Sunday thoughts

The weather took its toll on attendance, but it was a fantastic morning at Foothills Community Church. For all of you who missed it, be sure to catch the message online at foothills.cc

** Our Toccoa campus had their grand opening this morning. I've got to be honest, I was afraid that the weather would really mess things up for them, but it didn't even slow them down. They set another record attendance again today! (That's 2 weeks in a row, in case you're keeping score)

** I saw some pictures of the new facility since they did the new landscaping, and it looks very sharp.

** In Seneca, the message was geared toward couples who were having some struggles in their marriages. This is a painful topic for many people, but hopefully they learned a couple of Biblical tools to put into practice that will help.

** I can't wait for next Sunday. I believe that it could be one of the best services we have ever had at Foothills. I am going to share some wisdom from couples that have marathon marriages. Then we have a cool ending that will bring you to tears.

** Why not invite some friends to come with you next week?

For all the singles out there

Here is the kick off to our new series, called First Comes Love. This message is for the singles:

Sunday review

If you weren't able to make it to Foothills yesterday, it stinks to be you! We kicked of our new series, First Comes Love, and covered three questions singles need to ask before dating/marrying someone.

Here is a brief recap:

** Every single person needs to make a list of criteria that needs to be found in a potential mate.

** Every single needs to hold firm to that criteria--- no matter what! (on your list will be certain things that are optional, but there are things that are non-negotiable. I covered 3 things that are non-negotiable. If you missed the message, it will be online at foothills.cc by Wednesday afternoon.

** Considering the amount of rain and how cold it was, our attendance was good at our Seneca campus.

** Our Toccoa campus however, set an attendance record! (So proud if them!)

** It is easier to find out if someone is the right one, before you get married, than to figure out that they're not, after you're married.

** Most people put more thought into selecting a car or a cell phone, than they do in selecting a mate!

** If you don't get along with the person you are dating, than getting married will not fix that. You will not change him/her

** Don't underestimate the importance of spiritual connection in a relationship---it is THE most important part!

** I was serious when I said that if you are a Christ-follower and you are dating someone that is not, than get out of that relationship right now!

** This Sunday the message is called, I'm not Sure I still Do. If you or someone you know is having marital difficulties or dissatisfaction, get them to Foothills this Sunday!!

** Our Toccoa campus will have their official Grand Opening of their new building this Sunday. If you know someone that lives in that area, let them know.

New Series starts this Sunday

This Sunday at Foothills Community Church we will begin a new message series called, "First Comes Love". It is a series on love and marriage. I have been looking forward to this series for many reasons.

The first reason is because it is so needed. One of the difficult things about being in ministry, is that you see first-hand the good, bad and ugly parts of life. One of the most heart breaking things we see is the marriages that have ended in divorce. I am convinced that many of these could have been avoided if Biblical principles would have been instituted. At Foothills we are committed to the institution of marriage, and this series will give people tools to have a 5-star marriage.

The second reason I am looking forward to this new series is that it's going to be a lot of fun to teach. Every time I do these type series the feedback is incredible. There will be moments of laughter and moments of tears during this series. Every week we will look at different issues surrounding marriage. Each week has some surprises planned.

I am also looking forward to this series, because on the last Sunday of the series, my beautiful wife, Liz will be joining me on the stage as we talk about the differences between men and women.

I want to also add that this is a perfect message series to invite friends to, so make a few calls to your friends and we'll see you Sunday!

We Are Foothills

Sunday was an incredible day at Foothills. we wrapped up our series, We Are Foothills.
It was a 2 week vision series. Yesterday we talked about getting in the game. Here are a few thoughts:

** There is no doubt about it, if your "church experience" is just attending a service on Sunday, you are selling yourself short. When you get out of the stands and onto the field, it's much better!

** We invited people to get in the game and attend our Belong class. Over 100 new people signed up!

** Yesterday was our annual membership renewal Sunday. Yes, we start every year by clearing off our membership and ask people to sign-up for another year.

** Church membership is not like a country club membership. When you join a country club, your first question is, "what are the benefits, and privileges?" When you join a church, your first question should be, "how can I contribute?"

** This has been a very fun series to do.

** I "did" and "said" a couple of things that will definitely make the blooper reel!

** 11:15am service is filling up. There are still plenty of seats at 9:30am, so you might want to consider attending then.

** What is it about rainy days that make people so mellow and reserved?

** We handed out We Are Foothills wristbands to everyone that attended.

** I loved that video clip of the Clemson fan that was bummed out at the loss to Ga Tech.

** This Sunday we will start a brand new message series that I have been so looking forward to. It's called, First Comes Love. It is about love, dating and marriage. This will be a great series to invite your friends.

Haiti

By now everyone has heard of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti. Initial estimates have speculated death tolls as high as a half a million people. (Hopefully it will be much less)

The question that probably runs through most people's minds when we hear of these type things, is "Why?" I have found that although it's ok to ask, why?, we rarely get an answer to that question.

