Nils Smith

NilsSmith.com is up!!!

2010-04-28T14:53:00.003-05:00

I've launched a new blog/site at www.NilsSmith.com. Feel free to read through the archives on this blog and then head over to NilsSmith.com and read the new posts/pages and comment please!

Break from Blogging

2010-04-16T12:12:00.002-05:00

Hello friends, I apologize for the gap in blogs. There has been a lot going on in my life both personally and professionally. There are lots of things that I'm excited to blog about but have been unable. I am actually working to launch a new blog as I'm selling out on Blogspot and transitioning to Wordpress. I'm hoping to have that launched in the next couple of weeks before the end of April. Please read through the archives and comment on some of the older posts.

Music Suggestion: Robbie Seay Band

2010-03-24T20:37:00.005-05:00

If you're not already familiar with the music of Robbie Seay Band, you need to get their new album, Miracle, and get familiar now! Robbie Seay was probably the first Christian artist I began following when I first became a Christian. Robbie used to lead worship at Metro Bible Study in Houston and I would listen to their CD over and over and over again. Robbie's music has come a long way, and I've become more of a fan every step of the way. Robbie's last album was a huge success with Song of Hope becoming a huge hit across the country.

Robbie Seay Band came to Segue about 6 months ago and my appreciation of for their ministry went to another level. The guys were incredible to work with and were so cool to be around. Robbie's passion for Compassion International and using the platform that God has given him to meet the desperate needs of so many around the world is incredibly inspiring. We are excited to be welcoming Robbie Seay Band back to Segue along with John Mark McMillan and Jillian Edwards this coming Monday. We would love to have you join us in person for this FREE concert at 8pm at Tripoint or if you can't be there in person you can watch live on our webcast at 8pm CST.

Book Suggestion: Gary V's Crush It

2010-03-20T14:17:00.007-05:00

I highly suggest that you read Gary V's book Crush It. This is the first non-Christian book, music, or podcast that I have suggested on this blog. I believe though that the things that Gary suggests in this book are not just game changing for the marketplace, but for the church as well. We live in a different age that is changing so fast due to social media and technolgoy that we have to be in tune to the possibilities.

In this book, Gary lays out a practical Social Media plan that any entrepreneur can adopt and take their passion, product, or organization to the next level. I believe that the ideas that Gary suggests can be easily adaptable when it comes to the church and opens up windows to possibilities that we have never dreamed of before. It is mind blowing to think that a small home church in Indiana can now have a global impact using Facebook, Twitter, and a Flip Cam.

I really can't encourage you enough to pick up this book with an open mind. It's a quick read that took me about a day and a half or so. I have to give fair warning that some of the language is PG-13 but pretty clean in comparison to some of Gary's keynotes. When you've read it email me at nilssmith1204@gmail.com and let me know what you think. I would love to buy you a cup of coffee or iChat and get your thoughts and discuss how we might Crush It together. You can get more info about the book on the Crush It website or at Amazon.

Learning from Kaplan University and Uncle Phil

2010-03-20T14:05:00.004-05:00

I just saw this commercial and love it for so many reasons! First, it has Uncle Phil from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air which makes it legit from the start. Most of all, I love the message. He makes the statement that education must change and use technology to rewrite the rules of education. Technology is changing everything including education, entertainment, the marketplace, and the church. There are great traditions in the church, but we cannot cling to our traditions and miss our opportunities that we have when it comes to technology. We have great opportunities as a church to rewrite the rules and begin reaching people, connecting with people, and impacting the world like never before. In the words of Uncle Phil: "It's your time." Let's take advantage of this new age and see how powerfully God might use our efforts in these new opportunities that are before us!

How He Loves Us

2010-03-17T09:27:00.007-05:00

If you haven't heard the story behind the song, How He Loves Us, I hope you will take a few minutes and watch this video. John Mark McMillan's story is powerful and brings a whole new understanding to the song! This song was recently made very popular by David Crowder Band and has had a powerful impact on our Youth and College students here at Trinity. At Segue we will be hosting John Mark McMillan along with Robbie Seay Band and Jillian Edwards on March 29th. The concert will begin at 8pm at Tripoint (281 & St. Mary's). You can get more information at www.SegueSA.com and if you can't make it in person you can watch live online at www.SegueSA.com/live.

The State of the Internet

2010-03-17T09:09:00.005-05:00

I saw this video on Church Crunch (which is my 2nd favorite blog to read second to The Kisers) and thought I would share it with you as well. One of the YouTube videos that first captured my attention about a year ago was Social Media Revolution. You can read that blog post here. This video takes things to a new level and continues to blow me away at how fast the internet is progressing and how it is changing everything! It's changing the way we meet people, interact with people, reconnect with people, and on and on. I read today that Facebook has now become the #1 website in the US passing up Google. The world is changing fast around us!

As I watch these videos, I continue to get excited about what this means for the church. How our lives can now impact and be connected to anyone, anywhere through the internet. How can we as the church better Love God and Love People using these resources that are now at our fingertips?

Baptist Standard Article

2010-03-16T17:03:00.006-05:00

A couple weeks ago Pastor Les Hollon and I were interviewed by the Baptist Standard about my new role as Community Online Pastor at Trinity Baptist. The article is on the cover of the paper which you can read here on their website. The article was also posted by the Associate Baptist Press and you can also find the article on their website here. It was a privilege to meet George Henson and he did a great job in writing this article for the paper. I hope that our experiences and efforts can be helpful to churches and ministries everywhere in expanding the gospel through online resources. The YouTube video was a clip from out interview with Mr. Henson. If you have any questions about what I'm doing at Trinity or about technology and ministry in general I would love to talk. Feel free to email me at nilssmith1204@gmail.com.

Music Suggestion: Zac Cleveland

2010-03-16T16:55:00.003-05:00

I apologize for the delay in posts but life has been crazy. Many new posts coming soon, but wanted to give you some new music to download while you wait patiently.

Zac Cleveland has been one of the key leaders in the Student Ministry at Trinity Baptist for the past 3 years and is an incredible musician. Zac just released his first album, The Start of Something New. You can check out his music on his MySpace or go ahead and download his album on iTunes by searching Zac Cleveland in iTunes.

Suggested Music: Mark Wagner

2010-03-04T15:50:00.007-06:00

On March 15th we're having a FREE concert at Segue during Spring Break with Mark Wagner, Ryan Long, and Jake Ousley. Honestly, I've never heard Ryan Long or Jake Ousley live but their recordings sound great. Mark Wagner alone is worth driving from hours away though to come and see. About a year ago he joined us at Segue in concert with Trey Duck. Mark has an incredible sound and could entertain you for hours with his incredible music and stories. If you're near the San Antonio area, come out to Tripoint and join us on March 15th for this FREE concert but otherwise get familiar with Mark's music and go hear him live when he comes to a city near you.

Ask Hardy

2010-02-25T12:06:00.005-06:00

As many of you know, I have met weekly for the past 3 years with Dr. Hardy Clemons for mentoring. We have talked about anything and everything and I can't tell you how incredibly valuable it has been to me as a pastor, husband, father, and follower of Christ. In this short clip I asked Hardy that if he could share 1 piece of advice with a young pastor what would it be.

In the coming weeks I want to share some of my time with this great leader in the church with you. Feel free to email me at nilssmith1204@gmail.com or comment on this post with any questions that you might like for me to ask him.

I have to warn you that the video quality is horrible and the audio even worse (I used my $1.99 video app for the original iPhone without 3G or video). Hardy and his wife, Ardelle, will also be a part of our discussion panel at Segue this week if you want to join us on Monday night at Tripoint at 8pm or live on the web at www.SegueSA.com/live. We will be discussing dating, sex, and marriage.

Nelson Searcy reads a book a day?

2010-02-20T13:06:00.009-06:00

I heard a rumor from a friend that Nelson Searcy of Journey Metro Church in New York City read a book a day. I thought that with all that he did with Journey Church and Church Leader Insights that it couldn't be done. When I heard that he was doing a webinar through CLI about How to Read More, I had to jump in. It turns out it's true, he does read a book a week. If he offers this webinar again, I encourage you to jump in and hear his plan for reading. I won't give away everything that I learned, but I will share a couple of things that stood out to me. The first is that I don't have a plan. I always have a few books on the shelf that I'm wanting to read, but I don't lay out a time line or think about what book I will read next. I pick up a book until I finish it or get bored with it and then when I feel like picking up another book, I do. I can read so much more and be more effective in my learning if I set goals and lay out a plan. This really was the key take away. The other interesting perspective that I took away was how he sized up a book. He said that he will pick up a book, read the back, read the inside cover, and then the Table of Contents. At that point he decides whether he will read the whole book word for word or pick a couple of chapters to focus on. He also sets a time restrictions like this book is worth an hour of my time or I want to really focus on this and read it very closely throughout the week. I'm looking forward to applying Nelson's system to my reading plan and hopefully increase my reading this year! What is your plan for reading? How do you decide what you will read? How much time a day to you spend reading?

Music Suggestion: Justin Graves Band

2010-02-20T13:06:00.008-06:00

If you live in San Antonio, I'm sure you know or have heard about The Justin Graves Band. You see a picture above taken by Eric Gay with Justin getting to jam with Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. I have had the privilege of partnering with Justin in ministry many times in many places over the past 10 years or so. Justin has a unique ability to lead people of all ages and backgrounds in worship. I've watched him lead both 8 year olds and 80 year olds in meaningful worship experiences. If you are not familiar with his music make sure to check out his music at www.JustinGravesMusic.com. If you are familiar with his music, I want to encourage you to check out his ministry page at www.JustinGravesMinistries.com and consider giving to support his ministry through music. Justin, Michelle, and Gabi have been great friends to Katie, Emery, and me; and we look forward to both continuing to do ministry together as well as deepening our friendship in the years to come.

Book Suggestion: Comeback Churches

2010-02-20T13:05:00.006-06:00

About 2 years ago my friend Jaime Puente suggested this book to me. I quickly bought it on Amazon and read it in a few days. It fascinated me primarily because I've only worked in established and traditional churches. As I look at some of the fastest growing churches they are primarily new church plants and rarely established churches experiencing resurgence. While there are hundreds, probably thousands of dying churches in America, there are also many who are experiencing resurgence. In this book Ed Stetzer and Mike Dobson study some of these churches and what makes them unique in their resurgence. The reality was very common: a willingness to change. We have all heard the saying that if you keep doing the same thing you are going to keep getting the same results. I don't know where you see that more than in the church. We must be willing to change! This is a great book if you are a part of an established congregation or considering serving in one.

