Author Archives: jimperdue

The Golden Compass

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For those of you out there who are parents and enjoy attending the occasional movie with you kids; here’s one I would definitely not recommend. Watch out for the new movie called “The Golden Compass.”

I’ll be the first to tell you that I’ve not done a ton of research on this, but the guy who wrote it, Philip Pullman, desired to counter C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia.” (Disclaimer…I’m about to spoil the end of this movie if you desire to watch it.) Supposedly, in the end of the movie God dies and everyone is freed from His tyranny and injustice. The point is to reveal that life is so much better when there is no God.

Now believe me, I am not one to be constantly warning about the dangers of anything that doesn’t contain blatantly Christian themes. I am, however, very concerned when I see atheistic propaganda in the form of a “children’s movie.”

Check out the link here for snopes.com’s take on the movie. (For those of you who might be unfamiliar with snopes.com, it is a website that helps you determine the validity of rumors such as computer viruses, forwards and all sorts of other things.)

What I’m reading…

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Currently, I’m reading a great little book by Stuart R. Levine entitled, “Cut to the Chase…and 99 Other Rules to Liberate Yourself and Gain Back the Gift of Time.” I like to read business books along with topics on theology, inspirational and church related (and I’ll throw in a classic here and there). While I never would say that business and church are synonymous, I do believe we can learn some universal principles that apply to almost every situation. This book has lots of good ideas. As with anything, eat the meat and leave the bones!

I’ve really enjoyed this book for a few reasons:
1. There are 100 chapters in a book that’s 207 pages. Small chapters are awesome! It makes me feel like I’ve read a ton when I tackle ten chapters in one sitting. 🙂
2. It’s intensely practical…and I love practical. OK, I don’t have anything against Max Lucado or Philip Yancey. I’m sure both of these men are great guys and love God; but I can’t stand their writing. It seems that they use a thousand adjectives to make a simple point. This book says what it wants to say quickly and succinctly.
3. This book is helping me focus. When I read it, I’m able to take a step back and examine our organization, look for areas to improve and take some time to think. Sometimes, when you’re so close to the organization, you get myopic and inflexible. I like the fact that I’m able to focus and, at the same time, see more of the big picture.
4. It helps me with me. Don’t get me wrong, I love books that focus on churches, evangelism, missions and theology. But occasionally, and probably more often than not, I need books that teach me to be better. I could read a hundred books on how to make the church better, but I don’t believe it would happen if I don’t focus on making myself better. There’s no way I could lead at a higher level or focus on being a better pastor if I don’t read books that help me grow.

OK, that’s enough. Man, you’d think the guy paid me to push his book…certainly not the case. After reading his book you would think that I would know how to “cut to the chase!”

I miss my family!!!

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I know it’s not very cool for a guy to admit when he misses his wife and kids but I’m not too concerned about being cool. Man, it’s been almost a week since I’ve seen Stephanie and the boys and I really miss them!!! Last Wednesday, they flew from Memphis to Atlanta and they’ve been visiting with family since then. My job here was to get some painting done (one of my least favorite things to do in the entire world) and hold the fort down until they return.

I’ve been working late hours, finding things to keep me busy and having lengthy conversations with the dog. 🙂 Let me just say, I remember my college and seminary days of being single and I was alright with that then. But now, when my family is gone I know what I’m missing! I miss my wife and boys and I can’t wait to see them tomorrow.

Excitement is Building

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Now that I’m blogging a little bit I thought it only appropriate to post about our new church, Crosspointe Baptist Church in Millington, TN. Things have been absolutely incredible here since we arrived. We came on August 12th so I guess that means we’re coming up on three months at Crosspointe. The people have been so loving and supportive, the worship has been exciting and energetic and hopefully the messages have been engaging and motivating.

Truthfully, Crosspointe has had a rough couple of years as a church (any church that is without a pastor for 14 months could definitely encounter some struggles). But what encourages me is that the past is behind us, excitement is building and the vision to impact the world for the Kingdom of God is taking root. I have been so encouraged to see many people forgive past hurts and move on to what God has planned.

The tag line for Crosspointe is “the point of new beginnings” and I would say that God is definitely fulfilling that in our midst right now. God is moving, healing is coming and trust is being established. I can’t even begin to imagine the awesome things in store for Crosspointe as we seek to follow the purpose and plan of God for this church. Crosspointe is the most unique church I have ever been a part of and I believe we are poised to make a huge difference in our world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I tell our church and I REALLY believe that we can change the world from Millington, TN!

“Train up a child…” Part 2

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Our son absolutely LOVES Wal-Mart. One reason is probably that we frequent Wal-Mart about once or twice an hour (or so it seems). We make it a point to go see the fish almost every time we’re there and he also loves the smiley face stickers that you get from a greeter as soon as you walk in the door.

Yesterday morning on the way to church, Jake found two stickers in his car seat and proceeded to put them on and wear them to church. Super cool for the preacher’s kid! Yesterday we were all sitting in the living room and Stephanie was talking about how much Jake loved Wal-Mart.

She asked, “Jake, are you going to work at Wal-Mart when you get big?”

Jake responded, “No, I’m going to work with daddy…at his office…at Crosspointe.”

Lines like that sure can make a dad proud! It’s also a reminder that our children watch us carefully and we have such a huge responsibility to be a godly, loving example.