Archive for David
August 16, 2008 at 12:07 am · Filed under David
It has been a great day as I got to spend it hanging out with good friend and Pastor, Joe Champion from Celebration Church in Austin Texas. Joe spoke at the Flex Men’s Conference that I attended tonite at Celebration Church of Jacksonville… Pastor Joe is a fellow LSU Tiger (There is always seem a Louisiana Connection, isnt there…) and he always seems to get me fired-up about church planting… (OK so it does not really take me much to get fired-up about that…)
Nothing quite like a bunch of men getting real before God… It has been a great time in Jacksonville as I have been able to see a lot of old friends and watch their lives continue to go to the next level in their relationship with God… The only thing that comes close to witnessing someone come to Christ, is watching someone get even closer to Him… It was great to see that happening tonite in so many guys at Celebration (young and old).
Although I will sure miss Stovall and the Celebration Crew, I am sure looking forward to getting home tomorrow, as I miss my girl (Taryn) and my two little men… Seems like a lot of travel this Summer, but I am sure looking forward to settling down for a bit to continue getting geared up for another GREAT Fall Season at DC Metro as we all watch God Move Together…
Go God!
August 14, 2008 at 6:15 pm · Filed under David
Last night I spoke at Celebration Church in Jacksonville Florida… It was a great night of worship and sharing in God’s Word… I was also able to see many many familiar faces and greet many awesome people (Family and Friends) from Taryn and I’s time in Jacksonville… It is always great to go back to Celebration Church…
It is always good to spend some time with my dear friend Pastor Stovall Weems of Celebration Church… He and his wife Kerri are non-stop supporters of “Building a God-First Culture throughout the DC Metro Area…” He always gets me pumped about the future of Celebration Church and especially DC Metro Church… Go Stovall, You Rock!
I will be heading back to DC on Saturday, but until then I am also checking out a cool men’s conference called FLEX which is held at Celebration… Sounds like it is going to be a great conference, and I’ll keep you posted…
Bless You Guys - Looking forward to a great weekend at DC Metro…
Go God!
David
July 9, 2008 at 2:43 pm · Filed under Taryn, David
I still cannot believe that Taryn and I have been married for six whole years now (and two boys…) (Together for 10!)
It seems like just yesterday I was taking here out to First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach to propose to her… (This is where the pilgrims first dedicated our country to God!, and where Taryn said “yes” to me… ) We officially dedicated our marriage to God here as well… (Aaaahhh shucks!)
Since then, it has been non-stop adventure as we have seen God do amazing things and live in amazing places… Thank God for 6 Great Years of Marriage…
To celebrate, I took her on a “dinner cruise” from Old Town Alexandria up the Potomac River to Georgetown and back down to Old Town. It was great, as we were able to see our Nation’s Capital from a new perspective as it looks so different lit up at night and looking from the water… The best part was our reflection of all the Great things that God has done in our lives and all the great people he has allowed to cross our path and do life with…
Special thanks to Taryn for 6 great years…
That is all for my mushy recap - hope you enjoy - as I know we did…
Go God!
David…
Special Thanks for the sweet photos to Dream Teamer: Heather Behlendorf
June 7, 2008 at 8:10 pm · Filed under David, DC
You ever wonder when something is a good decision or a GOD decision?
These things can be puzzling in life unless God really puts His stamp on our decisions…
I don’t know about you, but I would much rather Him make it easy on me by clearly identifying Himself in our decisions…
He always provides the right direction if we are open, check this out:
“If you want better insight and discernment… learn the importance of reverence for the Lord and of trusting Him. He shows how to distinguish right from wrong, how to find the right decision every time.” Pr. 2:5,9 (LB)
This weekend we will be talking about just that as I will be sharing a message called “Making GOoD Decisions”
Go God!
See You On Sunday…
Pastor David
June 5, 2008 at 11:34 pm · Filed under David
Like many of us, my dad and I don’t get to spend too much time together any more (Him living in Louisiana and me living in DC), so this past week we headed off to do something that he and I always did together growing up, Sailing.
Since last year we had been planning a week long Sailing Trip & Sailing School, for my birthday (BIG 33!). After a great week, I am pleased to say that our “Sea-Legs” did just fine…
We had a slow start (little rusty) but it made for a great trip as we had to take written tests in order to graduate through three levels of certification with the US Sailing Association… Between classroom times, we had extensive hands-on Sailing instruction on a 45 foot sailboat that left us pretty inspired for an even bigger-trip in the future…
Who knows, maybe we will sail around the world next…
No Worries, we are not there yet…
Thanks again for a great week Pop…
Ephesians 3:20 “He can do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ever ask or even imagine.”
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who can strengthen me.”
May 14, 2008 at 12:57 pm · Filed under David, DC
We started a series last weekend that has really got me thinking about my own Spritual Growth in Christ. We have called it Essentials: Of Life and it is all about just that, getting back to the essentials of growing spiritually in Christ which leads to renewed passion in our daily walk with Jesus…
My Dilemma
On one hand I want to grow (I desperately do) in order to get closer to God, but on the other hand I don’t want to grow because of the comfort that, as a human, I so desire (Or at least the mirage of it...) When posed with this dilemma I am often reminded to think to the past in my relationship with Jesus. As I ponder to the most memorable, rewarding, and outright - exciting times that I have had as a Christ follower - I notice a common denominator - GROWTH.
