Graduation day is here.
For the past two weeks, our calendars have been filled with end of school activities. I have cried, and then, I dry those tears only to cry some more and some more. They are tears of sadness, joy, pride... etc... for a son that I'm proud of.
Will has had a good senior year. He leaves behind some great memories at Paulding County High School. It's been a good 3 1/2 years.
Now, he moves on.
In the past couple of weeks, I 've been working through the "letting them grow up and turning them loose" issue. And, the Lord is helping me.
I don't have it whipped by any means but, it's getting better.
I've asked myself, why I'm struggling with this so much. I think it's two things:
1) The hope that you have raised them correctly and done the right things. Will is not "totally raised" by any means but, a big part of it is done. Ok, how did you do?
2) The fact that he will now be moving on. Yes, I know, that's the way it is supposed to be. But, for some reason, I'm struggling with that.
Last Sunday, at a baccalaureate service, the minister said something that hit home for me. He basically said that the issue of letting them go comes down to faith. Trusting God to be with them and help them mature.
He was right. So maybe it's a trust issue. Maybe I'm having problems trusting the Lord to take my son and help him mature as he moves on. If so, Lord forgive me, because I know you are able.
Tonight, I will watch him walk down the aisle and yes, I will tear up again. Then, he will give his speech and I will probably do it again.
Like one of my friends said yesterday, "I'm a proud papa." I can identify. I am as well.
Tonight, William Kirk Potts graduates.
"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord; plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).

"It's the little stuff that makes a difference."

I've heard this phrase many times but about 2 hours ago, it really hit home. I walked into our local Zaxby's. I've eaten there about a jillion times in the last 2 years. Especially since I went on my diet. I order the same thing just about every time; a grilled chicken salad w/ranch dressing, a cup of chicken salad on the side, an order of zax sauce and unsweet tea.

I've ordered that so much that a young lady who works behind the counter can see me in line and behind quoting my order before I give it to her. I've always thought it was kind of funny. I also know it's her way of letting me know that she remembers me and that I'm special. Good customer service, I guess.

Well, today, I walked in and was talking with a friend of mine who is a member of our church. Then, I spoke to Will, my middle son, who was in there with some other kids who had gotten out of school early today because of a candlelight ceremony. After finishing my conversation, I made my way to the line.

As I stood in line, the young lady said "He's already cooked your order."

I asked, "What do you mean?"

The manager was in the kitchen helping prepare orders and he put my salad on the ledge for the young lady to pick it up and said, "I hope you want the same thing. I went ahead and prepared your order." I didn't have to wait 1 minute for my order.

I was stunned. Shocked.

As I ate I thought, "That was neat..." Now , I know.. it also means I'm predictable. But, right now, I'm focusing on the neat side. This guy is doing his best to do a little extra in customer service. As I left, I went to the counter and told the young lady, "Tell your manager I appreciate that." He heard me and said, "We love you and appreciate you."

Well, I know this; he made a friend and solidified a relationship with a customer.

Maybe it doesn't take much to impress me... maybe he's supposed to do that kind of stuff. Maybe so. But, the fact is, he did it.

I was reminded that it's the little things that matter.

So, do something for someone today. Hold a door open. Let someone pull out in traffic ahead of you. Pay for someone's lunch. Write a note of appreciation.

It's the little things that matter.

"Caught in a changing world"

For several years now I have slowly begun to realize what others have known for some time... the world is a changing and the way the church does its work must change as well.

Now that statement doesn't set well with many people. The reason is, of all organizations in existence, for some reason, the church has always been resistant to change. You have heard of the 7 famous last words of the church, I'm sure. They are "We've never done it that way before."

I've thought about this a lot. Why does the church have so much trouble with change. I think it's because programs and ministries become "sacred" to us. There are things that we have done in church for years.... revivals, January Bible study, R.A.'s... G.A.'s... Brotherhood, W.M.U... Sunday School and I could go on and on... that once was effective. And, some of the things I mentioned above may still work in certain places. But, those programs were created in a time when the world was different.

