Archive for September, 2007
Random Thoughts, Rick Warren AND Some Really Awesome Links… September 20, 2007
My A-D-D ABCDEFG is in overdrive…so here goes…
- Rick Warren started a podcast at the beginning of the year…and IT WAS AWESOME…but we haven’t heard from him since July 1st! Rick–what’s up man!!! We need you back! I will send you a new Hawaiian shirt and a pair of flip flops if you will start podcasting again!!!
- This quote that Craig had on his blog, especially the last line, both messed me up AND encouraged me…the people who do the most for God are the ones who will attempt what others are saying can’t be done.
- A friend brought Lucretia and I a chocolate chip pound cake yesterday and–DANG!!! OH MY!!! I am so happy!!!
- Gary had some GREAT insight with this post on being secure in your calling.
- Agree or disagree on the drinking issue–this was a very well written article that caused a stir and made some people think! I wonder when the SBC will speak out against something that plagues many of its pastors…like…uh…maybe OBESITY!!! Just curious!
- Check out Scott’s blog--you’ve GOT to love this cartoon!!!
- Craig had some great insight about the pastor’s family here!
- USC fans are REALLY excited about their number twelve ranking in one poll and fourteen in another…uh, guys…I would not get to happy there–I think LSU might be for real!!!
- If USC somehow wins that game…I am jumping off a cliff!
- Notre Dame is 0-3 and hasn’t scored an offensive touchdown this year–that makes me happy!
- Bob’s post on integrity was AWESOME…and his post about systems was incredible as well!!!
- Marks post about agreeing to disagree…DANG!
- I got to have lunch with Michael L…uh…I am not going to even TRY to spell his last name–but here is his website…anyway, he was up here on Tuesday and I got to hang out with him and a couple of guys from his team. It is amazing what God is doing in his church!!!
- My Dallas Cowboys are 2-0! WOW!
- OK…I am not one to call out things for being blasphemous…but what the heck is up with this guy who is suing God? Folks…just when you think the stupidity meter on mankind has maxed out…
- The Braves have fallen apart…AGAIN!
- There is a rumor that NewSpring is opening a coffee shop in our lobby this weekend…actually, it’s not a rumor–it’s true! We’re tired of waiting on Starbucks!
That’s about it…REALLY looking forward to Sunday!
Blown Away!!! September 19, 2007
One of the things that God constantly reminded the Israelites in the OT was to NOT forget the past, how faithful He had been and all that He had done. As I sit back and reflect on the past seven and a half years at NewSpring Church I am blown away…
- I was blown away when 115 people showed up at the first service on January 16, 2000.
- I was blown away when 65 showed up the next week–DESPITE a major ice storm and the building having no power!!!
- I was blown away when the checkbook balance got DANGEROUSLY low…and God provided some MIRACLE offerings during the summer months of that year–when giving was supposed to bottom out!
- I was blown away when we had to go to two services in less than six months.
- I was blown away when we moved from the Sullivan building to the Fine Arts Center…and went from 188 to 315 in one week!
- I was blown away in 2002 when on August 11th we had 506 people, the next week we had 970…and within five weeks we had 1,600 people coming–there is STILL NOT AN EXPLANATION FOR THIS!
- I was blown away in July of 2003 when we had over 2,000 people show up for our service at the Civic Center.
- I was blown away in December of that year when we had 3,009 the first Sunday of that month–we broke the 2,000 and 3,000 barrier within five months…THAT’S GOD!!!
- I was blown away in 2004 when we bought the land we are currently on.
- I was blown away in 2005 when I nearly died and the church didn’t miss a beat–I learned an IMPORTANT LESSON…God is necessary, I am not!
- I was blown away in 2006 when we moved into our current facility with nearly 7,000 people in attendance!!!
- I was blown away on October 1st of ’06 when we baptized 412 people in one day!!!
- I was blown away at Unleash this past March–without spending ANY $$$ on promotion we had right at 900 church leaders show up for a conference where we expected about 100 when we originally planned it.
- I was blown away Easter of this year when we had over 10,000 people show up for church!
- I was blown away during our Illuminate series when over 800 people received Christ!!!
- I was blown away the other Saturday when we baptized over 560 people!
- I am blown away EVERYDAY that God would take a screw up like me and allow me to be a part of this!
- I am blown away that God has surrounded me with a DREAM TEAM of staff and volunteers who are in love with Jesus…and crazy enough to follow my leadership.
God has been faithful…and has blown us all away…BUT–when God told the Israelites to remember the past–it wasn’t just to INFORM them of what He was capable of–but rather to IGNITE them to continue to move forward, trusting that He could do even greater things…and that is EXACTLY where we are. We MUST be thankful in regards to the past–but not dwell there–God has GREATER THINGS in store!!!