Lights and Fog

2010-02-15T15:38:00.004-06:00

So I have an addiction to lights and fog. I'm like a kid on Christmas morning every time I get to order a new light, fog machine, or controller. When I'm having a bad day, there's nothing like fogging up the Student Center, pumping some good music, and going crazy with the lights. I think it might be a sickness, but either way it's an addiction.

The reality in ministry is that stage lighting is expensive and often excessive. I'm a visual person, so I love lights and video. Video seems to be a necessity where lights are a bonus. I want to suggest a couple connections though that might be able to help you enhance your stage lighting in your ministry area.

First, I buy everything through Go Direct Music. Give them a call and ask for Shawn Miller. He will give you an incredible ministry discount on any Sound, Lighting, or Video equipment that you need that will beat any price you will get anywhere. He also has sold me on Eliminator lighting. I have to warn you that Elimator is CHEAP and probably won't last very long. The truth is I like that because I'm ready to get something new every couple of years. I've found that it's the best bang for the buck though. I've filled our Student Center with their small LED lights which can give you any color and give off no heat! I also love their intelligent scanners which are incredible for effect and very cost effective (I bought 8 scanners for the same price that I bought 1 Elation scanner for and the Elation scanner broke 1st). Eliminator seems to be on the same quality level of American DJ and Chauvet but at a much lower price.

As far as a console goes, I've fallen in love with the Elation Computer Software. All you have to do is download the software on to your computer and connect the box through USB. You can control as many lights as you want and gives you great color control with the LED lights as well as patterns and GOBO options on the intells.

If you have any questions or want to talk lights, please leave or send me a message. I'd love to help you pick out some affordable lighting options for your venue.

100 Fastest Growing Churches

2010-02-13T21:07:00.006-06:00

I'm always interested to see the list of who the fastest growing churches are every year in Outreach Magazine. As I read about these churches I love to see what makes them unique and what I can learn from their tremendous growth. I also love reading all things Ed Stetzer who helps to lead this research. I remember reading an article about Austin Stone Community Church after making the list and their pastor, Matt Carter, saying that they should have been listed as one of the "crappiest church in assimilating growth." While it's interesting to check these churches out, it's also important to maintain perspective and know that while they grew a lot this past year that doesn't necessarily mean that they have it all figured out and that we should just copy them. While I don't think numbers are everything, they are very important. I heard Rick Warren share his response to a pastor who told him he doesn't count attendance... he asked him if he counted the offering. Numbers are important and I desire to be a part of a church and ministries that take growth seriously. I will be eager to hear your thoughts when it comes to church growth.

Finding the 1

2010-02-13T20:46:00.003-06:00

This past Monday I had the privilege of co-teaching with my sister at Segue. She taught the ladies while I taught the guys. We shared the same basic outline, here it is:

Goin’ All The Way: Finding the One

New Theory: Find The One, then the two

We must first be right in our relationship with God before we can think about being in a right relationship with someone else. When we begin to understand that God is our number 1 and our future or current spouse is our number 2, our relationships will be revolutionized.

How to find The One?

Galations 2:20:
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

It doesn’t sound very nice but it is. When we want to live for Christ, we must die to ourselves.

How to fall in love with The One?

When we begin a dating relationship it always seems to consume our lives. We make the time to get to know that person. Our relationship with God should consume our lives in an even greater way. Great ways to do that:

1. Read the Word
2. Pray
3. Be adventurous and creative
4. Learn everything there is to learn about Him
5. Talk with others about Him (Community)

Becoming the Two as you Prepare for your Two

1. Let the past go!

Romans 8:1-2-
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

1Corinthians 5:17-
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is anew creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

You are NOT who you were. Let it go!

2. Be ready to lead you wife and family as a man of God should (be ready now… don’t wait.)

Ephesians 5:22-27

Be ready to lead with love!

3. Start Praying for Him/Her Now

1:46 Challenge --> Read 1 Cor 13:4-6 (love chapter) and pray for him/her every day.

4. Surround yourself in Accountability and Community

Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

Going after The One

The best way you can do that is to focus in on the One that really matters. Fix your eyes on Him... He will work it out.

We all quote Jeremiah 29:11, but we leave out the best part v12-14:

“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. --> Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you and I will restore...”

Prayer Activity: Take some time, spread out and surrender. Ask Him to be Your One. Pray that He would make you fall in love with Him.

CLI Podcast with Perry Noble

2010-02-13T20:31:00.005-06:00

I just listened to the Church Leader Insights podcast with Nelson Searcy. This month's podcast was a great conversation between Nelson and a ministry hero of mine in Perry Noble. The interview is about 15 minutes. Take the time to click here and listen to the podcast today.

Suggested Blog: The Kisers

2010-02-11T06:52:00.004-06:00

This past Monday, I had the incredible opportunity to teach together with my sister at Segue. She spoke to the ladies while I spoke to the guys about "Finding the 1" (Notes will be posted soon). It's been so fun to watch her ministry grow and develop and I cannot wait to see how God continues to use her through her writing and teaching in the coming years. I can't encourage you enough to take the time to check out here blog: www.thekisers.blogspot.com. Also, if you're a pastor or youth pastor and you're looking for someone to come and speak to your ladies or girls groups, you need to send Becky a message.

You can also read her husband (my brother-in-law) Chris' blog at www.christopherjkiser.blogspot.com. Chris doesn't blog as regularly, but his posts are solid and thought provoking. The majority of his blogs are spiritual but he also knows more about politics than anyone I know. I would love to see him blog a little about where Faith and Politics collide.

It's Time for the Church to be the Church

2010-02-10T09:37:00.003-06:00

This morning when I logged into the Rockbridge Seminary website this video was posted and was a great reminder not only of the great need currently in Haiti, but around the world. I will let the video speak for itself, but the vision that God has given Rick Warren in the P.E.A.C.E. plan can, will, and is changing the world. Where is God calling you to go? Who is God calling you to lead?

What can you not do online?

2010-02-06T19:05:00.006-06:00

I'm continually amazed by everything that I can do online! Tonight I ordered dinner from Outback Steakhouse online and there was a guy that immediately walked out to my car with the food in a bag the moment I arrived. I'm constantly amazed by how so many organizations are maximizing the internet to further their goals. As I consider the possibilities when it comes to the church, I'm overwhelmed by the potential. When it comes to Evangelism, Discipleship, Fellowship, Worship, Missions (my Rick Warren Purposes plug), etc. the possibilities are endless!

Using Livestream in Ministry... It's FREE by the way!

2010-02-05T08:49:00.005-06:00

Have you ever thought about broadcasting one of your services or events but thought it was too complicated or expensive? I thought the same thing until about 18 months ago when I discovered Mogulus.com which is now Livestream. I found out that it's really not that complicated and that I can even use my built in computer camera to broadcast live. I have even heard recently that you can broadcast live video from your iPhone using UStream, but I haven't tried it yet. I'll let you know soon though! Anyways, using Livestream has been incredibly effective for our college ministry as we've had up to 75 viewers at one time and on any given Monday have viewers form 5-6 different countries around the world. We've also used it in our Youth Ministry during the summer when we created Pulse TV. If you're looking to laugh there are some great On-Demand videos. Don't expect much or any spiritual content on that page though. It's been incredible to see how God has used this FREE resource that is really incredibly easy to use. I hope you'll give it a try!I also hope you'll tune into Segue on Monday nights at 8pm CST by clicking here.

TBC iPhone App makes the paper!

2010-02-05T08:41:00.003-06:00

If you haven't already seen the article, here is the link to the article in the San Antonio Express News about the Trinity Baptist Church iPhone App. It was fun getting to connect with Abe Levy from the Express News on this article.

Want to host your own podcast?

2010-02-05T07:39:00.005-06:00

Ever thought about sharing a podcast for your church or just doing one yourself? If you're like me you've wanted to but thought it was too complicated. Recently I heard about a FREE website, Buzzsprout, where you can host podcasts very easily and simply upload them to iTunes. My Dad has actually begun uploading his podcasts here from Splendora Countryside UMC. About a year ago we tried doing a Podcast for our Student Ministry. You can check out the archives here. We used iWeb to as our platform, but it's not near as easy to use as Buzzsprout. What can it hurt to try it out, it's FREE!

Need a Website for your Ministry? Try Clover Sites!

2010-02-04T11:14:00.006-06:00

Do you need a website for your ministry or thinking about getting a new one? Consider Clover sites! I've never seen such quality websites like the ones the Clover provides anywhere near the price that they offer. For a $1,000 setup fee and $20/month you can have a fully functional professional website for your ministry. You can easily display your calendar and media (videos, pictures, and podcast files) on your site as well as clearly communicating the mission and activities within your ministry. Even if you have a great website, I encourage you to take 5 minutes and get to know Clover and share this info with a friend who might need a new and affordable website for their ministry. Click here to find out more about Clover Sites.

Astonishing Faith by Dr. Rick Rigsby

2010-01-29T16:39:00.004-06:00

Friends, I wanted to share with you this sermon that just rocked me today. I was actually listening to Gregg Matte's Easter sermon and just kept listening to the following Sunday's sermon and God got my attention. Dr. Rick Rigsby was one of my sister's professors at Texas A&M and an incredible preacher! I can't encourage you enough to take 30 minutes to sit and listen to this sermon. I'm reminded listening to this sermon of the faith that I had in college. I had dreams that were bigger than I was and prayed prayers that were way bigger than I was. I've stopped doing that. I remember praying a prayer that Louie Giglio prayed on one of the Passion worship CDs begging God to give us dreams that were bigger than we are and to live lives that were bigger than we are. I experienced God do things that I can't even explain how powerfully He moved following those prayers. May we stop and beg God to speak to us daily and may we have an astonishing faith expecting God to do things in and through our lives that are way bigger than we are. To listen to this sermon by Dr. Rigsby go here and scroll down to the sermon on April 26,2009. To watch the sermon you can go here.

iPad Tablet... It's official!

