Pastor Steve Wright

John Mayer

My lady and I are at the John Mayer concert. Enough said.
Peace,
Pastor Steve

Redneck Fixes Door Lock

So today started out normal enough but soon turned into a small nightmare. I was suppose to deliver 75 backpacks that 2xsalt ministry had put together for the kids. However, my door lock completely fell apart and my door wouldn't close. I had to tie it shut with cord.

Solution? Find a body shop in Charlotte where I would be given the run around and charged way to much or travel to the redneck town my wife grew up in and get the good ol' boys to do what they do best...fix anything at the drop of a hat.

So I traveled about 45 minutes and pulled into an un-named shop and got out, told my story and within 5 minutes the work was under way.

The guy working on it looks at me and says, "Do you care if I mess up the paint?" I said, "All I do is hunt out of this bad boy...go for it."

Next thing I know it's fixed and the cost was $15. Now that is how a redneck fixes a door lock. God bless those boys!

Peace,
Pastor Steve

John Edward Faulkner, JR.

Today I went to the funeral of John eEward Faulkner, JR. He was the father of Rennie Faulkner who is the president of 2xsalt ministry. I write so that you guys will lift up a prayer for the Faulkner family.

Here is the prayer that was read at the funeral.

O God, who gave us birth, You are ever more ready to hear than we are to pray. You know our needs before we ask, and our ignorance in asking. Hear now our acts of praise that we offer for the life of John Edward Faulkner, Jr. Give to us grace in this hour, that as we shrink before the mystery of death, we may see the light of eternity. Speak to us once more Your message of life. Help us to live as those who are prepared to die, and when or days here are accomplished, enable us to die as those who go forth to live, so that living or drying, our life may be in you, and that nothing in life or in death will be able to separate us from Your great love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Peace,
Pastor Steve

Our First Baptism

Some of the photos of our first baptism are starting to roll in. It was a great evening and one that I will never forget. It's amazing to watch God bring a group of believers together. Man! I love church planting.
Peace,
Pastor Steve

Gone Cat Fishing

What can I say? Gone fishing with some friends.

Sometimes

Sometimes when Jesus moves you away from the crowd and into the storm it is his perfect will and protection for your life and ministry. One voice should hold your attention... not the many voices of the crowd.

When the crowd wanted to make Jesus King after the feeding of the five thousand Jesus sent the disciples out into a storm. He wanted to get them away from the crowd that had it all wrong. His Kingdom was not of this world. 

The crowd wanted to make Him an earthly King but that was not His purpose or will.  Jesus wanted to move the disciples away from that kind of talk. If He didn't move them away they would  run the danger of allowing the crowd to replace the voice of God.

Peace,
Pastor Steve

Sunday Wrap-up

1. Our core group is growing and this Sunday was our largest crowd to date.
2. Our move to West Charlotte has been incredible.
3. God changed the message on me Saturday because He can.
4. The alter time Sunday was amazing.
5. We had 7 first time guest this Sunday.
6. We had our first baptism service and baptized 11.
7. James Byrd blessed our church with a catered meal.
8. The food was off the hook.
9. We still have not advertised our church..word of mouth only.
10. The best is yet to come.

P.S. Picture of baptism coming soon.

My Lady

To the lady of my life I wish you a happy birthday. You are my world and I love you with all of my heart. You are my gift and I celebrate your life on the great date of August the 8th. I hope your birthday is the best ever.

Love
Your husband

New Redneck Toy

Need I say more?

The Ride Through

Moving back from the inner city of San Francisco to the urban landscape of West Charlotte has been a beautiful journey of listening to God and following Him daily as we plant a new church here in this city.

Recently our church body moved from South Charlotte to West Charlotte and went from gathering a core group to planting a church that is part of the community we are called to. We have been meeting now each Sunday since about January of this year and many amazing things have happened. I could share many stories but I just wanted to share my yesterday.

I meet a man who grew up in a neighborhood called Boulevard Homes. Our church meets only about a half mile from this neighborhood. It is where we are called and my heart races with excitement because of the privilege of ministry there.

As an example of the hardness... here is a little quote from the Charlotte Observer.."

- June 3, 2008 " The shooting happened in a breezeway between apartments at a west Charlotte complex and left three young men, two of them 15-year-olds, with gunshot wounds."

Anyway, the man I meet took me through his old neighborhood and for about an hour we rode through and we would stop at different locations throughout the complex. Each time we would stop there was a story of murder and human pain beyond belief. From a young age he had seen more than any child should ever have to deal with. He had seen way to many killings.  He is a grown man now and loves Jesus. He has made it out but his heart and mind returns there often because he knows there is hope for them in Jesus.

