Category Archives: Musings
Today is about Freedom
Today is about answering the call to Be Freedom for someone who needs it! We’ve discussed the issue of human trafficking for several days – now is the time for action. The plan is simple:
27 Million people are in caught in the human trafficking industry today. We are going to do something about it. Partnering with the A21 campaign I’m asking 250 people to give $21 to bring freedom to young women trapped in slavery. We’re making it easy for you to BE FREEDOM today. First, You can give $21 dollars online HERE through the Discovery Church website. 100% of everything that is given will go to fight trafficking and rescue women. Second, spread the word through Facebook and Twitter. Make a difference in someone’s life today. Be freedom for someone like Lillia:
Be Freedom Video Blog
Be a part of someone’s freedom. Help spread the word about human trafficking. Give $21 this Friday. Write a note of encouragement. Join the movement.Brokenness
This week I’ve talked with many people filled with pain and heartache. Some have lost someone dear, others dealing with disappointment as a result of a wayward child, some hurt and dismayed by a child being abandoned by his adoptive mother.
The shooting is Arizona has scarred families I don’t even know.
All this lead me to Psalm 147 tonight. Verse 1 says, “Hallelujah! How good it is to sing to our God, for praise is pleasant and lovely.” That doesn’t seem to make sense does it? The natural reaction to brokenness would seem to be anything, but singing and praising God. I’m more inclined to pray, question, complain or just enter a state of numbness. Singing and Praising?
However, in my life experiences – the times I have felt the lowest, and experienced the most pain – those where the times that singing and praising were the most helpful. There is something raw about just letting go and singing aloud to God when I hurt most that brings the greatest comfort and joy.
It seems the Psalmist had experienced that too. He continues in verse 2: “The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; He gathers Israel’s exiled people. 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” The experience that follows praise? Reconciliation and healing. Our Heavenly father responds to His children with their hands lifted high in praise as a loving parent responds when a hurt child lifts their hands and cries for help: He picks us up and binds our wounds. He heals broken hearts, He brings back the wayward, He restores sinners.
The reason He can? Verse 4 and following: “He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them. 5 Our Lord is great, vast in power; His understanding is infinite. 6 The Lord helps the afflicted but brings the wicked to the ground. 7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; play the lyre to our God, 8 who covers the sky with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, and causes grass to grow on the hills. 9 He provides the animals with their food, and the young ravens, what they cry for. 10 He is not impressed by the strength of a horse; He does not value the power of a man.” When all seems helpless and out of our reach, it’s comforting to know that our infinitely powerful and all-knowing God counts and names the stars.
Feeling broken today? Remember these truths and verse 11 “The Lord values those who fear Him, those who put their hope in His faithful love.”
- Brad
Reflections from Discovery’s Launch
Today was the culmination of a dream, and the beginning of a journey. We officially launched Discovery Church today at Farragut High School in West Knoxville. Here are a few thoughts as I reflect on the day:
- I am honored and overwhelmed at the passion and service of our volunteers. They make Discovery Church what it is. Setting up sound, lighting, video, nursery, Discovery Cafe, Discovery Kids, signs, cleaning…then tearing it down and packing it up – all to make Discovery Church and environment for people to invite their friends and family to discover life in Jesus Christ. I am privileged to be your pastor.
- I couldn’t do this. God gets and deserves all the glory. It is a testament to His infinite grace that someone like me could be used to lead this new church.
- I love our “In Rhythm” series. (The video of our service will be available Monday morning sometime.) Our first 5 weeks at Discovery are dedicated to establishing the Rhythm of our church. The Rhythm of our church is constructed by our core values and how we live them out. We started off by establishing our first, and preeminent core value: Biblical preaching and teaching that is applicable to your everyday life. I encourage you to listen to our message on why we believe Biblical authority is so important to the foundation of our church, and our own personal lives.
- The worship is great. We know that worship isn’t limited to the 25 minutes of singing…(hint we’ll talk about this next week in Part 2 of In Rhythm) but singing and music is a big part of our worship, and Brad Lowery along our band do a great job of leading us in worship.
- We’ve got to get a monitor setup in the Cafe to let everyone know when the service is starting. This is a good thing because it means people are getting connected at Discovery Cafe. Paul and Annette Woodward – along with JD and Ashley Self have created an exceptional environment were people can relax and enjoy some coffee, pastries and conversation.
- I must have received a dozen texts, tweets, Facebook notes and e-mails encouraging me from people who were lifting us up in prayer today. I even received a message from a pastor in Long Island, New York that I don’t even know. He was praying for us today. Amazing.
