* I am beyond excited about this Sunday at Foothills Community Church. We will be starting our next series in the Gospel of John called, The Gospel.
* This would be a phenomenal series to bring someone with you who doesn't know Jesus. Trust me, they will have an opportunity to meet Him.
* It's hard to believe that there are only 6 weeks until Easter.
* Speaking of Easter, you will not believe what we're planning!
* Coming up on April 21st we will be celebrating Foothills Community Church's 15th anniversary. It is going to be a party for sure. We are planning a huge worship night that evening along with the observance of the Lord's Supper and baptism. I'm pretty sure there will be a little nostalgia as well.
* I can't wait to share more details about FCC's 4th and newest campus. Here's what I can tell you. It will be in Habersham County, Georgia. We are shooting for the August/September time frame. There are still many logistical issues that need to be worked out before then, so please be in prayer.
* As most of you know, every January we pretty much purge our membership and ask people to re-sign their membership covenant. Unfortunately every year many people forget to send their covenants back into us . If you are one of the people who forgot, here is a link you can go to right now and do it electronically. This will probably take less than one minute. Quit procrastinating :)
* Don't forget about summer camps for your kids. We have 2 different opportunities this summer:
Kids Camp for 3rd-6th graders from July 30th-August 2nd at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center in Toccoa, GA.
Axis Summer camp for current 6th-12th graders from June 17th-21st in Myrtle Beach, SC.
* Parents, grandparents please arrange your summer schedules so that your students can be a part of these camps. It will have lasting impact in their lives. Deposits for these trips are due very soon.
* I got a chance to speak to our 6th-12thgraders a couple of weeks ago during Live, and I was so impressed with our teenagers. I'm also excited about Axis Summer camp because I am going to get a chance to be a part of it for a couple of days!
* So many cool things going on right now at FCC. I love being your Pastor!
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
some quick random thoughts
Here are a few quick, but random thoughts I have right now:
* I absolutely LOVE what the Lord is doing at Foothills Community Church! Life change every week. People hungry for God's Word. People showing up with expectation that God is going to do great things.
* The worship team did this new song yesterday that Kirsten led. Oh my goodness. It was awesome.
* I am very excited about FCC's 4th campus! That's right, I said #4. It looks like it's going to happen in the Fall of 2013. Stay tuned for details.
* I am really looking forward to this Sunday's message. We're going to talk about what makes Jesus mad. Should be interesting. You can get a head start by reading John 2:13-22.
* My wife is battling a case of chest congestion, and laryngitis. (I guess that's one of the risks of being a children's director.) I'm doing my best, to not catch whatever she has. I really hate to see my wife not feeling well. If you get a chance, pray for her.
* There is a huge surge of disciple-making going on at FCC right now. As most of you know, In 2013 I challenged our folks to not just settle for being disciples..... but become disciples that are making other disciples. It's really cool to see that taking shape. Within the next 10 weeks, we should have 100 people that are trained to disciple others. From there, I'm hoping we see it grow exponentially!!
* Did I mention that we will be adding a 4th campus in 2013? Oh yeah, I guess I did.
* I got a chance to connect with a bunch of people that are new to FCC in the concourse yesterday. I love that.
* Speaking of the concourse, after the first service the people hung out for a long time. It was like no one wanted to leave. That is very awesome.
* The staff at FCC is amazing. I wish every person could sit in on one of our Monday morning staff meetings. It's so encouraging hearing all the God-stories.
* I got a chance to speak at LIVE last Wednesday. It was a lot of fun to speak to teenagers. Best of all, all 3 of our campuses were there. I must say, I am so impressed with our young people, they have a heart for God.
* If you are a talented singer or musician, we are having worship auditions. Check it out.
* Enough ramblings for today. Have a great week. And don't forget to invite a friend to church next Sunday.
* I absolutely LOVE what the Lord is doing at Foothills Community Church! Life change every week. People hungry for God's Word. People showing up with expectation that God is going to do great things.
* The worship team did this new song yesterday that Kirsten led. Oh my goodness. It was awesome.
* I am very excited about FCC's 4th campus! That's right, I said #4. It looks like it's going to happen in the Fall of 2013. Stay tuned for details.
* I am really looking forward to this Sunday's message. We're going to talk about what makes Jesus mad. Should be interesting. You can get a head start by reading John 2:13-22.
* My wife is battling a case of chest congestion, and laryngitis. (I guess that's one of the risks of being a children's director.) I'm doing my best, to not catch whatever she has. I really hate to see my wife not feeling well. If you get a chance, pray for her.
* There is a huge surge of disciple-making going on at FCC right now. As most of you know, In 2013 I challenged our folks to not just settle for being disciples..... but become disciples that are making other disciples. It's really cool to see that taking shape. Within the next 10 weeks, we should have 100 people that are trained to disciple others. From there, I'm hoping we see it grow exponentially!!
* Did I mention that we will be adding a 4th campus in 2013? Oh yeah, I guess I did.
* I got a chance to connect with a bunch of people that are new to FCC in the concourse yesterday. I love that.
* Speaking of the concourse, after the first service the people hung out for a long time. It was like no one wanted to leave. That is very awesome.
* The staff at FCC is amazing. I wish every person could sit in on one of our Monday morning staff meetings. It's so encouraging hearing all the God-stories.