2010-01-27T14:15:00.004-06:00

I've been hearing rumors for the past couple of years and it's finally official... the iPad tablet is here! While it looks very cool, I'm not sure how exactly it will be an effective median between my iPhone and my MacBook but I'm eager to play with it. I had lunch today with a Software Engineer who works predominantly with PCs and has developed many Windows Mobile applications. He just sold out and bought an iPhone and he's blown away by the capabilities. We were talking about everything you can do on the iPhone now. Every day I use my iPhone to wake me up (clock), read my Bible (YouVersion), record my calories (Lose It), check the weather/news, use the calendar, to do list, check my bank account, update my Twitter, Facebook, and Linked In, and best of all play games! There's really not much I don't do on my iPhone in any given day. It sounds like with the portability of the iPad it expands these possibilities and looks to much easier to read similar to a Kindle. I will be excited to get my hands on one of these very soon! Do you plan to get one?

iPhone App Suggestion: Words with Friends

2010-01-21T21:10:00.008-06:00

Looking for a good, free app to download? If you haven't downloaded Words with Friends you need to try it out! I have to admit though before you jump in, it can be VERY addicting! It's FREE, but you do have to deal with a lot of ads... well worth it though. It's basically an online scrabble game with other friends with iPhones that can go on for days and you can have multiple games going with multiple players. It's been fun to play with old friends from college and Houston, reconnecting with them at the same time. If you're already playing Words with Friends or you download it today start a game with me, my user name is nilssmith.

What's your plan for Discipleship?

2010-01-21T10:29:00.003-06:00

I have been a Purpose Driven fanatic since I first entered full time ministry in 2002. I read Doug Field's book Purpose Driven Youth Ministry and began following all things Purpose Driven since. Rick Warren pushes in his message at The Nines conference that you MUST have a plan for discipleship. I agree that it is helpful and beneficial to have a plan, but sometimes I think we create too much structure in the church and submit to structure over spirit. I do strongly agree with having a plan to follow, I just think that we have to be careful to how firmly we cling to our plan and make sure that we leave flexibility for the movement of God.

I'm curious, what is your plan? I've always led ministries with the idea that our large group experience was evangelism and our small group experiences were discipleship. In the past few years though I think we are seeing small groups becoming more of an evangelism/front door experience and more discipleship based teaching in our large group settings. At Segue, our College gathering, we started with about 5 or 6 students in a house with a discipleship based Bible study. We have since grown in the past year and a half or so to around 200 students in an auditorium but the depth of our Bible studies is still just as deep.

I think what I'm finding is that discipleship happens in so many different forms. It often occurs when we are intentional with our planning, but it also occurs at times and in programs where we aren't so intentional and God moves despite our efforts!

To Plant New or Rebuild the Old

2010-01-17T21:12:00.007-06:00

I'm currently serving in a church that is 60 years old. It's actually the youngest church I've served as my last was over 100 years old and the one before that, was around 75 (I'm actually not sure on the last one, but I know it's old). I'm taking Church Planting right now at Rockbridge Seminary and the course has me thinking a lot about why we plant churches. Just tonight I attended the 1st worship gathering of a new church that a friend of mine is planting here in San Antonio. The Sunday before that I attended a different worship service of a new church plant in our city. On my way to both of those worship services I probably passed more than a dozen church buildings that likely sit half empty on a regular basis.

So why do we need these new churches? Shouldn't we invest our efforts into continuing these other churches that have plenty of room to grow or some dying congregations that need a jolt of life breathed into them?

I'm a big fan of Andy Stanley and heard a podcast where he made a statement that the last thing that the church in America needs is more Real Estate. The problem seems to be that there is a great division in the church in America. We have booming young churches that have space issues and limited resources while we have beautiful empty buildings with dying congregations that are unwilling to change. Can't the two of these be combined? Why don't they? Don't the young churches need the resources and wisdom found in the older congregations? Don't the older congregations desire to invest in the future? My opinion to the problem: PRIDE. My suggested solution: Humble Courage. This is actually something that I just read about in Erwin McManus' book: Uprising. He talks about the need for ministries to be bold and step out of their comfort zone while doing it with humility. So often when we step out into doing the extraordinary we want all eyes on us.

I believe there is great need for more churches even here where we see church buildings everywhere. I also believe that there are churches that will never change and aren't worth the effort. My hope though is to see more movements with congregations seeking diversity with young passion and zeal combined with mature wisdom and experience. Our best days as the church are not behind us but ahead of us!

What are your thoughts? Do you want to invest your efforts in building or rebuilding existing congregations or planting new ones?

I'm Gonna be an Uncle!!!

2010-01-17T21:01:00.004-06:00

If you haven't already heard, I'm gonna be an uncle!!! My sister, Becky, recently announced to the family that she's pregnant and we couldn't be more excited! Becoming a parent is indescribable and I can't wait for her to be a Mom and for Chris to be a Dad! With the combination of Becky's passion and zeal for life combined with Chris' wisdom and discipline being poured into this child, this kid will probably take over the world. I can't wait to be an uncle and it's so fun to celebrate this exciting season with them. I'm trying not to over use the exclamation points in this post, but it's too exciting!!! You can follow Becky's pregnancy and their lives on their blog at http://thekisers.blogspot.com. Take time and read their past posts as Becky is one of the most gifted writers you will ever read.

What can you do to help efforts in Haiti?

2010-01-16T16:19:00.004-06:00

Over the past few days I've struggled with knowing how I can help somehow in Haiti. I know I can give to some organizations that are going over there, but it seems like there must be more. I've been inspired when I hear stories like this one from Austin where these musicians and artists are using their gifts creatively to raise funds for relief in Haiti. I've heard about HELP designing t-shirts for Haiti and Rob Bell offering to donate all proceeds from one of his NOOMA videos on the iPhone will go to efforts in Haiti. I will also give Lady GaGa props after hearing her discuss Haiti on Oprah (don't ask me why I was watching this) and how she is donating all proceeds from a concert to relief efforts. I haven't had a creative moment where I have said this can be my unique role, but I want to do everything that I can and encourage you to do the same. I would love to hear of other ways that you have heard about in opportunities to help relief efforts or what you are doing to do your part.

Creating an iPhone App

2010-01-14T22:00:00.004-06:00

So my first iPhone App is now available for download! It's been fun to hear others responses. It's a very simple app that needs lots of work, but so much fun to create! I hope this is the first of many! I actually created the App through SwebApps who make it so simple and affordable for anyone to create an iPhone App for just about anything. You can easily use their very basic templates or build a very custom app depending on your budget and need (I went with the most basic and affordable option). If you have an iPhone please take a moment and download the app and let me know what you think. You can find the app in the App Store by searching for "Trinity Baptist". Also, please please please rate and comment on the app!

New Facebook Technique: Sniping

2010-01-08T15:21:00.007-06:00

Last night when I was on Facebook I was sniped by my friend Jaime Puente. He taught me a new technique that he coined "sniping". You see Jaime has a goal to get people to go and vote for his commercial, "Casket". If you read my previous post about Vote for Casket you can find out more about his project. So he needs people to go daily to the website www.CrashtheSuperbowl.com to vote for his commercial "Casket" so that it will be aired during the Superbowl. Instead of just sending out a mass message he's chosen rather to snipe. His technique is to watch the Chat board and see who is online. As new people pop in he immediately sends them a quick message (a snipe) that says: "Have you voted for my video yet today? Go to www.voteforcasket.com. While this could obviously get obnoxious if overly used, when you need action asap this technique is genius! I'm definitely going to try this during a live feed of one of our services soon! I apologize if I snipe you and it's unwanted, but I hope if I do that it leads you to respond to my request. It definitely has more effectiveness than hoping that your status shows up on someone's news feed.

How about you try it? I believe getting people to vote for casket is a great cause. See how many people you can snipe and vote everyday for this commercial! You can used bit.ly to create your link and see how many people actually go to the site. Leave me a comment and let me know how well this technique works for you.

The Teachings of Ray VanderLaan

2010-01-07T14:11:00.006-06:00

I have followed the teachings of Ray VanderLaan for about 6 or 7 years on his website: www.followtherabbi.com. While I regularly stop in when studying scripture, I have recently been recaptured by his teachings. I've begun watching his Faith Lessons video series and am continually blown away. Watching him show physically at the location of the events and describe the culture of the time along with the geography of biblical passages brings them to life in a new and fresh way. It seems that many times I read a passage and my understanding is only based on today's culture and as I understand the culture of the time it occurred, new life and meaning begins comes about. If you aren't familiar with the teachings of Ray VanderLaan take some time to check out his website. I'm also accepting donations if anyone wants to send me on a trip with Ray (not really, but it would be cool if you wanted to).

Experimenting with the Internet: Facebook

2010-01-06T10:21:00.005-06:00

As I begin my new role as the Internet Pastor at Trinity Baptist one of my top priorities has to be Facebook. Almost everyone I know and probably you know is on Facebook. You are likely reading this blog because of a link from Facebook. Some friends were joking with me the other day that I must be on Twitter and Facebook all day by the amount of posts that I make and my response was: "Well, it's my job." It's almost strange to think that being on Facebook is my job, but how huge of an opportunity do we have to interact and deepen relationships through this incredible social networking resource!

About a year ago or so I began realizing how powerful this tool was especially in reaching college students. Our college ministry has grown from 2 to over 200 in less than 2 years and a lot of that growth is due to outreach on Facebook. We invested minimally in Facebook ads and began creating Facebook event invites making it easy for Segue attenders to invite their friends. When you ask around at Segue about 90% of the attenders are involved whether they heard about it from Facebook or came with someone who heard about our Monday night gatherings on Facebook.

Facebook is constantly expanding though and the demographics are changing. Currently the highest % growth of any demographic within Facebook are women over the age of 50. Facebook seems to be sticking as well with 70% of those who try it continue to use it where Twitter only has about 40% who stick with it.

As I begin to figure out how to use this resource for Trinity Baptist Church I have begun by creating a fan page. On the fan page I went ahead and inserted some pictures, I linked the Twitter page and YouTube page thanks to Involver, and will continue to seek to develop this resource in the coming weeks. My challenge is now to get our congregation involved and hopefully use it as a connector for both our congregation and the city that we are seeking to reach.

