Archive for May, 2011
You SERIOUSLY Need To Come To NLC…Here’s Why May 31, 2011
I don’t know if you know about this or not…but we are having the second annual NewSpring Leadership Conference (thus the name NLC) on Thursday, September 8 of this year at our Anderson campus! (Here are the videos from last year in case you missed it.) OR…you can go to the Perry Noble Leadership Podcast on itunes and download all of the messages for free!
The cost of the conference is $99 UNTIL June 30th…then the price increases to $129! (And…registrations are WAY ahead of last years, we are fully anticipating this event to sell out.)
The day will look like this…seven speakers…
- Steven Furtick
- Mark Driscoll
- Jud Wilhite
- Andy Stanley
- Craig Groeschel
- Judah Smith
- Perry Noble
…who will all be talking about the subject of leadership and the church!!!
There will be one song and then the speaker is up! It will seriously be like drinking from a fire hydrant.
HERE IS THE LINK where you can register!
Seriously! If you are serious about leadership, God’s church and how to take your walk and your leadership to the next level then you REALLY need to be here!
A Letter From Pastor P To NewSpring Church May 31, 2011
Howdy NewSpring Church…five things I wanted to share with you today…
#1 – I am so looking forward to preaching this coming Sunday. We’re starting a new series entitled, “On The Farm!” It is going to be an awesome time for us to focus on all that God has done (Celebration) and what we feel like He wants to do (Anticipation.) We’re going to take several weeks to answer some of the most commonly asked questions at our church…such as…
- How and why did this church begin?
- Are we a part of a denomination?
- Are we ever going to start a school?
- Why do we not have a traditional and a contemporary service?
- Is the multi site model Biblical or is it just about Perry’s personality?
- What does it mean to be a staff led church? Why don’t we have business meetings and vote?
- Why can’t I get back in the sanctuary when I have to exit the service?
- Is this church being ethical with the money that I give?
- Why can’t my preschool and elementary kids come into the regular service?
- Why do I need to be a member (OWNER) to volunteer?
- Why do you guys use “secular” music in your services?
- What are the best ways I can support NewSpring Church?
SHOULD BE A BLAST!
#2 – Church this past Sunday was incredible. It was such an honor to have Dan Lian with us…couldn’t you just listen to that guy talk all day long? Seriously, WHAT a Sunday…so AWESOME to see so many people respond to the Gospel and surrender their lives to Christ. I had the honor of being with Pastor Judah Smith at the City Church in Seattle this past weekend…I LOVE all that God is doing in THE CHURCH all over the world!
#3 – THANK YOU to EVERYONE who prayed for our Fuse Summer Kick Off event last week! We had over 3,100 students across four campuses…over 700 of them were first timers and over 100 decisions for Christ were made!!! I am SO thankful for our student ministry staff who refuse to believe the lie that youth ministry is a thing of the past and is not longer effective! AND…this is just the beginning…we’re begging Him for GREATER THINGS!
#4 – We are getting closer to making a decision on where our next two NewSpring locations are going to be. Thanks for those who are praying…keep it up!
#5 – We should have information on the Israel trip for next year by the end of June. I cannot even begin to describe how PUMPED I am about leading this trip, I promise you it will take the way you read the Scriptures to a level that you’ve never experienced before!
I LOVE MY CHURCH…can’t WAIT to be back teaching this Sunday!
Confession: Sometimes I Don’t Like What God Commands Me To Do! May 26, 2011
I’m just trying to be honest here…whoever said that following God and what He wants for us is always easy was probably smoking crack!!! Because…
Sometimes I don’t like what God commands me to do (and neither do you!)
This thought hit me the other day when I read Deuteronomy 31:12 and then Deuteronomy 32:48-50. (Go ahead, click on the link and read the verses, I can PROMISE you that you have never seen them on a Christian T-shirt or bumper sticker!)
Moses is one of the greatest leaders in the Bible…and he was so faithful to the Lord that his last act of obedience was to climb up a mountain and die…a death brought about by the hand of God.
I don’t know about you…but…I might have tried to run from this one. However, Moses didn’t…he was faithful. There are some Scriptures where he did beg God to change His mind…but at the end of it all he surrendered. (WAIT…that reminds me of another story found in Luke 22:39-42.)
One of my fears in life is that I will always be the guy who is saying, “Whatever you want Lord…I will do it,” and then when He commands me to take a step that I won’t do it because doing so will, well…it will hurt, it won’t be easy!
But…I am beginning to realize that God is always calling us closer to Himself…and the closer we get the more we die. We cannot walk closer to God and remain the same. The Apostle Paul was able to pen the words of Galatians 2:20 and he was quoted in Acts 20:24 because he realized this…
No price was too high
No command was considered to be ridiculous
EVEN when it hurt!
Jesus said if we want to follow Him that we are going to have to take up our cross…translation…there are going to be times that it hurts! (See Luke 9:23) However…
James 1:12 says that those times are for our development.
Romans 8:28 says that He works all things out for His glory and our good.
Romans 12:1-2 says if we will become a living sacrifice (ouch) then we will know His “good, pleasing and perfect will!”