I say this all the time…and I mean it…God is just getting started! He is Holy and Awesome and CAPABLE of MUCH MORE THAN THIS! I refuse to think that Christianity is supposed to be for cave dwellers and naval gazing gurus…it is for THE WORLD…and we must THINK BIG because we have a BIG GOD…PRAY BIG…and then stand in awe as He continues to make Ephesians 3:20 come to life right in front of our eyes!
Three Really Quick Things… September 18, 2007
#1 – As I said here last week, I am REALLY pumped about our All Access event taking place on October 21-22. If you still want to come there are some spaces left…we are purposefully keeping this a little less crowded so there is more time for our staff to interact with all who are attending. You can register here if interested…and my advice…don’t attend alone, bring a friend or two!!!
By the way…our staff is pumped about this…NOT because we know it all BUT because we learn SO MUCH in these types of environments. Seriously, we have discovered that there is MUCH to be learned simply by the questions people ask.
#2 – Unleash ’08 is going to be off the hook! We already have 390 people registered…and it isn’t even taking place until March 13th.
Here’s the deal with Unleash…you can register for $45 (the price for last years conference) until September 30th…after that the rates will increase. Oh yeah…for $45 per person–we actually “lose” money because of what it actually costs to put on the conference.
(I put “lose” in quotes because it’s all God’s money–so we don’t actually lose anything!!!)
Trust me…this is going to be fun…we are expecting a sell out!!!
#3 – Lucretia, my wife, is going to be doing a guest post on this blog; however, YOU are going to drive the subject of the post. What questions would you like to see her answer here? Maybe it has to do with being a pastors wife? Maybe it has to do with how she landed a guy who looks as good as me? :-) Whatever–send in your questions and we will take the most popular ones and answer them here next week!
My Bible Journey September 18, 2007
Holy cow!!! WOW! In my journey through Scripture the Lord has allowed me to hang with Jeremiah…so far these are a few things that have REALLY encouraged and rebuked me…
- Jeremiah 1:4-5, I hope I am the type of parent that can understand that before Charisse was born that God had a plan for her…and it is better than anything I could ever want for her.
- Jeremiah 2:1, this book of the Bible is FULL of the phrase, “and the Lord said to me.” I should constantly to hear the voice of God in my life!
- Jeremiah 2:8, God takes this calling into ministry VERY seriously…and He will deal with those who run after anything except for Him.
- Jeremiah 3:15, I pray that this will always be me!
- Jeremiah 7:23, WOW, the Lord REALLY didn’t make it THAT difficult!
- Jeremiah 10:6-7, YES!!!
- Jeremiah 10:21, there is a high price to pay when leaders do not follow the voice of God!
- Jeremiah 20:1-2, I don’t really have it that bad…some bloggers don’t like me…but dang, at least THIS has never happened to me.
- Jeremiah 20:9, YES!!! I continually pray for the Lord to set my soul on FIRE!!!
- Jeremiah 23:18, I need to spend MUCH more time seeking God’s wisdom!
- Jeremiah 23:28, I pray that the Lord will find me faithful!
- Jeremiah 24:7, I WANT THIS!!! It’s a struggle for us all–but I WANT THIS!!!
- Jeremiah 26:7-11, people who do God’s work with passion and faithfulness have always been persecuted and criticized…why should any of us think it would be any different today?
- Jeremiah 27:5, YES!!! YES!!! YES!!! EVERYTHING I have is a gift from God–EVERYTHING…it’s all HIS, I am just borrowing it!!! THIS VERSE ROCKED MY WORLD!
- Jeremiah 29:11-14, God has a plan…and I will know it when I fully surrender my plans and seek HIM! (Please note–seek HIM, not HIS plans…there is a difference!)
- Jeremiah 30:8-9, God is SO into this freedom thing!!! Thank You Jesus for saving me!!!
- Jeremiah 31:3, God’s love is amazing!
- Jeremiah 32:27, THIS VERSE ROCKED MY WORLD!!!
- Jeremiah 33:3, many times I lack wisdom because I do not ask for it!
Those are just a few things God has shown me so far…please pray that God will continue to rock my world in my time with Him.
Sunday Night Reflections (AND My Really Cute Daughter!) September 16, 2007
Whew…what an awesome day at NewSpring. I taught on putting God first in the area of our finances…which normally is really tense; however, I really felt that today’s message was very well received. Saying that–here are some thoughts from today/this weekend.
- I got up this morning and walked outside and it FELT LIKE FALL. I just stood outside on my deck, watching the sun come up and was overwhelmed by how awesome and creative God is!!!
- One of THE main reasons I love teaching on putting God first in the area of finances is because I received Christ in 1990…but didn’t surrender my money until 1999…and since doing so I have seen Him do AMAZING things…I have never had everything I want…but I’ve never gone without!
- Like I said today–there just are NOT many people who have made as many financial mistakes as I have…and I didn’t come out of the storm UNTIL I began to apply God’s Word to the way I handled money.
