. . . to attend our Fall Retreat, November 4 – 5.  This trip is for 6 – 12 grade students.  I am so excited that my oldest daughter Abbey (6th grade) can finally attend a trip sponsored by Exit Seven Youth Ministry!  Why?   Nothing can change a teenager quicker than a spiritual retreat.  In two days away, God can do amazing things in a student’s heart and build life-long relationships.

This year, my friend Chad Hutton will be speaking.   Chad knows how to connect with teenagers, and he has a passion to fill them with Jesus.   DTR is a group of on-fire young men who will lead our students in worship.   This is a great line-up for a special weekend.

The payment of $65 is due on October 12.   If you have trouble coming up with these funds, contact me or Pastor David.   I want as many teenagers as possible to attend this life-changing weekend.

Larry McCrary with Upstream Collective will be speaking tonight in our mid-week service.  Larry is based out of Germany, and his ministry encourages all Christians to think and act like missionaries.

I traveled to Turkey with Larry earlier this year, so it will be exciting to welcome my friend to CIL for the first time.

. . . I’ve heard in a long time came from a NPR report today about oil production in America.   If the following prediction is true, it will be an incredible boost to our ecomomy, national security and the American worker in coming decades.

Amy Myers Jaffe of Rice University says in the next decade, new oil in the US, Canada and South America could change the center of gravity of the entire global energy supply. “Some are now saying, in five or 10 years’ time, we’re a major oil-producing region, where our production is going up,” she says.  The US, Jaffe says, could have 2 trillion barrels of oil waiting to be drilled. South America could hold another 2 trillion. And Canada? 2.4 trillion. That’s compared to just 1.2 trillion in the Middle East and north Africa.  Jaffe says those new oil reserves, combined with growing turmoil in the Middle East, will “absolutely propel more and more investment into the energy resources in the Americas.”  

You can listen or read the full article hear: http://www.npr.org/2011/09/25/140784004/new-boom-reshapes-oil-world-rocks-north-dakota

I’m starting my day this morning with a vanilla cappuccino, which I don’t drink often.   The first cappuccino I ever had was at Heathrowe Airport in London in 1994 as a freshman in college.  I was stuck at the airport, not able to get on a flight.   I met a British, college-age girl during a bomb threat who offered to buy me a “cappuccino.”   This was during the pre-Starbucks revolution in the United States, so I didn’t know what a cappuccino was.  I played it cool, and said “sure” like I was an expert at coffee drinks.  This drink seemed exotic, European and a unique cultural experience.  I had a nice, innocent conversation with this young lady, and never saw her again.

This morning I fixed a very tasty cappuccino by myself in an inexpensive machine at the office.  Gourmet coffee drinks are as common as McDonald’s, which offers a wide variety of them.  In 1994 I didn’t have a cell phone (very few did),  so I remember using calling cards at the pay phone to update my parents on my flight situation, as they waited at their house by the land-line.  I didn’t have an e-mail account and their wasn’t even a uniform internet browser to host things like My Space, Facebook or Twitter.    Texting was incomprehensible.     A college student today could meet a new friend, and could use the iphone “bump” app to instantly exchange information, and they could network dozens of different ways.

Many things around us do not change quickly or noticeably.   A tree grows slowly.   A traditional downtown squares remains basically the same for decades.  A bridge has been used 70 years.   Those physical constants can make us feel like things are not changing much.  However, when we look at non-physical things like technology, globalism and ideas, we are changing more rapidly than we can comprehend.

I used to read this Scripture right before I took the stage to preach.

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,” – I Timothy 1:12 (NIV)

Though that’s not my habit anymore, I still hope I live with that attitude towards every sermon, hospital visit, funeral, wedding or counseling session.   It truly is a privilege to serve God’s people.

One of the most influential thinkers and ministers in my life the last few years has been Dick Brogden.  Our conversations the last few years have shaped the way I think about global Christianity.    Dick and Jennifer Brogden have worked among Muslim people for the last 18 years.   Dick’s teaching and heart will impact your life.

On September 18th, Dick will be speaking in both our 9:00 a.m and 10:45 service, so join us this Sunday.

Jay Edgerton is a producer for CBN, and a member of CIL.   He produced an incredible video about Sujo John’s survival of the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11/01.

We showed this video in our service this morning, and we were all touched by the message of this story.