Three for One

"To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to? As for an idol,a craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. A man too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple." Isaiah 40:18-20 We are all wrapped up in this move. The Internet is turned off. This post is brought to you by my iPhone and a pair of thumbs that are no match for a speedy teenager. This post will stand in for yesterday, today and tomorrow. Try to remain calm. More consistent posts will follow and the daily schedule should resume Sunday. Isaiah brings two more outstanding questions to the table, more to chew on. Nothing compares to God. Nothing is worthy to stand in as His image. He can not be replicated. Men do their best, trading the Living God for substitutes less demanding, altogether more manageable, something we can manipulate with our human hands. But our God is no mute idol. Success, Beauty, Wealth, Fame and Security, all of these things we worship, making tremendous sacrifices along the way. But every single one of them is fleeting, failing. At Broadway, I pray we can grow together as a people who sacrifice for the glory and honor of the Living God above all else. And may we learn to live lives of service in our community exposing false gods as we point people to the One and Only I am.

What Are We Worth?

"Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing."
Isaiah 40:16

We all make value judgments. 
Is that car worth the price tag?
Is that trophy worth the time and energy?
Is that trip worth the effort?

What are we worth?
I had a great professor at ACU that taught me a lot about early American Literature.  One of his favorite lectures revolved around the influence of colonial religious beliefs on poetry and prose in those early years of American history.  He directed us to the hymnal at one point for a profound visual aid, a hymn written by Isaac Watts in 1707:

Alas! And did my Savior bleed?
And did my Sovereign die?
Would he devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

This is the first stanza... sobering stuff, huh?  We are as worms.  That is our value.  Is that the pick-me-up you needed today?  Dr. Harper brought us to this song with a purpose though, and so does Isaiah.  Our worthless estate is an important revelation if we are ever to understand the amazing grace of God.  That sacred head for our sorry souls?!  What a deal!

God knew exactly what he was doing, though.  It's true; He regarded us as worthless, as less than nothing, but He wasn't willing to leave us that way, so He changed our fortunes forever with the sacrifice of His Son and the gift of His Spirit.  Now, we are His children, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the Body of Christ.  At Broadway, may we learn to rejoice everyday in this gift and live a life worthy of the calling we have received, to prove valuable for the Master who paid so precious a price for our freedom.

The Score

"Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings."
Isaiah 40:16

Our worship is not enough.
In the great exchange, His blessing for ours, we can never even the score.
But, many of us try.

We think we've been to church three times this week; we've earned the right to have a little fun Friday night.  We reason that we've tithed for years; why should it matter how we spend our extra cash? We figure that we've been good most of our life; what's the real harm of a wild week in Vegas?

And the real danger isn't in the deed as much as it is the deal-maker mindset.  God didn't need dead sheep anymore than he needs a little extra cash in the collection plate.  But anyone bargaining with God has missed the point entirely.  God's grace is so great, his blessings so abundant that our offerings are never enough to settle the score.  We offer our sacrifices, the time, the talent, and the treasure at our disposal, because we love the Lord.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21)

This is a promise just as surely as it's a fact.  And we should realize worship and sacrifice is not only an opportunity to see where our heart lies, but also an opportunity to tell our heart where we want it to go.  May God continually grow in us at Broadway hearts that worship with everything we've got, not to even the score, but to sincerely love the Lord.

Weightlifting at Broadway

"Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust."
Isaiah 40:15

I noticed on Facebook yesterday that there is a mighty man among us.
Cody Nelson won some hardware at the Firefighter Olympics this past weekend; four hundred thirty-five pounds on the bench press! We could have put the entire Rogers family in buckets on either end of the bar, and Cody might have mustered the strength to lift us from the ground.  That blows my mind!