An expert in Southern Baptist church growth recently commented on the declining baptisms in Southern Baptist life. He said that many of the programs we use are somewhat dated. He then added, "If the 50's come back around again, we will be ready to go." That's not a direct quote but it's close. And, it's sad.

So, we have a program and ministries that were designed in another era and at times, they don't work as well today. When they don't, instead of "discerning the times" as the scripture encourages us to do, if we're not careful, we can become angry and judgmental and mean-spirited about the times.

I will probably write more about this in the days ahead. This is a starting place.

I know this; Jesus still loves people. The way that we tell the world that Jesus still loves people may have to change but the message doesn't.

Let's be open to the leadership of the Spirit in our lives and in the life of the church.

My blog entry today is the column I wrote for our church newsletter.

(From time to time, when there are special moments in the lives of my children or my wife, I have used my pastor’s column to write a personal note to them. The following is one of those occasions.)
Dear Will:
This Sunday, you will walk across the platform at First Baptist Church, Dallas, GA. And you will be recognized as a senior in the Class of ’08. As you do, my mind will go back to a Saturday when I was cutting grass in the backyard of our home in Brookhaven, MS, and your mom came to the door to tell me she was in labor. The problem was, you weren’t due for two more weeks. You couldn’t come that day. Besides, I was starting a revival the next day and, well, you just needed to wait a couple of days. But, you’ve always had a mind of your own and you decided that, ready or not world, you were coming that day. Later that day, Saturday, July 14th, you entered the world at King’s Daughters Hospital.
Just like Robert and your sister, Sarah, you have been a lot of fun to watch grow up. It doesn’t seem possible that 18 years have passed. But they have and they have been good years.
You were small when your mom and I moved to the Gulf Coast. You played t-ball, Dixie youth baseball, pee wee football, basketball and were in R.A.’s in church. I think you even played the drums in the band one time. When you were in the 3rd grade, you received the award for reading the most books at Vancleave Elementary. I guess your name is still on a plaque in the hallway of that school. You’ve always had a little competitive streak in you. I guess you get that honest.
When you were 7 you asked Jesus into your heart. I remember on Christmas Eve I was baptizing you and you slipped on the steps coming into the baptistery and sort of busted up the candlelight Lord’s Supper service. But, it didn’t bother you much… you’ve always like to make a splash!
We moved to Dallas in December of ’04. That move could have been tough on you and, it may have been, but you didn’t say anything. You were determined to make the best of it and you have. It’s amazing to me that in a little over 3 years you’ve gone from being the new kid in town to President of your senior class. That’s pretty neat.
You’ve always loved kids and you are good with them. I think that’s an indication of your soft heart. You’ve never thought you were too “cool” to spend time with a child.
You love sports. And, some of my most memorable moments as a dad have been watching you and your brother and sister participate in sports. Yep, I was some kind of happy… maybe elated is a better word…. when you got the game winning hit against Hiram last year and then, hit a home run against Hiram this year. Like the Mastercard commercial says, “priceless.”
One of the best compliments I’ve received about you came from Coach Watts recently. He made some remarks about you that essentially said “He may not be the fastest or the strongest athlete on the field but, he plays with heart.” You do and I’m proud of you for it. I’ve told you before, one of the things that made me proud as a Dad was, in football and in baseball, you always ran to your spot. Didn’t matter if your team was losing badly, you ran to your spot. I was proud of you for doing that.
Will, your mom and I are proud of you. You are a fine young man. The best is yet to come.

Another Mom's Day pic w/the whole crew

Our men's Bible study group that meets every Thursday morning at 6:30 at Rodney's BBQ in New Hope. The Lord has really blessed this and it has grown from a group of 6 on the first morning to as many as 22. From left to right: Maxie Camp, Ken McMichen, David Welch, Jimmy Lawrence, Hugh Rose, Gregg Potts, Tommie Graham, David Martinez, Ben Paris, Raymond McCollum, Dave Morelli, Earl Cunningham, Raymond Philips & Derek Lawrence.

