Sunday Night Reflections February 7, 2010

A few thoughts here on Super Bowl Sunday (not completely excited about either team…but PUMPED about the commercials!)

• We saw over 50 people come to Christ today…and…you guessed it, that NEVER gets old!
• We were honored to have Christine Caine with us today…and she BROUGHT IT!
• I LOVE her passion for the local church!
• LOVED having LOS lead in worship at the Anderson campus…and I think he liked it, even though people were calling him “Daruis Rucker!”  :-)
• Next week Christine will be speaking about human trafficking and what the churches responsibility is in regards to it…CAN’T WAIT!
• Some of the things she said today that really stuck out to me were…
• “We do not want our church to one day be a monument of what God used to do.”
• “Passion deficiency syndrome has hit the church.”
• “Did you see the movie, ‘The Passion of the Christ.”  Did you notice it was not called, “The Boring Religious Obligation of the Christ.’”
• “I am not a product of time, I am a product of eternity!”
• “We often times prefer to visit with God on Sunday rather than have Him invade our lives.”
• “Fishers of men is who Jesus said He would make us to be.  (Matthew 4:18)  If we are going to follow Jesus then our hearts must beat for the lost.”
• “We (the church) have a HUGE responsibility – we are here because we are personally responsible for the evangelization of the entire world before the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ.”
• “I believe the church is about to checkmate the devil!”
• “John 17:14-18, Jesus prayed that His followers would not be taken out of the world…but too many of us are trying to do just that!  IT IS VERY HARD TO CHANGE A WORLD THAT YOU ARE NOT IN!!!”
• “Christianity is not a behavioral modification program.”
• “We don’t need to FEAR the darkness but rather dominate it!”
• I could go on and on…you should listen to it on Tuesday at a web service OR download the podcast.
• REALLY looking forward to being on the West Coast tomorrow with this crew…can’t believe I get to be here!
• There are only around 100 tickets left for Unleash (we opened additional seats in a video venue, I blogged about it here.)  And folks…once they’re gone…they’re gone!  (I CAN’T WAIT!)
• This morning this thought hit me, “HE SAVED ME!!!”  And seriously…I could not get past it!  I was blind but now I see, I was lost but now I am found, I was dead and now I am alive…ALL BECAUSE OF HIM!!!  I’ve NEVER gotten past the cross…and am BLOWN AWAY because HIS GRACE REALLY IS FREAKING AMAZING!!!

I love you NewSpring Church…I am amazed that I get to do what I do…and I cannot see what happens next!

Sunday Night Reflections January 31, 2010

A few thoughts on a great day before I hit the hay!

• We saw over 40 people give their lives to Christ today…THAT never gets old!
• We talked about Isaiah 6:1-8 today, that particular passage of Scripture has always messed me up.
• The best thing God can do for a man is RUIN him…because then he will be completely surrendered and used for HIS glory!
• Ephesians 2:10 is true about YOU…He didn’t create you to be a chia pet…but an instrument used for His glory!
• God will often use a tragedy to get our attention.
• I don’t want a church with 10,000 regular attenders…I want a church with 10,000 MINISTERS of the Gospel!
• We will never do what God wants until we see who He is!
• AND…we will never discover who God is apart from reading HIS WORD.  We launched a 30 day Bible reading plan today – HERE is the link if you are interested – come on and join us as we journey through the Proverbs, John and Acts.
• COME ON…it’s just 30 days…I believe that if you will commit to this that you will hear His voice clearer during this next month than you’ve ever heard Him before.
• We will never do what God wants for us until we understand we He’s done for us!!!
• When a person understands WHO God is and WHAT God’s done…surrender is a natural result.  (See Isaiah 6:8)
• A person who is completely surrendered to God cannot sit still when He clearly says to move.
• Jesus did not promise a life that is free of pain and trouble (see John 16:33) – BUT HE did promise a life that is FULL and more amazing than we could ever imagine (see I Corinthians 2:9 and John 10:10.)
• I challenge EVERYONE to memorize Ephesians 2:10 this week…SERIOUSLY, get out a note card, write that verse on it and look at it often every day this week!
• Next week at NewSpring Church will be one of the most amazing weeks we’ve ever had, I will tell you more about it later on…but I can promise this…many of us will be MARKED by what happens on the 7th and 14th in a way we will never forget!
• Hey Anderson campus…remember, no 6:00 service next week…so SHOW UP at 4:00 and show up READY!
• Thanks to everyone who braved the “major winter storm” we had today!  :-)
• I want a cheeseburger RIGHT NOW…hoping/praying that someone MIGHT want to cruise up to Copper River tomorrow and get one!  :-)
• I am REALLY excited about speaking at this event next week. I feel like the mule that got invited to run in the Kentucky Derby…blown away that I have the privilege to serve with these guys for this occasion.
• We announced here on Thursday that we’ve opened up 500 seats for Unleash…and 250 of them are already GONE!  If you want to come you had better sign up NOW!
• Looks like I am going back to Kenya in May…SUPER excited about it…it will be a “different” trip, praying for God to do GREAT things.