And as impressive as that is, Isaiah says we could summon all the nations of the earth, and they'd be like a drop in the bucket for the LORD! Of course, when was the last time you were looking to pick up Canada? It's not like we even think about that sort of thing.  We're too busy with our own heavy-lifting.  We carry the weight of great expectations, disappointments, failures, stress and worry, illness, heartache, and sin.  The sad thing is, so many carry on as if there's no one stronger in the room. 

Surrounded by a world of weary weightlifters, Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

The strongest one who ever walked the face of the earth offers a trade... your burdens for his, and it's not a trick.  His burden is light, because sin, worry and sickness have no staying power there.  Christ carried those things to the cross and left them in the tomb.  They have power over us no longer. 

There is love that came for us
Humbled to a sinner's cross
He broke my shame and sinfulness
He rose again, victorious


Faithfulness none can deny
Through the storm and through the fire
There is truth that sets me free
Jesus Christ, who lives in me


You are stronger, You are stronger
Sin is broken, You have saved me
It is written: Christ is risen
Jesus, you are Lord of all


No beginning and no end
You're my hope and my defense
You came to seek and save the lost
You paid it all upon the cross


You are stronger, you are stronger
Sin is broken, you have saved me
It is written: Christ is risen
Jesus, you are Lord of all


So, let Your name be lifted higher,
be lifted higher, be lifted higher

This is the only lifting we have to do.  It's our job to see that the Name of Jesus is high and lifted up for all to see.  May Broadway come to be known as a place where burdens are lifted for all as Christ is exalted in wholehearted worship and prayer.

Our Faithful Guide

"Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,
or showed him the path of understanding?"
Isaiah 40:14

Too many of us live our lives here in a relentless tug of war to seize control and lead the way.
Through the years, I've ministered to my fair share of stubborn mules teens.  I've counseled parents in my office at their wit's end, because their son or daughter is so "strong-willed" they can't see eye to eye. 

Among my favorite weeks in ministry have been the ten wilderness trek experiences I've shared with teens and their parents.  On one of those great adventures, we were set to hike to the summit of Mount Hope in Colorado, a peak that rises to around 13,960'.  I had with me a motley crew from Montgomery, low-land city dwellers accustomed to life at around 300' above sea level.  The week was a struggle.  I'll never forget how things began, at the precipice of a mountain, rappelling.  Taylor was paralyzed by fear.  As she stood there harnessed, her heart racing, she could not bring herself to back down the cliff.  A storm rolled in rescuing her, putting an end to the rappel that day, but the storm did not rescue her from the mountain and the grueling hike that waited for us the next day.  The storm didn't rescue her from the steep approach to the summit three days later.  Along the way, God taught Taylor to trust Him.  At the end of the week, she walked down that mountain with a different perspective entirely.  She was no longer barking demands for the Divine.  She had learned to trust the Lord, even in hard times through the peaks and valleys, knowing that God's counsel is sure. 

Teens and parents need someone wiser for the way, but first, the hearing-impaired must humble themselves.  We have to know the answer to these questions Isaiah offers up, and we must meet our Savior with ears eager to listen.  May God continually grow in us at Broadway a desire to listen to Him, our Faithful Guide.

The Counselor

"Who has understood the mind of the Lord,
or instructed him as his counselor?"
Isaiah 40:13

I know some brilliant people, but God is an entirely different league.
Think about it.
God was the one who worked out the math on the circumference of the earth.
It was God who penned the best-selling book of all time.
Who built the periodic table of elements? That's right, God Almighty.
There's not a subject he can't handle, so why do we act as if he needs our counsel?

Peter played the fool.
Jesus made his intentions known, unveiling the plan that the Messiah would be the Suffering Servant.  While Jesus' words were still hanging in the air, Peter pulled him aside to rebuke him.  Jesus looked at the other disciples, then gave Peter the tongue-lashing of his life: "Get behind me, Satan.  You have in mind the things of man, not the things of God." (Mark 8)

Our minds are home to a host of selfish thoughts and wicked intentions.  The mind of God is altogether holy.  Offering Him advice, working with the broken-down processor I've got at my disposal... that's crazy.  The only sane thing we can do is choose to honor Him as Lord and Master.  From Heaven, He can see it all.  We should be honored and overjoyed that He has offered to serve as our Counselor... and we should listen.

