Robert Pooley

Sunday Night Wrap Up

• Thanksgving weekend at Coast... traditionally a smaller crowd... today was no exception.
• Smaller crowd with a huge heart.
• The Band really brought it today...
• We have a lot of Gator fans at Coast...  They were mostly kind to me today...  mostly.
• Someone... I do know who... put a Gator magnet on my door....  (Doh!)
• Resisting saying, "Wait till next year."
• I still had a blast a game at the game yesterday... lots of rain and a disappointing loss... but got to hang out with Hank Cobia... and that was an absolute blast.
• Got a huge nap this afternoon.
• Elf is on TV...  love that movie... not too sure about Ed Asner as Santa though... 
• Our new Christmas series, "Christmas time is here!" starts next week...  Its hard to believe its already Christmas.
• Lots of folks already signed up for Newcomer's dessert...  Can't wait.
• Christmas Luau coming up on the 10th...  December is full of cool things happening.
• One of my favorite December things is our Christmas Candlelight Communion services...  We have one at 5:00 PM and one at 11:30 PM on Christmas Eve.
• Went to Texas Roadhouse with Vicki tonight....  I needed something other than white meat.  Something not off of a bird.
• I love seeing God really moving through the people of Coast... Just this week, I saw many examples of people reaching out to help those in need around them.
• The key to meeting needs is first being aware...  We have to open our eyes.  If we will open our eyes and be open to being used by God...  He will show us places where we can show His love all around us.  They are all around.
• Fun seeing the lights go on with people on Sunday mornings...  There are just those moments where you can see people really getting it.
• We have tons of children at Coast...  they are everywhere...  And our Children's ministry team is doing an awesome job!   Pray for them... they are constantly adapting... and with the growth are alway looking for more team members.
• I can't believe that I get to do what I do for a living... its such a joy and a privelege to do what I do.   Thank you Jesus... and thank you Coast!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I just wanted to take a moment and say thanks...

First... thanks to God for everything you have done.  There is no one like you.  You transformed my life and I am so grateful.  Thanks for leading and guiding me every day.  Every good thing in my life is because of you.

Thanks to my Coast family...  What an amazing group of people you are...    Thanks for all you do for  the kingdom of God...  You truly have servant hearts.  Together, we are making a difference in our community.

Thanks to all our missionaries.  I am so thankful for you.  You unselfish sacrifice and commitment encourages me more than you could ever realize.

Thank you to the staff of Coast.   You guys make every week rock.  You are amazing leaders and a total inspiration to me.

Thank you to my family...  You make it fun!  Thanks for you love and support...  You make my life full!

I hope each of you have an amazing Thanksgiving!

Sunday night wrap up

• It was a crazy busy week...  my last blog update was a Sunday night post...  that's rare, will do better this week.
• Today at Coast was great.  Enegy was way high... lots of new faces.
• The band was cranking today... loved the Delirous song "Solid Rock."   Wow!
• Really good crowd today...  Expected numbers to be down because of holiday... but even though we had a lot of people out... a lot.... our numbers were still up.  Thats a good sign.
• Loved the weather today... I was expecting it to be freezing outside but it was perfect.
• Great living in Florida.
• Vicki is making quiche tonight... if I eat it and like it will I lose my man card?
• I don't care...  I like quiche...  Wanna fight about it?
• Man, Florida State came out to play last night...  They put an old fashioned whooping on Maryland.  Not sure where that team has been all week... but hope they come back next week for sure.
• By the way, I have Florida State - Florida tickets for Saturday... Thanks Tucker!
• Felt a little flat as I started my message today... but was much better by the close.  Tough topic today... we talked about finances...  I believe it was a word for the season.
• I crashed hard after lunch...  I mean mind numbing, where in the world am I, kind of napping.
• Did I mention that the band was really rocking it today... they showed up and just flat out laid it down today...    and God showed up...  I think he loves to rock out too...
• Busy week coming up...  but I got to tell you... I love Thanksgiving time...  I have so much to be thankful... I am blessed way beyond what I deserve.
• Praying for the people in our area... One of our companies, Solutia, which used to be Monsanto just laid off over 500 people.
• Believing God will show Himself strong during these uncertain times.
• Going to hang out with the teens tonight.  Jordy is talking about thanksgiving.  Fun being at Coast with teenagers running everywhere...  not even sure where they all come from... but what a great group of teens.
• I love what I do...  I'm a blessed man... who pastors a church of really great folks, with a really rocking band!