As I continue to experiment, I would love your suggestions, thoughts, ideas, concerns, etc. I am constantly looking for tools similar to those that Involver has created. Please go and check out our Facebook page and share your comments!

Vote for Casket

2010-01-05T20:39:00.009-06:00

If you haven't already heard about this, Doritos is running a competition for film makers offering an opportunity to air a commercial in the Superbowl. Many of you are already familiar with Erwin McManus and the ministries of Mosaic in LA, but might be surprised to hear that they decided to enter this competition. I'm not sure that you would consider this ministry, but I guarantee that it will help to further their ministries if given the opportunity of this platform in the Superbowl. Their commercial was chosen out of 30,000 to be in the final 6. Now, they need your vote to win this competition! Honestly, when you watch all of the commercials you will see that their commercial is by far the best of the 6. Not only do they need your vote today though, but they need your vote every day until the competition ends. Take a minute and find out more about the commercial at www.voteforcasket.com and then go to www.crashthesuperbowl.com and vote. After voting help get the word out to others!

Music Suggestion: Stephen Miller

2010-01-05T13:58:00.004-06:00

At Segue we are blessed to have the best worship leader in the country in David Gregory, leading each week, so when we invited guests to come lead we are very picky. For the past year I had heard a lot about Stephen Miller and somehow became friends on Twitter. He is actually the only person that I've ever met in person that I've met off of Twitter. One day a couple months ago, Stephen saw that I was going to be in Austin for the day and asked if I wanted to meet up at a local coffee shop. I had an opportunity to hear his story and his heart and immediately we set a date for him to come lead worship at Segue. If you haven't previously heard Stephen lead, you have to take a few minutes to listen to his music. I am particularly drawn to the song Awaken My Heart which you can hear on his MySpace. I encourage you if you have an opportunity to go and experience Stephen Miller live somewhere in your area to do that or if you're looking for a worship leader, he's an incredible one travelling out of Austin, TX.

Emery Laughing and Becky Barking

2010-01-01T20:38:00.004-06:00

On the last day of 2009 Emery gave us a great gift in letting us hear her laugh for the first time. Earlier that day she started cracking up whenever Logan (our dog) barked. We couldn't get Logan to bark that night, so Becky filled in and Emery seemed to find it just as funny. I don't know if you'll enjoy Emery laughing more or Becky's barking. Either way, enjoy this video!

Santa brought us a Wii

2009-12-26T17:53:00.003-06:00

So this year for Christmas Santa brought us a Wii!!! Actually Katie's parents bought us a Wii and we're loving it! I went to Game Stop today to trade in my old PS2 and games for hopefully some Wii games. I made it through the line to find out that my PS2, wireless controllers, and games were only enough to buy 1 Wii controller. Anyways, neither Katie or I have ever been video game players but we're pretty excited about the Wii. We got the Wii fit and Biggest Loser and excited to hopefully use it to get in shape. My arm was actually sore this morning after playing Wii Olympics much of the day yesterday. I'd love to hear any suggestions on games you might suggest or if there's another system you prefer to the Wii.

Why do Bad things happen to Great people?

2009-12-23T05:28:00.009-06:00

Matt Chandler - Update #2 from Josh Viveros on Vimeo.

Why do Bad things happen to Great people? This question seems to go round and round and it doesn't matter how well scripted of an answer that a Christian might have, it still hits all of us in the midst of tragedy. We all know people who would seem less deserving than us that seem to receive greater blessing and we have all seen tragedy strike people that are genuinely Great people. Why?

I don't think I could begin to explain why, but as I've been experiencing bad things happen to Great people recently I've been able to watch God use those situations in powerful ways. Recently a friend from High School, Joe Houston, was in a tragic plane crash losing his life and leaving behind his son and fiance. Joe seemed to have a great life ahead of him when tragedy struck. Even more recently I've learned of Matt Chandler having a seizure on Thanksgiving Day to later find out that he now has cancer. As I think about these two men it brings me back to the same question: Why?

I read these words in Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." These words can be hard to understand at times, but I believe them whole heartedly. As I followed the search for Joe online and the dialogue after finding his body, I watched God's powerful movement through Jenn's Facebook and their blog. In the midst of such tragedy, God worked in and through Jenn's and others words that will forever affect my life and I know so many others. As I'm watching Matt Chandler face this tragedy in his life, I'm watching an incredible movement online through his Twitter and blog. It's hard to answer the question why but it's incredible to watch God work good into situations that seem so bad.

Church Marketing Sucks

2009-12-22T18:09:00.005-06:00

So this is the second time that I'm using this title in a blog post, but it's again just quoting someone else. My hits more than doubled last time though, so I'm curious if I'll see the same results this time. I've been reading this blog for a while and think others in ministry will be intrigued by it as well. I love their title: The blog to frustrate, educate and motivate the church to communicate, with uncompromising clarity, the truth of Jesus Christ. They have great insights in promoting the movement of God in the local church and we can all learn a lot about this. One of the greatest opportunities I believe for any organization and especially for the church when it comes to communication is maximizing social media. Church Marketing Sucks shares great insights and ideas when it comes to this. Check out their blog and feel free to share any other blogs or websites that you run across that can help ministries and organizations when it comes to communicating the the general public. Go here to check out the site.

Christmas with the Skit Guys

2009-12-20T17:28:00.005-06:00

I shared this video with our students this past Sunday and thought I'd share it with you as well. I've always loved how the Skit Guys find away to capture you with humor and drama and drive home an incredible point every time. This video is a great reminder of the incredible gift that God gave us in His Son as we celebrate Christmas this season. Take 5 minutes today and watch this, it will be well worth your time.

Live Nativity at Concordia Lutheran

2009-12-20T17:15:00.002-06:00

Concordia's Drive-Thru Nativity from Concordia Lutheran Church on Vimeo.

Last night Katie and I went out with the family to see Christmas lights and drive through Concordia Lutheran's Live Nativity. I honestly had very little expectations going into it and was blown away. It really was an incredible experience and worth taking the time to drive through tonight. If you're in San Antonio, tonight is the last night of their live Nativity and I would make sure to take the 15-20 minutes to drive through tonight and experience this! You can get more information at their website here.

The City by Zondervan

2009-12-18T16:33:00.008-06:00

In my new role as Internet Pastor at Trinity Baptist, I'm getting to do some pretty interesting research and play with some pretty exciting tools online. Maybe the most exciting tool that I've been playing with is The City by Zondervan. I was introduced to this tool through The Park (a new church plant in San Antonio) who is using The City very effectively in building their community online. If you're interested in joining them in The City go here. The City seems to be a great tool to connect your church deeper in community maximizing the internet. The founder describes The City as "church movement software" rather than "church management software". I can't wait to see the impact of the city on our local church communities and can't wait to see how it develops in the coming months and years!

Podcast Suggestion: Scott Crenshaw

2009-12-14T18:22:00.007-06:00

One of my favorite podcasts to listen to is Scott Crenshaw at New River Fellowship in Weatherford, TX. Scott's been a hero of mine since college when he spoke weekly at Crosstalk Bible Study in San Marcos. He has since led some of the largest college ministries in the country in Metro, Portico, and The Venue at Lakewood Church and Grace Church in Houston. He's now the Senior Pastor at New River Fellowship which is one of the fastest growing churches in the country right now. Scott brings life to scripture and will always push you out of your comfort zone. Scott's passion for God and for life is contagious! Listen or download Scott's podcasts on iTunes here.

Should your quiet time be part of your message prep?

2009-12-14T18:06:00.006-06:00

I've heard several different takes on this question and I'm curious to hear yours. I've heard many pastors say that they believe that it's important to keep their personal quiet time scripture reading separate from what they are teaching on. I have heard others say that it's extremely important to keep these together as you are teaching directly from your heart and where God is moving in your direct study. I have tried both and prefer to separate the two, believing that I am still teaching from God's movement in my heart, but often what God is revealing to me in my quiet time with Him isn't always what needs to be communicated to the community that I am teaching God's Word to. What are your thoughts?

Matt Chandler- great faith in the midst of struggle

2009-12-14T14:25:00.006-06:00

Video from Matt
Matt Chandler has been a hero of mine for many years, but after watching this video I'm saying WOW to his life and ministry more than ever! In the midst of incredible struggle personally with the health issues that he is facing, his faith seems even stronger and his testimony heard even louder! It's an incredible perspective that Matt has on this personal crisis and will be interesting to watch how God will use Matt's faith to impact many!

Mentors are a Must

2009-12-09T21:38:00.008-06:00

I have been so blessed to have been surrounded by some incredible mentors since I first became a Christian. I think about the Youth Pastors that invested in me through my first steps, the leaders in the Brothers Under Christ fraternity who discipled me, and the pastors who have since mentored me. I rarely sought out a mentor, but God placed some of the most incredible people around me that have invested so much into my life and ministry. Over the past year, Dr. Hardy Clemons has faithful met with me every Tuesday for an hour. I have been able to pick his brain about life, ministry, weddings, funerals, marriage, complainers, and everything else in between. Currently, I'm in the middle of a huge transition in my ministry and have never needed Godly wisdom, advice, and encouragement. As difficult as this transition has been for me personally, the opportunity to meet with new and old mentors through this season has been so challenging, encouraging, and inspiring. If you are in ministry and you are not surrounded by mentors I can't encourage you enough to seek one or many out. Take a look at Paul's relationship with Timothy and how critical that mentoring relationship was for Timothy's ministry. I would love to hear about some of your mentors and how they have encouraged and inspired you in your ministry.

Jesus Paid it All

2009-12-09T21:14:00.005-06:00

Over the past 6 months or so I have played this song almost daily on my iPod. The words are so incredibly powerful and have been a daily reminder of Who I live for daily. I have been especially drawn to the passion in which Kristian Stanfill leads this song. If you haven't already watched the YouTube video please take a minute to. Here are the words to this powerful hymn:

Verse 1
I hear the Savior say,
"Thy strength indeed is small.
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all."

Chorus
’Cause Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Verse 2
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow'r and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots,
And melt the heart of stone.

Verse 3
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
Jesus died my soul to save
my lips shall still repeat.

Bridge
Oh, praise the One who paid my debt,
And raised this life up from the dead.

I would love to hear what songs or hymns that move you. It's been interesting to look back and how I can define certain seasons in my walk with Christ with a different worship song that was stirring in my heart through that season. What songs move you?