In fact, those times are full of extreme Spiritual Growth - not comfort - but rather a time of: Challenge, Change, Conviction, Committment, and Community… These are the things that led to growth, or rather, led me to a newfound level of passion for the things of God and the priority of my relationship with Him…
We all have memories of our first experiences with a Supernatural - Living God. In those experiences we may find little comfort, but much GROWTH in HIM…
Old memories are great, but I think you can hear in my voice that growth lies ahead for me, and you too…
Looking forward to a season of growth at DC Metro
Lets Grow Together!
Pastor D.
April 24, 2008 at 12:21 pm · Filed under David
Hey Guys,
Well, due to my great nurse (Taryn) and the Grace of God (Jesus), I think I may be getting over this virus and recovering well.
Special thanks to all those who have sent emails and prayed for us. (Susan Elliot - You Rock!)
Special thanks also to our great staff at DC Metro, as they have been firing away in the call of God on DC Metro Church without me for some three weeks now. You Guys Rock!
Looking forward to another great weekend as we end the iWork Series with a BIG BANG!
Until then, keep going strong as you wrap up the week Working for God!
Don’t forget He has you right where He wants you…
Acts 17:26 (NIV) 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live (and work)
Me too…
Recovering Well, Thank God!
David
April 22, 2008 at 7:40 pm · Filed under Taryn, David
That’s right, despite another great weekend at DC Metro, I am “Sickaroo!”
I don’t use that word often nor lightly, but I am feeling every bit of it right now… I have been in a slowly moving downward spiral physically since probably Saturday Morning…
This may be the sickest I have been since freshman year of college (1993) when I had a huge ear infection that almost killed me (or so I thought at the time)
My sweet wife (“T”) took me to our family doctor (Dr. Ware) Monday afternoon, where he confirmed what I had been feeling, He said “Son, You are really sick…” (aka Sickaroo!) He said that it was a virus that was going around (I hope you don’t have it!) and that it has to run its course in my ears, nose, and the worst yet - throat…
His prescription was even worse than the news of my illness. Some pink cocktail of three serious drugs to gargle (Looks like the stuff that would make you run and hide from your momma when she tried to give it to you as a kid.) Then he prescribed some Tylenol 3 which I was very thankful for (don’t worry my nurse always follows the recommended dosage.)
The final two prescriptions have been the worse for a guy like me: no being around other people (including my two super boys Isaac and Josiah!) and the other one was that I had to stay in BED! Help! Needless to say this is not the medicine that I wanted to hear, but Dr. Ward is for real and I know that he would never steer us wrong…
So all in all, I should recover (Ok – I will recover!) But until then, please keep me and the whole Stine family in your prayers (They need some divine protection not to get this nasty stuff…) also pray for Charity Benton too, she is actually an extension of our family (Friend/DCMetroer/Nanny/and part Stine) and is in the house enough to say a quick prayer for too… Pray a special blessing over my wife “She Rocks!”
Never-the-less – GOD IS GOOD! And This too will pass! (Hopefully soon!)
Love You Guys,
James 5:15 “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.”
GO GOD!
Pastor D.
April 15, 2008 at 11:28 pm · Filed under David, DC
I am away this week in Birmingham Alabama at a Pastor’s Conference for a group called the Association of Related Churches (ARC). This is a great group of churches that has come together with the common purpose of Starting New Churches (Gets me fired-up!).
DC Metro is a part of the ARC, in fact, they are one of the organizations that helped start DC Metro. Now that we are launched - it gives me great pleasure to say that we (DC Metro Church) are going to help start churches with the ARC all over the country… In fact, this year we (DCMC) are going to help plant over 40 churches in the US like DC Metro Church!!! (Now you are fired up!)
That is right 40 churches - This Year! If each church grows to 100 people in their first year - we will be impacting over 4000 people’s lives just through this one missions relationship…
We are just getting started…
GO GOD!
Pastor D.
PS - ARC Website is www.relatedchurches.com
PSS - Here is a photo of me at the conference with our very own DC Metro Children’s Director John Lee, Our Student Director David Goochee, and One of Our Presbyters Pastor Stovall Weems…
March 1, 2008 at 8:37 pm · Filed under David
Well we made it back today…
In a great trip down to visit Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Pastor Matt and I made it back to the city this morning from what could not have been a better trip… (Ok besides the fact that we drove - yes drove??? I don’t know if that part was stewardship or insanity - just kidding…) We were invited to attend a round table with about 20 other growing churches from around the country.
It was great to see all wonderful things that God has done at “Highlands” as they are very similar to DC Metro Church. A friend of mine, Pastor Chris Hodges, started “Highlands” in 2001 and in the last 6 years it has grown to over 8500 people attending a weekend service!!! Talk about - Go God!
The exciting this is that their beginnings have been very similar to ours at DC Metro - So only God knows all that He has in store for us at DC Metro Church! Lets just all continue to pray and expect that God is going to use DC Metro in an even greater way through out DC as we continue to “Build a God-First Culture Throughout The DC Metro Area!” Nehemiah 2:20
Looking forward to another great Sunday tomorrow as we kick off our newest series called Paparazzi: Snapshots of A Miracle Working God as we continue to believe God for Miracles in our lives and in throughout the DC Metro Area…
GO GOD!
David
Prayer Request I: Continue to pray for Josiah as he is doing a little bit better, but we are trusting God to heal our little man of infant acid reflux - so just continue to lift him up with us as trust God for Josiah’s Miracle too!
Prayer Request II: Also lift up another infant. The child of some friends of ours in Jacksonville (Josh and Becca Turner) is also in need of healing - Her name is Miranda Turner.
Lets believe God for some miracles for these little ones…
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