And…even though God asked Christ to go to the cross…Jesus was able to experience something that no one on the planet has been able to pull off either before or since.
There was a crucifixion…but it led to a resurrection!!!
God has greater things in mind for us than we have for ourselves. And…the path He commands us to take isn’t always going to be the quickest one, the easiest one or the one that makes the most sense. However, we can trust that He is HOLY and wants nothing more for us than the very best.
I may not always like what He commands me to do…but if I will stay faithful and follow Him, even when it’s hard…then I will always be content with the results that He brings about.
Seven Things I Believe About The Next Generation May 25, 2011
I lead a discipleship group of about 10-12 young men and women who are in high school…I’ve done so for the past two years. Here are seven things I believe about the next generation (people who are 20 and younger)…
#1 – The next generation will see one of the greatest awakenings the world has ever seen…I really do believe the Lord is setting them up for it. (Which is why I believe the greatest investment in “missions” that the church can make today is the one to have a dynamic youth and children’s ministry!)
#2 – The way the next generation will view and do church will be different than the way we do it today. They will fully know and comprehend how to reach out to themselves…and our role as a church should be to fund it and not fight it (that line is borrowed from Andy Stanley)!
#3 – The next generation seems to be way more serious about their walk with Jesus than my generation has ever been.
#4 – I believe those of us who are “more mature” (OLDER) should seek out those who are in their teens and listen to their questions and frustrations about life and church without coming down on them. If we will listen and patiently explain things there could be way less tension between generations in the church. Might does not make right. And…the “mature” people should always be the first to step into a relationship with the next generation!
#5 – I fully believe that the next generation has no earthly idea what God wants to do in them and through them…and if we will teach them to be fully surrendered on a daily basis that our children and grandchildren will see God do things we didn’t even think were possible.
#6 – I believe the next generation is not content with borrowing the faith of their parents, they are asking questions and seeking to understand WHAT they believe and WHY they believe it…and them doing that is going to equip them to take the church to the next level (I Peter 3:15).
#7 – I believe the next generation is going to refuse to settle for the way things are…and that as their view of WHO God is begins to increase so will their expectation in regards to what He can do.
A Letter From Pastor P To NewSpring Church May 24, 2011
Howdy NewSpring Church, six things I wanted to share today…
#1 – A huge thanks to everyone who prayed for me and the team that went to Israel last week. It was, hands down, one of the top three spiritual events that has ever taken place in my life. I honestly cannot put into words what I experienced over there…my three favorite places were the Garden Tomb, the Garden of Gethsemane and Caesarea Philippi. I’ve been reading the Bible on a daily basis for over 20 years…and five days in Israel has taken my understanding of the Scriptures to a level that I’ve never experienced before. This trip literally blew my mind! I am so looking forward to taking a group from our church over there next year…most likely sometime in April. More details will be coming soon.
#2 – Sunday was AWESOME, it was such an honor to have Pastor Robert Morris (via video message) preach here again. The main thing that really impacted me personally from his message was when Pastor Robert said, “God cannot accept 2nd place in any area of our lives!” WOW…so awesome to be reminded of that and evaluate every area of my life…finances included. (Matthew 6:21, Matthew 6:24)
#3 – PLEASE take some time today and tomorrow to pray for our Fuse summer kick off that is taking place on Wednesday night. What is happening in our youth ministry right now is UNBELIEVABLE, they are setting attendance records in MAY…totally unheard of. I believe one of the reasons the Lord has blessed us with this momentum is because He wants to use this ministry to set up the next generation to lead the greatest awakening this world has ever seen…and we have the honor in playing a part in that. Summer kick off is a GREAT way to share the Gospel with students who need to hear it and also focus our students on the fact that summer is NOT a time to slack off in their walk with Jesus. PRAY FOR AWAKENING! (And…check out this video by Brad Cooper, our student pastor, for more information.)
#4 – For those who feel like the Lord may want you to take a week and go to the Gauntlet with our church and volunteer as a chaperone…here is the link I spoke about Sunday where you can begin that process. You will need to fill out this form, go through a background check and an interview. (Yes, we take this seriously.) And…I can PROMISE you this…IF you go to the beach as a volunteer this summer you won’t come back the same…I fully believe the LORD will do a significant work in your life and as you serve you will be stretched and developed in your walk with God. So…come on!!!
#5 – I love our church! I am so privileged to serve here…and am continually begging Jesus for His leadership in where the next NewSpring campus needs to be. I am asking all of you to commit to praying with me about this…the majority of our state is unchurched and I believe God has placed a divine calling on our church to do something about it. Let’s BEG GOD to reveal WHERE He wants us to go…and WHEN He wants it done!!! (Jeremiah 33:3!)