The really cool thing is that something changes in us as we listen, the renewing of our mind.  And while we never grow so wise to play counselor to The Counselor, we do learn to think like Him.  May God teach us to listen so that He might grow in all of us at Broadway a beautiful mind set not on the things of man, but the things of God.

Life's Q&A

"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in the balance?"
Isaiah 40:12

At times, we really need to wrestle with questions from the Lord, don't we?
When we get too big for our britches, when we forget our place, when we forget our God, questions like these wrest us from our stupor and restore us to sanity.

Jesus asks the best questions:
To his eager disciples, resolute to follow him wherever he might lead, whatever the threat, he asks, "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" (Matthew 20)
To teachers of the law blinded by their self-righteous pursuit, he asks, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" (Mark 3)
To his disciples, faced with the overwhelming thought of feeding 4,000 people in a remote place, he asked, "How many loaves do you have?" (Mark 8)

Perhaps the greatest question of all came in Mark 8, as Jesus gathered his disciples to talk. 
He first asked, "Who do people say I am?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

Peter had an answer ready.  He rose to the occasion.
During the lunch hour in Decatur, Alabama yesterday we polled the people on the street.
We asked them this very question, and most of them were tongue-tied.  I was surprised at how many Christians struggled to articulate their faith, to answer this question with confidence.  That's a shame.  The church, the people inhabited by the Holy Spirit should be ready at any moment to give a reason for the hope that we have.  Are you?

Give it a shot with a reply right here... Who is this Jesus?  

God's Holy Heart

“He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.”
Isaiah 40:11

This is quite the conundrum. Our God is mighty and merciful.  Our world doesn’t know many who live with that kind of character.  Most who are mighty use their power to serve their own interests.  Most who are merciful lack the might to affect great change.  God has a holy heart.

The picture painted here is of one who carries the young and leads their parents.  Anyone interested in signing up for that kind of leadership?  We have an invitation.

God wants to be more than a subject we discuss or a distinguished guest we entertain.  He wants to carry us in our youth and lead us as we learn to stand in our own faith.  He is the Good Shepherd and, according to John 10, His sheep know His voice.  He wants to be so much more than a historical figure or a gift-giver.  He wants us all to know the sound of his holy heartbeat and grow up with a heart that beats like His. 

How would life under your roof be different if this was your family's highest priority? 
What would you do differently today? 
What are you waiting for?

God With Power

"See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him."
Isaiah 40:10

Cars come with tires.
Burgers come with fries.
The Sovereign LORD comes with power.

We can't imagine a car at the dealership without tires.
It's near impossible to imagine McDonald's announcing they've discontinued the sale of french fries with their hamburgers.  But, we really struggle sometimes to remember that the Sovereign LORD comes with power, all the power we'll ever need.

In the midst of a trying moment, when hope seems lost, when life feels like a lost cause, we need to see the LORD for who He really is.  Twice, Isaiah makes the appeal, "See!"  That is because our worry and anxiety is never a result of God's absence; our eyes have drifted.  Peter was walking on water until he saw the winds and the waves.

At Broadway, I pray that we can heed these words from Hebrews 12, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." The prescription from scripture for the weary soul is a good look at Jesus.  To borrow a line from a popular contemporary Christian song by Misty Edwards, "He's not a baby in a manger anymore.  He's not a broken man on the cross.  He didn't stay in the grave, and He's not staying in Heaven forever.  People get ready."  This is the best news of all: This God With Power is determined to be God With Us.

Loud Faith in a Noisy World

"You who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
'Here is your God!'"