That’s it…I need SLEEP!

Sunday Night Reflections…A Little Early January 24, 2010

I am not sure there is a word in the English dictionary to describe how I am feeling right now.  What an amazing day…I will try my best to hit some of the highlights.

• We saw around 15,000 people PACK OUT the BILO Center…I can honestly say I’ve never been at any type of event that had more energy/excitement!
• We saw between 350-400 people WALK FORWARD at the end of the service and publicly surrender their lives to Jesus…that NEVER gets old!
• I was caught by surprise at the beginning of the service…totally didn’t expect the way Lee set me up for the videos from other pastors, and to receive THAT type of encouragement from my church was COMPLETELY OVERWHELMING!
• As I said on stage today…there is nothing great about me, there is everything great about Jesus.  I am just a man who HE rescued by HIS mercy, and for some reason has chosen to allow me to be a part of this.
• I am not quite sure how many times I cried today…it seems like every time I would compose myself someone else would come up and hug me, and I would just lose it all over again.
• The videos of our churches history AND the life change stories were amazing!  For those who were there…I’ve read that letter I wrote to Lucretia more than once during this 10 year journey, and every time Jesus uses it to remind me WHO He is and WHY He called me.
• We’ve seen Jesus do SO MUCH during the past 10 years…but THERE’S MORE!!!  Ephesians 3:20 is going to continue to come to life right in front of our eyes.
• Greenville campus…we should meet in the BILO Center every week!  Two services!  It CAN HAPPEN!  :-)
• I don’t want to be a church that merely celebrates what God has done and in doing so loses sight of all that God wants to do in the future.
• Yes, we announced today that we will be starting a Charleston campus within the next 12-18 months.
• I pray that everyone who attended today will let the image of all of those people responding to Christ be burned into your minds…I STILL can’t get over how powerful God moved today!
• I also pray that everyone will remember that what we saw today was church…OUR CHURCH…coming together as one and taking time to celebrate and worship God.
• People asked me today, “Well, after this, what’s next?”  My reply…I have NO IDEA!  I would have NEVER guessed that when we started 10 years ago that we would EVER see ANYTHING like we saw today…God’s plans are GREATER than ours!  (See Isaiah 55:8-9)
• A VERY special shout out to our production crew…they had a few “issues” with set up yesterday (Saturday) and had several delays…their first run through was at 5:30 this morning, they literally stayed up all night to get things set up!  You guys are amazing!
• I serve Jesus with the most amazing staff and volunteers on the planet!
• REALLY excited about our new series we are beginning next Sunday called, “Identity Theft.”  SO many people are NOT becoming who God called them to be…they settle for jobs they hate and a life that they would consider dull and uneventful–which is a tragedy because Jesus called us to so much more.
• The reason is that we have allowed the enemy to steal our identity…and so next Sunday we begin the journey to discover how to get our identity in Christ back!
• AND…on February 7th and 14th we will be diving into more details as to how NewSpring Church is going to get more involved in rescuing people from human trafficking and the sex slave trade.

