A Childlike Gospel...

I had the honor of speaking at Twin Oaks Christian Church's Main Sunday Morning Service this past sunday.  It was an amazing opportunity and I am excited for what the future has in store.  By clicking the link you will be sent to audio of the message (video coming soon).


First Sermon @ Twin Oaks Christian Church


Thank you for listening.

till another day,



normallyINDIE

"Greater" by Steven Furtick, Book Review

If any of you have paid attention lately to the Ministry world, you have probably heard of the Elevation Church in North Carolina (if I am not mistaken).  He started that church after many years of dreaming, hoping, questioning, and trusting God.  Just 6 years later he is worshipping with 10,000 believers from the area, not to mention millions around the world through their digital footprint.  It is so exciting to see a guy that is committed to the call God has given him to do some amazing things including ministering to a church he attends as well as to the people that are listening, reading, and watching him speak.

A couple of years ago he released a book called, "Sun Stand Still" that challenged its' readers to believe like Joshua did when he asked the sun to literally stand still.  The amazing thing in that story is that God came through, supernaturally.  He challenged me to personally start challenging God to answer supernatural prayers that if they were answered could only be pointed back to him.  This book changed the way I thought about the idea of dreaming, prayer, and a passionate relationship with God.

Most recently, Steven Furtick released a second book entitled "Greater", this time challenging his readers to realize that their life is and will be greater than they could ever imagine if they merely obeyed, sacrificed, and faith in the fact that God has called them to do something.

Beside the fact that his writing style makes it easy for even a new believer to get engaged, it is a book that does not leave you thinking that you have it all figured out.  It does the exact opposite.  As you will see in the next two blog posts, this book challenged me to rethink what I am doing in my life.  It made me ask the question, "How am I leading my students that God has blessed me to minister to live a much greater life?"  This book challenged me to question how I am living my life today.  Am I really living the greater life God has called me to?  Where will I be in 50 years and at that point will I feel that I truly capitalized on all that God has given me?  Will Jesus say come join me in paradise good and faithful servant?

These are just a few of the questions that will surely come to mind as you read through this book and if you are someone who wants to take their life with God to another level, I strongly suggest getting a copy of both "Sun Stand Still" & "Greater" by Steven Furtick.  Allow the writings of a great man of God change the relationship that you have with Christ.


till another day,



normallyINDIE

Way to Long...

So, I made a commitment about 2 years ago that I would blog once a week for as long as I can and I have fallen off that bandwagon, but tonight I am vowing to catch back up.   Yes, I know it is cheating, but my hope is to get back to blogging once a week.  With that being said I will be writing three different blog posts to make up for lost time.  Starting with this crazy Michigan weather.

As many of you know (if I do have any readers out there in cyber space) my beautiful wife Jenny and I have most recently moved to the great state of Michigan.  Yes, we are living in Pure Michigan as Tim Allen likes to call it on all of those awesome commercials.  It has been such a great experience so far and we have met some really awesome people through the church I am working at here on the Southside of Detroit or as they call it here Down River (DWR).  We have been blessed with an awesome two bedroom apartment in the heart of Down River with a great church to attend (I get to work at) for the past two months.  We could not be happier with the situation that God has brought us in.

But what i find to be most exciting is the fact that we are on a journey.  We read about in scripture about the journeys that the disciples were able to take over their lifetime, traveling to far away lands, sometimes away from home, and spread the gospel along the way.  I like to think that Cincinnati was one of those stops for the past 7 months of our lives and now we are off on our next stop of this epic journey God is taking us on.  We moved here two months ago totally through God, because we definitely did not imagine that we would be packing up in early September for Michigan (a state Jenny and i had only been to briefly) and starting a student ministry.  What i find astonishing is that God continues to show us that we are on a journey.  Although we are further from the place that we love so much, being closer to our families, we have found that a ministry must be done here.  We have had opportunity to meet some great leaders from the church here at Twin Oaks Christian, as well as run into some awesome people along the way.  It is even more exciting to think that we are just at the very beginning of this very long journey, here in Michigan specifically.

We have truly felt called here, Michigan was not on either of our minds, and we both believe that although it is a had to be far from our families that we have been brought here for a reason.  God has placed us in the "DWR" to make a change and we could not be happier to be a part of such an amazing change.