These were the songs of my childhood:
"Tiptoe, tiptoe in God's House"
"The Lord is in His Holy Temple, Let all the earth keep silent before Him..."
"Be still and know that I am God"

Looking back on that experience, and those songs in particular, I'm curious.  Were we really that difficult to manage? These songs are almost hypnotic in their nature, soothing, soft and simple.  They were sung with one aim in mind, silence.  I'm not bitter, and as the father of three little ones, I understand the need for silence, but I wonder if we haven't made it hard for a generation to heed these words from Isaiah.

I wonder, is our problem in the church today that we have too many loud people who don't know when to be quiet, or is the greater issue that we have too many who remain silent when something needs to be said?  The call from Isaiah is a call to boldness. 

The truth is, we live in a noisy world.  This old line from a Rich Mullins song rings true: "The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the Giver of all good things."  The air is saturated with the sound of commercials and advertisements.  For a generation with headphones permanently in place, music all too often isolates us from the ones we love instead of uniting us, but our world is in desperate need of good news.  A noisy world is in need of a loud faith, a cry from the mountain top that our God is here.  May God grow in us at Broadway a resolve to raise our voices above the noise and give a world of overwhelmed teens and their parents the good news.  Our God is here, and He deserves to be heard.

When All Else Fails

"'The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever.'"
Isaiah 40:8

Look around you today.  What's not perishing?  What's not destined for destruction?
I love the landscape and the architecture at Texas Tech.  I'm sure most who visit the campus walk away impressed by it all, the masonry, the stunning arches, the seemingly endless acres of red-tiled roofs.  It's not uncommon to come upon someone on campus frozen in time, mesmerized by the majestic beauty of the buildings and grounds, camera in hand.  Imagine making it a point to approach someone so awe-struck to say, "You know, this is all gonna be rubble soon."  

After Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, He went with his disciples to the Temple.  There he was tested and tried by the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  Yet, He spoke so powerfully, so profoundly that they were silenced.  "As they left the Temple, one of his disciples said to him, 'Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!'"

"'Do you see all of these great buildings?,' replied Jesus.  'Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.'"

What followed must have been an overwhelming revelation for the disciples.  The Temple, Jerusalem, all of the THINGS they held holy and dear would be reduced to rubble.  The end was near.  Jesus held nothing back.  He warned of Jerusalem's destruction in graphic detail.  Then, he pointed to one solitary, enduring hope they could hold to.

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

This is our great consolation in a world that's wasting away.  The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word that brought this world into being, the Word that became flesh and made His dwelling among us, the Word that is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, this Word stands and cannot be shaken.

For teens and parents overwhelmed by loss and grief, this is the good news.  The Word still stands and we can hold to it even when all else fails.

A Great Gardener

"'The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.'"
Isaiah 40:7

I don't really like this, but it's true, and most of us seldom stop to smell the roses.
They're dying... the flowers in their fields, parents on their exercise equipment, teenagers in their skinny jeans.  Everything is perishing, because we traded the glory of God for a shot at equality.

It happened in the garden where flowers are planted to grow and bloom.  Adam and Eve were deceived.   They had walked with the LORD, but it wasn't enough.  They wanted to be like Him, knowing it all, having it all, ruling it all.  We make the same mistake, because we forget ourselves.  The great gift of a word like this from the prophet, Isaiah, is that it's sobering.  Drunk on our own ambition, we need this sobering truth to bring us back to the Way, the Truth, the Life.

In another garden, on the third day, Mary went to the tomb.  Seeing it empty, her eyes filled with tears and she turned to leave, but she saw a man standing there and supposed he was the gardener, the one who tended the fading flowers.  It was and He had good news to share.  Surely the people are grass, but just as surely our God is a Great Gardener.

Like West Texas Grass

"A voice says, 'Cry out.'
And I said, 'What shall I cry?'
'All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.'"
Isaiah 40:6

The glory of God is everlasting; ours has a shelf life.
That truth escapes us sometimes.  Then, at other moments, we know it painfully well.