NewSpring Church…I love you guys!  To all who call NewSpring your home church, thank you for taking this journey with me.  I can’t believe I get to do what I do…and I really do feel like THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!!

Sunday Night Reflections…On Monday Morning! :-) January 18, 2010

The internet was down at the Noble house last night…so here’s Sunday Night Reflections…on Monday!

• I felt like yesterday was one of the ABSOLUTE BEST services we’ve EVER had at NewSpring Church.  (The energy at our 6:00 crowd last night in Anderson was AMAZING!)
• We saw 55 people surrender their lives to Christ yesterday…that NEVER gets old.
• Columbia and Florence BOTH set attendance records with over 700 showing up at each campus…and our overall attendance was in the top five in our history…on a HOLIDAY weekend!
• So proud about the fact that our church took a special offering for the relief efforts in Haiti…and gave over $60,000!!!  So thankful for the amazing generosity displayed!
• Uh…to say that the campuses are PUMPED about the BILO Center this Sunday would be an UNDERSTATEMENT!  WOW…like I said, get there EARLY next week if you want to get a seat…traffic is going to be insane!
• We are announcing where we are starting our 5th location at the BILO Center on Sunday…and I am so excited about it that I want to just tell you now…but…I will wait!  (It IS in the state of South Carolina.)
• So thankful for the 10 years of ministry here at NewSpring Church that God has given Lucretia and I…so hard to believe that we had 115 people at our first service, and today there was well over 11,000…we had NO IDEA!
• When I first entered the ministry in 1990 I had no idea that Jesus would allow me to plant a church.
• When I planted this church in 2000 I had NO IDEA…
• And when it comes to what this will look like in 2020…I have no idea…because…
• No matter how big you can dream…God’s dreams/plans are always bigger!  (Ephesians 3:20)
• I am dreaming of a church where the people continually embrace the fact that it isn’t the pastor that’s called to minister to the people…but rather the body ministering to the body!  It’s not just me doing my part…but US doing our part!  AND I am SO thankful that I am seeing this more and more in our church!
• I am dreaming of a church where people embrace generosity and rebel against greed!  The reason the Gospel isn’t advancing IS NOT because Jesus isn’t powerful but rather because “Christians” embrace greed and not generosity!
• BTW…it is SO encouraging to see a church where people continually step out in faith and trust God by doing what He said!  (See Malachi 3:10 and Proverbs 3:9-10)
• I am dreaming of a church where a religious SYSTEM is despised and a radical SAVIOR is embraced!
• I am dreaming of a church where repentance is normal and people are desperate to hear the voice of God.
• I am dreaming of a church where celebration is regular…if the tomb is empty and Jesus is alive then our worship services should reflect that!
• Too many people have reverence and rigormortis confused!
• I am dreaming of a church where people are CONSTANTLY meeting Jesus…HE IS MIGHTY TO SAVE!  (Zephaniah 3:17!)

Hey NewSpring Church…I LOVE you guys, to say that I am looking forward to this Sunday would be an understatement!  It is going to be an amazing day to see over 15,000 people gather together from ONE church to worship ONE GOD!

Please pray this week as the date gets closer and closer…bring your friends and family members who do not know Christ…and let’s HAVE SOME CHURCH!