My prayer over the next year is that this blog will continue to chronicle the journey that God is taking us on.  We will encounter good times and bad, ups and downs, but I am so excited to continue on this journey.  Just hoping that the little, seemingly insignificant things that we do in our daily lives would truly reflect the love of Christ with those we in encounter.  For what more is there in this world than to glorify the living God.



till another day,


normallyINDIE

Just another week...

Yes, it is the middle of August 2012 and there is really not much to talk about in life.  We are in the midst of something amazing here at Groesbeck Church with a rebranding campaign in full swing.  We are just one month away from the relaunch of our Contemporary Service at 11:00am on Sundays and we could not be more excited about the opportunities that are going to come our way as we begin to serve the church.  

But when I really think about it...what seems to keep coming to my mind is why we do what we do?  What is the purpose of living a life as a pastor to a congregation of people who are looking for something.  It is really just that.  All of us inside are seeking something in our lives whether it be fame, fortune, love, happiness, but all of those things still really cannot fill the void that seems to get more vast every second of every day.  That is the amazing gift that we pastors have the opportunity to share on a weekly basis.  

The idea that hope can be find in a relationship with Christ Jesus and Christ Jesus alone.  It makes all those other things seem insignificant.  It brings to light the reason that we pastors stay up late and wake up early, visit the sick, preach on sundays, counsel during the week, because there is a community we are a part of that is looking for something.  We have that something and it is our job to show that to them.  

God has revealed in me that despite all things, he power and hope reigns true in all things.  It is an exciting feeling and most of all a feeling that makes me want to drive to work every morning.  A feeling that excites me when I have the chance to interact with students.  A chance that excites me when I am able to share the gospel with a student and they get it.  There is not a better feeling in life then knowing that you shared the gift of life with someone, the gift of life in Jesus Christ.  

till another day, 

normallyINDIE 

50 and counting...

Almost 11 months ago I set out on a mission to write a blog post once a week, and although there have a few weeks where it has not been a priority (finals week, wedding, honeymoon) I did seem to find a way to catch up and always stay on pace to reach my goal. I am proud to say that although I have yet to hit the 1 year mark I have hit 50. That's right 50 posts (1 each week for the last 50 weeks).

Now for many of you this may just be a blog therefore what's the big deal when you read 50 posts. But for me this is a journal that goes through the moments of my life that have been influential from moving to Indianapolis, to marrying my wonderful wife, and ultimately moving back to Cincinnati to pursue a career in ministry.

As I look back on all 50 of these posts, I see high points during this year as well as low points that deserve a moment of reflection, each in their own special way. I have changed over these past 50 posts and it can be seen through my writing and studying.

If anything, this blog has been an outlet for me to speak my mind to whoever is listening, but most of all share my concerns about this world with the Lord. There is something truly freeing about putting words to a page. It trully can be a form of medication for a person that is struggling with anything from doubt to depression and happiness to joy.

I pray that over the next 50 posts I continuelly to see my life changed as well as the lives of others around me to be changed, not because I can write words to a page, but because the living God speaks through me. That is my prayer for this blog and my prayer for the community I am apart of, that they would all, someday be transformed by the power of the Gospel.


till another day,



normallyINDIE

Book Review - Radical by David Platt

I first heard of this book from a friend of mine and pastor at Emmanuel Church of Greenwood named Shane Combs.  Shane introduced me to this book after he spent time reading it during my internship this past year.  Shane assured me that it was a book that would challenge my faith and my way of life as I knew it.  I took his word for it and it was entirely true.  

Among the books I have read over the past year this book is one that is set apart from the rest.  Throughout the book Platt describes different scenarios where he believes the American church has fallen short.  For most people the "American Dream" is something worth striving for and Platt sees this to be true in most churches today.  The "American Church Dream" of starting a church and it exploding to having thousands of members with a great speaker, media, and performance all in all.  But what seems to go by the way side in churches like this is the power of the scriptures and the redeeming power of Jesus' sacrificial love. The megachurch world is so concerned with reaching this point of superiority as a church, but where is our knowledge of the scripture and our true yearning for its' power. 

