I loved this picture from the Flickr feed of the Story conference that Dean’s been at all week:
This Sunday we’re beginning a new series called Taboo. We’re going to be talking about so many of the things that we, and the Church, get all awkward turtle over, as we see the Truth in Money, War, and Sex. This series is going to be incredible.
Time changes this Sunday…enjoy the “Fall back” extra hour, and join us at 11:05 a.m. or 5:30 p.m.
I have this student named Monquise in one of my algebra classes and he raps and is a DJ. Today he told me he was working on a “white man mix tape” of “his” kind of music that I “need” to know. I’m a little bit excited.
I have this hearing impaired student Jessica who had to present yesterday in class through her interpreter. When she was done I held up sign that said “Clap! Clap!” and she laughed, in a deaf person way, with her own unique giggle. It was too funny.
I have this student Brandie who is a chearleader and just won a bet by doing some back hand spring jump thingie in the hallway. I went outside cause I thought there was a fight. It was just a white girl putting on a show. Love me some community college.
I have these dorky students, Megan and Colin, who have a budding in-class romance. It’s cute. And they think no one knows or notices. We all do. Happily ever after, you two. I’ll be waiting for my invitation.
I have this student Desayi who saw me walking across campus and gave me a ride in his work study golf cart this morning. Can I arrange curbside service everyday?
I have this student Wade who yesterday said “I might kinda not be hatin on dis math so much after dis semester wit you Doctuh Rob.” Converting playa hatas.
Yeah, we have a service at 11:05. We did have a backup plan. But when I got his text that he was on the tarmac my heart slowed down a half step.
You Pick is always fun. It’s mind-blowingly-multitaskingly-chaotic for me on stage, but oh so fun. It was great quizzing my buddy, and I’m oh-so-impressed with just how smart, and sharp, he is. None of it’s planned, and the questions we were able to get to only represented a small sample of those that came in between the two services.
Half way during the evening service my on-stage computer frozen, and I missed about 30 really really good questions. I’ve put many that came in that I’m still thinking about in the list below, and Dean’s hinted he may answer some on his blog later this week.
Can’t wait till we do this again next year. It’s You Pick Live and it’s one of my favs!
• thoughts on homeschool
• Whats with the rumors i hear about the well gainesville?
• Does god want parents to circumcise baby boys?
• do the people on fsu’s campus who yell at students calling them sinners do more harm than good?
• on an average sunday, how many people attend the well? (Morning and night)
• is it wrong to date a jew?
• Girls can pursue guys but can’t be pastor? What are the roles you’re talking about?
• How do you “touch no unclean thing and be yoked with those not like you”, but also “become like a jew to reach jews”, how do we reach people?
• i have a friend whos slipping away from god and doesnt go to church nemore. What should i do? They think im “high n mighty” for bringing it up.
• do u have sex in heaven
• Is that guy Todd that sings up front “dateable” and if so can I have his number?
• who….is…..God
• would it be wrong to hit on a girl here?
• What do you think about the people who claim to have seen supernatural happenings?
• Do you still get to have sex in heaven if you were married on earth.
• do u plan on adopting?
• Why does it take so long for guys to mature and realize what is standing right in front of them?
• What does it mean when people say “where 2 or more are gathered there God is also?”
• where did the unicorns go? Did noah forget them?
• Isn’t twilight and Harry potter evil?
• If my dad was saved as a child, but no longer considers himself a Christian, will he go to Heaven or Hell?
• death penalty or not?
• is it wrong if I kill myself cause the person behind me has the most annoying laugh
• are you still married in heaven?
• The one night stand was great. Are there plans for another retreat in the spring?
• Do u think jesus wears tim tebow or christian ponder boxers?
• Is it ok for a Girl to pursue a Guy?
• what are some other avenues here locally for demonstrating Jesus to others?
• is it wrong to date a Jew?
• can women be church pastors?
• danng matthew yousa hottie!
• do you believe in the 2012 theory?
• is it ok to dress like dean for halloween? And if so what gel does he use?
• Why do you believe that although there is not “segregation” in this country, the church remains essentially segregated?
• how do u talk to Jewish friends about The gospel they push away when I say Jesus
• do you believe in the 2012 theory?
• hnw many sundays do you not want to preach
• why dont you talk about the rapture and whats going on in the world
• I have a busy guardian angel, where do I send a thank you note?