Sunday Night Reflections January 10, 2010

Can’t get my mind wrapped around the amazing day that God blessed me with…here are a few thoughts…

• The services were energetic…there is an amazing sense of celebration and anticipation in our church…and in two weeks EVERY campus comes together for one service at the BI-LO center…it’s going to be EPIC!
• We will be announcing at that service the location of our 5th satellite campus that we will be launching sometime within the next 12-18 months, I CAN’T WAIT to tell you more about it!
• We saw several people receive Christ today…and yep, you guessed it, that NEVER gets old!
• Had a blast recounting the changes in culture over the past decade, the changes in our church…and talking about the things that will never change.
• Matthew 16:13-18 is one of those passages that God always brings me back to…was so much fun looking at it today.
• If we are going to continually be the church God wants it to be…we can’t play it safe!!!
• One of the greatest lies from the enemy is, “the safest place to be is in the will of God.”  Uh…according to church history the apostles were all murdered for their faith…not exactly safe.
• And…if the above statement about being safe is true…then how in the world does Luke 9:23-24 fit into that!
• The church isn’t a place for perfect people…it’s a place where imperfect people gather to worship a perfect God.
• Yes, I did wear a snuggie!  NO, it was NOT MY SNUGGIE!  And…if you are a dude and you own one…you should not tell ANYONE about it, that’s just not cool!
• The church isn’t called to legislate morality…we CANNOT expect non-Christians to behave like Christians…we need to be less concerned about their actions and more concerned about their eternal destination!
• Jesus didn’t die on a cross so the church could control our behavior…but rather to UNLEASH the power of His Holy Spirit inside of us.
• It’s so funny how the church will trust the Holy Spirit to work in a person’s life PRE-conversion…but POST-conversion their message to God is, “thanks for all of the amazing work You did, but we can take over from here!”
• I say if we are going to believe in His Sovereignty then let’s believe in it completely…that the same God who drew them will keep them because they are HIS!  (Philippians 1:6)
• The church needs to stop trying to control people and begin releasing them to do what God said to do and be who God said to be!
• The Gospel IS OUR MESSAGE…we have nothing else that can bring hope or heal hurt in people!
• We will not be a “one hit wonder” church.
• AND…yes, I can rap the entire version of, “Ice Ice Baby!”  (You need to hear the podcast to understand.)
• As long as Jesus keeps changing lives…people will keep showing up!
• We’ve got a lot more people to reach…and by God’s grace THIS is the LAST YEAR that we will be able to hold an event @ the BI-LO center because after two weeks from today it will be TOO SMALL!!!
• Yes, I know that’s crazy…but I would MUCH RATHER dream crazy dreams and believe in God for HUGE things instead of slipping into cruise control and telling the communities we are in to “go to hell” because we think we’ve arrived!
• We are not the perfect church…but we will always strive to be the church Jesus has called us to be!
• There is NOTHING more powerful and/or relevant happening in the church than changed lives.
• It was so nice to share my heart at the end of the message today about finishing well.  My passion is that THIS will be the only church I ever pastor, that Lucretia will be the only wife I ever have, that Charisse will be a godly daughter who, as she knows me more will love and respect me even more and to have ONE LORD, JESUS CHRIST…and to do my best to follow Him and do what He says.

I am already looking forward to next week…more excited than a man should be about the incredible blessings God has placed in my life…NewSpring, the BEST IS YET TO COME!