The book was filled with hundreds of facets of the modern day Christian church that must be changed, but for some reason this seemed to stick out.  I am not sure if it is because I seem to take for granted the book that is the living breath of God.  Because I have spent much of my lifetime with at least one bible available (not to mention four or five dependent on the translation) I have lost the anxious and excited spirit when it comes to reading the holy word of the Lord.  We, as people of God, should be praising constantly that we have the privilege to freely read and preach God's word however and whenever we please.  I am not the most patriotic of Americans, but I am thankful that God has allowed me to live in a country that allows me to freely read and worship the word of the Lord.  But my question is what would we feel like when we read the scriptures if it were not a freedom?  How would we react to the holy word of God if it was not so readily available to us?  

Platt raises these types of questions in a book that must be read by modern day Christians.  It shatters the things that seemed to be so important and brings to light the importance of the scriptures once again.  Read this book for you will be radically changed. 

till another day, 

normallyINDIE

Book Review - Redemption by Mike Wilkerson...

As of recently I have spent some time being engaged by the Re:Lit group that is a part of the Crossway Publishing Company.  Begin by Pastor Mark Driscoll, this program was built to collect a group of writers that are committed to speaking the truth about spiritual, biblical, and societal issues in a text format.  Many of you may recognize this from the popular book Doctrine by Mark Driscoll.  Although this book is on my list to read/purchase it is not the book I found myself reading recently.  Instead, I got my hands on Redemption by Mike Wilkerson.  Mike is a pastor at Seattle's Mars Hill Church (which Mark Driscoll calls home as well) and he lead their counseling program.  With this in mind, I felt the author would bring a fresh perspective to the problem of pain that so many authors have tried to tackle over the years.

The format being some what interesting began with the author diving into the story of the the Israelites and their problem with suffering, idol worship, and death.  Intermixed with this biblical story from the Old Testament are real life stories of christians and non-christians alike who are struggling with a God that not only allows suffering in this world, but has allowed suffering to take over their lives.  The pages are covered in the tears and blood of those who are suffering because of the sins and destruction of this world.  But what this book doesn't do is point the finger at each individual person's sin, instead, it focuses on the hope and redemption that can be found through a relationship with Christ and his church.  It calls those who are suffering fall on their knees in prayer and call on the hope of a savior that died for their sins.  It also calls the church to have arms open wide for those who are suffering to come running.  The author's writers calls the church to get out of the judgement seat and instead kneel down with those who are suffering and love them.

I could not agree more with this idea.  I have dealt with problems of suffering myself, as well as been involved with people who are suffering through personal sin, addictions, and other "idols" that seem to steal their worship.  I have been encouraged to not only kneel down with these people, but to allow them to share the burdens they feel on the shoulders of the church.  For the church is supposed to be a place of redemption and hope.  Right now the church is a place of judgement and condemnation and I do not want to be that type of Christian.  I am constantly in prayer that God will change me and allow the redemption of the cross to flow through me.

If you are struggling with suffering, the problem of pain, or any other afflictions please speak with someone you trust or speak with me through twitter: @normallyINDIE or Facebook: Alec Tod.


till another day,



normallyINDIE

In the Ministry...

Now when I say "the Ministry" I am not referring the the Ministry of Magic from the world of Harry Potter (excited that the final Harry Potter Movie came out), I am referring to the Ministry of Jesus Christ.  It has been a few weeks now, but on October 29th 2011 I had the opportunity to become an ordained minister into the Christian Church/Church of Christ Non-demoninational sect of Christianity.  That sounds like a lot, but in laymen's terms that means I have become an ordained minister into the Christian faith.  What this means is that I now have the ability to perform wedding ceremonies, funeral ceremonies, and am considered an ordained ministers while applying for jobs.  It is a great benefit, but most of all it is the ushering in of a new member into the ministry of pastors that have been thousands of years in the making.

Official Invitations designed by Turquoise Feathers 

My wonderful fiancé put together a ceremony to commemorate all of my achievements as a student as well as my call to ministry.  The night included words from Joel Craig who has been my mentor in ministry since the beginning of my call in Junior High, my granny Gladys Wheeler, who despite her absence was able to send an audio of touching words of leadership (she has been my motivation to pursue ministry since I was a little boy), and lastly my father Jeff Tod who I was baptized with and have looked up to since I was able to speak my first words.  I was given the opportunity at the end of the night to share a little bit about my vision for ministry as well as my gratitude for those around me.  I was truly honored to have been given this call by to go into ministry and each of the people that spoke had amazing impacts on my life in a vital way.