Sunday Night Wrap Up

• Great day today.... only two casualties...
• Two of our teens tonight collided during a spirited game of Capture the flag...  stitches were required.
• No, I didn't do the stitches...
• The morning was awesome... continuing our "Frequently Asked Questions" series.
• Today we talked about a tough one...  "Why isn't life fair?"
• Kind of like jumping in the deep water... but God really met us there and a lot of people said they were walking away with a new understanding on this difficult subject.
• Gary and Beth and the worship team were cranking today... David Bolton jumped off the second keyboard slot and played bass today... loved it... 
• We have so many talented people at Coast!
• I quoted a Mudcrutch lyric in church today...  I bet a lot of you don't even know who Mudcrutch is...
• I'm a litle frustrated with college football right now...  I could rant a little bit about my team, FSU losing sight of what being a team means... but I'm not going to right now... If you want to hear my thoughts, you can ask me.
• And since I'm not going to rant about them right now, I don't want you to either... remember I monitor and approve my comments.
• Right now my Redskins are beating the Cowboys for the second time this year...  That is feeling good, but the games not over yet...  so I'm not gloating.
• If you're not following me on twitter you can change that by clicking here.
• I'm really enjoying twitter... its a challenge sometimes... but I love the interaction.
• I'm tired... its been a long week.
• Pray for Taylor who had open heart surgery... He needs to come off the breathing machine.  Pray that God would strengthen his lungs.
• Looking forward to my day off tomorrow... 

Does it ever get easier?

  This morning I was talking with someone at the church...  and I was telling them about Proverbs 3:56 which says, "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight."

And we began to talk to about what a difficult thing this is to do... trusting God with all your heart...  and not depending on our own understanding.

See, here's the rub.  From the time you were little, your parents taught you to be independent... to think for yourself... to do for yourself... to one day be out "on your own."  But the truth is, since I became a follower of Christ many years ago, I haven't been anywhere out on my own... God has always been with me.

But inside us is this inborn sense of independence...  "I will only get God involved when I can't figure it out for myself." Not a good strategy.  So the problem is we are naturally, in the flesh, going to lean to our understanding in most situations... where God says to trust in Him, not our own understanding, acknowldege Him in all our ways... and then He will make our path straight.  He will set our feet moving in the right direction.

Galatians 5, where Paul tells us about the fruit of the Spirit, also tells us that the spirit and flesh are in constant battle... and he lists the works of the flesh... our own understanding... and the fruit of the Spirit... trusting in God.

The overwhelming results are in God's favor every time... but its really hard!

My friend this morning asked me, "Does it ever get easier?"  My first response was no...  I am always going to be fighting this battle between the flesh and the spirit until I am with Jesus in eternity.  But then I thought... really it has gotten easier.

Becuase the truth is, I have a track record built up with God over the years.  I have seen with my own eyes the results of when I trust Him, compared to when I try to do it my way.  So because of that, I don't have to convince myself anymore that God is trustworthy... I have experienced His faithfulness. 

The bible says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good."  He is good.  He can be trusted.

So here's my question for you today...  "Where are you when it comes to trusting God with ALL of your heart and not leaning on your own understanding?"  Are you winning the battle of the spirit versus the flesh. 

You can...  I'm pulling for you!

Pre-service music

Just a quick survey for my ministry friends...  What do you play for pre-service music at your church.

Last Sunday our list looked like this

1. Gotta Serve somebody  Nicole Nordemon
2. The Blessing John Waller 
3. Lone Ranger   Nate Sallie 
4. Stars (acoustic)  Switchfoot 
5. This is who I am  Third Day 
6. I'm letting go   Francesca Battistelli 
7. What I've done  Lincoln Park 
8. How great is our God   Hillsong London 
9. Let go of me  Nate Sallie 
10. Sometimes you can't make it on your own   U2 
11. Take me  (I'll take you there)  Mike Farris 
12. My soul longs for you   Misty Edwards
13. Today is the day  Lincoln Brewster 
14. Change  Taylor Swift   
15.  Revelation  Third Day

 This changes every week, no two weeks are the same... and some weeks we just throw on the Rippintons for a cool jazz feel... what do you do?