The better question to ask is "What?" What should I do now?, What is God teaching me through this? The "what?" question is more productive.

So in the case of this tragedy in Haiti, What can we do right now? Great question. here are a few things you can do:

1) Pray. I know that sounds like the preachers answer, but it is really the thing that everyone of us can do. Prayer is powerful. Pray for the wounded. pray for the families that have lost loved ones. Pray for the rescue workers. Pray for the Haitian people. Haiti is already one of the most impoverished Countries in the world.

2) Give to credible relief agencies. 2 excellent organizations to consider are Samaritan's Purse and The American Red Cross

3) Go. There will be opportunities for people that want to be involved in relief and rebuilding in the days ahead through various organizations.

sunday night review

Today we had more fun at Foothills Community Church than should be legal. We began a new series called, We Are Foothills. It's a 2 week mini-series about the vision of Foothills. Without a doubt I enjoy this series as much or more of any series we do each year. Here's a couple quick thoughts about today:

** Very strong attendance in Seneca and Toccoa. Looks like we're out of the Christmas holiday mindset.

** Had some friendly competition during the services. 3 contestants shooting free throws blind-folded. The crowd helped line them up for the shot. An illustration of teamwork and the purpose of clear vision.

** People were crazy-pumped up today. Lots of energy.

** Worship was phenomenal in both services.

** Any time I talk about our vision it gets 99% of the people excited and helps the other 1% figure out FCC isn't for them.

** I didn't finish my message in either service. I get long-winded talking about the vision.

** One of the things I touched on was the need for the church to be relevant. (I think I will commit an entire blogpost on this one)

** The Message never changes, but the methods, must!

** Reviewing all that God did at FCC during 2009 was mind boggling. One of the statistics that relly blows me away is that we have baptized nearly 1% of this county in the last 3 years!

** Praying for 1,000 salvations in 2010!

** Next week we've got some more cool things planned. I'm doing a message called, Get In The Game. It's a message about what teamwork is all about.

** I miss college football already.

** With influence comes responsibility. Let's get out there and keep inviting our friends to church.

Toccoa campus Christmas Eve

Here is a video from Christmas Eve from our 2nd campus in Toccoa Georgia. The video quality is not great, but you can hear it pretty well. This was taken in their new facility that they moved in to a couple of weeks ago. They are doing a phenomenal job, and as you will hear on the video, they have some incredible talent.

Opener from Christmas Eve services at Foothills

I've had a lot of requests about some of the music from our Christmas Eve services at Foothills, so here's the opener we did:

2010

We started out 2010 at Foothills with a bang yesterday. The services were awesome!

* David Odom and his team were on their game, no doubt. Worship was incredible.

* The energy level was off the charts. I was a little worried because it was so cold yesterday, but people came ready to meet with God.

* Yesterday's message was all about overcoming the obstacles that hold us back. 2010 is a blank slate filled with unlimited possibilities, let's not let obstacles stand in the way between us and God's best for our lives.

* I am getting more excited about the possibility of campus #3 for Foothills. I have been praying for over a year about where it will be. I'm still not sure, but I believe God will guide us to the place!

* Our Toccoa campus is doing an amazing job. I think that 2010 is going to be a time of extreme growth for them. Both numerically and spiritually. Proud of you guys.

* We had a fantastic staff meeting this morning and let me tell you, our staff is fired-up. Our staff at Foothills is the best staff in the world. Next time you see one of them, let them know how much you appreciate them.

* I am so excited about this week's message I can hardly stand it. We will be starting a brand new mini-series called, We Are Foothills. It's all about the vision baby!

* Any time I do messages on our vision it pumps almost all the people up. It also ticks a few people off!

* I nearly overdosed on college football over the Christmas break. Fortunately there are still a few more games. The 2 games I'm really interested are TCU vs Boise State, and Texas vs Alabama. My predictions are Boise State and Alabama. Not an Alabama fan, but I think they will be the National Champs.

I hope you're ready for a huge year in 2010. I am.

Happy New Year!

I love New Year's. It is generally one of the few times in the year that people actually desire change. Nearly every other time people are resisitant to making changes. If we're smart, we'll leverage this opportunity and make those changes.

It has been my experience that unless we actually set a goal, change doesn't come. It's not enough to say, "My New Year's resolution is to lose weight in 2010", or "I want to exercise more", or "I want to grow spiritually in 2010". Make it specific, and measurable. Then put together an action plan.

Here's an example: In 2010 I will grow spirtually by: 1)Attending Church weekly. 2)Spending ______ minutes a day praying, and reading my Bible. 3)Finding a place to serve at church. (Of course, you're goals may look different, but you get the idea)

As a general rule, I try to set Spirtual goals, Physical goals, Relational goals, Professional goals, and Intellectual goals.

I also ask myself several questions. Here is a list of some of the questions I asked myself in 2009.

As we enter 2010, what needs to change in your life? Let's go for it in 2010!

For further thoughts on change, here is a link to my friend Artie Davis blog. Do yourself a favor and check this out.