* I got a chance to speak at LIVE last Wednesday. It was a lot of fun to speak to teenagers. Best of all, all 3 of our campuses were there. I must say, I am so impressed with our young people, they have a heart for God.
* If you are a talented singer or musician, we are having worship auditions. Check it out.
* Enough ramblings for today. Have a great week. And don't forget to invite a friend to church next Sunday.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Super-excited
I wanted to post a few observations as to what is going on at Foothills Community Church recently.
I can't help but feel truly blessed to be a part of a church that is as incredible at FCC. We are in a time of great blessing from God. There is a wave of anticipation, expectation and hunger for the Lord on Sundays that is actually building every week.
I believe that part of this is stemming from our new series from the gospel of John. People seem genuinely fired-up about taking their spiritual lives to a deeper level. We have done series through other books of the Bible in the past, but never one that will allow us to spend as much time as necessary to truly dig in. I just have to say, I am loving it personally!
I also sense that as a body, our church doesn't want to just soak up scripture, but wants to take what we learn and live it out 24/7. Our Project Reach initiative giving and participation is going really well. Our Haiti mission trip in March is almost filled up!
Our Find and Follow groups are doing awesome. We have so many people getting connected through the groups.
We have definitely started 2013 off with a bang, but let's do whatever it takes to stay fired-up, and motivated. Let's also continue to invite our friends to church. This is a fantastic series to invite them to.
This Sunday's message is going to clarify for all of us what our mission is, as Christ-followers. I cannot wait.
I could go on and on, but the point is, these are some incredible days in the life of our church.
One last thing. If you missed the first 2 messages in the According to John series, here's the link to watch them.
I can't help but feel truly blessed to be a part of a church that is as incredible at FCC. We are in a time of great blessing from God. There is a wave of anticipation, expectation and hunger for the Lord on Sundays that is actually building every week.
I believe that part of this is stemming from our new series from the gospel of John. People seem genuinely fired-up about taking their spiritual lives to a deeper level. We have done series through other books of the Bible in the past, but never one that will allow us to spend as much time as necessary to truly dig in. I just have to say, I am loving it personally!
I also sense that as a body, our church doesn't want to just soak up scripture, but wants to take what we learn and live it out 24/7. Our Project Reach initiative giving and participation is going really well. Our Haiti mission trip in March is almost filled up!
Our Find and Follow groups are doing awesome. We have so many people getting connected through the groups.
We have definitely started 2013 off with a bang, but let's do whatever it takes to stay fired-up, and motivated. Let's also continue to invite our friends to church. This is a fantastic series to invite them to.
This Sunday's message is going to clarify for all of us what our mission is, as Christ-followers. I cannot wait.
I could go on and on, but the point is, these are some incredible days in the life of our church.
One last thing. If you missed the first 2 messages in the According to John series, here's the link to watch them.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
According To John
This past Sunday we kicked off what I believe is going to be the best series we've ever done at Foothills Community Church called According To John. We are going to spend several months in this series, and it is going to be awesome!
Here's what you can expect:
* Spiritual growth. Yes, if you show up and apply what you hear, you WILL grow spiritually.
* A deeper love and appreciation for the Savior. When John wrote His gospel, he wrote it to show us who Jesus is, not just what He did.
* High take-home value. There will be next-step application every week that you can use in your life. This series is about more than just learning facts, figures and history, it's about life change.
I wanted to let you know that Brian Rhodes is putting together a very useful tool for you to use to keep up with the series. In fact, if you scan this image with your smartphone you will have access to last Sunday's notes and message:
I want to encourage you to invite your friends. This is the perfect series for bringing guests.
* Also wanted to share that we had 118 people attend our Get In The Game (new member's class) last Sunday!! God is moving!
Here's what you can expect:
* Spiritual growth. Yes, if you show up and apply what you hear, you WILL grow spiritually.
* A deeper love and appreciation for the Savior. When John wrote His gospel, he wrote it to show us who Jesus is, not just what He did.
* High take-home value. There will be next-step application every week that you can use in your life. This series is about more than just learning facts, figures and history, it's about life change.
I wanted to let you know that Brian Rhodes is putting together a very useful tool for you to use to keep up with the series. In fact, if you scan this image with your smartphone you will have access to last Sunday's notes and message:
I want to encourage you to invite your friends. This is the perfect series for bringing guests.
* Also wanted to share that we had 118 people attend our Get In The Game (new member's class) last Sunday!! God is moving!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Going to the next level in 2013
I am very excited about the possibilities that lie ahead in 2013. From a church standpoint, I believe that Foothills Community Church will see the the most increase that we've ever seen. Now when I say increase I'm not just talking about numerical increase. I do think we will see a huge numerical increase, but what I'm even more excited about is the spiritual increase we will see.
I mentioned in my message yesterday the conversation that I had with a man that told me that he had heard that Foothills was a great church to go to to be saved, but if you wanted to grow that you would need to find another church. Wow, that hurt. It broke my heart, because it simply is not true. By far Foothills puts more time, energy and money into growing believers than we do to reach unbelievers.
While it is true that Foothills does see many people saved each year, and it's no secret that I have a huge heart for the unchurched, it still doesn't change the fact that we are just as committed to the second half of our mission statement as we are to the first half. (Our mission statement is to Help People Find and Follow Jesus)
That said, let's talk about 2013. I have challenged every person that attends Foothills to take another step spiritually. No matter if you have been a believer for a day or several decades, take another step. So often believers stop growing and become content with a flat line spiritual life.