I asked him what he thought they needed more than anything. He simply said, "structure." Now I don't know about you but "structure" is what the Gospel is all about. Jesus came to save us from our sin and to restructure our lives. Keep us in prayer as we advance the Kingdom in West Charlotte.

Peace,
Pastor Steve

Interactive Video

You can watch and participate in the Mission of Jesus Resurgence Meeting in San Antonio by clicking here.

The meeting will begin at 9:30 PM Central Daylight Time (10:30 PM eastern). The live streaming video will feature a chat forum to the right of the video where you can pose questions, which will be read aloud in the meeting. You’ll also be able to interact with other viewers in real time.

Flash Back

I was looking back at some old photos and I came across this one. I will never forget San Francisco and all the years God used me and my family to minister in such a great city. I truly believe God will send a great move of the Spirit to the city by the bay. Lift up a prayer for the church I started many years ago. www.hotdogchurch.com and while your at it lift up a prayer for our new church plant The Salt Mine.

A Mile Of Samaritans

Seeking the lost through us. That is what God desires to do through every believer. The work of God is to lead people into a relationship with Him. God wants people to worship Him in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. (John 4:23)

How does He accomplish this desire of His? He does so through us if we will step out of our comfort zone and be used. In John 4 Jesus places Himself in front of a Samaritan woman and speaks right to her problem. He confronts her about her sin and when the conversation is over she leaves her water-pot and goes into town changed and shares with the town.

The disciples see Him speaking with her and can't believe it because the Samaritans were half-breeds and no Jew would have anything to do with them, much less a woman. (lesson right there if I really wanted to preach)

Anyway, while she is gone Jesus lays it on the boys that the harvest is ready if they would only look up and get out of the comfort zone. As He is telling them about the harvest a line of hundreds of people were coming from the town to meet and hear Jesus.

It was a harvest of Samaritans a mile long and it was the harvest field right in front of them. It was a uncomfortable field and the uncomfortable was the perfect will of God.

Peace,
Pastor Steve

5 thoughts

1. Trying to figure it out wears me out.
2. When I'm wore out I don't want to try and figure it out.
3. Maybe I'm not suppose to figure it out.
4. He already has it figured out and has my steps planned.
5. Problem solved.

Peace,
Pastor Steve

Funny for Monday

I'm not sure if you can see this or not but you have to hand it to this guy. He took duct tape to the next level. His car is black and the trunk will not stay shut. So...he used black duct tape. Now that is redneck with style.

Friday Photo

My two best girls in the world.

Sundrop

Sundrop..now that is a cold drink that takes me back.

1. I grew up with it in my baby bottle.
2. I had it at every meal growing up.
3. I mixed it with...well...some bad stuff.
4. I worked for them for a few years and drove a truck.
5. It is the only drink I know with wood rosin in it. (see nutrition facts)
6. It taste like Mountain Dew on crack.
7. It use to have real orange pulp in it when I was a kid.
8. It has enough caffeine in it to rock your world to mars.
9. I loved it then and I love it now.
10. Go buy some. 

Peace,
Pastor Steve

Get or Give?

Where do great messages come from?

Many think it's in the preparation and believe me... preparation is vital. We must as preachers study, pray and prepare for the message God wants to deliver through us. However, a message is not great because 40 hours of work has been put into it.

A message is great when we as pastors lose ourselves in the immensity of God. It is when as someone has said, "Study like everything depends on you and pray like everything depends on God."

To many times I've found myself trying to get from God instead of waiting on God to give to me.  Sometimes He gives on Monday but sometimes he gives much later. God is waiting on me to get lost in Him. When that happens...the message flows.

Peace,
Pastor Steve

A Wordless Shut Up

Ministry can get really busy. So busy in fact it can become primary to what should be primary. Family should be primary. Family is the testing ground of the soul, the heart. Family will reveal what is really going on deep inside of a person.

Like when I’m slow to listen to some strange and then get home only to shut my wife or kids down in a middle of a sentence. You can tell your wife and kids to shut up without ever saying the words if they feel rushed to speak when they are around you.

It would be easy for me to excuse away my shortness with meaningless rational but I would still be left with the fact that something on the inside is not right. If I will listen…if you will listen…family time is a great place to get your compass realigned.

I spend so much time making or trying to make people I come into contact with feel great about their lives, that they matter, that they are heard but there are many times I fail at home when I forget that my family is my first congregation. 

So what’s the answer? I will listen slower and longer to what my wife, son and daughter have to say when I get home. I will give them the same respect and time, if not more, than I give a passing stranger seeking my advice. I will... because it is simply right.  I will... because it’s my call and my joy and my responsibility. What about you?

Peace,
Pastor Steve

Charlotte Observer | 07/20/2008 | Police crack down where homeless eat

Charlotte Observer | 07/20/2008 | Police crack down where homeless eat.