Updates from Todd

Friends - as we head into what should be one of the most beautiful weather weekends of the year in Dallas, and either a great weekend for Longhorns or Sooners at the State Fair, a chance to rebuild the excitement for Aggies…and I’ll let you decide what to say about Waco - I thought I would share with you a couple of ‘beautiful’ opportunities for us to reconnect.

First, if you have not yet heard, three times a week I am sharing a biblical perspective on current news through something two of my children and a few other friends have started called the Remnant News. You can subscribe for free by clicking this link.

This is a great way for us to get to continue to be together reflecting on God’s word and spurring each other on to be steadfast to the end; something fewer and fewer will do as we daily approach the last of the last days. (See Matthew 24:22-25) To those already subscribed, I pray you are reading my thoughts and especially using the links we provide to all the Scripture that informs them. I am confident this will keep you both informed and continually transformed to the end. If you’re already being encouraged by the Remnant, help me get the word out and share it with others. We will get some Remnant swag to you simply for encouraging friends and family to join!

Another opportunity for my Dallas friends to spend time with me and others who are committed to being “the remnant” is taking place in the Lakewood area. For that last couple of years a small group of us have been gathering to do what true Christ followers have always done together - practice the “one anothers” of Scripture, make disciples and steward our gifts together to advance the Kingdom. We are being extremely intentional with our language and our purpose - careful not to focus on a weekly gathering or terms that reinforce simply a meeting - but we are meeting to spur each other on and now are being a little louder in inviting others to join us. We are currently looking at how Jesus built a core that changed the world. If you are already a part of a group of believers that are spurring you on to love and good deeds in every way Christ intended- KEEP GOING! If you want to join some of us in doing the same then - COME ON. As I mentioned above, we are just beginning a 10 week study on how Jesus formed a small group of followers who ran over and through the ‘gates of hell’ to bring light and grace to the world. We are continuing the work He charged His friends to do 2,000 years ago and you are welcome to join us as we remind one another of how we can pursue faithfulness in our day. If you are interested in finding out more respond to [email protected] and we will get more information to you. If you are somewhere where that is happening already - let me know so I can encourage others to join you! But we are meeting at 9am, with childcare now available at our Sunday gatherings all Fall.

Finally, for the men on this email (women we are working on creating something for you soon!) - I want to invite you to join others who are committed to being alert, faithful, courageous, strong and kind as we LEAD. Our world is increasingly asleep, compromised, weak and perverting Jesus’ definition of love and we want to invite you to join us as a community of courageous leaders in business, entertainment, arts, media, the church and other areas of strategic influence. For more information, sign up here and we will get you looped in to our local and national gatherings.

Whatever you do this weekend - I pray those around you will have a more beautiful picture of the love of Christ because of you.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:3-8)