The writer of Hebrews tells us that we have a responsibility to grow spiritually: Hebrews 5:12-14 NLT: 12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word.[a] You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. 13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. 14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.
Here is our commitment. From the stage on Sunday mornings, I will do everything within my power to help you grow. We will offer you opportunities to serve and attend a Find and Follow Group, but every single person must be willing to take full responsibility for their own spiritual growth. Every believer needs personal Bible study, a regular prayer time, should be connecting with a church, should be giving of their finances to support the Lord's mission, healthy relationships, and be living out God's mission for your life.
I have to tell you, that I have been so encouraged by the excitement level of our people to take these steps.
Here are a couple of things of note:
* We will be starting a brand new message series through the gospel of John. This is going to be great. We are going to take our time and really drill down into scripture. At this point I am estimating that we will be in John for at least 6-8 months.
* Don't forget our first Get In The Game of 2013. It will be held at each of our campuses. If you have not signed-up, do it today. In 2012 almost 400 people went through the class. We are praying that over 500 people will go through the class and become members in 2013.
* We are praying about our 4th campus. I met with a group of people last week that want to be a part of that. This could be huge. Stay tuned for more details.
* Our Toccoa campus set an all-time high attendance record yesterday!!
* Our Find and Follow groups kicked-off last night. We have lots of people involved in groups this semester.
* I am so thankful for all of our volunteers at Foothills. Last year over 700 people served in one of our ministries. Let's see about adding a couple hundred more. If you haven't served, and would like to, let us know.
* If you have missed the messages from the last two Sundays I would encourage you to watch them. You will understand who we are and where we believe the Lord is leading us in 2013.
I mentioned in my message yesterday the conversation that I had with a man that told me that he had heard that Foothills was a great church to go to to be saved, but if you wanted to grow that you would need to find another church. Wow, that hurt. It broke my heart, because it simply is not true. By far Foothills puts more time, energy and money into growing believers than we do to reach unbelievers.
While it is true that Foothills does see many people saved each year, and it's no secret that I have a huge heart for the unchurched, it still doesn't change the fact that we are just as committed to the second half of our mission statement as we are to the first half. (Our mission statement is to Help People Find and Follow Jesus)
That said, let's talk about 2013. I have challenged every person that attends Foothills to take another step spiritually. No matter if you have been a believer for a day or several decades, take another step. So often believers stop growing and become content with a flat line spiritual life.
The writer of Hebrews tells us that we have a responsibility to grow spiritually: Hebrews 5:12-14 NLT: 12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word.[a] You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. 13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. 14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.
Here is our commitment. From the stage on Sunday mornings, I will do everything within my power to help you grow. We will offer you opportunities to serve and attend a Find and Follow Group, but every single person must be willing to take full responsibility for their own spiritual growth. Every believer needs personal Bible study, a regular prayer time, should be connecting with a church, should be giving of their finances to support the Lord's mission, healthy relationships, and be living out God's mission for your life.
I have to tell you, that I have been so encouraged by the excitement level of our people to take these steps.
Here are a couple of things of note:
* We will be starting a brand new message series through the gospel of John. This is going to be great. We are going to take our time and really drill down into scripture. At this point I am estimating that we will be in John for at least 6-8 months.
* Don't forget our first Get In The Game of 2013. It will be held at each of our campuses. If you have not signed-up, do it today. In 2012 almost 400 people went through the class. We are praying that over 500 people will go through the class and become members in 2013.
* We are praying about our 4th campus. I met with a group of people last week that want to be a part of that. This could be huge. Stay tuned for more details.
* Our Toccoa campus set an all-time high attendance record yesterday!!
* Our Find and Follow groups kicked-off last night. We have lots of people involved in groups this semester.
* I am so thankful for all of our volunteers at Foothills. Last year over 700 people served in one of our ministries. Let's see about adding a couple hundred more. If you haven't served, and would like to, let us know.
* If you have missed the messages from the last two Sundays I would encourage you to watch them. You will understand who we are and where we believe the Lord is leading us in 2013.
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
New Year's and your Health goals
I know that as we enter a New Year a lot of people make resolutions. Statistics show that most New Year's resolutions have to do with health, weight, or fitness. Unfortunately most of the time we fail to keep these resolutions for more than a month.
Of all the blog posts I have done, the ones that I discuss my fitness journey are by far the most popular. (Here are links to a couple of past posts. Let's Talk About Health. Let's Get In Shape) I'm pretty sure that's because deep down all of us want to be more healthy.
When it comes to my health I am constantly trying to improve and learn more. This is one of the reasons that I am constantly changing my workout routines.
A couple of months ago I had a routine blood test which came back showing elevated liver functions. Upon my Dr.'s advice I stopped taking my statin medicine, and also many of the supplements I was taking. I was re-tested a month later and my liver functions were back within the normal range. But to my amazement (and discouragement), my overall cholesterol was 200. On the statin drugs my cholesterol had dropped to 128.
What does all that mean? Well, it means even though for the past 20 months I had exercised religiously 6 days a week, and had eaten exactly what the Dr. had told me and yet, literally nothing had changed as far as my overall cholesterol.