Senior night for Paulding County High baseball. Holli, Will, Me.

I enjoy time with my family. Me and Rob, playing golf. Well, Rob played; I chased balls.

Will, crossing the plate after hitting his first high school home run against county rival, Hiram. Yes, Dad was excited!

This is our family on Mother's Day 2008. The kids are growing up.

We had a very good Mother's Day at First Baptist Church.

The children sang in the 11:00 a.m. service and, the youth sang along with the adult choir. We are trying to re-build in these areas so, it was good to see them plugged in during worship. We had lots of guests today as you always do on Mother's Day.

My sermon came from Proverbs 31. This is the chapter that talks about the "virtuous woman." We looked at the:
1) The Worth of A Virtuous Woman "It exceeds jewels"
2) The Work of A Virtuous Woman "Her husband trust in her"
3) The Words of A Virtuous Woman

We have had a good weekend as a family. Saturday night, we took Holli out to eat because Robert had to work this afternoon. We had fun. We don't get all of the kids together much so when we do, it's fun. Then, Holli, Will & Sarah & I went to a Mexican place for lunch today. The plan was to go to Subway but, there is a Mexican place close by and the kids sorta "hinted" that we ought to do that. lol

Lord, thank you for Holli Alice Potts. A very good mother to Robert, Will & Sarah Potts.

What makes you cry?
As I sit here on Friday morning, I was browsing the web reading various newspapers on-line as I often do. I went to the web site for The Shreveport Times. That's a paper for Shreveport, La. in north Louisiana. It normally has some pretty good articles about L.S.U.
There was an article there about the weekend festivities that will be held at Alex Box stadium. Now, I know that many people... probably most people... could care less about what's going to take place at Alex Box stadium this weekend. For that matter, most people don't even know what Alex Box stadium is. Well, for those of you who need a little more information to help you understand what Alex Box stadium is, it's a baseball field. It's LSU's baseball field. But, it's more than that. It's a place where there has been a lot of exciting baseball in the last, say... 17 years. It's kind of a special place to me.
I can remember going to see the Tigers play in the hot humid days of May and early June as the Tigers hosted an NCAA regional. I can remember taking my two boys, Robert and Will, and standing in front of the big sign in front of the stadium and getting pics made. I remember taking the boys when they were little to the kids camp held on Saturday morning. The only thing that kept me from going more than I did was money and distance. I lived 2 1/2 hours from Baton Rouge so I couldn't go over there at the drop of a hat.
But the times we did go were fun.
So, this morning, when I read the article about this being the final regular season games scheduled at Alex Box I was sad. Then, the article said that "the box" as its referred to by Tiger fans, would be demolished and would become a parking lot. That is sad. To think that a spot where so many great memories were made will be nothing but a parking lot in the future. Wow
It made me sad. And yes, I teared up. Then I asked the question, "I wonder what makes each person cry?"
So, back to the original question; "what makes you cry?"
Sadness makes us cry. Last Friday night, I cried when the last out of our son's last regular season high school baseball game was recorded. At that moment, it hit me how much fun he had experienced at "Patriot field" in the last four years and, the people we had met and enjoyed.
Happiness can also make us cry. Lots of people will shed tears of joy (and relief!) at graduations across the country in the next few weeks.
Anger can make us cry.
The Bible says that "Jesus wept" (John 11:35) at the grave of Lazarus which indicated his love for Lazarus and his family.
The Bible also says that Jesus wept "...as he drew near, He saw the city and wept over it" (Lk. 19:41). The people of Israel had rejected Jesus and he wept because they had rejected their Messiah.
So, what makes you cry? The answer to that question will tell us something about ourselves. Most people won't shed one tear that old Alex Box stadium is being torn down. But Tiger fans will because it's special.
But, Alex Box is just a baseball stadium. We should weep over lost people who reject Christ.