- NO, we did not ask people to purchase prayer cloths…we simply presented what Scripture says on the subject! :-)
- It amazes me that some Christians will trust God with their eternity…but not with their money. Why? Because it’s easy to raise your hands and carry a big Bible with your name on it…it is MUCH harder to take a step of faith and put God first.
- Some people get mad when you teach on money…notice I said SOME…and there is a reason. Let’s just say it this way…the ONLY people that get angry when a pastor teaches against adultery is because, well, uh, they are committing adultery. SO…the same with money…the only people who get angry when teaching on $$$ are those who do not have God first in that area.
- I was told when I first started NewSpring to NEVER teach on money, that it drove people away. THEN I discovered that money is one of THE most talked about subjects in Scripture, that JESUS talked about it in around 25% of His teachings…and that THE REASON people are the most screwed up in the area of their finances is because God’s Word was not obeyed. (Once again, talking from personal experience here!)
- There is ABSOLUTELY no reason for a Christian to be stressed when it comes to finances, put God first…and DO NOT WORRY…for further explanation on this please check out the word of Jesus (I love HIS stuff) in Matthew 6:19-34
- No matter how hard a Christian tries to justify not putting God first…what Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 is just difficult to argue with! I know it was for me!
- OK…let me say this again…if you have NOT signed up for Joe’s class then GO HERE and DO IT NOW! Folks, there isn’t a better teacher on finances ANYWHERE in the country. And he has a blog–here is that link! (Check out his five part series on paying off debt–IT’S AWESOME!!!)
- Oh yeah…Joe is a walking example of WHEN you put God first in your finances then you can do WHATEVER He asks of you…WHENEVER He asks it. Some people cannot respond to God’s call on their life because they are in bondage. Joe, on the other hand, took a 50% pay cut to come on staff at NewSpring…and his family IS NOT STARVING!!!
- I announced service time changes here last week…and on September 30th we will rock and roll!!! Oh yeah, we also are changing the time for Ignite, our middle school ministry, to 5:00 on Sundays.
- Speaking of last week…I had no idea that this post from last week about “nice” Christian boys and girls would be so popular!!! DANG!
- That’s about it for now…except for…about two weeks ago Lucretia took the picture below with her camera phone…it makes me smile every time I see it. I would do just about anything to see my little girl smile…and after seeing the picture you will know why! I LOVE BEING A DAD!
Five Reasons I Have Hope September 14, 2007
When we first started NewSpring Church back in the fall of 1999 I just about went into a mild case of depression when I looked at the state that the church was in nationwide. AND, even up until recently I had lost some hope, after all, with the population in America INCREASING and church attendance DECREASING it just wasn’t looking good. (In business terms…if a business operated like the church is currently operating there is a word that would describe the future of that business–BANKRUPT!)
BUT…now I have hope. Over the past year or so I have had the privilege of connecting with some pastors and church planters that are absolutely on fire. I have watched these guys and learned from them…and they have given me hope because I am seeing…
#1 – Unconventional Ways Of Spreading The Gospel Being Used!
Seriously, who would have thought 20 years ago that the term “multi-site” would have ever been used in the context of a church growing…but it is happening. Who would have thought of using the internet as a tool for advancing the Gospel back in 1990?
I am seeing a generation of pastors and leaders rise up who are unwilling to accept the idea that the best methods for spreading the Gospel already exist!!! I am seeing guys and girls willing to push the limitations of technology and culture. I am seeing churches willing to meet in movie theaters and schools and office buildings. I am seeing guys leaving the marketplace and entering ministry…all in the name of making the name of Jesus famous.
#2 – I Am Seeing Denominational Walls Being Destroyed!
I’ve always joked that when I first entered ministry it seemed the Baptists didn’t like the Pentecostals, the Methodists didn’t like the Lutherans…and the Presbyterians didn’t like anybody! (Come on now–that’s funny…but only if you were predestined to think so!) :-)
But this new generation of leaders are not loyal to a particular denomination–they are loyal to Jesus and His church! I am seeing Baptists and Pentecostals and Presbyterians work TOGETHER, realizing that they are on the SAME TEAM, serving the SAME GOD!
No longer will someone say, “I won’t visit that church or meet with that pastor because they don’t think just like me!” Well…that isn’t happening among the churches that are actually doing something!
Don’t get me wrong…I am not saying that denominations are a bad thing…it is just that too many church leaders made their denomination nothing more than modern day Baal worship, trading in loyalty to Jesus for a place on some leadership committee!
#3 – I Am Seeing Churches More Concerned With Who They Reach Than Who They Keep!
A church can obsess over who is being reached or who is being kept–it can’t have both. And the leaders I am watching have a passion to see disconnected people connected with Christ rather than seeing those already connected get a phone call when they stub their toe.
