Posted by Bryan | Comments Off

Matthew is a complete man!

About a year ago, Matthew picked up a copy of Wise Words and Quotes from my bookshelf and flipped it open. He looked at the page for a moment and then put it back in with a frustrated look. When I asked him what it said, he opened the book and read this quote.

A man without a wife is but half a man.

This past Saturday, I had the honor of marrying Matthew and his beautiful new bride Jennifer. Matthew is like my son. He even lived with us for a little over a year. That’s the excuse I am using for crying like a little girl through the whole wedding.

Congratulations Matthew and Jen! I love you guys. Matthew, I guess you are now a whole man.

Read More

Posted by Bryan | Comments Off

Another church I don’t want to be

Pastor Tim Blevins is the real deal. I had the privilege of having lunch with him a few weeks ago and I left encouraged and inspired. Tim and his wife, Harriet, held the first service for Life Community on Easter Sunday of 2004 at Bradley Creek Elementary School. Over the last several years they have seen steady growth in their church. They currently meet in a building that was formerly Nevada Bob’s Golf Shop and have two services to accommodate their congregation.

On their website, Pastor Tim quotes John Wesley,

“Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell.”

Anybody who quotes Wesley is a friend of mine and fellow trailblazer.

Life Community Church and The ROCK are two very different churches leading people in Wilmington toward the same God. Each of us have specific callings, purpose and destinies. That is what makes us unique and I celebrate that.

Why not comment and tell me about other church in our city that are rocking it for God?

Read More

Posted by Bryan | Comments Off

Even more churches I don’t want to be

I love the churches in our city. I pray for them often to be filled to overflowing with people giving their lives back to God. When I drive past them, I bless them. When I hear of what God is doing in them, I celebrate. When someone tries to put down a local church, I am quick to point out what I know is true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling and gracious about them.

Today, I want to tell you about two more amazing churches in our city.

Pastor Clay Ritter leads Calvary Chapel of Wilmington. I have had a few opportunities to experience their church. Last year, Jennifer and I were able to attend a Passover Seder with their congregation. The first Seder Pastor Clay ever attended was the one he led that night and he did an incredible job.

One of the best ways you can know a church from a distance is through it’s people. We know several members at Calvary. If they are an example of their church, then Calvary is an amazing place. I want God to bless Pastor Clay and Calvary with God-sized dreams. Then I want to see them live out those dreams.

Pastor Clay, keep listening to God’s voice and then leading in that direction. You are doing a great work and The ROCK loves you and your church.

Scotts Hill Baptist Church is at the other end of Sidbury Road (our address). Pastor Phil Ortego is a visionary leader who is blazing new trails with his church. Growth is not all about how many people are coming each week. Although Scotts Hill continues to grow numerically, their greatest growth is by helping their people grow in their relationship with Christ.

Today, I’ve been watching Pastor Phil’s message, “Growing Up In Jesus: The Carnal Christian“. He had some very good things to say.

Scotts Hill has a phenomenal youth ministry called Detour that is reaching hundreds of teens every week. They revere and respect their senior adults, they minister to the poor and they are actively involved in overseas missions. Wilmington would not be the same if Scotts Hill Baptist was not in our city. They are doing an amazing work. Pastor Phil, The ROCK loves your church.

Pastor Clay and Pastor Phil are great leaders. Even though I am not called to be either of these men, there is a lot that I could learn from them. Calvary Chapel of Wilmington and Scotts Hill Baptist Church are strong churches making a difference in our city. The ROCK was not called to be them. Instead, we are all parts of the body of Christ. Without them in our city, we would be incomplete.

God thank you for these amazing churches.

Read More

Posted by Bryan | Comments Off

More churches I don’t want to be

I have a concern that this series will offend area ministries two different ways.

The first is that I will offend because of misunderstanding. This series is not to slam local churches. It is to celebrate them and the diversity we all bring to the table. We can’t be diverse if we are all the same. When I say I don’t want The ROCK to be ____________ church, it is not an insult. If you are named in the series, it is because I have a deep respect for what you are doing in our city.

The second way this series may offend is by omission. If I don’t name your church, does it mean I don’t think you are making an impact? NOOO! There are many great churches going big for God. However, I will only highlight a few of the churches that I know what you are doing in our city to make God’s name great.

Today’s churches that I don’t want to be are First Baptist and Lifepoint.

Dr. Mike Queen and the team over at First Baptist will forever be close to our hearts. When our church burned in October 2000, Dr. Queen and his amazing church made their activity center available to us to meet. They were an amazing blessing to our church. Even though our churches are very different, they reached out to us in our time of need.

First Baptist Church was organized some time prior to October 1, 1808 and has a rich heritage in our city. One of the great things about First Baptist is that they do not stand on the merits of their history. They are making a significant impact in downtown Wilmington and many people are coming to know Christ through their ministry. I am proud to serve in the same city as First Baptist, but God didn’t call us to be First Baptist, He called them. I want our city to know that The ROCK loves First Baptist Church.

Do you want to know one of the reasons I don’t want to be Lifepoint Church? Here it is… they’re still portable. We have been portable twice in the history of our church and both times were by God’s direction and provisions. But, it is nice to be able to come in on Sunday mornings and just turn lights on.

Want to know one of the main reasons I love Lifepoint? The people. Jeff, Daryl, Drew, Dave, Tiffany and Brad are incredible. Their church is growing like crazy because they are crazy about God and their heart burns for this city. Jeff and his team are willing to take tremendous risks for God.

I am praying for God to bless them with their own building, more financial resources than they know what to do with and growth beyond what they have dreamed. God did not call Jeff and Daryl to Wilmington to plant a southern campus for The ROCK. He burned a vision for Lifepoint.

The ROCK is strengthened because of First Baptist and Lifepoint. God, thank you for letting me serve in the same city with these churches!

Read More

Posted by Bryan | Comments Off

To be with Christ

Yesterday, Kristy Dykes went home to be with the Lord after a long, difficult battle with cancer. Some would say she lost the battle with cancer. I believe she won. You see, today she does not hurt, weep or struggle. No, today she is in the presence of the God who created her.

We are continuing to pray for her husband Milton and two daughters, Julie & Jennifer. We love you guys and we mourn and celebrate with you at the same time.

So always be cheerful! As long as we are in these bodies, we are away from the Lord. But we live by faith, not by what we see. We should be cheerful, because we would rather leave these bodies and be at home with the Lord. ~ II Corinthians 5:6-8 (CEV)

Read More