Celebrating our 5th Anniversary!

2009-12-02T16:21:00.009-06:00

In two days Katie and I will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary which also means that we've been together for 9 years (above is a picture from our Honeymoon in Lake Tahoe)! I'm so blessed to have such an incredible wife who has loved me more than I ever deserve! One of the things that we have learned in our marriage is how desperately we need to get away together. We have been on some great vacations to Lake Tahoe, New York, Las Vegas, and Austin twice (not big expensive trips, but great getaways). Tomorrow we leave on our first cruise on Carnival to Cozumel. We are so excited about the time together but also anxious about leaving our precious girl for the first time. Please pray for us while we're gone on our cruise. Pray that this will be an emotionally, physically, and spiritually rejuvenating time away. Pray that our marriage is strengthened as have been and are going through a season of transition. I'll look forward to sharing updates as we return. We'll be reading your comments before we leave, so we'd love as many cruise tips and suggestions as you'll be willing to share.

iWeb and Mobile Me

2009-12-02T11:22:00.002-06:00

Over Thanksgiving I pushed my sister and brother in law into buying their first Mac! I consider myself a Mac guy even though I'm not very creative and I still privately cling to my PC at the office. I took another step in the Mac world by joining on their Mobile Me family account. Mobile Me is a very cool online storage, email, calendaring, etc. for personal use. It also can be a great tool for website hosting I found. After setting up my Mobile Me account I decided to try out iWeb and create a quick website. If you want to see what I created go to www.NilsSmith.com. I'm a bigger Mac fan after going through this process but have to admit that I'm a little concerned with how limiting it is. For a beginniner (which I would consider myself) it really couldn't be easier, but for someone that wants to have freedom in their website iWeb can be somewhat limiting having to stay within their templates. I do suggest though for any ministry that does not think that they have the skills or budget to create a website, this is the perfect resource. iWeb comes free on your Mac and Mobile Me is phenomenal for the cost (about $100/year or get a family pack like we did getting 5 accounts for $150).

Calvinism vs. Arminianism

2009-12-01T19:53:00.005-06:00

Since college I have wrestled with these two systems of theology. Every church I have been a part of has Arminianism beliefs but many great theologians and Christian leaders that I respect have Calvinist beliefs. Recently Time Magazine listed "New Calvinism" as the #3 idea that is changing the world. Leaders that I respect so much like John Piper, Matt Chandler, Mark Driscoll, and Matt Carter are lead voices for this movement that is impacting the world. At the same time there are leaders like Gregg Matte and Hardy Clemons that I also respect incredibly have spoken very convincingly about their Arminianism beliefs. Honestly, I have avoided this debate and thought it was not worth the argument. Many of my friends have this same mindset but others will challenge me saying that it's critical and I must understand what I believe and why I believe it. As I hear discussions both sides seemingly use scripture to defend their beliefs. I'm not trying to pick a fight, but I would love to hear your thoughts. I would love to hear what you believe and why. I would also love to hear about any specific readings that you might suggest or good websites for research on this debate.

Weddings, Funerals, and Hospital Visits

2009-11-25T12:24:00.003-06:00

If you would have asked me a year ago what I dreaded the most in ministry I might have told you weddings, funerals, and hospital visits. Honestly, I had never done a wedding or a funeral and had minimal experience with hospital visits. While I still don't have much experience in these, I have found that these three things are possibly the most meaningful part of my ministry. To be able to celebrate with families in the most joyous occasions and to be present in the mourning and celebration of a life can be so incredibly meaningful. To journey through with a family while a loved on is in the hospital is never easy, but to be invited to be a part of that journey through life has begun to mean so much to me. This weekend I will have the opportunity to marry my sister-in-law, Kelly, and her fiance, Josh. What an honor it is to be asked to be a part of such a special moment in their lives. I look forward so much to this aspect of ministry in the years to come.

Book Suggestion: They Like Jesus but Not the Church

2009-11-23T13:09:00.003-06:00

This past semester at Rockbridge Seminary we read Dan Kimball's book: They Like Jesus but Not the Church. While I disagree with many of Kimball's beliefs, I respect his ministry greatly. Kimball's message is challenging for Christians to read and how much some of our actions that came from good intentions have so misrepresented Jesus Christ to this world. Incredibly thought provoking book that I believe all Christians should read whether you agree or disagree with the Emergent movement.

Counting my blessings

2009-11-21T15:08:00.004-06:00

I was just reading a post from almost a year ago where Katie first blogged about the news that she was pregnant. This past year has been an incredible journey and I can't express enough how blessed I feel. As I'm getting to spend the day celebrating my precious Emery's 4 month birthday I'm overwhelmed at the blessing of her life. Katie and I were talking last week about the things that were important to us a year ago and what is important to us today. Over the past 5 years of marriage we have been on incredible vacations, lived in some of the sweetest places, eaten out way too much at some nice restaurants, and bought some cool toys; but our favorite moment thus far was the week we spent in the hospital when Emery was born. I didn't need my Mac, flat screen tv, home, or car; we just enjoyed those special moments together in that tiny hospitall room sleeping on a chair they say turns into a "bed". I'm so blessed to have an incredible wife who loves the Lord with all of her heart and loves me even though I often make it very difficult for her to. She is an incredible friend, teacher, mom, and wife. I am truly a blessed man!

Suggested Music: Zach Hendricks

2009-11-20T10:16:00.003-06:00

Several years ago my sister began telling me about a musician named Zach Hendricks that she new from High School that I really should look to bring in sometime for one of our Youth events. A year or so later in a group of Youth Pastors I heard someone say: "Have you heard Zach Hendricks? I think he's going to be the next Chris Tomlin." After hearing this and from what my sister said I quickly looked him up and invited him to come lead worship at one of our youth events in Houston. His talent quickly caught my attention, his authenticity in worship engaged our students like never before, and his personality wins everyone over. I've been able to partner with him in various ministry events since and experience him leading worship or playing a concert in many different venues and have been blown away every time. If you aren't already familiar with his music you will be soon. Check out his MySpace or Twitter to connect more with Zach, his music, and his ministry.

Social Media Revolution

2009-11-19T08:41:00.008-06:00

I've been fascinated for many years by the future of ministry and what that looks like on the internet. It hasn't been until the last year that it has really begun to consume me though. The possibilities are endless and the opportunities through the World Wide Web to take the gospel to the ends of the earth are now opening up in a new way like never before. I love constantly experimenting though podcasts, live video feeds, facebook, twitter, MySpace (it's this old Social Media website people used to use), and now blogging. Look for many blogs coming soon about how I've been experimenting and some of the trends that I see coming in the future. I would love to hear your thoughts and how you are using the internet and more specifically social media in your business or ministry.

My Dad's a Satanist

2009-11-19T08:14:00.005-06:00

About 3 weeks ago on a Wednesday afternoon, a 17 year old high school student walked onto our church campus with a lot of questions. He had just moved here from LA because his parents recently divorced and they are living with his Mom's new boyfriend down the street from the church here in San Antonio. He sayed he had not been to a church since he was 5 and didn't know why he was there but he was curious. It was an incredible moment for me in ministry as I watch our High School students embrace him, teach him how to play basketball, and share the gospel with him. In the past 3 weeks it's been an incredible journey watching him slowly begin to understand God, Jesus, salvation, and community. I actually got to hear him say his first prayer to God just last night. Just yesterday after our Wednesday night Bible Study he asked Diego and I if he could talk to us and that he needed to share something with us. He said: "My Dad's a Satanist and he's very mad that I'm coming to church." He followed that by saying: "I now believe in God and Jesus but I feel that accepting His grace by making Him my Lord would be turning my back on my Dad. I just don't know what to do." What do you say to that? We encouraged him, we prayed for him, and we'll continue to embrace him into our community of faith. I would love to hear what you would say and how you would respond.

Props to Red McCombs

2009-11-18T14:33:00.006-06:00

So I plan to use this blog to focus on ministry and share life, so in sharing life I have to highlight some businesses as well. I will do my best to highlight good businesses and not rip bad ones (except maybe Gene Brown Transmissions, but that's another blog) I love two things when interacting with businesses: 1)good deals (that's why I have too much junk) and 2)good business practices. With the addition of Emery it was time for the Green Machine to go, so Katie and I just bought a 2006 Jeep Commander from Red McCombs. We loved the process and the sales guy there and went home very happy. About a month later I took the Jeep to get an oil change and they let me know that the brake pads were totally worn down and transmission was leaking fluid. I immediately called Red McCombs and they told me to just bring it in and they would take a look. When I got there they treated my with class, immediately took the Jeep in and set me up with a loaner car until they were confident that the issues were taken care of. They ended up totally replacing brake pads and rotors and doing about $600 worth of work and didn't charge me a penny or use the warranty. When you buy a used car, as I understand it, when you drive off the lot, you are buying it as is. I hear nightmare stories about car dealerships and salesmen, but my experience with Red McCombs has been outstanding. I love good business!

Thank You LifeChurch.tv

2009-11-18T07:06:00.006-06:00

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to talk on the phone to talk to Andrew Statezy, who oversees OPEN and NETWORK for LifeChurch.tv. It's unbelievable to me that they provide so many resources to so many ministries for FREE! Over the past year I have used LifeChurch.tv youth ministry videos, downloaded many Craig Groeschel pod casts, worshiped online, downloaded and use many times every day the YouVersion iPhone Bible, and watched read the SWERVE blog regularly. They're also providing all of their children's resources for FREE as well at http://open.lifechurch.tv/kids for families to use at home. If you aren't familiar with the ministries of LifeChurch.tv, I encourage you to check them out now. For those of us in ministry I believe I speak for many in saying Thank You. Thank you for your bold and cutting edge ministry and sharing with us everything along the way!

To Kindle or Not to Kindle

2009-11-17T14:41:00.005-06:00

So my step-mother, Robin, just got a new Kindle for her birthday and I'm fascinated by it. I'm fascinated by how it works, how easy it is to read, and how much it can hold. Honestly, I really like it and I want one... now. I read about a book a month and wish I read more and in my mind buying a Kindle would help allow me to read more somehow. I can also justify it in that the majority of my seminary books are offered on the Kindle. My biggest problem though is knowing that it like most technology will continue to improve while likely dropping in price. Should I wait or should I buy? Would love your thoughts please!