God has called me into the ministry and this ordination was just one of hundreds of thousands of steps.  After taking this first step, I look forward to continuing on this journey of life with my beautiful fiancé by my side and our call into ministry leading us.  God is going to do amazing things through us and I just hope I am one of his many tools that he uses to spread the gospel to the ends of the Earth.


till another day,



normallyINDIE

Sabbath...

Sitting in staff meeting on Monday at Emmanuel Church of Greenwood, I did not really know what to expect.  It always seems to be something different and exciting every week.  This week we had free Chickfila breakfast and coffee which is always nice, but beyond that there seemed to be a sense of importance to the day.  I did not really know what to think until our senior pastor Danny Anderson came up to the front of the room to give us our Staff Development piece for the day.  On a side note, at most of our staff meetings Danny, or another member of the staff, gets up in the front of the room and gives us a nugget of truth that we like to call Staff Development.  It can be anything from inspiration, to a challenge, but this week was really exciting.  He decided to talk about the subject of taking a Sabbath.

For most the Sabbath is a worn out term that died with those that practiced it in the Old Testament, but Danny challenged us to take it in a much more literal way.  He painted to picture of the Sabbath as a divine law it is to be kept, not only by his pastors and teachers, but by all who call themselves followers of Christ.

The sabbath consisting of three ideas, filling up your emotional, spiritual, and physical tanks.  He described it as such, throughout your week all of these tanks drain out what must be kept in us in order for us to do the work Christ called us too.  Most of us merely hope that we are sustained enough to survive, but we are called to so much more.  We are called at least once a week to take a "Sabbath" consisting of refilling these tanks to the level that is healthy.  This can include, but is not limited to, doing things that truly fill you up which for some could be working out, reading, writing, praying, meditating, working on projects.  But what is most important is that all the things that your do on your Sabbath are centered on glorifying and thanking God for what he has given you.  Truly taking the time to revitalize yourself and your relationship with the Lord, which so often is set aside due to the busy nature of our culture.

Therefore, when Danny challenged us with this idea that we MUST take a Sabbath, I began to think, "am I taking a Sabbath once a week, and if I am what does it look like."  I came to the conclusion that my Sabbath is nonexistent.  Yes, I have my regular spiritual disciplines that include reading, writing, journaling, and prayer, but I am not taking time to truly glorify the Lord on one day.  Am I truly taking a Sabbath?

I am now devoted to finding a time and a place to do just that, take a Sabbath that will refill all of my tanks and glorify Lord in the process.  My Sabbath, whatever day that is, will consist of time studying scripture, blogging, journaling, reading books, sipping on coffee at my favorite coffee shop, watching movies, sleeping in, and a little praise and worship with my fiancé.  All of these things are the things that truly fill me up and bring glory to God in the process.

Although I am not totally sure how to implement this into my weekly life just yet, I am dedicated to making this a part of my routine and especially a part of my marriage.  I have also challenged Jenny with this idea and given her the opportunity to think about what her Sabbath would look like.  It being drastically different than mine, she will find a way to fill her tanks once a week and truly glorify the Lord in the process.

I truly thank Danny Anderson for challenging us with this idea and thank the Lord for setting it on his heart to share.  I look forward to spending my Sabbath with the Lord and seeing the true life change that comes as a result.  I would challenge you to think of this idea yourself and truly begin to examine what your "Sabbath" may look like as your go about your daily life.


till another Day,


normallyINDIE

6 Weeks and Counting...

Those of you who know me well, would know that I have been working alongside Shane Combs and the rest of the MovementSM staff for the past 7 months.  It has been a journey all the way from my first nerve racking days in May of this year, wondering what the summer would, all the way to this moment when I am staring at the calendar and it reads November.  Many would believe that at this moment I will begin to be sad and nostalgic, but I am not I just want to express to those that are listening the impact that the Movement Student Ministries as had on my life.

As I said before I came into this ministry without knowing anyone (besides Shane briefly) in May of this year.  I jumped right in working on Summer programming, trips, WOODLANDS, with Amber and that time Mitch.  It was a great summer of trial and error and getting to know one another, especially getting to know Shane, not only as a boss, but as a true friend.  Shane had the opportunity to speak at a conference in Dallas in early August and because of his fear of flying Mitch and I had the chance to drive and tag along.  This may have been one of the best bro trips I have taken in a long time.  Although, their were ups and downs there were conversations to be had and memories to be made.