- I’m excited to see what comes of our 545 (5 minutes for 5 days) challenge. The 545 is a Bible study we’ve created to go along with our weekend messages to help people go deeper in the Word. The challenge has been issued for people to read the Bible daily for 30 days.
- The inclement weather was a factor, but we still had a great showing of 100 people at our first service. We’ve been averaging around 125-50 in attendance over. Another sign of God’s working as we haven’t had a marketing budget or campaign of any kind. Just personal invites and some Facebook activity. Keep investing and inviting.
- I love my wife, and all she does for me – not to mention her work with Discovery Kids.
- There is more, so much more. I’m thrilled to be on this journey. A few years ago I was sitting in North Point Community Church just north of Atlanta. I wrote a little note to myself. All it said was: “Someday, Sunday”. It was a reminder for myself that someday God would use me to plant a church where people far from God could come and discover life in Jesus Christ. Today was Sunday.
We’ll have the video and 545 Bible study online shortly.
- Brad
Popular Posts of 2010
Thanks so much for continuing to stop by and read my musings here. With 12,000+ visits in 2010 + Facebook reads here are the most read posts at www.bradraby.com:
#5 The Best $587 dollars I’ve spent
#4 Putting our money where our mouth is
# 3 Reflections from our first Discovery Service
# 2 Introducing Discovery Church
# 1 Support Logan Henry (I’m glad this is # 1)
** Also notable that this 2008 post was technically viewed 3rd most: Most misused verses in the Bible
The post that caused the most controversy? Definitely “Rightly Dividing the Truth”
Facebook and Twitter have changed blogging. They are like microblogging, and I’ve noticed that I drop my random musings there more than I do here on the Blog. That’s ok, things change. I’ve been doing this for 5 years now, and am about 450 posts and 50,000 reads in. I’m sure 2011 will bring a lot of what’s happening at Discovery Church to the site, but we’ll try to keep it fresh with good thoughts on life, leadership and ministry as well.
Thanks for reading.
- Brad
Some things sneak up on you
Today good friends of mine will say good-bye as their son leaves to enter the Air Force. I called the young soon to be Airman today to let him know I loved him and prayed for him.
I didn’t see what happened next coming, it totally surprised me. After I hung up I teared up and got emotional. In an instance my mind went to parent mode and I began to think of what it would be like in a few years when my baby girl leaves. I was for a moment in my friends shoes imagining what that day would be like when I waved goodbye in the driveway or at the airport. (I think Kleenex stock will go up a few points that day)
So, I kissed my girl and told her I loved her a few extra times this morning. It’s days like this that I am reminded to cherish the days we have. To prioritize her and my wife over all other earthly things. To spend less time worried and focused on the frivolous and more time dialed into my family.
Yes, there are times Rylee gets on your last nerve and you want a break from the whining or whatever. But…
I’ve never heard a parent regret the time they spent with their kids.
Redeem the time…
- Brad
We shouldn’t grow out of certain things
As a young child my favorite Bible verse was Psalm 56:3 which says “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.”
It is assumed that when we grow older and wiser there are certain things we ‘grow out of’. If you needed a night-light when you’re seven, it’s generally understood that you won’t need one when you’re twenty-seven – though I know some exceptions. Right now my daughter is scared to death of vacuum cleaners. She doesn’t even allow the closet door the machine is stored in to be opened. Theoretically she should grow out of that fear. (At least I hope so, so she can vacuum as one of her chores!)
While what we fear should change when we grow older, HOW we respond to fear shouldn’t. When we’re young and we encounter fear we respond by running, unapologetically and without abandon to the one who can help us. However, when we grow older, more independent, more self-conscious and more self-confident we can be hesitant to respond the right way when we’re afraid.
When you’re older it sometimes goes like this:
“When I am afraid, I will trust in me”
“When I am afraid, I will pretend I’m not”
“When I am afraid, I will learn to cope with my fear”
“When I am afraid, I will run and hide”
“When I am afraid, I will try to fix it, but if all else fails I’ll pray”
When my little girl is afraid, she runs with arms wide open to me our her mother. She doesn’t care what her little friends think or her society thinks. She doesn’t try to ‘handle’ it. She knows who to go to when she feels afraid, and comes running.
What about us? Is our Heavenly Father the last person we turn to when we are afraid? Or, do we throw our self-confidence and self-image to the wind and go running to Him?
When I am afraid, I will trust in Him!
- Brad