This Sunday we will celebrate Mother’s day. For years, when it comes to Mother’s Day, we offer a tribute to our moms. And, the normal tribute sometimes is soaked rather heavily in the culture that existed years ago. While that’s o.k., it’s a different world today. More and more moms work outside the home. Very few look like June Cleaver did in “Leave it to Beaver.” So, let’s try to update our Mom’s Day tribute a little. I’m going to use my wife, Holli, as an example.
On school days, she rises every morning at 6:00 a.m. It doesn’t matter if she didn’t get to bed until late because she was washing a baseball uniform or reviewing a test with one of our kids. She’s up at 6 regardless. She makes her bagel and sits down for one of the few quiet moments she will have for the next 16 hours. During this time, Will normally asks, “Mom, what’s the weather like today?” Holli watches the morning news while she is getting ready for work so she knows the forecast. We talk a few minutes and get our plan for the day then, she’s off to work.
She works all day. I work all day. Like many people, we communicate via email, cell phone or text messaging. When the day is done, she has other obligations and in the midst of all that, she tries to figure out what can be done for supper. It’s about this time that we normally talk and sometimes, we will go by the grocery store and grab something we can “nuke” in the microwave or, we go by a local restaurant. Some might say, “Families need to eat together, around the table… etc… I’m sure that’s true and that’s the ideal. But sometimes, in today’s culture, it doesn’t work. So, we make do.
At night, sometimes, it’s tumbling class for Sarah.
At times, it’s been a ball game for Will.
At times, it’s a church event or a school event.
At times, it’s helping one of them with a school project.
When she comes in, she tries to straighten up a little. She is folding clothes, cleaning up a little here and there. If she ever sits down, she is history. It doesn’t take long. She actually slept through LSU’s national championship football game. The boys and I were…. Well… we were loud. But Holli was asleep. She was glad they were winning and that we were happy but she was also enjoying some sleep.
At times, when the boys are out and are coming in late, she sleeps on the sofa waiting for them to come in. She can’t rest well until she knows all her little chicks are home.
On Sunday morning, she sleeps a little longer than normal. Then, she’s up and makes her way to Sunday School. Holli has taught youth Sunday School in just about every church we have served. She has also sung in the choir as often as she can.
In the midst of all this, she tries to take a few minutes for a “quiet time.” Does she get it done every day? Uh… .no… But she does it frequently.
I went into the ministry in 1981. Holli and I married in 1984. In 23 years of marriage, Holli Alice Potts is one of the best people I have ever known. She SELDOM complains. It’s just not in her. She can be stubborn at times. She knows it. But she is solid as a rock. She doesn’t gossip. If you tell her something, it may be safer than it would be at Fort Knox. She is level headed. When I’m wired about something I will normally ask her to help me sort things out and she does. Often bringing up things I hadn’t thought about.
We are very opposite. I’m the hare while she is the tortoise. I’m extroverted and she can be introverted. I’m happy in a roomful of people and she’s content with just me and her.
There is a line in a popular movie where the man expresses his love for the girl by saying, “You complete me.” That’s exactly what Holli does for me. She balances me out.
Holli Alice, I love you. Happy Mother’s Day. Robert, Will and Sarah will rise up and call you “blessed.”