We then moved into the heart of the Student Ministries calendar, the fall.  This year was especially exciting because there was a vibe of anticipation and excitement.  We began Cell Groups and leadership that went off great with over 200 students in the Cell Group ministry.  More students every week were coming and hearing about the gospel of Christ, many of them accepting Jesus into their heart for the very first time.  There is nothing better than the feeling of when a student truly "gets it".

In the meant time, I began a bible that meets on Tuesday mornings at 6am with 6 promising young minds and a co-leader (Jason Beck) called McTuesdays.  This name given to the program by the students reminds us of the day and the fact that we will be enjoying wonderful McDonald's breakfast as we dive deeply into the word of God.  We went through much of Genesis, stopping every 4th week to have a Question week where the students can ask anything they would like.  This study has not only challenged the students, but it has challenged me to continue to teach at a high level and grow with the students.

My fiancé had the privilege of going on the Cell Group Leadership trip to Gaitlinburg where Jenny fell in love with some amazing young ladies (Mackenzie Essig, Miranda Gladish, and Alex Harrell).  She then became the first two's Cell Group Adult Leader and they have been great friends ever since.

Moving forward things have begun to slow down student ministries wise, but only to amp up last week when we threw Block Party 2.0, a fall themed party for all the students involved in Cell Groups (275+).  It was so exciting to be a part of such a huge success and we are so excited for Block Party on Ice which is coming soon.

With all of these crazy things that have happened in my 23 weeks here at MovementSM and all the other crazy things that are still to come, God has taught me one thing.  He has taught me that despite your attitude or the attitude of those around you, in is your responsibility to glorify him to obedience.  Not the obedience of just following his commandments, but true obedience involving trust, peace of mind, love, dedication, gratitude, giving, and sacrifice.

As I finish out these last couple of weeks at MovementSM, sadly, I am so excited for what is to come and what God has in store for Jenny and I.  Whatever it may be I am merely excited to obey God in that call and continue to worship him through obedience, with a joyfully, humble heart.


till another day,


normallyINDIE

The Flood...

Recently I have been given the opportunity come to McDonalds here in Greenwood, IN at 6am every Tuesday and meet with a small group of guys from Emmanuel Church.  For the past three weeks we have been meeting and I have been teaching and reading through the first couple of biblical stories in Genesis.  We will continue to do so for the next 13 weeks over the next couple of months walking through the rest of Genesis, dissecting the context and culture while doing so.  This bible study (McTuesdays/Breakfast Club 2.0) was modeled after DM2 at Eastview Christian Church during my years in high school.  It gives me an opportunity to teach in an advanced way as well as give the students the opportunity to dive deeper into the scriptures in a way that is unlike Sundays.  God has called us to deeply understand his scripture and especially the events and people he used to complete his will.

Specifically this week we were reading/teaching through Genesis 7 - 10 focusing on the Flood.  What is interesting that I have found about reading about Noah is the fact that he was a man that walked with God, this being the first human being to be considered to be in relationship with God in this way.   He truly was in relationship with him and the only man to do so since the fall and not again until the arrival of Jesus.  But this was not what stuck out to me most through these four chapters.  The overarching them that seemed to be at the center of this relationship was the fact that Noah trusted God and did not ask questions.  Noah trusted God through the construction of a boat unlike anything he had ever seen.  Noah trusted God through the actual Flood without knowing when it would cease.  Noah trusted God through the ceasing of the rainfall and the reconstruction of the Earth.  Without asking questions Noah did what the Lord asked of him, always trusting that God would provide for him.

After finishing the lesson and thinking back on what I taught, I began to bring together the connection between my life and Noah.  Although I am not saying that God has chosen to act through me in the magnitude of a Flood, I do believe that he has chosen to do something in me.  I am simply in preparation for what is to come in the future.  As January looms and my graduation date gets closer and closer, the provision God has given me throughout my life just makes me continue to trust him.  The past five months of my life I have been in prayer with God specifically for the provision.

Noah brings to light an amazing story of biblical triumph, but most of all provision.  God's provision was at the center of his life and I long to walk with the Lord.


till another day,


normallyINDIE