This led me to more research about alternative ways of eating that could actually work for me. For the last several weeks I have been eating a cross between The Paleo diet and the Primal Diet. The common thread between these two diets is that they are extremely "clean" ways of eating and encourage the eating of meats, fruits, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables, and discourage the eating of sugar (and sugar substitutes), dairy, processed foods, legumes, and grains.
In addition to those changes I have also changed up my workout routines a bit. I won't list my routines in detail but they consist of 2 times a week doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). The best part of my HIIT routine is that it takes 22 minutes to complete (half of that time is resting) yet it is amazingly effective. The other 4 days are a combination of some P90X routines and more conventional weight training, and a day of rest.
Since making these changes I actually feel like I am taking my fitness to a new level. I have more energy, and I have more options on the menu to choose from.
I talk to people all the time that say to me, "I could never do what you do. I don't have the self-discipline." While it's true that it takes self-discipline, I believe the most important thing is motivation. When you get motivated enough, you will make changes. For me, it was the diagnosis 21 months ago that I had blockages in my heart. That got my attention, and motivated me to get serious about my health.
Let's resolve to stick to our fitness goals in 2013!
Of all the blog posts I have done, the ones that I discuss my fitness journey are by far the most popular. (Here are links to a couple of past posts. Let's Talk About Health. Let's Get In Shape) I'm pretty sure that's because deep down all of us want to be more healthy.
When it comes to my health I am constantly trying to improve and learn more. This is one of the reasons that I am constantly changing my workout routines.
A couple of months ago I had a routine blood test which came back showing elevated liver functions. Upon my Dr.'s advice I stopped taking my statin medicine, and also many of the supplements I was taking. I was re-tested a month later and my liver functions were back within the normal range. But to my amazement (and discouragement), my overall cholesterol was 200. On the statin drugs my cholesterol had dropped to 128.
What does all that mean? Well, it means even though for the past 20 months I had exercised religiously 6 days a week, and had eaten exactly what the Dr. had told me and yet, literally nothing had changed as far as my overall cholesterol.
This led me to more research about alternative ways of eating that could actually work for me. For the last several weeks I have been eating a cross between The Paleo diet and the Primal Diet. The common thread between these two diets is that they are extremely "clean" ways of eating and encourage the eating of meats, fruits, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables, and discourage the eating of sugar (and sugar substitutes), dairy, processed foods, legumes, and grains.
In addition to those changes I have also changed up my workout routines a bit. I won't list my routines in detail but they consist of 2 times a week doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). The best part of my HIIT routine is that it takes 22 minutes to complete (half of that time is resting) yet it is amazingly effective. The other 4 days are a combination of some P90X routines and more conventional weight training, and a day of rest.
Since making these changes I actually feel like I am taking my fitness to a new level. I have more energy, and I have more options on the menu to choose from.
I talk to people all the time that say to me, "I could never do what you do. I don't have the self-discipline." While it's true that it takes self-discipline, I believe the most important thing is motivation. When you get motivated enough, you will make changes. For me, it was the diagnosis 21 months ago that I had blockages in my heart. That got my attention, and motivated me to get serious about my health.
Let's resolve to stick to our fitness goals in 2013!
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
Catching up
I haven't blogged in a few weeks, so I wanted to check in and catch you up to speed.
I'll be brief and try to give you the cliff notes.
* Our Christmas services at Foothills Community Church were unbelievable. The attendance was strong, and we had lots of first-time guests. Best of all we had 8 people that gave their lives to Christ and 66 people that made recommitments of their faith.
* Right after the service my family headed down to Florida to spend Christmas with my parents. If memory serves me, I believe that this was the first Christmas that we have been back down to Florida. It's always a blast to hang out with my family, and it's always great to have 80 degree weather on Christmas!
* This past Sunday, it was great to be back at Foothills and to start the New year out talking about what the Lord did in 2012 and where He is leading us in 2013. I am absolutely pumped about what's in store for us this year!
* Here are some of the things that the Lord did in 2012:
295 people gave their lives to Jesus
367 people made recommitments of their faith
141 people were baptized
392 people went through Get In The Game (membership class)
743 people served in one of our ministries
Our church gave nearly $250,000 above our normal giving, toward Project Reach, which helps the needy, and hurting.
There is so much more that I couldn't even begin to describe..... but the best is yet to come! Put on your seat belts in 2013!
* We also had our annual membership renewal. If you haven't renewed your membership yet, you can do it here.
* If you have not gone through the Get In The Game class, which is required for membership you can sign-up for our next class on January 20th here.
I have included the message from this past Sunday. If you've ever wondered what Foothills Community Church is all about, here you go:
I'll be brief and try to give you the cliff notes.
* Our Christmas services at Foothills Community Church were unbelievable. The attendance was strong, and we had lots of first-time guests. Best of all we had 8 people that gave their lives to Christ and 66 people that made recommitments of their faith.
* Right after the service my family headed down to Florida to spend Christmas with my parents. If memory serves me, I believe that this was the first Christmas that we have been back down to Florida. It's always a blast to hang out with my family, and it's always great to have 80 degree weather on Christmas!
* This past Sunday, it was great to be back at Foothills and to start the New year out talking about what the Lord did in 2012 and where He is leading us in 2013. I am absolutely pumped about what's in store for us this year!
