Lord God, please speak through me this morning. Use my words to bring glory and honor to your Son Jesus.
Thank you so much for saving my soul/Shack 21 years ago. I am finally starting to see that it was not just a mess but a "beautiful mess."
Bless other churches throughout central NC and all over the world today. Anoint their pastors and edify the believers and grant that we may be, for You, the faithful bride of Christ!
Thank you for all the new people coming to newhope. Let them sense the warmth of this community.
Also, encourage and move mightily in the lives of newhopers that have been with us for quite some time. Let them sense their place and role in leading this church forward.
Thank you for my family, Father. I stand amazed at how you would take a sin-sick prodigal and give him such a wife and 5 kids. I am in in awe and grateful beyond words.
God, today I share my testimony again. I think this is the third time in seven years at newhope. Give me courage. Give me peace. May we give you all the glory and honor.
I love you, Lord. I honor you. I give you every second and moment of this day - do with it what you will. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...
My Testimony and the Fragrance of God's Grace this Sunday...
There is nothing quite like the smell of something pleasant to the nose. I love the smell of fresh baked goodies. Regardless of how much I am trying to watch what I eat, if I come in and smell Amy Lynn baking, it is "game over." :-) Most of you know I have a really nice rose garden that consists of 51 gorgeous plants that produce the loveliest red, white, yellow, pink, and purple roses. I know - I know - I don't seem like a rose gardening kind of guy. Listen, I am just weird. I ride a Harley Davidson, love bass fishing, and have a rose garden. "Go figure." Amy Lynn calls me her Renaissance man. :-) At any rate, my roses are exploding and you would not believe the aroma. You can actually smell them across the yard. They are a lot of work but worth it for the fragrance they offer and the smiles they bring across people's faces when I give fresh cut roses!
Likewise, there is nothing quite as bad as the smell of something that turns one's stomach. I have never liked the smell of spoiled milk. When I was kid, I came running into the house on a hot steamy day and I am not proud to say, grabbed the milk jug and "chugged" the creamy white liquid straight from the gallon. The milk had turned sour and I have never forgotten the experience! It was awful.
The apostle Paul rightly understood this love/hate relationship we have with differing smells and so he spoke of the fragrance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is like a feast to the senses and so at one point, the Word of the Lord says,
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death, to the other the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the Word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men and women sent from God! (2 Corinthians 2:14 - 17)
This Sunday at newhope church I believe we will have that fragrance of Christ Paul mentions above. In both Worship Celebrations, we will wrap up The Shack series and I will be sharing my personal testimony and how God's grace is in and through and all over my "shack." We will then celebrate Holy Communion together as the aroma of bread and wine rise to the nostrils of God and we all sense the "fragrance" of the knowledge of Him!
Most of you know I have this spot in the woods where I go to be with God, pray, read, and sometimes sing. (Pray for the birds - they don't like my singing and who can blame them :-)) Just today, while in the woods, I started smelling cedar. The smell was strong. I looked to the ground and there beside my feet was a little cedar tree that had been snapped in half from my stepping. Now follow me here - that snapped cedar tree was, for me, a tangible sign of grace as I am coming to understand it. There at me feet, in my world, during my quiet time, God's creation was helping me understand what Steven Curtis Chapman has called, "The fragrance of the broken."
As you come this weekend, or watch/listen to my testimony via the Internet, make no mistake about it, you are coming NOT to hear anything of any significance from a mere man. In fact, my story is nothing more than a really bad sinner being saved by some really sweet smelling grace. It is a story of the fragrance of the broken.
As you come, let me encourage you to open your senses to the spiritual. We talk often about "eyes of faith." This weekend, come with noses of faith! My hunch is that you will smell a peculiar fragrance. A fragrance, if you will, of broken humanity receiving the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ!
It's a sweet fragrance of the redeemed and I hope we can share it together!
