Happy Fathers Day

To my heavenly father thank you for all that you’ve given me. So many times father we take you for granted especially how you show up in the little things! Like the breath I took this morning thank you! For the wife I woke up beside father thank you! For the best job in the world thank you! Father thank you for your presence in my soul so I am never alone! Father thank you for being my provider! Thank you for being my sustainer. Father thank you for your everlasting love!

Happy Father’s Day!

Must Read List

• Holy Discontent - Bill Hybals awesome book!
• The Shake - about to read.
• Courageous Leadership- Bill Hybals great book!
• Made to Stick - awesome book
• Lead like Jesus - Ken Blanchard (so far so good 2 chapters in!

John Maxwell say’s that what you read and the people you spend your time with will have a huge impact on who you become! So the question is what are you reading!

5 things I’m Jacked up about!

1. I interviewed several youth pastors and I think we are getting closer to making a decision!
2. The new office/ ministry area, man I can’t wait to see what God is good to do!
3. Volunteer BBQ is going to be great we want to see you all there!
4. I am jacked up about our staff retreat at the end of July!
5. Last but not least i am jacked up about what we are going to reveal to you guys in a couple of weeks after this series oh yea The next series is going to be “SuperNatural” it’s going to be great!

Why?

In a few weeks I promise I am going to rock your face off with my testimony of why I do what I do and the journey that God took me on to get me to the point of saying here I am use me! Listen you need to be there and bring someone with you you won’t regret it!

Sunday Recap

Our attedance was up over 200 this Sunday and the whole service was great let me give you some highlights.
1. The band was ROCKING!
2. We talked about people that manipulate you and try to control you.
3. The power went out in the second service and it was great! We sung to the lord with just a guitar and our voices
4. We had a ton of new face’s and I really felt that God spoke to alot of people today!
5. Big props to Anytime fitness for the free memberships for our men for fathers day.
6. And yes I was scared of the little fur ball that tried to rip off my leg and if you don’t understand you should have been at church! Ha ha!

“Change”

I keep hearing presidential canidates say this word over and over again but what I don’t understand is change happens not when someone says it but when someone does something to make a differance. What I’ve seen in my short life and as I’ve reseached history was when some said enough is enough, something changed and they devoted their life to that change. Martin Luther didn’t have to be the president to lead the reformation of the church. He believed God’s word should be in everyone’s hands so they could read it in their on language  and change happened. Martin Luther King Jr. led the nation toward huge huge change to bring about equality. Mother Teresa brought hope to people who had no hope and food to those who were hungry. Her mission is still alive today after she has passed on. “That’s Change!” Bono is a internationally known rockstar that without a doubt is making a change happen with the epidemic of AIDS. Look none of the people I have talked about were presidents but they are all people that have a holy discontent that something has got to “change”. My question for the people running to be president is you say change but what change have you made before now? The truth is that most of the people that really made a difference in this world didn’t have to have a title to do so! Just my thoughts on change!

Sunday Recap

Well if you missed services today than you missed some principles that can help you save countless dollars and hours and hours of time that we throw away every year! We talked about dealing with overly needy people that you try to help that don’t help themselves. These are the people that God calls us to give a hand up instead of a hand out. I’m jacked up about this series! If you are missing it you are missing some very practical and Biblical ways to Deal with the difficult people in your life. Jonathan did great this morning with the help of some of our most talented folks. I also had a great opportunity to meet his mom who looks just like him and his dad that is the Lead Pastor of First Baptist in Ellijay, GA. I think it is awesome that they took Sunday off and came to visit us in Rockmart!
I can’t wait until next week as we talk about controling people and then as we close the series talking about hypocrites. It is going to be awesome but let me go ahead and tell you right now that God has been burning a hole in my heart with the vision message that is to come at the end of this series. You want to be here for that message as I share my heart about the direction that I believe God is carring us! Listen you don’t want to miss it as I share with you how God has been dealing with me about the future of his church!

“The Famous One”

I can’t get over how far we get off track sometimes, when we think about why we do what we do as a church. Why do we do outreach? Why do we lead people to full devotion? Why do we drop Easter eggs from a helicopter and have a skidiving Easter bunny? Why have we give away hundreds of bookbags at Walmart for students in Rockmart? Why do we keep Polk beautiful? Why do we support relay for life? Have concerts in the park? Why do we rent tons of inflatables on Halloween for the community and give away tons of candy? Why have we given away 6000 packs of gum at Homespun? Why do we serve like this could be the first and last Sunday someone might come to church? Why do we get up at 5am to set up a school to have church? Let me answer the question. Because our mission is to make Jesus famous in the world we live in, because He is! He is bigger and better than any super hero and our job is to lift up his name! My challenge to all of you is to work like you have never worked before and watch Jesus change lives! Mom and dad it could be your son or daughter that is reached because of your full devotion to Christ.

Moving Fast

I love being a part of a church that is Moving Forward! Listen I’ve been a part of churches that because of the goverment it’s impossible to get anything done. Most of you know what I’m talking about where you have to form a commitee, that has four sub committees, and they have to meet 12 times about what kind of toliet paper to buy. That’s crazy, but it happens and it slows down everything. Thank God Cross View is Staff Led with the guardrails of a GREAT leadership team of wise individuals that share wisdom on the Big Stuff. I am not talking about If we should buy crayons for the childrens ministry! Because let’s be honest I really believe that God calls us to action and sometimes we miss the opportunity to respond because we are too slow. For example God one day prompted my heart to witness to a young man that was a waiter at a resturant but I didn’t! I choked and the next week he moved and I haven’t seen him since. I was convicted that I missed a God given opportunity because of fear and procrastination! So my prayer for Cross View is that we will not miss God given opportunities, but we will seek wise council before making the wrong decision.

6 Things to Pray for

1. New Staff positions. We are seeking a youth pastor, but not just anyone, we are looking for someone with  passion and one who is in love with Jesus!
2. Pray for 300! I really believe if we will invest and invite we could hit 300 in the next few weeks! So the question is who are you bringing with you this Sunday? If you just started at Cross View you may ask why a number? Because numbers equal people, and if you don’t think numbers are important to God read the book of Acts!
3. The new Middle and High School Area! It is under construction and looks great. I can’t wait to see it filled with youth! Pray for those who are sacrificing their time to frame! (when you get a chance go by and take a look in the window)
4. Pray that we have many people step up to the plate and pledge for the new construction.
5. Pray for our volunteers that work every week hard to pull off Sunday. Pray for more workers for Set up and Tear down.
6. Pray that we will always be on the move for God. Pray that we will never be the stagnant church with an inward focus that so many churches become! God please always allow us to be passionate about You and allow us to stay ablaze, so we can set this world on fire for you. God do not allow us to be comfortable!