* Here are some of the things that the Lord did in 2012:
295 people gave their lives to Jesus
367 people made recommitments of their faith
141 people were baptized
392 people went through Get In The Game (membership class)
743 people served in one of our ministries
Our church gave nearly $250,000 above our normal giving, toward Project Reach, which helps the needy, and hurting.
There is so much more that I couldn't even begin to describe..... but the best is yet to come! Put on your seat belts in 2013!
* We also had our annual membership renewal. If you haven't renewed your membership yet, you can do it here.
* If you have not gone through the Get In The Game class, which is required for membership you can sign-up for our next class on January 20th here.
I have included the message from this past Sunday. If you've ever wondered what Foothills Community Church is all about, here you go:
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Special Christmas Offering
If you have not given to Foothills Community Church's Christmas Offering yet, it's not too late. You might be wondering what this is. Let me take a second to explain.
Each year FCC has a special Christmas offering which goes toward several important causes. One of the causes is a local effort called Christmas For Kids. Each year in Oconee County thousands of children would not be opening Christmas gifts if it were not for them. We have participated for the last 3-4 years.
Another place the money goes is toward the Golden Corner Food Pantry. Even before we began Project Reach, we have been involved helping feed the hungry. Since Project Reach however, we have become heavily involved n this great ministry.
Some of the Christmas Offering also goes toward helping families that attend FCC that are having tough times.
We received an incredible email thanking the church for being there for them this Christmas.
I will post portions of the letter, without the names:
Each year FCC has a special Christmas offering which goes toward several important causes. One of the causes is a local effort called Christmas For Kids. Each year in Oconee County thousands of children would not be opening Christmas gifts if it were not for them. We have participated for the last 3-4 years.
Another place the money goes is toward the Golden Corner Food Pantry. Even before we began Project Reach, we have been involved helping feed the hungry. Since Project Reach however, we have become heavily involved n this great ministry.
Some of the Christmas Offering also goes toward helping families that attend FCC that are having tough times.
We received an incredible email thanking the church for being there for them this Christmas.
I will post portions of the letter, without the names:
.... We were just talking Saturday afternoon that this be first year that we don't get to even buy a gift for anyone, especially the kids, and we were missing the joy of buying the kids there gifts but, we were so thankful that the church was going to give them something so they didn't have to have a Christmas with no gifts at all..... I told him I had never seen a church or
charity do it that way. My husband just cried with me all over and said I guess
that is God's way of telling us not to give up and he is going to let us experience a little of Christmas after all although it is the others that are doing the giving. You and the church have no idea how much this has meant to us and how much we are so thankful that we go to a church that people are so loving, pure and true. I told my husband last night it was amazing how bad I have felt and had the most terrible day that I had yesterday trying to work and after coming home and just sitting there at the dinner table about ready to cry. Then suddenly the church calls us...... The thoughtfulness of the people who give to the Christmas Fund and the church and all of you that make this possible is the most important gift when people need it the most no matter what the gift may be. FCC is such a blessing to us. We love all of you so so much. Please tell everyone and all our church members that made this possible that we send our upmost appreciation and thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for everyone's thoughtfulness and their gift of giving so that our kids can have a Christmas.
Thank you for making a difference in people's lives by giving toward the
special Christmas Offering (Remember, this is above and beyond our normal
regular giving)
You can give online here.
Monday, December 03, 2012
Blown Away
I am blown away about what the Lord did yesterday at Foothills Community Church. It was one of my favorite days in our history.
We kicked things off with some great services in the morning. I'm not sure of the exact number, but we had a lot of people respond to the invitation to begin a relationship with Christ, and then each of our campuses had baptisms. It was the first time that all 3 of our campuses had baptisms on the same day. The total number of people baptized during the morning services was 24!
Then at 6:00pm all 3 of our campuses came together for a huge worship night. It was one of the greatest worship services that I have ever seen!
I am not kidding, the level of excellence that our worship, and tech teams brought was world class.
There was a sense of anticipation in the room even before the first song was sung. People came hungry for more of God's presence. We closed off the back sections of the auditorium and had everyone squeeze in together toward the front. It changed the dynamics in the entire room. (I implored everyone to bring the same intensity to worship on Sunday mornings, and to sit near the front)
Another thing that was noticeable was the amazing Christmas decorating that had been done by so many people pitching in. Our volunteers are amazing. Hundreds of hours were spent to make that a reality. Thanks to Kelly Ross and her team for putting us in the holiday spirit.
This Sunday we will begin our new Christmas series called, Empty. Invite, invite, invite. People will come to church with you, if you ask.... especially during the Christmas season.
We have made it even easier to invite your friends. You can use our electronic E-vite or promote it on Facebook or Twitter. Just go to this link and click on which way you want to promote the new series.
We kicked things off with some great services in the morning. I'm not sure of the exact number, but we had a lot of people respond to the invitation to begin a relationship with Christ, and then each of our campuses had baptisms. It was the first time that all 3 of our campuses had baptisms on the same day. The total number of people baptized during the morning services was 24!
Then at 6:00pm all 3 of our campuses came together for a huge worship night. It was one of the greatest worship services that I have ever seen!
I am not kidding, the level of excellence that our worship, and tech teams brought was world class.