I had a very patriotic/moving moment yesterday afternoon. I was at the ACC Championship Baseball game at the Durham Bulls Stadium with Benjamin, Wesley, and Anna Grace. In the 6th inning a woman soldier came out and sang, "God bless America." I am not sure if it was the soldier's uniform, the beauty of the ominous/eerie cloud-filled sky, her voice, three of my kids by my side with hands on their hearts, the American flag flapping in the wind, the special occasion of Memorial Day, being exhausted from teaching at church, America's favorite past time of baseball, and/or my hopes and prayers for our country, but it all kind of collided and I was deeply moved and prayerful for our country.
She added the unique introduction that we don't typically hear when people sing America's signature song. The prayerful part of the lyrics, I believe, frame the song more powerfully. I thought you might enjoy seeing or even singing these words this morning so I have included the song below. As you enjoy this day and week, in your own way, ask God to bless America and give thanks for those who have served and still serve to make this country the land of the free.
While the storm clouds gather far across the sea, let us swear allegiance to a land that's free, let us all be grateful for a land so fair, as we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.
God Bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her thru the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans, white with foam, God bless America, my home sweet home.
Some of you may have seen this but if you have not this is a feature with John Clark and ABC news on America's religious landscape. newhope church was mentioned. I hope you enjoy this.
So, I am away with three pastor friends in the mountains of North Carolina. One flew in from South Dakota, the other from Indianapolis, and the third from Atlanta. We are riding Harley Davidsons during our days together and talking, praying, and doing life together late into the evenings. (Here are two of our bikes - mine is the red and black one - she's my baby :-))
I am really excited to be with these three guys and if last night is any indication of what God is going to do in our lives this week, these five days are going to life changing! I am stinkin stoked. :-) Besides that, the weather in the mountains this week is between 70 - 80 degrees and sunny! Trust me, there is nothing like cruising up and down the Blue Ridge Parkway. We will ride 5 - 6 hours every day for 5 days! (Yes, we will be safe)
So, last night we landed in Brevard, NC. Tonight we will stay in Blowing Rock, NC and then each night will land us in a different location. After riding, we were hungry and decided to grab a bite to eat. In Brevard, NC there are not a lot of options. We found a Sagebrush Steak Restaurant and busted up in there to talk about leadership and ministry and how to balance it all together with family etc... Now, Sagebrush is one of those kick your feet up, crack the roasted peanuts and throw your shells on the floor kinds of places. This is not a formal place by any means. (FYI - we weren't looking for formal - we all had our boots, leathers and Du Rags on so this was perfect)
Anywho, this place serves drinks in mason jars. As an aside, throw some sweet tea in a mason jar my friends, with a slice of lemon and it starts to get Godly, if you know what I mean. :-) We place our drink orders and start talking. A few minutes later, the waitress comes back and for some reason, she only has two of our drinks but she is holding them right in front of her. My pastor friend looks up and says.......................
(Get ready for this)......................
(I don't care who you are this is funny).....................
My pastor friend looks up and says, "WOW, NICE JUGS YOU HAVE THERE!"
We about fell out of our chairs. As soon as he said this he caught himself and quickly stammered, "I mean jars, mason jars."
We laughed so hard we cried. It was quite possibly the funniest moment I have ever experienced. So, of course, any chance we get, we are ripping him to shreds and working into our conversations, "Wow, nice jugs you have there." :-) I am laughing again, even as I type this. Thank you God for unexpected moments of laughter and joy.
This is going to be a fun week!
Gotta roll - the mountains are calling our names - peace out...
Hey good people out there in blogosphere. I have been on a whirlwind lately with speaking engagements and family time in Denver, Washington, and New York. I THANK GOD I don't travel all the time. Phew! Don't get me wrong - it has been a blast speaking and enjoying family but at the end of the day, I love home and being right here at newhope church. (I snuck into the office really early this morning - this place is so peaceful early in the morning :-))
I just saw John Clark's business card and remembered we are a feature story on ABS 11 this Sunday night at 11:00 pm. John Clark put us on his blog a few months ago. Then, a few weeks ago, he sent a crew over here on a Sunday morning to capture some video footage. Then, last week, (Or maybe it was early this week :-)) he came by my office and interviewed me with a series of questions. It seems he is doing a story on thriving churches in central North Carolina.