Are you a fruit inspector or a fruit producer?
Tomorrow I will preach a message on John 15:5. In that text, Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." Jesus made it clear that the only way we can produce fruit as Christians is as a result of a close relationship with Jesus.
So, are you producing fruit as a Christian? There are two kinds we are capable of producing.
One is interior. This is referred to as the "fruit of the spirit." As the Holy Spirit works in us our lives give evidence of the fruit of the spirit.
The second is exterior. As we minister for Christ, as we live the Christian life, there is fruit that is a result of our labor.
So, are you producing fruit? Many Christians are not. There are thousands of people who are saved but aren't producing any fruit because their relationship with Christ is not what it should be. God wants us to produce fruit.
Unfortunately, many Christians are more prone to "fruit inspection" rather than "fruit production." "Fruit inspectors" are those who are always examining the fruit or lack of fruit in the lives of other Christians. The world is filled with fruit inspectors.
I encourage you to be a fruit producer for Jesus.

This morning I led a men's Bible study on Genesis 22. It's the story of Abraham being called to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham had been following God for years and God had promised Abraham a son. Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarai late in life.
Isaac is special to Abraham... just like our kids are special to us. And God knows that it's possible that Isaac has become more important to Abraham than he should. So, God tests Abraham. He instructs Abraham to take Isaac and offer him as a sacrifice.
Abraham, being obedient to God, takes Isaac and begins making his way toward Mt. Moriah. He binds Isaac and prepares to offer him as a sacrifice. Then, Abraham hears a voice "Abraham, Abraham."
Abraham is told that he has passed the test. Now God knew that Abraham loved God more than anything. God tells Abraham to direct his attention to a thicket. There, he he would find a ram that God had provided for the sacrifice. Abraham named the place "Jehovah Jireh" which means "the Lord will provide."
What's important to you? A lesson we can draw from this story is that we must be careful not to allow things or hobbies or even people to become more important to us than God. Is there something that's become more important to you than it should?

Last night, I watched the end of the movie "The Rookie." I guess I'm a cry baby because, I can watch that movie a million times and it gets me everytime. I like the scene where Jimmy Morris is sitting in a bar and he's about to give up baseball. About that time, he notices that the story that was filmed about him in practice is being shown on the television.
He then turns his attention to the show. As he is being interviewed he closes out by saying why he loves baseball. He talks about the bond between the players and the fans. Then he says, "it's a great game."
He is walking back to his hotel when he notices the lights on a baseball field. He walks over to it and sees little boys playing baseball. He remembers his dream.
As I watched that, my eyes filled with tears as I thought about my middle son, Will, is wrapping up his senior year of high school baseball. His season is half done. Right now, I'm trying to cling to every special moment I can.
Jimmy Morris was right; baseball is a great game. And, for years, Holli and I have experienced a lot of joy watching our kids play ball. Those are memories we will cherish.
Thank you, Lord for allowing me to be the dad of Robert, Will & Sarah Potts.

Easter Sunday was great at First Baptist Church, Dallas, Ga. (the church I pastor). And, if you attend a local church on a regular basis, I imagine it was good in your church as well. But, it normally is. There is an electricity in the air on Easter that isn’t present every Sunday. I wish it were like that every week and, honestly, it can be and should be.
Every Sunday is resurrection day. The early church gathered on the first day of the week to commemorate the resurrection. They had been accustomed to worshiping on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. But they gathered on Sunday because that was the day that Jesus rose. And still, 2,000 years later, Christians gather on Sunday to remember the resurrection.
But celebrating the resurrection means more than just gathering on the first day of the week. That’s definitely a big part of it but, it means allowing the power of the resurrection to make a difference in our lives.
There is a scripture from Philippians that I really like. The apostle Paul said, “…that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection…” (Phil. 3:10). What does Paul mean by “…the power of His resurrection?”
Paul wanted to experience, in his daily life, the power that brought Jesus from the grave. Think about that. Paul is talking about the power that brought a dead man to life. He is talking about the power that caused a heart to begin beating after it had stopped for two days. Paul said, “I want to know that power.”
You and I can know that power as well. But, how can we experience it?
Every day, the Bible challenges us to “…be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). The Holy Spirit represents the same power that brought Jesus from the grave. So, when we ask the Holy Spirit to fill us, we are being filled by and led by the same power that raised Jesus from the grave.
That means that whatever challenge we are facing; whether it be financial, physical, emotional or spiritual, the power of the Holy Spirit within us can help us to deal with it. So, we can experience the power of the resurrection every day.
What challenge or challenges are you facing
Identify them and give them to the Lord.
I encourage you, this year, to experience the power of the resurrection every day. Don’t let Easter be a one day event.

