I was sitting in line, because on lane was closed... I felt the Holy Spirit say... this is what I do!

Me: Huh?

Holy Spirit: In your life, I am working to get ready of the old surface, the old habits, but the difference is I don't repave on top of the old foundation, but I give you a new one!

The Bible says that we become new creatures in Christ! We are not slaves to our old life, but if you are anything like me, you may still have habits from your old life that pop up now and again... be encouraged that God loves you so much even when you mess up and the fact that you feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit is a sign that he loves you.

Let Jesus be you new foundation, if anything else is in that place, repent and get rid of if, cause when all else fells, Jesus will still be standing!

Hope this helps someone, like it did me.

7 years and counting!

Today marks the 7 year anniversary for Megan and I..... dating!

That's right fella's we still celebrate when we 1st started dating, we are coming up on 4 years marriage in February and I still can't believe she said yes to both questions.

I DON'T deserve a woman like Megan... God has truly blessed me and our kids with an awesome woman of God.. I pray that you guys can find a girl half the person she is!!!

Love you baby, look forward to spending the rest of my life with you!!

Generation 2 Generation!

Psalms 145:3-5 “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness isunsearchable. One GENERATION shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works”.

The Word of God, tells us that one generation shall tell another generation of his mighty works and praise Him for them. The only problem with this is that in many churches today you can’t get one generation and the next in a service together, much less outside a service for authentic christian community.

We no longer want to ignore the elephant in the room and want to begin the process of uniting the generations together, and that is why we invite you to attend this special service called Generation 2 Generation, with special guest Marcus and Joni Lamb and the Daystar Singers

Where: Grace Community Church (click name for link to directions)

When: Thursday, October 22, 7pm

What: We ask you to invite someone at least 15 years older or younger than you to attend if you plan on coming.

*seats are limited, so we are asking if you are planning on attending, please email contact@ariseonline.tv and let us know that you are coming and how many people you are bringing with you*

Next Up.

OPEN MIC is the new series that starts this Thursday at Arise and it is probably the series I am most looking forward too so far this year... why because I'm not speaking at all!!

Why would that make me so happy, because it's a series dedicated to the leaders on my team, that sense that preaching is apart of their calling. God spoke to me and said that part of the ministry of Arise is to rise up leaders and to send those leaders out to impact other parts of the world.... and that requires me giving up my platform, to enable others to have a platform, to preach the Gospel!!

So I'm pump to allow these hard working peeps show off what God is doing in their life!

Muisc & Missions

The MUSIC: Join us in the Youth Room at North Cleveland Church of God on Friday September 18th @ 7pm to hear one of the hottest bands out of New York- Boy Pilot! (www.boypilot.com)

A wise man once said, that a Christian gathering should not happen where and impact on the community is not felt: on that point we are going to join the MUSIC of boy pilot with the MISSION of crossover to impact Cleveland.

The MISSION: CrossOver-is a ministry of Lee University that delivers food to East Cleveland residents every Saturday and they are in need of things such as EGGS, MILK, ORANGE JUCIE etc... so we will be taking donation to provide these lower income families with these items!!

So.... get the word out and tell everybody to come hear a great band, have a great time, and give to a great cause.