In my college years I had a head of hair so thick, birds longed to nest in my manly mane.  That was, of course, forbidden.  But, a curious thing started to happen just after I got married at 22 years young.  It was the recession of 2001.  My hair started thinning, and then portions of my scalp that had never before seen the light of day were abandoned, exposed to the elements.  Today, my hair is altogether endangered.  I've learned to live with it and embrace it, but I know there's no going back.  Those glorious days are behind me.

This is one of the great things about God.  Though our glory fades, He is constant.  We are like West Texas grass, here in June, burnt and brown in July.  Good thing God isn't stingy with His glory.

For the Mouth of the LORD Has Spoken

"'And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.'"
Isaiah 40:5

Babe Ruth shocked the sports world when he brazenly called his shot in the 1932 World Series.

Broadway Joe stunned reporters when he guaranteed a victory in Super Bowl III.

Both men are remembered for their boasting, but only because they proved faithful.

God called his shot, the rescue of His people, and He hasn't retired.

What about Broadway Amy or Broadway Michael?  

How about Broadway Scott or Broadway Nan?

Where is the boasting teen, the bragging parent?

"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord..."
I can point to more than a few significant moments in my life when I was blessed to behold the awesome glory of God, atop a mountain in Colorado, walking away from the NICU with each of our baby girls, seeing a friend miraculously healed from cancer, on a mission trip last summer when the Lord directed our steps to answer prayers two estranged sisters had been praying for years.

In moments like these, everything meaningless in the world fades into the background.  It's a revelation.  Scales fall from our eyes, the veil is lifted and we see clearly the Almighty God who has been among us all along.  It's better than a buzzer-beater, more impressive than a jaw-dropping catch or a perfect game, and it begs to be shared.

When the glory of the Lord breaks out among us, we become witnesses, but what good is a witness if she refuses to speak, too busy or timid to testify?
The mouth of the Lord has spoken, but His people?
Most of us carry on from day to day as if we have nothing to say.

May God grow in all of us together at Broadway a greater willingness to testify to His glory, to point to His precious promises in scripture as guarantees and watch him deliver.  For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Nothing Will Stand in His Way

"'Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough places shall become level,
and the rugged places a plain.'"
Isaiah 40:4

In the nearly seven years we spent East of the Mississippi River in Montgomery, Alabama we made about twenty trips back home.  Every time, the road was long.  Once we made the trip in 17 hours, 37 minutes.  More than once, it took us considerably longer than that.

Every time we made the trip, there was one section of the journey that took my breath away.
It wasn't the Mississippi River, though we literally played the "Hold Your Breath Game" over that bridge many times.  It wasn't the miles of pine-lined highway in West Alabama.  It wasn't the Texas state line, though we never failed to burst into song upon crossing over into the promised land.  No, it was Roscoe.

Just as you leave I-20 and merge onto U.S. Hwy 84, the whole earth goes flat... every valley raised up, every mountain made low, rough places made level, rugged places made perfectly plain.  The new wind turbines have somewhat diminished the effect, but God's handiwork still stirs my heart. 

Have you ever tried to level a rugged landscape? Ask Tim Oliver or Alex Scarborough to enlighten you on how frustrating and exhausting that work can be.  Either you've got to have a lot of man power or some impressive horsepower.  Thank the Lord, our way home rests in His power.

Lubbock's picturesque plain, every stunning sunset is a reminder that our God has a heart to be with His people.  He is resolved to have a reunion and nothing will stand in His way.  We make it complicated.  We make it difficult.  The Pharisees fouled it up, but the Lord likes it simple.  I pray we can learn to love the lost with the same purity and passion.

The Way in the Wilderness

"A voice of one calling:
'In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.'"
Isaiah 40:3

Have you ever watched a highway crew do work? My dad grew up in Vernon, Texas.  As a teenager he worked with his uncle on a construction crew building roads.  He spent more than his fair share of hot days on the highway raising the roads so many of us take for granted. 