Sunday Night Reflections January 3, 2010

A few thoughts on a GREAT day at NewSpring Church

• It was SOOOO great to rest this past week…not preparing a sermon was a nice break, but today I wanted to preach SO bad, I felt like a caged animal!
• REALLY looking forward to the message on the 10th and 17th…it’s taken me 10 years to get the material for these messages!
• I’m not just looking forward to all that Jesus is going to do in this next year…but also in this next decade!
• We’ve seen over 6,900 people receive Christ in the past decade of ministry here at NewSpring…if that’s the FIRST ten years then I can’t WAIT to see what the next 10 years look like!!!
• Today was a GREAT time to celebrate all that Jesus has done at NewSpring Church this past year!  We saw HUNDREDS of decisions for Christ…so excited about EVERY SINGLE ONE…but even more excited about the THOUSANDS that we are GOING to cross over from death to life!
• Acts 1:8 is our vision…and we are seeing it fulfilled one life at a time.
• Watching the video from the Gauntlet this past summer has me excited out of my mind about this years trip.  Seriously…I honestly believe it is going to be the BEST youth summer trip we’ve EVER had…I am so blessed to be a part of this thing.
• Super excited about Christine Cain coming to our church in a few weeks…more information on this later…but, let me just go on record as saying I believe she is one of the BEST speakers I’ve EVER heard…EVER!
• Super excited about the steps NewSpring Church is taking to get involved in rescuing people from the sex slave trade…seeing the information on this stuff has been HEART BREAKING…but knowing that God has called us to make a difference has me excited about the possibilities of getting people out of their earthly prison!
• I read John 4:35-38 in my quiet time this morning…and I could not help but think, “we are seeing THIS happen!”
• I went to the BI-LO center on Wednesday night to see Jeff Dunham, and all I could think was, “we are going to be doing church here on the 24th!”  I can’t WAIT to hear over 15,000 people sing and celebrate together!!!
• Yes, we will CELEBRATE like crazy on that day…of all the people on the planet that SHOULD be able to CELEBRATE, the CHURCH should be LEADING THE WAY!!!  The TOMB is EMPTY…HE IS ALIVE…WE WIN!!!
• In fact, we are going to CELEBRATE LIKE CRAZY the whole month of January…I believe it is a sin to treat God’s blessings as something ordinary…it BLOWS my mind that He saves, calls, equips and empowers…and I STILL believe the BEST IS YET TO COME!
• Charisse, Lucretia and I all had a stomach virus over the Christmas break…but we are all feeling back to normal now!  (Wait–what’s “normal?”)
• I’m still torn…a Harley or a jeep…trying to decide!
• Getting away with a crew of leaders tomorrow for our leadership retreat…could use your prayers and we dream big AND evaluate our current ministry…God ALWAYS stretches the heck out of us when we do this.
• If you didn’t get to see it yet…here is the opener we used for our Christmas Eve services entitled, “Come Home” that tells the story of the lost son in Luke 15…it messes me up EVERY time I watch it!
• Here is the link to the prayer guide that I am asking everyone at NewSpring Church to jump on board with…I really want us to step into the 24th prayed up!
• Seeing the footage from Kenya today was SO moving…here is the link if you are interested in going on a trip next year.
• AND…here is the link if you are a church leader and you haven’t signed up for UNLEASH yet! Tickets are $59 per person…and it is FILLING UP QUICKLY!  AND…this rate ends at the end of the month, after that it will increase to $79.

That’s about it for now…so thankful for the past, so excited about the future!!!

Christmas Eve Reflections December 24, 2009

What an amazing couple of days…

• We saw around 120 people walk forward and surrender their lives to Christ over the past few days!!!
• My family and I went to Outback tonight after the last message and a waitress came up to our table and told us that she brought 19 people to our 4:00 service in Anderson last night…and SIX of them received Christ!!!
• (And yes, I did get a Chocolate Thunder from Down Under!!!)
• I thought the music was OUT OF THIS WORLD…so thankful for our worship leaders at every campus!!!
• We took a look at the Parable of the Lost Son in Luke 15:11-24 during the message portion of the service…THAT story ALWAYS gets me because, well, it’s my story!
• Has there ever been a time in your life that you were closer to God than you are right now?  If so…COME HOME!!!
• Christmas time is a reminder that God RAN to us…He came here so we could come home!!!
• The poem that was played right before I spoke MESSED ME UP every time.  (I will post it tomorrow if you would like to see it again!)
• BTW…for those who were @ the service…the story about me cutting out desserts IS NOT present reality…bring on the cake!!!
• I registered for the Music City Marathon in “Nash-Vegas” today…my last attempt didn’t go so well…and I’ve GOT to cross this off of my “to do before seeing Jesus face to face” list!
• I think it’s kind of funny that I did a bullet point about eating dessert…and then the one right after it was about running a marathon.  Yep…I’m weird!

That’s about it…it’s been a great couple of days…scratch that, it’s been an awesome year!!!  Remember NewSpring Church…no church this Sunday, but we will crank it back up on Sunday, January 3rd at EVERY campus with our normal service times.

Have an awesome Christmas!!!