Lord Save Us From Your Followers

2009-11-17T11:00:00.002-06:00

About a year ago a friend of mine handed me a DVD of the documentary: Lord Save Us From Your Followers and said watch this when you have a chance. I rarely watch movies (I have a hard time sitting still for 2 hours) but the title caught my attention and I found some free time at home one night when Katie was out of town at a Dance Competition. While I wouldn't say that the movie changed my life, I will say that it dramatically changed my thinking. It made me question so many of my actions and interactions as a follower of Christ. So quickly after becoming a Christian, I submerged myself into the Christian subculture and forgot what it meant to be a seeker or nonbeliever. I essentially made a complete change in going from judging Christians to judging non-Christians. How does this happen so quickly and so dramatically? I've developed a mindset that Christians are good and non-Christians are bad. Let's be honest though, we all know some pretty "bad" people that call themselves Christians and know some incredibly "good" people that are non-Christians. A few months ago I had the opportunity to meet Dan Merchant, the Producer of the film: Lord Save Us From Your Followers, and hear his heart for the film and how the movie has impacted those who have seen it. His stories are powerful of how this movie is impacting culture. You can watch a clip of Dan Merchant from the Today Show here. If you have not seen this film I can't encourage you enough to find a copy (preferably buy one to support the film), watch it, and share it with a film. It probably won't change your life, but I guarantee that it will at least challenge your thinking if not change your thinking all together.

Book Suggestion: Confessions of a Reformission Rev.

2009-11-16T16:42:00.002-06:00

While I don't agree with everything written in this book and definitely not everything that Mark Driscoll says and does, this is a great read about Mark's journey in ministry and launching of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. Mark very openly talks about the struggles and mistakes that he made as well as many of the highlights along with journey. Even if you don't feel like you have time to read the entire book, it's worth it just for the Appendix additions of: 1) The Junk Drawer: Answers to Common Questions, and 2) Distinctives of Larger Churches. Go here to check out the book on Amazon.

FR09 Recap: What/Who do you reflect?

2009-11-16T15:27:00.004-06:00

Fall Retreat 2009 was an incredible weekend! We had 3 canoes tip and were told that no group in the last 3 months have tipped a canoe. I rode a horse which I will not do for a long long time (there's a twitpic if you follow my twitter). We had incredible times of worship and teaching along with some times of real, genuine community. Jeff Mangum taught about Lordship and that it is in our obedience that we reflect Christ to the world around us. I was able to follow his message in challenging students to really think about who they reflect individually, but also who we reflect as a community of believers. Jeff and I both emphasized the importance of community and how desperately we need each other when we seek to be obedient to the calling of God in our lives. As you think about your life, who/what would the world around you say that you reflect? Are you surrounded in community with those who challenge and encourage you in your obedience to Christ?

Emery's First Fall Retreat

2009-11-13T13:26:00.004-06:00

We're packing up all the gear in the Student Center and getting excited about leaving for Fall Retreat this afternoon! One of the many reasons I'm excited about this weekend is that this is Emery's first of many Fall Retreats to come! Weekends like this are by far the best part of ministry and being able to do it with family makes it that much sweeter! Katie and I have always been partners in ministry and it's so exciting to add Emery as a part of our ministries. This weekend, we're heading off the YMCA Camp Flaming Arrow and expecting God to do great things! David Gregory is leading worship and myself and Jeff Mangum are co-teaching on Obedience. Did I mention that there's horseback riding? I hope there's not a weight limit! Pray for us this weekend as we're expecting God to move in a powerful way in our Student Ministry! By the way Chris Tripputi designed this graphic for us if you're looking for a graphic designer he is the best. Will be back for updates on the retreat on Sunday... or maybe Monday.

Podcast Suggestion: Andy Stanley's Leadership Podcast

2009-11-13T11:53:00.004-06:00

To be honest, I'm addicted to all things Andy Stanley. I love his books, his preaching, his resources, but my favorite of everything he puts out there is his Leadership Podcast. It comes out at the beginning of every month and it's similar to another episode of The Office for me, the moment I finish an episode I'm eagerly waiting for the next. The podcast is broken up with a 10 minute or so clip from one of his leadership messages and then has about 15 minutes of Q & A with Andy about the topic. If you're a leader in any ministry area or organization, you need to be listening to this podcast monthly! Here's a link to iTunes so you can download and listen.

Music Suggestion: David Gamboa

2009-11-12T15:19:00.003-06:00

This past week at Segue and at our Sunday Morning Pulse worship time we were led by David Gamboa and Blake Quimby on their 1000 Stories Tour. Their tour was completely free and sole purpose was to raise awareness for the Minor Foundation. If you click the link for the tour you can find out all about their story. Anyways, I met David about 6 months ago after hearing quite a bit about his music around San Antonio. He played the Accoustic Stage at Segue Late Night a few times and then this past week led us in worship. While his style is more folk/accoustic than I'm normally drawn to, his music is engaging and lyrics have great depth. I have no doubt that he'll be back many times as he's quickly become a favorite in our ministry. I encourage you to check out his music on MySpace and think about purchasing on iTunes. Well worth adding to your regular playlist on the iPod.

Church Diversity Sucks

2009-11-11T21:30:00.005-06:00

Did the title of this blog post catch your attention? It caught mine as well as I watched Scott Williams message during "The Nines" conference. I'm honestly very hesitant to post the title "Church Diversity Sucks" knowing that I will probably have a few people get upset about my title, but I also know that the title will attract some that might not have read this blog post or watch this video to take the time. As I watched his message, I think it shook my thinking more than any of the other messages I heard that day. If you haven't already taken the time to watch this video, I hope you will take 9 minutes and listen to his message. Scott makes a statement that is so true that I honestly had never thought about until hearing his message: "On Sundays when we stand to sing and worship God that we're standing in the most segregated hour of the most segregated day of the week." His challenge is for us as ministry leaders to truly embrace diversity and not just tolerate it. Church Diversity sucks but it doesn't have to! How do you think we begin to embrace diversity? Thoughts?

Francis Chan and Gangs

2009-11-11T21:09:00.004-06:00

First, I mostly wanted to show off a picture that David and I took with Francis Chan. This was the reward we got for skipping out on the Fee concert early when we ran into Francis (we're on a first name basis now) in the parking lot. When I think about the communicators from Conclave I sum it up by saying that Gregg Matte encouraged, Matt Chander challenged, and Francis Chan inspired. Francis shared a story about a former gang member that accepted Christ and was baptized in their church. He said that he ran into that gang member in a grocery store a few months later and asked how things were going. The former gang member told him that he had stopped going to church. He still believed in God, but church just wasn't what he expected. He thought that when he was baptized it would be like when he was jumped into the gang. He thought that he would from that point on be surrounded in the community but what he had experienced that even more than before the community became even less connected when he was baptized. He was desperate for community and seemed to find more community in his gang than he did in the church. Do gangs understand how to do community than we as the church do? I don't know about you, but this story challenges me as I know that it is true of the churches that I have been a part of and ministries that I lead. Jeff Mangum regularly challenges our Segue community to fight for community. I want to challenge you as Francis Chan did to read Numbers 20 and consider the community that you are a part of and what role you need to play in deepening and widening that community.

Tom Brady: "More than this..."

2009-11-11T08:29:00.000-06:00

Chris and David shared this video with me about a week ago and it's challenged me so much in so many different ways. When Tom Brady says, "Why do I have 3 Superbowl rings and still think there's something greater out there for me." This coming from a man that has lived the dream for so many of us. As a Christian I'm challenged in many ways. When I think about sharing my faith I often only think about it with people who are in great need. Tom Brady would not be one of those people, but his words remind me of all of our desperation and need for Christ. I'm also greatly convicted as I know what fulfills me yet I continue to chase nicer things, a nicer home, car, tvs, ministry "success", and things that while they might not be wrong I base way to much of my worth in. May you find the fulfillment in this life that can only be found in Christ and may you share that joy with ALL that you come in contact with.

Thank you Doug Fields

2009-11-10T20:26:00.000-06:00

After over 20 years in Youth Ministry Doug Fields recently resigned as the Youth Pastor at Saddleback Church. While I've only met Doug Fields once in person, he has shaped my Youth Ministry leadership probably more than any other person. My first month in Youth Ministry I read Doug's book, Purpose Driven Youth Ministry, which has shaped my understanding of Youth Ministry since. I also read his books: Your First 2 Years in Youth MInistry and What Matters Most on top of teaching pretty much every Super Series he has released. I don't know what I would do if it weren't for the resources provided on www.simplyyouthministry.com. I'm eager to see what comes next for Doug Fields in ministry but have to celebrate his past 20+ years and thank him for leading by example for so many other Youth Pastors. Thank you Doug Fields!

Church Online: Is it really church?

2009-11-09T14:48:00.000-06:00

I watched a clip online this morning from CNN discussing online church and an interview with Pastor Craig Groechel from LifeChurch.tv. For the past year I have become fascinated by the idea of church online and asking the question: Is it really church? I'm fascinated when I think about the possibilities of a global congregation! I'm inspired when I think about worshipping at the same time in the same place (kind of) as someone on the other side of the world. I've actually begun experimenting by broadcasting our college ministry, Segue, live through LiveStream.com. We've had up to 50 people join us on a Monday night at one time from New York, Brazil, China, and even here in San Antonio. I've had people tell me that they checked us out online before making the decision to actually come on a Monday night. As I continue to consider the idea of this new form of church, I continue to be intrigued. LifeChurch.tv has one of the most incredible online worship experiences that I've begun participating in regularly. I would even go as far as to say that while I might not be as engaged to the presentation, I am more engaged with the congregation than I am in an in person worship experience. Have you ever tried church online? What do you think, is it really church? Why? Why not?