• Often times as a christian when dating a girl with conflicting morals i feel like i can change her. Am i wasting my time?
• how to you respond to someone who asks if the well supports gays
• The ten percent tithe figure comes from the old testament. Does it still apply? If not, then how do i decide how much to tithe?
• Whose the stud that with the green truck that pulls two trailers every week
• Can we talk about rape during the taboo series? I feel like it’s ignored by Christians.
• how do I deal with a Christian friend who seems to constantly judge me?
• why do you think Jesus chose not to write a book in the new testament? Mathew, mark, luke, Jesus…
• Lord of the rings or star wars?
• Wildcat formation: more or less revolutionary than the snuggie?
• I know that polygamy is wrong from a Christian point of view, but why is it seen in the Old Testament? Was it wrong in God’s eyes at that time?
• if i continue to repeat the same sins by partying but asking for forgiveness is that wrong
• Does God condem those who have never heard of him?
• what does God say about repenting for a sin but deep down u know u inevitably will continue to repeat the same sin..
• do you can lose your salvation?
• if jesus was made of bbq spare ribs, would he eat himself?
• I understands god forgives and has already forgiven us. But what do we do when we can’t forgive our selfs.
• what is the biggest need of the church?
• what does it really mean to take up your cross and follow?
• how do you answer someone who asks: “what’s the point of living?”
• If we find human life on some distant planet. Does that negate the existence of god?
• If God already has everything planned out for us an there is a big plan for our life, what’s the point of praying?
• The ten percent tithe figure comes from the old testament. Does it still apply? If not, then how do i decide how much to tithe?
• Is homosexuality a sin, or just gay sex?
• Did God create evil?
• does God choose who goes to heaven and hell?
• what can I use when talking about Jesus when the person doesn’t see the bible as a relevant source ?
• Do you believe in speaking in tongues. I’m talking without any sort of interpretator. Just the weird language thing
• my friend has been a “christian” for a few yrs but now denies Jesus. What should i do to help her?
• do people who have never heard of Jesus go to hell?
• Does it matter who I pray to? If God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are 3 in one, who do I pray to and do I pray differently to each one?
• how do christians deal with the exploding muslim population as they gain more influence throughout the world
• Does the whole ‘Santa thing’ take away from Christmas?
• does it matter what church you are baptised in?
• do you think adam and eve had bellybuttons? beccause they werent actually birthed
• will the well ever have a home building?
• will God take a Christians salvation away if they fail repeatedly?
• The bible says we are to have a childlike faith, what does it say about deans childlike hands
• Where should I start in my bible when I want to read it more?
• how would you witness to someone that seems so far in the wrong direction or so far into “the party scene”
• Are Catholics Christians?
• what is using the lords name in vain and do people of today take it to lightly?
• why did god give men nipples
• What happens to our bodies in Heaven? Do we get the one we always wanted with no flaws?
• Dean, why are you critical about religion?
• Does God honor prayers for things for people who aren’t Christians? What if someone who doesn’t really “get” the whole personal relationship thing begins to pray?
This Sunday we’re doing another round of You Pick Live. It’s unscripted and unplanned, and seriously stresses us out behind the scenes :)
But it’s an incredible opportunity with a unique service experience to invite your friends. Seriously, ANYTHING is fair game. Ask away! The texting possibilities are endless.
Here’s the promo we ran this past Sunday night. Share!
I love Sundays at The Well. Actually, I love most everyday of all things Well related.
We knew we were going to celebrate our Fall baptisms, and taking a look back at two years of them seemed fitting. Todd. Doss. Can. Sing. Dang.
What follows is a story not about Dean’s witty one liners and heart, mind, and soul jolting sermon. Or about two amazingly powerful services one Sunday. It’s not a story about a team of studs and studesses who came together to serve in a high school auditorium. It’s not a story about the remarkable words of a guest on the couch, or a to-die-for beautiful weather afternoon. Nor is it the story of girl with a stutter who can bring down the house with a prayer and sweet melodies with her song.
It’s a story that made me laugh, made me cry, and mad me even curse. Just a little.
Following the first service we drained the blow up pool as there was not going to be anyone on site for a few hours. This pool had given us headaches all morning long. The guy who was supposed to fill it up was an hour and fifteen minutes late. A hose was forgotten. And there were holes in the pool that needed patching. A little worried we weren’t going to be able to pull it off, I looked at one of our guys and just pleaded for him to take care of it…I needed one less thing on my mind, and confidently he said there’d be no worries. And there weren’t.
