The Beginning!

The time is upon us! Tomorrow morning, very early, Jesus' Outsider hits the web. I really can't express just how excited I am about getting on the air.

When I shut down A Madman in CrazyTown, my original plan was to start within a couple of weeks. However, as we all know, things change. As always, I needed to learn that things happen in God's time and not mine. I would like to say it was just life happening but that wouldn't be entirely accurate. To be certain, circumstances did dictate a delay due to a difficult schedule but I am inclined to believe that it was merely a tool to give me time to reflect and pray more about the content and direction of the program. Never argue when God gives you more time to prepare for what He is having you do. He especially focused on why I'm going this program when I could do just about any kind of show and have fun and some impact with it.

As I prayed and enlisted others to do likewise, I heard the still, small voice of the Lord whispering into my ear about how I need to bring glory to His Name and help others do likewise. In my years in Christ both in and out of active ministry, I have been privileged to see the best the Church of Jesus Christ has to offer. I've seen the Good News preached to the poor as they've been fed and clothed, churches turn to prayer not only in times of crisis but at the specific direction of the Lord. I've been a part, albeit a very small one, of ministries that have made huge strides in unifying the church across racial, ethnic, and denominational lines. The sick have been prayed for and their families loved on as their needs were met. I have even seen couples brought back from the brink of divorce. I have been allowed to see or be a part of the glory and love of God made manifest in remarkable and profoundly simple ways.

Yet, during those times, I have also seen some of the worst the church has to offer as well. For each of those things listed above, I have seen the converse as well. I have seen couples divorce after receiving little or no help or even bad help from their church. While I've seen the hurting healed and restored, I have also seen them rejected and cast aside. For all the work on unity, I have still seen rejection of people based on their appearance or even a minor (in the eternal scheme of things) doctrinal dispute. Just as with the positives, I could keep going with the pain and hurt caused not by God but by often sincere followers allegedly done in His Name.

My prayer, and I hope yours as well, is that God will use me, any future guests, and my listeners to bring honor to the church and, more importantly, to the God and His Son we represent. I hope to break down walls that divide us, call out sin when necessary, and lift up the situations and people who God uses well. There will be hard teachings and commentary. We will talk about responding to our shifting culture and how the Gospel of Jesus Christ fits into it. At some point, I may even offend you but if I do, I hope the love I intend to convey is still felt in the offense.

I hope you will join me on this journey.