Connections

Refreshing Day

Had a wonderful time today in Seneca at Foothills Church for a roundtable discussion with some really sharp guys.  All of these churches are making an impact for the Kingdom.  Good night.....Mountain Lake has a sweet facility! 

The guys that I broke bread with today were:

   Preston Porter from Revolution Church

Chase McKissick from Compass Church

Louie Lovoy from Mountain Lake 

Paul Carr from FootHills Community Church 

We spent the day discussing church connections, mission, strategies to reach people for Christ and discipleship. We were candid about what we feel is working and what is not in our churches and in our communities. The cool thing is, we all have DIFFERENT strategies for our churches, HOWEVER, what we did ALL HAVE IN COMMON is that we desperately want to see people changed by Jesus and our cities transformed by the Gospel.

So refreshing.......needed that!

Easter at CRCC! (click graphic for larger view)

CD Release @ CrossRoads!

WWW.MOVEMENTTOTHEMANGER.ORG

CRCC is introducing an interactive way to engage your hearts with Jesus this Christmas season.  We have a new Christmas Blog called www.movementtothemanger.org!  You can log on Monday-Friday this month to read a daily devotional, as well as, questions related to the "Bring It" series.

Closer Than Angels is Out!

I couldn't be more excited to announce that David Walker's new site and CD is out!  You can purchase it directly from the site.  You can also download two free songs on davidwalkeronline.com.

Enjoy! 

Closer Than Angels

Check out David Walker's blog.  His new CD, Closer Than Angels is coming out in the next few weeks.  I'm not kidding when I say that it will be one of the best worship CD's out.  He has a few rough videos of some of the songs on his new album.  You will get the feel! 

The Stand

We are starting a new series Sunday at CRCC.  I am very excited about this series for many practical reasons.  We are in a war!  Those who choose not to engage WILL BECOME casualties in some areas.

There are many weapons of our warfare, but the one that I am finding very effective in this invisible spiritual war is the weapon of forgiveness!  Forgiveness neutralizes the power of the enemy, starves his assignment from our lives and changes the condition of our heart's soil...resulting in different fruit and harvest.

"You rest in the forgiveness of sins when the thought of God does not remind you of your sin, but that it is forgiven, when the past is not a memory of how much you have tresspassed, but of how much you've been forgiven." Soren Kierkegaard

Calling the Good Out

Met with a guy named Ray Millet today.  Ray was one of my volunteers when I was a youth pastor. He always would call me and meet over coffee to encourage me and "call out" the good in me. He's guilty of keeping a track record of my successes and wins. 

After 4 years, he is still meeting with me and "calling the good out" in me.  I realized that in life you will have critics, as well as, fans.  I started a file a few years ago that contains every encouraging email, letter, sticky note and phone call that I have received.  Many were from Ray.  When I am having a tough week, I pull it out and read through it.  

Every leader needs a Ray Millet/Barnabas in their lives.  If you haven't found one, then you need to today.  It's easy to place every negative comment and criticism in a memory box and watch it grow.  What happens when we collect venom, it gets magnified.  Whatever you magnify in life, becomes your focus.  It's our task as believers to magnify Jesus. 

 It's easier to do this when you are surrounded by peeps like Ray.

Sermon Prep Friday

* Listening to some sermon podcasts
* Preaching my sermon to myself
* Large Bold coffee with a bit of Splenda
* Worship list on the iPod mixed in with a little U.2., Blindside and P.O.D.
* Catching up on some blogs (I've narrowed down my daily read)
* Preaching on Garage Band so I can listen to it.
* Moleskine ready for the sermon journey layout.

How do you prepare for a sermon, presentation or a talk?

The Lost Art of Encouragement

Today was a great day at CRCC.  David Hodge from Winning With Encouragement spoke on none other than encouragement.  It was a refreshing reminder about taking the focus off of yourself and placing it on Christ and then others.

So many people in the Body of Christ are discouraged.  I recently read this on Driscoll's Blog. Pastors are dropping like flies due to discouragement. I realized this morning that I needed to do a better job at encouraging others, especially those who have invested into my life.  

These are just a few things that encourage me:

* I am so encouraged by the Body of Christ in this city (most anyway) are willing to link arms to see God's Kingdom come. 

* I am encouraged that CRCC has partnered with orphanges in Brazil, Mexico and Romania.  

* I am encouraged that our pastor is on sabbatical and spending his time going to other churches in our city praying for their leadership before the service.

* I am encouraged that we have a ton of church planters decending on G-ville to see that every man, woman and child has a repeated opportunity to know and hear the Gospel of Jesus.

* I am encouraged that there is going to be a City-Wide Prayer Gathering (Called the Hinge) at Larkin's Pavillion downtown on August 9th (more to come on fastforgreenville.com).

* I am encouraged that CRCC is having a baptism celebration tonight where many will go into the waters to publically profess their faith in Jesus.

* I am encouraged that I have a wife who loves and seeks Jesus with everything she has.