Sexual Revolution

2009-11-07T14:25:00.001-06:00

The next break out that I went to was Sexual Revolution. Allen Jackson who is the founder and director of the Youth Ministry Institute at New Orleans Baptist Theological Institute. He basically shared for about 45 minutes statistics that even if you think you know the stats will shock you. There was no time for notes, but he said he would post his slides on his website soon. I will share as soon as he posts them. Sex in teenage culture has radically changed since even 10 years ago with the changes in technology. He shared a lot about sexting, interaction on Facebook and other social media websites. The majority of teenage relationships begins by being asked out through texting and even more end in a break up through texting. He showed a video that you can watch from Bluefish TV that sums up a great deal of relationship world that teens today live in. Click here to link to the video. Finally he closed with a great reminder for those of us who are ministering to students who are living in this new world of dating, sex, and relationships: "When Jesus encountered the woman at the well He accepted her with compassion without excusing the sin." We can often so quickly become so judgmental responding with little compassion but we cannot too quickly excuse the sin either. Thoughts?

Balancing Family and Ministry

2009-11-07T12:50:00.001-06:00

I went to to break out session called Balancing Family and Ministry led by Billy Beacham who is the founder of Student Discipleship Ministries. Here are my notes from that session:

- Always invest in relationships
- Always be surrounded by accountability
- For people in ministry the hardest place is often at home... FIGHT for your marriage!
- Take time to pause and evaluate your private life
- Help in saying no: 1) offer an alternative, 2) put family on calendar
- Have fun, enjoy life, find things you can do that don't cost a lot of money (ex. camping)
- Work to be in good physical shape. Get a scale and weigh yourself every day
- Make your own spiritual health a priority
- "Your life is shaped by the end you live for." -Thomas Merton
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Gregg Matte at Conclave

2009-11-07T12:35:00.000-06:00

As I think about the the speakers from Conclave, I think Pastor Gregg shared the most practical wisdom that I took home and have wrestled with. I must admit that I'm a little biased of Pastor Gregg as he has been a hero of mine for many years and has also been my sister's pastor at FBC Houston for the past several years. Here are the notes from his message:

1) Let God do the work. His will always has His power. (Colossians 1:29)
2) It takes time to find your voice. (Hebrews)
3) Opposition will come, let it be for the right things (1 Corinthians 16:9)
"Sheep bites hurt worse than wolf bites"
... does this ring true for anyone else? If this was all I heard at the conference it would have been enough for me!
4) Keep the main thing the main thing... the goal is Jesus
The goal is not leadership, creativity, etc. We often seek leadership because we fear theology
Does this convict anyone else?

Introducing Church Crunch

2009-11-07T12:16:00.000-06:00

I wanted to introduce you all to a blog that has inspired me to begin blogging more. John Saddington, who is the new Internet Campus Pastor at Northpoint is the Senior Editor for Church Crunch and teaches me so much about maximizing technology in ministry. Lots of great info on blogging, social media, internet campuses, etc. Take a minute and check out Church Crunch by going to www.ChurchCrunch.com.

BGCT Conclave Conference 2009

2009-11-06T15:04:00.001-06:00

About a week ago I went with the Student Ministry staff at Trinity Baptist to the BGCT Conclave Youth Ministry Conference in Arlington. This was probably my 5th time at the conference but by far the most meaningful experience. I heard messages from some of my heroes in Gregg Matte, Francis Chan, and Matt Chander. Worship was led by Kristian Stanfill and Fee. I'll be honest, I was a huge fan of Kristian Stanfill before and not much of a Fee fan. My opinion changed when experiencing them both live. In the next few days I will be sharing some of the things I learned from these guys and from some of the other breakout sessions. There were two breakout leaders in Billy Beacham and Mike Satterfield that really shook my thinking and ministry. Look for updates coming soon! You can go to www.BGCT.org/conclave to find out more about the conference.

Dealing with Death

2009-11-06T14:35:00.001-06:00

Death is something that we all have to face and deal with in our life. It often comes at times that are unexpected and we are rarely at a place where we are ready for it. I think about the families in this terrible tragedy at Fort Hood and what they are having to deal with. How do they make sense of this situation? I was named after my uncle, Steven, who died in a car accident as a teenager. How do you deal with that as a family? I shared with a room full of Mom's in the Alamo Heights Community who are dealing with the death of a Mom in their community. She left behind 3 children. How do they deal with this? I shared three suggestions with these Mom's that I hope are helpful to you:
1) Jesus wept. Jesus needed to weep when dealing with the death of Lazarus and so do we when we lose those that we love. We get so good at acting like we have it together when we just need to cry, weep, sob, and just let our emotions out.
2) God is ever present. At times of death we often push God away in our pain, but it is often the time that we need Him the most. God is a loving God who comforts those who are hurting and need His comforting touch.
3) We need each other. We often push others away as we mourn or avoid comforting those around us because we are uncomfortable. It is at these times more than ever that we need the community of those around us.

As you deal with death or are helping others deal with death may you feel free to weep, may you know that God is ever present, and may you experience community in a way that you never had before.

Praying for Joe Houston

2009-11-06T07:02:00.000-06:00

Please join me in praying for a friend of mine from High School. Here's what happened:
On October 28, 2009, a T-34C Turbomentor plane carrying Lt. John Joseph Houston and Lt. Bret Travis Miller went missing not far from the Naval Air Station of Corpus Christi, Tx. On Friday evening, the body of Bret Miller was discovered 11 miles northeast of Port Aransas, Tx. Lt. Houston has not been found, nor the plane itself.
We all continue to pray for Joe; his fiance, Jenn; and his entire family during this time as they continue to search. For updates on the search and for prayer requests please go to www.findjoehouston.blogspot.com.

How 5 High School Guys Had a Quiet Time for 30 Days in a Row

2009-11-05T21:32:00.001-06:00

I don't know how many times I've challenged students to have a quiet time every day. As passionately as the challenge might have been, it never happened... until now. I lead a small group of 5 Junior and Senior guys who are passionate Christ followers but like so many of us, struggled to have a daily quiet time. When I laid out the challenge again, my co-leader of the small group, Diego, suggested that we text each other every day what scripture we studied each day. As a form of accountability we would all text anyone else in the group that night if we hadn't received their scripture for the day. I threw in a little extra incentive of buying the guys a steak dinner if they all held true to this challenge for 30 straight days. Over 60 days later, not one of those guys has missed a quiet time. I can't tell you how challenged, encouraged, and inspired I am every day as I receive those 5 text messages every day. A few weeks ago, I bought them the steak dinner. It was one of the best steaks I've ever had with some of the best company I've ever been with! A month after the challenge was over with no incentive of a steak, these same men of God continue to dive into God's Word daily. I love when technology and ministry collide! This is a form of encouragement and accountability that I will use for years to come!

The Men of BYX

2009-10-19T20:21:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I had an incredible opportunity to speak at the Full Retreat for the Texas State Chapter of Beta Upsilon Chi (Brothers Under Christ). While I was there in Bryan, TX at Messiah's Ranch I was surprised to find out that my sister also in Bryan at a Sigma Phi Lambda leadership retreat. It was awesome to get lunch as our ministries were colliding for the weekend. The weekend was incredibly refreshing for me as I was reminded of the powerful ministry of this great fraternity and those that invested so much into my life when I was a young believer. BYX shaped my life in many ways while in college and continues to be a great blessing as many of my closest friends still today were my fraternity brothers at Southwest Texas. If you know anyone who is about to go to college I would highly encourage them to consider pledging Beta Upsilon Chi (for guys) or Sigma Phi Lambda (for girls).

Twitter

2009-08-23T17:34:00.000-05:00

So it's been a while since I've posted on this blog. I'm determined to begin blogging in the next year, but I'm just not ready yet. Since my last blog we moved into our new home and had a baby!!! I've found that micro-blogging seems to fit my schedule better and doesn't require me to sit down which I struggle to do. Plus I can do it in meetings. So if you want updates on my life and ministry follow me at @nilssmith.

the house

2009-01-17T15:35:00.000-06:00

A week ago Jeff poured the foundation for our new home. Today you can see the entire frame just about finished. Jeff's an amazing home builder if you live in the San Antonio are and are even thinking about buying or building a house take a minute to talk to him. Check out his website to see some of the other homes he's built/is building: http://japhetenterprises.com

The Apostles Creed

2009-01-17T15:26:00.000-06:00

In my seminary course we are studying the New Testament and in our textbook was a copy of The Apostles Creed. We used to recite this in the church I grew up in, but it's been a long time since I've read these words. I never really understood/appreciated how powerful it was for a congregation to pronounce these words together. I usually cringe when I even hear the word tradition, but something about this one really moved in me when I read through these words today. I hope these words can stir in your heart as you read this as well.

The Apostles Creed
I believe in Jesus Chris, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontious Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God
the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living
and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

I'm Gonna be a Dad!!!

2009-01-01T21:59:00.000-06:00

I realized I hadn't posted it yet on here, but I'm going to be a Dad! Katie and I are going to the doctor tomorrow and should have a due date tomorrow. We do know that the due date is sometime in July. I'm sure this will be the center of my blogs over the coming year as it seems to consume my thoughts. Katie started a blog with weekly updates about our growing family: http://nilsandkatieplusone.com. I had been keeping this info off of our blog since we hadn't told my mom until Christmas. We took video of her reaction so you'll all get to enjoy that when we get it uploaded. I'll work on my writing skills in future posts, my thoughts seem to be pretty choppy.

Posts to Come in 2009

2009-01-01T21:52:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm making a commitment to all of my many readers that I really will blog in 2009. I'm committing to you all 3 resolutions in 2009: 1) A commitment to blog weekly, 2) I WILL lose 50 pounds in 2009 and be a healthy Dad, and 3) a commitment to grow through reading various books, the Bible, podcasts, lectures, etc. I dont know how to define this last one, but I often get caught up in doing and forget to focus on learning and growing. 2009 is going to be a great year and I look forward to sharing it with you. Updates to come on this blog about my thoughts on becoming a Dad, building our first house, life in ministry, etc.

Breaking Ground

2008-12-17T16:04:00.000-06:00

I know I haven't posted in a while, but for good reason to be explained soon! For now, we broke ground on our house. Here's a couple pics for your viewing pleasure.

The Beard

2008-11-30T21:41:00.001-06:00

So No Shave November is coming to an end. Katie wants the nasty beard gone, but I'll give you a chance to give your input. Let me know what you think.