#6 – Confession…because this past Sunday was one where I did not preach I attended a service with Lucretia…and I stole a pen when I left!!! :-)
You Have GOT To Check This Out If You Are (Or Want To Be) A Church Planter! May 19, 2011
So…every once in a while someone will get in touch with me and want some church planting advice. I really do have a heart for church planters and church planting…which is one of the reasons I have this website. If you are a church planter and want some advice…here are several of the things I have written specifically in regards to church planting over the last few years…
- 13 Things I Would Tell Church Planters
- Four Questions Church Planters Must Answer
- Five Tests A Church Planter Will Face – PART ONE & PART TWO
- Seven Reasons Your Church Plant Might Fail
- Five Mistakes I Made As A Young Leader – PART ONE & PART TWO
- Fifteen Things I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me
In addition to these resources (which are free) there are some other resources out there that you need to be aware of. (And…for those who always complain about the costs I would simply encourage you to read, “Cheap Spiritual Leaders Are An Oxymoron PART ONE & PART TWO.”
We have a leadership intensive in November here at NewSpring Church…it is basically the coaching network that we usually do every fall and spring condensed into two and a half days. HERE is where you can get the information and register. Space is limited, not every application can be accepted and the deadline is June 3…and this intensive is not just for Senior Pastors but for any church leader that wants to take their ministry to the next level.
NLC is going to be here on September 8 of this year and the lineup is outstanding. AND…the early bird rate of $99 is available through the end of June…after that the price increase to $129. Registrations are already WAY ahead of last years and we are fully anticipating this conference to be at maximum capacity.
Also…Northpoint Church has a leadership resource page that you should definitely check out here! Trust me…this is amazing leadership material.
Both myself and Andy Stanley have a free leadership podcast on itunes…and even though Rick Warren hasn’t done a podcast in a while the stuff he put out there when he was podcasting a few years ago is pure gold…you should pick it up.
Tony Morgan does consulting and would be an excellent resource to bring in and talk with your church planting team.
The Leadership Network has great resources for church planters.
I could go on and on…the bottom line is that church planters have way more information than we could possibly apply.
Honestly, the best advice I could EVER give a church planter is listen to God and then do what He says!!! Beg God for His revelation instead of trying to produce a ministry of imitation. As I said in this post…I believe the churches best days are still ahead of her!!!
Let’s Pray BOLD Prayers May 18, 2011
I was sick last Wednesday and Thursday…very sick! I have no idea what in the heck hit me…but whatever it was it just about knocked me OUT! I went to bed on Wednesday night at 7:30 and didn’t get out of bed until 9:30 the next morning…and I felt like my body had been used as a speed bump on a major highway.
I hate being sick…but it was especially tough since Thursday was our all staff meeting day. I love all staff meeting…it’s a time where we bring in all our staff from every campus and we share stories about all that the Lord is doing…and there is usually a time where I get to teach some leadership lessons to the staff that both challenges and encourages everyone. It’s one of my favorite things I get to do…
BUT…it wasn’t happening for me Thursday morning. I tried, believe me! I told myself to get out of bed, that I was being a pathetic wus, you know, all of that stuff that we say to ourselves sometimes.
However, it wasn’t happening. I can’t remember the last time I was that sick. I literally almost passed out walking from the bedroom to the living room to get my phone to let some people know that I was not going to be able to make it in. I felt like I needed to throw up and my energy level was GONE!
So…the staff meeting went on as usual and it was AWESOME as two of our leadership guys stepped in and taught about what the Lord had been doing in their lives. (I LOVE the fact that I serve at a church where everything doesn’t fall apart when the Senior Pastor isn’t there! I am so blessed to be surrounded by amazing leaders.)
And while the staff meeting was going on…a funny thing happened…I started feeling better. Seriously, I had no idea why…but my strength began to return and I had the thought, “maybe I can go in today and still meet with our campus pastors for lunch.”
Over the next 30 minutes or so about 90% of my strength returned and I made the decision to go in…and decided to call Jason Wilson, our executive pastor, and let him know that I was coming in to meet with him and the campus pastors.
I called him at 11:27.
Little did I know that the staff meeting was wrapping up…and one of the staff members was asked to pray for me. He told me that he really felt impressed to pray boldly for me and so he literally prayed that the Lord would heal me and that I would get out of bed and come into the office. Jason Wilson told me that for some reason he looked at the clock right as those words were coming out Jake’s mouth (Jake is who prayed for me) and the time was…you guessed it…11:27.
I didn’t get Jason on the phone…so I called Shane, no answer there either. I finally called Margie, a lady who works in my area and when she answered and I told her I was coming in she about lost her mind. She told me, “Jake literally just prayed that you would come in today! OH WOW!”
God answers prayers!
We are encouraged in Ephesians 3:12 that we can approach God with freedom and confidence…and in the Gospel Jesus tells us in Luke 11:5-13 that we can and should pray with boldness because God wants to bless us with good things.
- God STILL answers prayers!
- He still heals people!
- He still saves people!
- He still is in the miracle business!
- He is as great as He has ever been!
And…it is my hope and prayer that my prayer life (and yours) will become more specific, focused and that we will ask Him for the things that we know that can’t happen unless HE IS INVOLVED!
- So why not ask big for the miracle you need in your life?
- Why not ask big for the miracle you want to see in your church?
- Why not ask big in regards to all that needs to happen in your marriage?
- Why not ask big when it comes to your job?
Let’s pray BOLD prayers…God is big…He can handle it!