Well that drained-after-the-first-service pool needed to be refilled. I had Gordos-ed my belly out for lunch with a big group, and after running some errands, I made my way back to Godby High School. Thinking I’d get the party started a little early, I turned on the first of two hoses to begin refilling the pool. It’s the second house where problems arose.
This spicket had to be turned on with pliers. Now I’m not sure if it was my brute strength or just terribly incompetent luck, but when I put in a little lefty-loosey action, the spicket flew off the wall.
And what followed was twelve highly pressured feet of fluid water flumes spraying 4 yards horizontally from a three inch diameter hole. In the wall.
Matthew’s wearing a hot pair of new jeans. And nice shoes. And a button down shirt layered with a brown zip neck popped collar sweater. And at this point, Matthew begins freaking out.
There was no shut off valve. Remember, the spicket flew off the wall, and was now buried in a quickly flooding fenced in cage. Sensing there was no turning back, I scooped up the valve, took a deep breath, and tried to push it in. I was fighting the Hoover damn. The spicket flew off again three times and wasn’t in the very least manageable until I blocked (or didn’t, actually) like an FSU O-Line man. There was a certain point of no return. A certain point of I can’t salvage the dry state of being. A certain point where I said screw it (I think I may have thought something else) and just went at it. Twisting and blocking and pushing and threading.
Did I mention is was 60 degrees out? And in the shade?
And for about 7 minutes I fought the fire hydrant. And in some regards, I won. I plugged the hole. I wish there was a video. Because I looked like I had just taken a swim in that pool that I was trying to fill up. I was wet. Bone chilling soaking sopping gushy drippy kind of wet, from head to toe and throughout the layers.
I was freezing. And in the middle of the barren parking lot, I stripped down to my skivvies and hoped in the car. I turned the heat all the way up. And then I sobbed. I let it all freakin out. I don’t know why. But it felt great. And then I started rolling. Barrel belly roll kind of laughing. At the incident. At myself. At the comedy that was. And that no one saw.
I drove home. I made a phone call. I hoped in the hot shower. And I told Sadie all of my troubles.
So it’s Pastor Appreciation Month. And yes, that’s really a real thing. Most in our community at The Well don’t know this because we don’t fit into so many traditional molds. We’re the only church in Tallahassee who’s never had a Christmas tree on stage. And I’m not sure most in our crowd know about that whole Palm Sunday shindig. Everlasting truth in an ever-changing culture…
But this post, this one’s a shout out to my friend, my boss, and my Pastor. This one’s a shout out to the Reverend T. Dean Inserra.
Our friend and fellow Pastor Don McGlaughlin of Church of the Movies (our Well Kids workers will know him from the canvi making at Parkway) wrote this about Dean (who is speaking Sunday morning at their church, jetting to our 11:05 service and doing it again at 5:30). And every word of it is so true.
Dean and I talk 17 times a day. And even still I have no idea the amount he faces as the Senior Pastor of The Well. No one has any clue! There is no “off” switch in this job…it’s a constant state of ministry. And I’m better off because of Dean and Krissie’s sacrifices. And I have no doubt you are as well.
Will you join me in showing appreciation towards Dean? Join me in praying for him? Join me in encouraging him?
He’s our Pastor, plain and simple. And he’s a kick-ass one at that!
It’s a thing with this generation. It’s all about the “me.”
It has been since we were little. And now as adults, we think it should still be.
We constantly fight the mindset of I’ll do just enough to get it done and say I did it, I’ll show up and be a place holder, I’ll offer my half-ass-ed efforts becuase you need me. (Remember it’s all about me…)
But what if we started approaching things with some margin built in?
What if we woke up earlier to get where we needed to go to do what we needed to do without a rush? With time to focus. To pray. To engage. To connect with the ones we know, so we can connect with the ones we don’t know?
What if we looked around more often to be proactive?
What is we went…God forbid…out of our way to help make someone else’s way easier to travel?
See, in the beginning, it was all about me. And it was all about you. But now we’re, and you’re, part of the us.
And the us is called to reach the new me’s, and the new you’s.
It’s about seeing the bigger picture of how it all comes together. To be served, and then to serve.
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4)
In Their Own Words