Flying Rats

2008-11-24T22:57:00.000-06:00

So I just got home from Segue and was looking forward to watch Amazing Race on the DVR and I plop on the couch in the living room. It was pitch black in there and as I push the power button to turn on the tv and the room begins to light up. All of a sudden I see a rat jump from behind out plasma tv sitting on the mantle onto our coffee table and then run into the corner of the dark living room. I do the manly thing and let out a noise that I can't explain and found myself standing on the couch. I wish I could tell you that I went and caught the rat with my hands but instead I ran into the bedroom and called Katie. I'm thinking about having a sleep over at Chris' house because there's no way I'm going to be able to sleep knowing we have flying rats in the house. The question that I'm wondering is whether I will miss the spraying skunk or the flying rats more when we move out.

I'm That Guy

2008-11-20T18:27:00.000-06:00

A couple quick updates and then to my main point:

1) My hair's still falling out day by day :(

2) We closed on our lot and should begin construction on the new house next week! Photos to come!!!!

So it's been a while since I've last posted but there's a good reason! Myspace. So I switched over to Facebook for the most part, but myspace has recaptured my attention. You see, God is doing some incredible things through Segue (www.seguesa.com) and we are so many new people coming and God is stirring something very big. One of the things that always peaks my attention is how to reach people in a new way. These online communities are facinating me. We have actually seen over 100 visit Segue because of our Facebook ads. So I'm giving Myspace a try. While the ads on myspace dont seem to work, I'm trying the band technique. Bands always go on and mass invite friends and it seems to work, so I'm becoming that guy. I've always been annoyed when I have no idea who these people are and how they found me, but they did and I always take about 20 seconds and check them out. I've been internet stalking people for the past week mass inviting people between 18-29 in San Antonio. It's become a challenge for me to see how many friends I can get and how many views I can get. Anyways, I just thought you should know why I haven't blogged. I'll let you know if it works or not, either way I've become that guy.

1 Month 2 Live

2008-10-27T10:09:00.000-05:00

So I said I was going to begin posting every Saturday and since then I haven't posted on a Saturday. Maybe I'm busier than I thought. This past Saturday we had Fall Fun Fest at the church which consumed my Saturday. It was a great day though other than my 20 minutes in the dunking booth and a good time getting to hang out with Ronnie Gibson who was in town this weekend to speak to our students at Sunday School. My main purpose though in this blog is to create my list of things I would like to do if I had 1 Month to Live. We are discussing this on Wednesday nights at Pulse and it really is thought provoking. Well, here's what I'd do:

-Spend as much time with Katie and close friends and family
-Travel with Katie to the incredible places she has seen in the world as well as take her to Honduras
-Eat a lot of ice cream, steaks, lobster and sushi
-Meet some heroes like Nolan Ryan, Billy Graham, Rob Bell

That's about all I can think of right now. I'm definitely not one of those guys who wants to go skydiving or anything like that. The question really makes you think about what's important and how much time I invest into things that really don't matter that much. I always wonder too if I'd rather know how much time I have to live or if I'd rather just die without knowing. I think I'd rather know.

The Weekend

2008-10-20T16:35:00.000-05:00

So I promised that I would keep up with this and I am and will. I also said that I would start blogging on Saturdays and I didn't on the first Saturday following that post. This is for good reason though. Here's what my weekend looked like:

Thursday Night: Lindsey Kane/The Afters Concert (by the way Lindsey Kane is leading worship at Segue on December 1st)

Friday Morning: Golf at Landa Park with the Boss Man

Friday Night: Natasha Bedingfield and New Kids on the Block Concert (Katie's Birthday present... I was the only Dude in the whole place)

Saturday Morning (7am... just showing how dedicated I am): Habitat for Humanity with the Students... everyone should do this whenever they can, it's a great experience!

Saturday Night: Spurs game with Gabe

Sunday: Church

Awesome weekend and now I get to start my week with Segue!!! I'm a blessed man!

My Hair

2008-10-11T09:11:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah, I did think of a good blogging topic the other day. My hair. Many men go through the depressing reality of losing their hair before they're ready and it's very sad. I estimate that I have 6 months left. On this blog I think I'll be sharing the thoughts of a survivor of premature male hairless. It also doesn't help when your closest coworker and brother in law have the thickest hair in America!!! It hurts!!! Pictures to come soon.

Saturdays

2008-10-11T08:54:00.000-05:00

I think if I'm going to be consistent with this I'm going to have to just pick day as my blogging day, so as of right now I'm choosing Saturdays. I tend to wake up much earlier than Katie and run out of things to do on the internet in about 15 minutes because all I typically do is email and no one emails on Fridays. Anyway, not I must figure out what to write about once a week.

We just started a series at Pulse called "One Month to Live" and luckily Chris is teaching it. It really has me thinking about the question though of what would I do if I had One Month to Live. What would change? I wonder where would I go, who would I see, what would I do? It's a huge perspective changer because where we spend our time clearly defines what's important to us and I know so many of the things I invest my time into have such little value in the big picture. Chris challenged everyone to make a list of what do you want to accomplish in your lifetime. Jeff Mangum, on Monday nights at Segue, has brought the same challenge several times and challenged the American Way. He talks about how there just has to be more than going to college, getting a job, having kids, retiring, playing golf, moving to a nursing home and dying. There has to be more to live for!!! While there all of these things are great and I look forward to these phases of life, I desperately don't want to fall into the trap of getting to the next step. Anyways, my thoughts are spinning in a way that can never be clear on a blog.

Some selfish worldly news: Katie and I bought the lot and should begin building our dream home in just a couple weeks.. and I'm getting my motorcycle back after a failed first attempt to be a motorcycle rider. I hate fast drivers and roller coasters so I doubt I'll ever be a huge motorcycle guy, but I look forward to getting around our area on it until Katie makes me quit. If you want to look at our floor plan for our new house you can go to www.japhetenterprises.com and look at the Cypress Model. There are a few minor changes, but that's basically the house. Logan and I went and marked our territory on the lot yesterday... it was a very male bonding exercise. I hope that doesn't offend the 2 people who read this.

Another side note as I'm learning to blog. It seems people don't actually use their real names for blogs and they are much more creative. I'd love any suggestions, I usually steal all of my creative stuff from someone else.

Two Days in a Row

2008-10-05T22:14:00.000-05:00

The main purpose of this post is to prove that I'm serious about this thing. After two years of faking like I was going to blog, I'm really going to do it this time. There are 4 things on my mind:

1) Noah... we studied Genesis 6 this morning in Sunday School and Noah's character and obedience to God. There are so many things I've missed in the Old Testament stories I've heard since I was a child. I'm really looking forward to this year's Student Life Bible Study walk through the Old Testament. I'm also amazed at how incredible our Student Minstry Sunday School teachers are! It's going to be a great year!

2) Our house!!! While it makes my head spin that we just signed a loan that's scheduled to last 30 years, it's really exciting! It's a very mental thing for Katie and I to buy this lot and build a home (with the best builder in America, Jeff Japhet). It blows me away to walk through this home that is better than any home I could have ever dreamed of and this is our first home! I guess we're skipping the Starter Home process... maybe moving 7 times in the first 3.5 years of marriage was enough experience. I'm overwhelmed at how much God continues to bless us! I have to also add that the house has a game room that I will still refer to as my man room which means the Bachelor pad leather couch and Big Screen stays!!! Can life get any better?

3) The Texans... while life is so great why do the Texans have to be so bad! I just got over the Oilers loss to the Bills and now this!!! I guess I sold out on the Rockets for the Spurs maybe I should just give in and sell my football soul to Jerry Jones and the Cowboys like everyone else. I might as well become a Yankees fan in the process. Speaking of Baseball, how about those Rays?

4) Finally, tomorrow is Monday! That means Segue! If you haven't heard about Segue, you should go to www.seguesa.com and read about it. Tomorrow night Justin Graves is leading worship and Jeff Mangum will be there as always bringing the Word!!! If you've never heard Jeff, you've got to download one of his podcast from Segue here Can't wait for Monday? Neither can I!!!

Crossroads

2008-10-03T21:51:00.000-05:00

So I've yet to follow through with my commitment to update this regularly, but I am going to continue to try. I've gotten pretty consistent with Facebook and Twitter ( http://www.twitter.com/nilssmith ) and hope to become consistent with this. I feel like I have a lot to talk about regarding life, ministry, our new house, etc.

Tonight I want to talk about Crossroads though. We just finished a series called Crossroads at Pulse and it's really got me thinking. We talked about those moments in life when we have to make a decision and it's clear that we can choose God's way or the world's way and so often it's much easier to just choose the world's way. I've thought about the struggles I had in high school when the world's way of dating, my language, cheating, etc. just fit me. I felt like I was just a better non Christian than I was a Christian. I guess the reality is that I still am. While my struggles have changed, choosing God's way with my finances, my attitude, my time, etc., continues to be much easier to choose the world's ways. While the decision to follow God's ways can be a struggle the joy that follows in pleasing God with my life is ALWAYS worth it! I hope that as you come to the Crossroads in your life that you can also choose God's ways and experience the joy in pleasing our Heavenly Father.

Stories

2008-08-18T21:52:00.000-05:00

So I decide about every 6 months that I'm going to start blogging. I'm very uncomfortable blogging, but I guess I need to get over it and start figuring this out. Everyone who knows me very well knows that I get a new idea daily that most of them go nowhere, but I love to talk about them. I just got back from New Orleans last week and I got a new idea while I was down there. I listened to all of the stories that people shared and the hope that they have and I was blown away. I thought afterwards that the world needs to hear these stories, but likely only a handful of people ever will. My desire is to help people tell their stories... well, tell God's stories. The Bible is full of great stories of how God moved through His people, but the truth is God is still moving in and through His people and those stories need to be heard. I am mentored by Hardy Clemons (known by some as the Baptist Pope) who tells me story after story that other young ministers need to hear, but only I will hear them. The world needs to hear these stories. My desire is to create a website that allows the world to hear these stories of God moving in and through his people. I would love to hear stories from little children, teenagers, parents, grandparents, the elderly, etc. I'd love to hear your thoughts/ideas of how this can be a reality.

My first blog

2007-12-07T22:54:00.000-06:00

I dont know why I'm doing this, I guess I'm just giving into the fad. I hope this becomes a tool for me to stay in touch and update those that I dont get to see regularly anymore as well as continue conversations that I carry on daily. As I do my best to share my thoughts about God, sports, and life know that I greatly value your comments, arguments, and whatever else you might want to add.