There was a sense of anticipation in the room even before the first song was sung. People came hungry for more of God's presence. We closed off the back sections of the auditorium and had everyone squeeze in together toward the front. It changed the dynamics in the entire room. (I implored everyone to bring the same intensity to worship on Sunday mornings, and to sit near the front)
Another thing that was noticeable was the amazing Christmas decorating that had been done by so many people pitching in. Our volunteers are amazing. Hundreds of hours were spent to make that a reality. Thanks to Kelly Ross and her team for putting us in the holiday spirit.
This Sunday we will begin our new Christmas series called, Empty. Invite, invite, invite. People will come to church with you, if you ask.... especially during the Christmas season.
We have made it even easier to invite your friends. You can use our electronic E-vite or promote it on Facebook or Twitter. Just go to this link and click on which way you want to promote the new series.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
December 2nd
This Sunday (December 2nd) will be a day that you do not want to miss at Foothills Community Church.
On Sunday morning I will be doing a message called Brand New, that I am pumped about. Then after that we will celebrate baptism at all 3 of our campuses! To me, the days that we do baptisms are my favorites. I love watching people go public with their faith in Jesus.
The Bible teaches that every person who becomes a Christ-follower needs to be baptized. If you have not done it yet, this is your chance. This will be the last opportunity for 2012, so don't miss out.
Then at 6:00pm all 3 of our campuses will descend upon our Seneca campus for a huge night of worship. There will be worship leaders/ bands and singers from all 3 campuses leading us. We will also be observing communion that evening. This is going to be amazing!
This is a perfect opportunity to invite some friends. Believe me, they are going to love it!
On Sunday morning I will be doing a message called Brand New, that I am pumped about. Then after that we will celebrate baptism at all 3 of our campuses! To me, the days that we do baptisms are my favorites. I love watching people go public with their faith in Jesus.
The Bible teaches that every person who becomes a Christ-follower needs to be baptized. If you have not done it yet, this is your chance. This will be the last opportunity for 2012, so don't miss out.
Then at 6:00pm all 3 of our campuses will descend upon our Seneca campus for a huge night of worship. There will be worship leaders/ bands and singers from all 3 campuses leading us. We will also be observing communion that evening. This is going to be amazing!
This is a perfect opportunity to invite some friends. Believe me, they are going to love it!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
A couple quick thoughts
* This past Sunday was great. I had the opportunity to preach for my friend Lee Boyd in Prestonsburg Kentucky at Destination Community Church. It reminded me a lot of the early days of Foothills Community Church. I got to meet a bunch of great people and I really enjoyed my time there.
* Back at Foothills Community Church, my friend Jeff Cranston from Low Country Community Church in Bluffton, SC came and delivered a powerful message about forgiveness. I have heard many comments about what a great message it was.
* It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is this week. It's even harder to believe that Christmas is just around the corner.
* I'm looking forward to bringing the message this Sunday at FCC. Many of you will have out of town company for Thanksgiving. Plan to bring them to church with you this Sunday.
* Don't forget to mark your calendars for December 2nd. The whole day is going to be unbelievable. During our morning services I will be sharing a message called, Brand New. Then we will finish with baptisms at all 3 campuses. If you have never gone public with your faith, this is the time. It's not too late to sign-up. Then at 6:00pm we will be having a Worship night and communion service to celebrate. All 3 campuses will be joining together that night, and worship teams from all 3 campuses will be leading. It is going to be one of the greatest nights in our history!
* On December 9th we will begin our Christmas series called, Empty. You will be hearing a lot more about this very soon, but start thinking about who you can invite to come with you!
* We had a very nice article recently in the Seneca Journal about FCC's partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and our Project Reach initiatives. In case you didn't know we are currently building 2 homes with Habitat.
* Back at Foothills Community Church, my friend Jeff Cranston from Low Country Community Church in Bluffton, SC came and delivered a powerful message about forgiveness. I have heard many comments about what a great message it was.
* It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is this week. It's even harder to believe that Christmas is just around the corner.
* I'm looking forward to bringing the message this Sunday at FCC. Many of you will have out of town company for Thanksgiving. Plan to bring them to church with you this Sunday.
* Don't forget to mark your calendars for December 2nd. The whole day is going to be unbelievable. During our morning services I will be sharing a message called, Brand New. Then we will finish with baptisms at all 3 campuses. If you have never gone public with your faith, this is the time. It's not too late to sign-up. Then at 6:00pm we will be having a Worship night and communion service to celebrate. All 3 campuses will be joining together that night, and worship teams from all 3 campuses will be leading. It is going to be one of the greatest nights in our history!
* On December 9th we will begin our Christmas series called, Empty. You will be hearing a lot more about this very soon, but start thinking about who you can invite to come with you!
* We had a very nice article recently in the Seneca Journal about FCC's partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and our Project Reach initiatives. In case you didn't know we are currently building 2 homes with Habitat.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Sunday review
I'm still processing all that happened at Foothills Community Church today. I loved the services this morning, but I also loved our last Get In The Game class of 2012.
* All 3 campuses did Get In The game today. That's pretty exciting, because lots of people are getting connected at FCC. In fact, in 2012 we had by far the most people of any year that have gone through the class!
* The worship team, once again brought the heat. The theme of the day was Christ is The Cornerstone.
* It is important that we make Jesus the foundation of our lives, because the storms are coming. I feel sorry for people that don't have Him in their lives when they face tragedy and crisis.