What's playing

My friend Fred McKinnon on his blog asked us to do something fun.  He said grab your ipod and hit shuffle (which is random music) and write down the top five songs that come up... I did ten... here they are...  Oddly enough, my ipod is actually much more eclectic than this.

1. Bell Bottom Blues Eric Clapton (No, he’s not God… but God was showing off when he made him.)
2. Love Addict Family Force 5
3. God with us Mercy Me
4. The Story Brandi Carlisle
6. Everybody knows a little bit of something King’s X
7. Typical Mute Math
8. We won’t be quiet David Crowder Band
9. Dazed and confused Led Zeppelin
10. In your atmosphere John Mayer

Wrong thing

Today as Vicki and I were cruising around, we were listening to the new "Mudcrutch" album and there was a lyric in one of the songs that said, "It was the wrong thing to do, and I don't care."

As soon as that lyric came on, I thought, "Man, I have been hearing this a lot lately."  I know you are probably thinking that I hear that a lot from non-believers... from people who haven't stepped across the line and become Christ followers.  The truth is, I'm hearing it a lot from people who consider themselves brothers and sisters in Christ.

Now, before we go too far with this, I need to tell you... I believe in grace.  God's grace keeps me going... I am so grateful for His forgiveness, His mercy, and His grace. 

But sometimes I think Christians act like they think they can do anything they want because they are under grace...  In other words, I can do what I want, because God will forgive me.  An old Pastor friend used to call it "greasy grace." 

The apostle Paul talks about this in this last part of chapter 5 of the book of Romans...  And in verse 20 he says to us that where sin abounds... grace much more abounds.  And then in chapter 6, starting at verse 1, he writes, "What shall we say then?   Shall we go go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means.  We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?"

Strong words! 

Years ago when I was a Youth Pastor on staff at another church, my Senior Pastor taught me a very difficult thing...  People are going to do what people are going to do.  In other words... we teach, we counsel, we reach out, and we love... but ultimately people are going to do what they want.

Tom Petty and Mudcrutch sing, "It was the wrong thing to do and I don't care."

So, here's what I'm pondering... what would happen if we as believers really lived in the idea that we are dead to sin?  I ask you, would your life be different?

I'm keeping this post short, so I won't spend a lot of time on this... but what about the consequences of our actions?

If I went out drinking tonight, (by the way, I haven't had a drink in years) but lets say for discussion sake that I went out drinking tonight and got drunk.  And lets say that I got into a car and drove and wound up in a car accident... and in that car accident I lost my arm.   Would God forgive me?  Yes, of course He would.  Would there be grace?  Most definitely.   Would I still be missing my arm?  Yes, that would be one of the consequences of my actions...

Somewhere in our understanding of grace, I sometimes think we have lost sight of the fact that as believers we are dead to sin.  I think that many believe they can live in whatever manner they want and they are ok, because they are covered by grace.

In the book of Galatians the apostle Paul writes, "You my brothers were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature."

You are dead to sin...  What do you say we pursue the meaning of that?  What do you say we pray for a Holy Spirit revelation of that in our life?  I think if we could do that... we might open the door to an exciting move of God in our life... 

What do you say?

Sunday Night Wrap Up

• Great day at Coast Today... lots of new faces...  I love meeting all the new people God is bringing to Coast.
• Had a blast leading the worship team today...  brings out the old rocker still left inside me.
• We rocked it...   and the presence of God was very strong.
• Enjoying the Frequently Asked Questions series...  already very excited about next week.
• Next week we will be talking about "Why isn't life fair?"
• Hung out with the teens tonight at CSM...   We have such a great group of teens...
• Teens are nuts!  In a fun kind of way... 
• I had a strong nap today... it was one of those naps where the game was playing.. and I was interested in watching and yet, the eyes would not stay open... I crashed hard.
• Waffle House after CSM with daughter Leanna...  Patty melt time.
• Was a good football weekend for me after the heartbreaking loss to Georgia Tech last week.
• Leanna is lobbying pretty hard for a dog.  She loves the Papillons...  They are all ears.
• Going to be a rocking Christmas season at Coast.
• Looking forward to a good full week... off tomorrow... then hanging with staff on Tuesday!
• It just all keeps getting better and better.

Quote of the Day

"This is the true joy in life: being used for a mighty purpose, being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die. Life is no brief candle. It's a splendid torch which I hold for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."

George Bernard Shaw