Gregg potts

We live in a different culture. I get a regular reminder of this from listening to my daughter.

One way the culture is changing is that there is more diversity. As a result of that, our children learn Spanish in school. Sarah is going to be bi-lingual and English was a challenge for me!

Because Sarah is learning Spanish, when I ask her a question in which the answer to the question is “yes”, she responds with “Si.”

The first couple of times she did that I had to ask her what she wanted me to “see.” Then, she explained that she wasn’t saying I needed to “see” anything but that was the Spanish word for “yes.”

Also, I’m not “daddy” but instead, I’m “padre.” Holli is “Madre.” And, again, you probably know this but in case not that’s Spanish for “father” and “mother”, respectively.

But the diversity in our culture isn’t the only way things are changing.

Text messaging is the rage for young people. Text message means taking a cell phone and using the same keypad that you would dial a phone number but instead send a text message to someone. Sarah and I can be riding down the road and there is a steady sound of “tick, tick, tick.” No, it’s not a bomb… it’s her text messaging her friends.

And, text messaging has its own language. There are abbreviations used for words. For instance, “I don’t know” is shortened to “idk.”

My “bff” is shortened for “best friend forever.”

These two examples remind us that our culture is changing and, at times, when things changes, we have a tendency to fight it. But, that would be a mistake. A perfect example of this is something I heard last Monday.

I attended a conference where Dr. John Bisagno was speaking. Dr. Bisagno was, at one time, pastor of FBC Houston, Texas, which was one of the largest churches in the Southern Baptist Convention. He was about to lead his church to make a change in their worship style. Some of his singles came to him and offered some “suggestions” for changes he could make that, they thought, would help communicate better to a young crowd.

Dr. Bisagno could have brushed the singles off and refused to change. But he didn’t. He listened and he learned and made some changes and in a few months his worship attendance had increased.

He realized the culture was changing and he needed to change with it.

The church finds itself in the midst of this changing culture. And, at times, we are not quite sure how to respond. It can be frustrating even discouraging.

But, it doesn’t have to be.

I Chronicles 12:32 refers to the sons of Issachar as men “…who understood the times and knew what Israel should do….”

The message of the church is needed more today than ever. But the culture has changed. So, we must discern the times and find out what is the most effective way to get the message of Jesus to this culture.

Let’s ask the Lord to help us be discerning of the times we are in and determine new and creative ways to get the message of Jesus to a changing and hurting world.

I write a weekly column for our local paper each week. I've posted it my blog today.

"Ethel Waters was a regular at Billy Graham crusades. Many people remember her moving renditions of “His Eye Is On The Sparrow.” She had a beautiful voice.

But perhaps some who heard her sing were not aware of Ethel’s background. Ethel grew up in Harlem and she grew up hard. The opening line to her autobiography reads, “I never was a child. I never was coddled, or liked, or understood by my family. I never felt I belonged. I was always an outsider. I was born out of wedlock… Nobody brought me up.”

As I said, Ethel grew up hard.

Growing up in that manner could have limited what Ethel accomplished but she didn’t allow it too. Ethel sang the blues. And the blues she sang moved people. She said, “I sang them out of the depths of the private fire in which I was brought up… Only those who are being burned know what fire is like.”

Maybe you have been burned in life. The question is; “How will you react?”

Just because we’ve been burned doesn’t mean we have to allow it keep us down. Use the experience you are going through to make you stronger.

James said, “…the trying of your faith worketh patience” (1:5).

When you are in the midst of a trial, ask the Lord what you can learn from the experience. "