Jerry Falwell Home at Last

Today I was traveling back to Fort Worth and listening to the radio when I heard the report that Dr. Falwell had been found unconscious and rushed to the hospital, moments later a friend who still attends Liberty called me to deliver the news that Jerry Falwell had gone on to be with the Lord.

There aren't many things that I can say about Dr. Falwell that haven't already been said. For four years I was a student at Liberty University and during that time I had the opportunity to be a part of Thomas Road Baptist Church and to witness firsthand just what kind of man Jerry Falwell was. I fondly remember his passion for the Lord, the Bible, conservative politics, and LU sports. He was, in many ways, like a grandfather to the students and will be sorely missed.

I for one will treasure the memories of Dr. Falwell - the things I admired about him and the things that I learned from his mistakes, as well as those few times when I got to meet him face to face. Jerry Falwell always had time for people, and was always generous - he even had to have assistants to stop people from asking him for things because he would always give. I recall a time when some close friends of mine asked him for a steak dinner - and he delivered, taking them (several of them) out to one of the town's premier steakhouses. That's just the kind of guy that he was.
I shall also remember his passion for young people to embrace the spiritual disciplines of earnest prayer and study of the scriptures. Jerry Falwell was many things, but to those of us who have attended his school he'll always be our Chancellor.

Lastly, when I heard the news of his passing I could not help but think of a saying he had: "Until God is through with me, nothing can harm me--I'm bulletproof until He calls me home." I smile as I think of the wisdom of his words, indeed those were words he lived and died by. Now that God is finally through with him, he can rest in the presence of his Savior.

Made for More than Ordinary

Do you ever get that feeling, you know the one, where you feel that you were made for something beyond the ordinary. Lately, I’ve been humbled by the realization that God does extraordinary things everyday. Last Saturday my church conducted what we called “The Big Event.” It was an opportunity for the church to reach out to our community in tangible ways. We sent out teams to: wash cars, plant shrubs in apartment complexes, paint local buildings, remove brush from local houses, and do other various landscaping chores for individuals in need all around our area.

I was truly impressed with the response that we received. I met a few individuals who simply could not believe that we were doing these things. They wanted to know why? What was our angle? We just expressed that we were taking the opportunity to serve others because Christ has blessed us. Many of our church members were able to worship with a shovel, a broom, or chainsaw, or even sponges and towels.

As I was digging through my (small, but expanding) library I happened upon a book that I’ve not yet read – Louie Giglio’s The Air I Breathe. It’s a book about worship. He says that we’re all worshipers, every single person living. It’s who we are and what we were created for. He says worship is simple about value. It’s our response to what we value most.

I love how he communicates. One of my favorite books of all time has to be another of his, I am not but I know I AM. I was reminded, looking through this little book on worship that God is constantly showing himself to us. It was really neat to see Him this weekend as Christ was imitated by many people around North Richland Hills, Texas.

I pray that people will keep seeking God, and finding Him. And maybe, just maybe I was able to be a part of that by following Christ’s example and serving others. Doing simple chores? It seems pretty ordinary, but God has big plans, and sometimes those involve doing big stuff with regular folks like us.