* I have enjoyed the My Secret Life series. For the next 3 Sundays we will have some stand-alone messages and then on December 9th we'll begin our Christmas series.
* I loved taking a moment during our services to honor all of the people that have served in the military.
* I can't wait for December 2nd. The morning services are going to be outrageous as we celebrate baptism, and then at 6:00pm we will come back for a huge Worship night in Seneca. This will be the first event that all 3 of our campuses will come together!!
* All 3 campuses did Get In The game today. That's pretty exciting, because lots of people are getting connected at FCC. In fact, in 2012 we had by far the most people of any year that have gone through the class!
* The worship team, once again brought the heat. The theme of the day was Christ is The Cornerstone.
* It is important that we make Jesus the foundation of our lives, because the storms are coming. I feel sorry for people that don't have Him in their lives when they face tragedy and crisis.
* I have enjoyed the My Secret Life series. For the next 3 Sundays we will have some stand-alone messages and then on December 9th we'll begin our Christmas series.
* I loved taking a moment during our services to honor all of the people that have served in the military.
* I can't wait for December 2nd. The morning services are going to be outrageous as we celebrate baptism, and then at 6:00pm we will come back for a huge Worship night in Seneca. This will be the first event that all 3 of our campuses will come together!!
Tuesday, November 06, 2012
sunday reflections
I know I sound like a broken record, but Sunday was another amazing day at Foothills Community Church. Here are a few quick thoughts:
* Having an extra hour of sleep makes for a more energetic crowd!
* This was the first time some people have ever been on time to church.
* The worship team is at the top of their game. Holy cow, we are so blessed at ALL 3 of our campuses! All of the people that serve on those teams do an incredible job of making it easy for me to get up and preach.
* I dealt with a very serious topic, Spiritual posing. Many people are pretenders when it comes to their faith. It was awesome seeing many people admitting that and truly giving their lives to Jesus!
* As I look around the concourse, I am totally overwhelmed by all of the people that Volunteer at Foothills. Thank you to all of you. You are making a difference!
* We have a lot of people signed-up to attend this Sunday's Get In The Game class at all of our campuses. It's not too late to sign-up. You can do it now.
* I hope everyone exercised their rights as Americans and voted today.
* We have an incredible day planned for December 2nd. During the morning services we will be having the last baptisms of 2012 at all 3 campuses. This is a highlight for me. Then from 6:00pm until 7:30pm we will be having a Praise Night. Worship leaders from all 3 campuses will be at our Seneca campus for this blow-out event. We will also be observing The Lord's Supper together. You do not want to miss this!!!!
* Don't miss this Sunday as we wrap up our My Secret Life series. If you have ever felt like your life was out of control, you need to be there.... and bring some friends.
* Having an extra hour of sleep makes for a more energetic crowd!
* This was the first time some people have ever been on time to church.
* The worship team is at the top of their game. Holy cow, we are so blessed at ALL 3 of our campuses! All of the people that serve on those teams do an incredible job of making it easy for me to get up and preach.
* I dealt with a very serious topic, Spiritual posing. Many people are pretenders when it comes to their faith. It was awesome seeing many people admitting that and truly giving their lives to Jesus!
* As I look around the concourse, I am totally overwhelmed by all of the people that Volunteer at Foothills. Thank you to all of you. You are making a difference!
* We have a lot of people signed-up to attend this Sunday's Get In The Game class at all of our campuses. It's not too late to sign-up. You can do it now.
* I hope everyone exercised their rights as Americans and voted today.
* We have an incredible day planned for December 2nd. During the morning services we will be having the last baptisms of 2012 at all 3 campuses. This is a highlight for me. Then from 6:00pm until 7:30pm we will be having a Praise Night. Worship leaders from all 3 campuses will be at our Seneca campus for this blow-out event. We will also be observing The Lord's Supper together. You do not want to miss this!!!!
* Don't miss this Sunday as we wrap up our My Secret Life series. If you have ever felt like your life was out of control, you need to be there.... and bring some friends.
Thursday, November 01, 2012
Happy Halloween
Here's a funny Halloween comedy routine from Jerry Seinfeld. This always makes me laugh.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Don't Forget
Here are 3 important things you don't want to forget:
1) TRUNK OR TREAT. This Wednesday (Oct. 31st) from 6:00pm until 8:00pm we will be having Trunk or Treat at the Seneca Walmart. If you have not signed-up to bring your car and hand out candy, just show up no later than 5:30pm at the back of Walmart.
This is a HUGE event. Last year we handed out candy to around 8,000 people! Every year because of this event, many people will show up at Foothills Community Church on a Sunday to worship with us.
2) Daylight Savings Time ends. Don't forget to set your clocks back 1 hour this Saturday night. (I wasn't going to mention this, because it would have been the first-time some of you would have made it to church on time!)
3) Get In The Game. Our next Get in the Game class is scheduled for Nov. 11th at all 3 of our campuses. If you've ever wondered about who we are and what we value and believe as a church, this is for you. You will also have the opportunity to meet some of our staff members, and enjoy a free lunch on the house. Sign-up today.
1) TRUNK OR TREAT. This Wednesday (Oct. 31st) from 6:00pm until 8:00pm we will be having Trunk or Treat at the Seneca Walmart. If you have not signed-up to bring your car and hand out candy, just show up no later than 5:30pm at the back of Walmart.