Anywhooo - thought you would want to know. I have to go - I have meetings all day and then coaching baseball tonight.
Fourteen years ago, God richly blessed my life with Amy Lynn Cole. I met her the very first day I stepped on the campus of Duke University as a student. I met her in the book store buying books for the semester, asked her to join a group of us going to the Durham Bulls baseball game that very night, took her out on our first date the next Friday night, and married her 9 months later on May 13, 1995! Yes, I moved fast but I simply knew this was the best person with whom I wanted to spend the rest of my life.
And now, 5 kiddos later, a lot has changed. But one thing has not changed - I STILL DO! Thanks Amy Lynn for being my wife. Thanks for being the mother of our children. Thanks for being the most amazing children's pastor to over 500 children! Thanks for always being so solid and consistent. Thanks for marrying an ole boy like me. When it is all said and done, you are the best thing that has ever happened to this ole boy.
This is purely a personal request but I appreciate you following my blog and imagine you are a person of faith. Would you pray for a dad and his twin boy tonight? Basically, I am having this very special occasion at the church tonight whereby I have hand picked an amazing group of men, from around this area and different parts of the country, to come and bless and encourage Benjamin and Wesley. They do not know anything about it but at 6:00 pm tonight, I will arrive at home to pick them up in a limousine and we will arrive at the church where these amazing men of God will have gathered to celebrate and honor my boys. We will share in a boy-kind-of-feast (Buffalo Wings baby :-)) and speak into their lives. The night will end with coke floats on the baptistry patio and a cool ride home in a smok'in hot red convertible.
I believe in capturing special occasions, particularly in the life of young boys, to usher them from boyhood into becoming men of God! Will you pray for God's power to be present and that the Holy Spirit will keep drawing these guys toward Christ. Here is the email of invitation I sent months ago. This will help you better understand the night and hopefully pray with more precision. THANKS.
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Hey Men of God,
If you are on this email, please know you are someone I highly respect and someone that Amy Lynn and I believe could bestow a profound blessing on my twin boys. Let me explain.
On May 5th, Benjamin Cole and Wesley Jacob turn 10 years of age! I don't know why, but I remember turning 10 more than any other age. Maybe it was going to double digits or something. :-)
In the life of boys, particularly, there is a need to have certain ceremonies, if you will, crowning moments to usher them from boyhood, to adolescence, to young men, to adulthood. If you have ever read, "Raising a Modern-Day Night" by Robert Lewis you know where I am going with this! If you have not read it but you have boys - PLEASE BUY IT NOW!
Lewis says, "Puberty, for instance, became more than a passing moment of physical transformation. It also became a key moment of manhood instruction and challenge, marking each son as to who he was becoming and where he was going." (Pg. 14)
Basically, I am inviting you to play a major role in this formation process and the blessing of my boys at this important stage in their lives! The bible says, "In the abundance of counselors there is victory." (Proverbs 11:4) I would love for you to be one of those counselors for an evening and I am asking God to bring about life-long victory in the lives of these two young men.
I plan on having a special occasion at the church whereby a hand picked group of men show up to honor Benjamin and Wesley. We will break bread together, and then speak into the lives of Benjamin and Wesley. If you are out of state and can’t make it, feel free to shoot a video or send a letter and I will gladly read it on your behalf.
If you will participate, I do ask you to treat the invite and your input with great seriousness. This would mean you spending time in prayer and thought as to what you would say to Benjamin and Wesley. There will be a time for each of you to actually stand up and bless them with your words and actions. If you feel led to get them a gift or letter or whatever to mark the night and help them remember this momentous occasion, that too is appropriate.
On this night, if we treat it with care and prayer, I am certain God will use our actions, words, and gifts to bless, encourage, instill, and empower these two young men to fall more in love with Jesus and become nothing less than men after God’s own heart! Are you in?