The passion of this new breed is evangelism…they desperately want to see people come to Christ. AND yes, they do want them discipled as well; however, discipleship is defined as teaching people how to fall in love with Jesus instead of, “this is how to think like me because I am right!”
#4 – I Am Seeing Churches And Leaders That Care About The Quality Of Their Worship Services.
No longer does someone get up to sing and, upon finishing the pastor says, “And all God’s people said…” and you feel like yelling back, “WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!”
Sure, some accuse them of being “nothing but a show” and “entertainment.” However, I would much rather entertain someone than bore them to tears!
If a movie is bad then you tell your friends & you won’t go see it again. If a Broadway show is bad you do the same. Some would argue that the church should not be doing it like Hollywood and/or Broadway…and I agree–WE SHOULD BE “DOING IT” BETTER!!! We’ve been called by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit and the TOMB IS EMPTY…and that deserves way more than Saturday night message preparation and a person that can’t sing presenting the most incredible message that is in the universe!
#5 – I Am Seeing The Spirit Of Religion Being Destroyed.
In my journey through the Bible I am discovering more and more that the most damage that has been historically done to the church and God’s people have been through those who are religious…but don’t actually know Jesus.
No longer is it about what kind of music do you listen to OR the clothes that you wear. No longer is the church being more passionate about Robert’s Rules of Order than Scripture. No longer are people being looked down upon because their hair may be purple. In the new breed of churches what matters the most is that you are there…and any changing that needs to be done isn’t dictated by the deacons in the parking lot (having a smoke break) but rather the Holy Spirit.
I am SO encouraged because these churches are rising up everywhere…and lives are being changed because men and women are rebuking religion and discovering what it means to have a relationship with Christ.
For those would HATE this movement…like it or not…it’s here. And…if it is not of God then the advice of Gamaliel found in Acts 5:38-39 should suffice for you!
I have hope…I love the church…and I love what I am seeing. I believe we are quite possibly on the brink of one of the greatest spiritual awakenings that has ever hit the world…and I believe it will be led by those who are passionate for Jesus and can’t stand religion!
As I said the other Sunday in church…this isn’t just a church anymore…it’s a revolution…and we are taking ground for the cause of Christ!
I CAN’T WAIT FOR SUNDAY!
“Where Do You Get Your Creative Ideas From?” September 13, 2007
One of the questions I am asked most often in regards to creativity is where do the ideas come from…so here goes…
#1 – My quiet time
One of the things I heard someone say a long time ago is, “If you are going to speak then get a word from THE WORD.” THAT is some of the best advice I’ve ever received.
Every creative meeting we have revolves around a main idea/text from Scripture. I think creative teams make huge mistakes when they try to revolve a message around a video idea.
Saying all of that–I keep some scratch paper on my desk at home so that, when God hits me with an idea, I can write it down and develop it later on.
#2 – The creative team
I meet every Tuesday at 10am with our creative team here at NewSpring to go over the message. Just the other day we worked through the message for September 30th and I would say we changed about 50% of it…and because of that meeting it will flow better AND creatively connect with everyone.
I learned a long time ago that I do NOT have the best ideas…and so when someone in that meeting shares an idea–I listen. For example–the idea where I came out on stage in a coffin several weeks ago–that was not my idea! A lady in our meeting said, “Why don’t you come out on stage in a coffin to set that point up?” Everyone in the room (except for me) immediately got excited!
One more thing about a team like this…I try to balance it with married people AND singles…men AND women. If everyone in the room is exactly where I am in life then I feel that we are going to really limit who we connect with through illustrations and such.
#3 – Listening to/watching other speakers.
I have had people ask me before, “Do you ever use someone else’s stuff?” My reply–HECK YES! If another pastor/leader shares something that is a home run then I will use it without apology. The pastor that thinks he has to be completely original in everything is probably robbing the people in his church of some awesome stuff AND is under constant pressure of feeling like he’s under the gun.
(Some pastors will swear they do not borrow other people’s stuff…but their office is full of commentaries…uh…dude, that would be other people’s stuff!!!)
#4 – Be a student of culture.
I think one of the areas the church has failed in is studying the culture in which we exist. Many will call being a student of the culture “worldly,” but if someone goes oversees and studies the culture that exists there then that same group of people will call the international traveler a missionary.
Basically…I am a missionary in the upstate of South Carolina…and I completely get the culture in which I live. However, I am still a student…I am all over the web, watching television and browsing bookstores to look at magazine covers AND to see which books are listed as best sellers. Trust me–the marketing researchers for magazine readers KNOW what people are wanting to see–so, in my mind, they paid for the research and I get to have the benefit.
#5 – Time off
Honestly, some of my best ideas come to me when I take some time off…vacations, long drives and so on…it is amazing how clearly I can hear from God when I take some time away.
That’s what works for me…hope that helps.