One of my favorite pastors.. Perry Noble

Perry Noble is an incredible pastor and Christ follower! I listen to his podcasts every week. His sermons touch me EVERY SINGLE TIME!! I laugh..and I cry..and I nod my head EVERY SINGLE TIME!!! I listen on my ipod and my kids always think I'm nuts..because they can't hear what I'm hearing..they just see me sitting on the chair..laughing and/or crying and/or saying yes..and amen!! haha!! It's true! Anyway Perry is the pastor of Newspringchurch
in Anderson, South Carolina. He started the church in his living room with 8 other people, 7 years ago. His church has grown from those 8 people to 8000 people. Last week they had 100 people come forward and give their lives over to Christ! He's a great leader! He blogs every day. I love his blog posts. It's the first blog I read every morning. Here's the link to his blog site.
perry

This is his blog post today. It touched me so much. You know how much I love..LOVE! : ) Also, why don't you check out his podcast too and listen to one of his sermons. perry's podcast
They really are THAT good!


A True Love Story
America is WAY too fascinated with Hollywood and the “love stories” that keep coming out of there…sort of like vomit coming out of someone with food poisoning. Basically…all the tabloids are reporting is who is screwing who this month…and for some reason we are obsessed with it.

And movies…those are horrible as well when it comes to “love stories.” Remember the movie Titanic? Yep, quite a love story…girl meets guy on a boat & has sex with him without even knowing him (can anyone say “ho” boys & girls) and then swears she will never let him go! And when he dies…uh…she lets him go!!! And everyone in the theatre cried because they thought that was love.

Our world is so screwed up when it comes to identifying love…what true love is and how it makes a difference. Too many have equated love with a feeling…and when the feeling is gone then the love must be as well–so they jump from one relationship to the next, forgetting the vows they took before God and friends on their wedding day…and doing damage to their lives.

BUT yesterday–WOW–I heard a love story that put a lump in my throat. I am about to cry right now just thinking about it…and I want to share it with you.

Jason Wilson (Executive Pastor) and his brother Ken (Graphics/motion engineer) both work here at NewSpring. In fact, both of them were in the original group that met in a living room a little over seven years ago.

I’ve always told them that their family was “dysfunctional.” You see…their grandparents are still living on both sides…and there has been no divorce in their family…and their family actually loves hanging out with each other–isn’t that weird?

Anyway, their grandparents on their father’s side are the only set of grandparents that I have met…and they are two of the coolest people in the world. He is in his early 90’s and she is in her mid 80’s…and they are STILL together…still in love…and have established a legacy that is the same. I remember meeting them several years ago and being impressed with how full of life they were!

On Monday Jason had to leave the office rather quickly–he told us that his grandmother had fell as a result of a massive stroke and was in the hospital…and that they were not expecting her to make it through the night.

Yesterday morning he came in and we asked him what happened. He told us that she had fallen as a result of the stroke. The grandfather cannot hear very well–so he can’t make a phone call. And he could not pick her up because, well, he’s 92 I believe. So when Jason’s aunt could not reach the grandmother by phone she became concerned and went over to the house and found her mother lying in the floor…and her husband standing there right beside her. He refused to leave the side of his bride–for better or worse, in sickness and in health…’till death do us part!

They took her to the hospital and admitted her into ICU. After the entire family had gotten there they brought Jason’s grandfather into the room. He had to be brought in by wheel chair…and when they rolled him up by her bedside he got up out of the chair, leaned over his bride, kissed her and said, “I love you!”

THAT is a love story! Hearing that made me want to leave my desk & go home & hold my wife. I remember saying to Jason when he told me his story, “I want that so bad for my marriage–I want the only thing that can separate us to be death…and even when it tries it will know it has been in a fight!”

Love is not jumping from bedroom to bedroom…love is a commitment that sticks through whatever situation life throws at you. Ken & Jason were able to witness first hand the power of true love–Jason said when his grandfather kissed his grandmother that there was not a dry eye in the room…why…because true love is motivating!!!

Singles–my challenge to you is HOLD OUT for what is REAL! If he’s trying to get in your pants…or your relationship is based on something other than true love–then you may have what Hollywood has…vomit…and the pain that it will bring will leave a scar.

And if you are married–I challenge you right now to stop what you are doing–right now, pick up the phone & call your spouse & tell them that you love them…and that you always will!!!

I am not sure how Jason & Ken’s grandmother is doing right now…but please keep them in your prayers…and when you are doing so–thank God for allowing us to see a demonstration of the kind of love He has for us…a love that will not leave us…no matter what!