The date and time would be Monday, May 11th at 7:00 pm at the church.
Please let me know within a week so we can start making plans. Also, please feel free to email or call me anytime if you have questions or suggestions. (919.450.8853)
Thank you for considering this special opportunity. Amy Lynn and I are eternally grateful.
The two boys that received my full name turned 10 this week. When Amy Lynn and I found out we were having twins, it was easy to decide on their names. We simply took the first one and named him Benjamin and the second one Wesley. As such, together they make Benjamin Wesley Kelley. (My full name) Here is a picture of Benjamin Cole Kelley:
Here is a picture of Wesley Jacob Kelley:
They are identical but as you can tell from these pics, they are VERY different. It still blows my mind that you can have identical twins and yet, they can be as different as Washington, DC and Chapel Hill, NC. :-)
We have been away to celebrate their 10th birthday this week. The family visited Washington, DC, and these pictures were taken after we hit a little souvenir shop off one of the metro stations, whereby they both picked out gifts from their big sister, Anna Grace. She is the best big sister these boys could ever have. But I digress - this is about my twin boys.
These guys are really special. They love life, love the church, love Jesus, love sports, and can eat their weight in food. :-) I am so proud of these guys. Their potential blows my mind. I love raising twins and watching them become little men after God's own heart.
I can't believe they are 10 years old. It seems like yesterday that they were born and I was able to put their full hands through my wedding band. (They were born a month premature and weighed 5 lbs and 3 lbs respectively.
Will you pray for these guys? In light of the current series, The Shack, I never want these two pistols to glean an inaccurate view of God from the behavior of their dad. Since listening to Paul Young last week, I am tempted to write all my children a note once a year and apologize for any ways in which I have, knowingly or unknowingly, misrepresented God the Father.
Pray that they see Christ in their mother and me. Pray that they experience authentic Christianity lived out by the parents and leaders that surround them at newhope. Pray that they make wise choices and live every day of their lives for God. Pray that they can just be boys and not necessarily live in the proverbial fish bowl because they are the sons of the pastors that started and lead newhope church. As baptized believers, pray that they never leave their first love, namely Jesus.
And pray for me. I so want to raise them well. I so want them to see Christ in me. And I so want to be a man in whom they look up to and find an example to follow, as I follow Jesus.
Thanks for listening to a dad ramble on about his love, hopes, and dreams for these two special young men. I really do covet your prayers...
{Full video from Sunday's discussion with Paul Young will be posted here soon}
There are some people with whom, once around, you are encouraged to forgive more readily, share more openly, and love more deeply. William Paul Young is one of those men. I went to bed last night and awoke this morning more committed to living my life with a fresh openness and vulnerability and willingness to more deeply do life with others so that love reigns supreme. (I Corinthians 13) It is strange but I just feel different today. That is the power of a compelling testimony and witness.
We had Paul Young at newhope yesterday and the crowds and healing were "off the chart." We did what the city asked us NOT to do ever again - we had a traffic jam all the way back to Southpoint Mall. :-) (Sorry City of Durham - we are working on it) The Worship Celebrations were drenched in the Holy Spirit and the tears just flowed as Paul shared his painful time in the shack and how God is bringing he and Kim through this time and using his story throughout the world to help others find healing and wholeness. You could truly sense God stirring in the hearts and minds of people as we dealt with our own "crap". (I think is Paul's favorite word, BTW :-)) Both services, from start to finish, though very different, were nothing less than sacred.
Regardless of whether or not you agree with everything in the book (Remember it is fiction), having Paul share his story shed beams of light on The Shack. I am now able to understand more deeply why Paul wrote this book for his six children. I can understand more profoundly the fictional characters he chose to represent Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And I can appreciate a man and woman, husband and wife, who endured 11 years of pain and turmoil and lived to tell us about it so that we can be more human and fully alive in Christ! For all of that, I am eternally grateful.
I hope to see you Sunday for part II of The Shack!