I remember one day, when we were cruising down the highway, my dad asked me, "How long do you think those dotted lines are there on the road?"
I took a good hard look... "Three feet?" I guessed.
"Nope, ten feet," he said.
"TEN FEET!" I shouted, "No way."
From my seat, flying down the highway at 65 mph, I had lost perspective.
My dad, on the other hand, knew every inch of that 10 foot stripe.

Our Father in Heaven, He knows every inch of the road we travel, too.
And that goes for every single one of us.
This is no pint-sized promise Isaiah is given. 
God promised a highway, and He has delivered.

When we find ourselves overwhelmed by grief,
when our neighbors' knees buckle under the burdens they carry,
when our friends are frustrated and confused...
Lord, help us remember these words and the Way you marked out for us in this wilderness. 

It Is Finished.

"Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
double for all her sins."
Isaiah 40:2

My experience working with teenagers has taught me this: No matter how hard you try, you never know all that a kid is going through.  I could tell you stories of teens we've worked with in ministry who lived in settings with circumstances that would absolutely blow your mind.  They endured much.  Everyday life was a struggle, yet these kids went to school with everyone else, sat in the cafeteria with everyone else, smiled for yearbook pictures like everyone else. 

My wife, Martha was one of those kids as a teenager.  Life was really hard around the time she tried out for her 8th grade basketball team.  She was a good athlete; she made the team and spent a lot of time on the court.  But, after a frustrating loss her coach lined everyone up on the court and started running them.  Back and forth they went for what seemed like hours, until finally, Martha had enough.  She sat down in the middle of the court.  Her coach was incensed, her eyes like lasers, her nostrils flaring.  She opened her mouth and breathed a fiery rebuke, but Martha just sat there.  She said, "I'm done." The standoff sent the coach fuming out of the gym.  Practice was over.  It was finished.

Teenagers need to know the soul-satisfying sound of these words Jesus spoke from the cross... "It is finished."  Isaiah's commission meant the end of a long exile, the long awaited conclusion to their pain and suffering.  What about our commission? Can we speak tenderly to a generation of teens and their families overwhelmed by struggle?  What do we have to say?

The Cry of Our Harried Hearts

"'Comfort, comfort my people,' says your God." - Isaiah 40:1

Comfort is a billion-dollar industry.  Mattresses go by the name of Select Comfort.  A successful hotel chain bears the name, Comfort Suites.  At the end of a hard day, we don't sit down with celery, we reach for comfort food.  Comfort is the cry of our harried hearts... a cry the world has a crafty way of answering. 

Counterfeit comfort comes in a host of different shapes and sizes: a purchase, a vacation, a pill.
But true comfort is the gift of God, a promise of presence commended to us by a curious name...
The Comforter.

Jesus Christ, God-With-Us, walked this earth.
"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:36)

His people were hurting, heartbroken and heavy-laden.
Isaiah was commissioned to carry them comfort.
Jesus had compassion on them.

Our world is home to countless hurting, heartbroken and heavy-laden teens.
Their parents shoulder their burdens and suffer right along with them.
How do we faithfully answer the call to carry them comfort?

A Time 2 Thrive

We believe the word of God is living and active.  We believe there are truths in scripture so brilliant, so beautiful that a humble heart to heart with the Holy Spirit can refresh us, revive us and renew our minds.  As we've prayed about direction and inspiration in these days leading up to our arrival in Lubbock, the Lord has set our hearts on Isaiah 40.  For 31 days leading up to my first day on the job in the Hub City, we want to invite everyone at Broadway to join us in praying through Isaiah 40, one verse at a time.  We're hoping this blog can serve as a place to share insights, revelations and prayers.  Everyone is welcome to join the discussion; the more, the merrier.  My simple prayer will be this, that God will bless us all as we seek to find our way for ministry and a life together that honors Him and realizes His great dream for us as His people.

I hope you'll make it a habit to stop in and share the word with us.