This is a HUGE event. Last year we handed out candy to around 8,000 people! Every year because of this event, many people will show up at Foothills Community Church on a Sunday to worship with us.
2) Daylight Savings Time ends. Don't forget to set your clocks back 1 hour this Saturday night. (I wasn't going to mention this, because it would have been the first-time some of you would have made it to church on time!)
3) Get In The Game. Our next Get in the Game class is scheduled for Nov. 11th at all 3 of our campuses. If you've ever wondered about who we are and what we value and believe as a church, this is for you. You will also have the opportunity to meet some of our staff members, and enjoy a free lunch on the house. Sign-up today.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Sunday highlights
Sunday was one of my favorite days EVER at Foothills Community Church! If you missed it--- you really missed it.
* I felt like David Odom and the worship team took it to a new level... Wow! We are blessed to have such amazing worship leaders at all 3 campuses of FCC. They do such an incredible job of leading us, and they have developed their teams so well. I heard Kevin Robison knocked it out of the park in Toccoa as did Bill Swindle in Hartwell
* I absolutely love the My Secret Life series. Life-change is happening and many people are finding hope in Jesus Christ.
* This past Sunday I spoke about when our kids make bad choices. It was a transparent message about some of the things I have struggled with in my own role as a parent. Those are always tough messages to deliver, but I really believe that God did a great work relieving people over the guilt that they have been carrying regarding their prodigal children. If you weren't here and you want to watch the message:
* Our Toccoa and Hartwell campuses had some technical glitches, but it sounds like God did great things in spite of that.
* I'm so excited about Foothills Community Church's partnership with Habitat for Humanity. We are building 2 homes which will be starting in the next week or so. Lots of people have signed-up to help, but there's room for more. Contact our church office for more info.
* I can't wait for this Sunday. My message topic is going to hit home for a lot of people, and it is going to help them so much. Don't miss!
* I felt like David Odom and the worship team took it to a new level... Wow! We are blessed to have such amazing worship leaders at all 3 campuses of FCC. They do such an incredible job of leading us, and they have developed their teams so well. I heard Kevin Robison knocked it out of the park in Toccoa as did Bill Swindle in Hartwell
* I absolutely love the My Secret Life series. Life-change is happening and many people are finding hope in Jesus Christ.
* This past Sunday I spoke about when our kids make bad choices. It was a transparent message about some of the things I have struggled with in my own role as a parent. Those are always tough messages to deliver, but I really believe that God did a great work relieving people over the guilt that they have been carrying regarding their prodigal children. If you weren't here and you want to watch the message:
* Our Toccoa and Hartwell campuses had some technical glitches, but it sounds like God did great things in spite of that.
* I'm so excited about Foothills Community Church's partnership with Habitat for Humanity. We are building 2 homes which will be starting in the next week or so. Lots of people have signed-up to help, but there's room for more. Contact our church office for more info.
* I can't wait for this Sunday. My message topic is going to hit home for a lot of people, and it is going to help them so much. Don't miss!
Monday, October 15, 2012
Post Sunday thoughts
Well, another Sunday is in the books. But this was no "ordinary" Sunday. It was the Grand Opening of our newest campus in Hartwell, GA. There is no way to describe how excited I am about our potential to reach more people for Jesus!
It has been a whirlwind preparing for the Grand Opening. There was all of the work on the facility to get it into shape for a service. There was a lot of training to get leaders ready for the big day. There was all the marketing, inviting, and getting the word out. And of course there was the planning and preparation for the actual service.
I am so thankful for every person that has helped in some way to make the dream a reality. Under the leadership of our campus Pastor Duane Hall it is official, we are one church in three locations!
I have heard that for the most part everything clicked and the service went quite well. You always are a little nervous about this kind of thing, but the Lord showed up and they had a great service.
They had 140 people show up for the service!! (which is exactly twice as many as we had when we launched Foothills Community Church in Seneca, SC back in 1998)
This week there will be a lot of follow-up, and some tweaks for next week's service. If you attended the Grand Opening, come back next Sunday and bring a few people with you.
On our other campuses great things are happening as well. On Saturday, our Toccoa, GA campus had a huge community party. Hundreds of people showed up to that. Most of the people attending were blown away that it was completely FREE.
On Sunday both the Toccoa and Seneca campuses also had awesome services. We started a new message series called, My Secret Life. This series is going to hit home with a lot of people. Next week the message is called, "My Kids Are Making Bad Choices" If you or someone you know has a "prodigal" son or daughter, get them to Foothills!!
Don't forget, our next Get In The Game Class will be on Nov. 11th at all 3 campuses. Sign-up today.
It has been a whirlwind preparing for the Grand Opening. There was all of the work on the facility to get it into shape for a service. There was a lot of training to get leaders ready for the big day. There was all the marketing, inviting, and getting the word out. And of course there was the planning and preparation for the actual service.
I am so thankful for every person that has helped in some way to make the dream a reality. Under the leadership of our campus Pastor Duane Hall it is official, we are one church in three locations!
I have heard that for the most part everything clicked and the service went quite well. You always are a little nervous about this kind of thing, but the Lord showed up and they had a great service.
They had 140 people show up for the service!! (which is exactly twice as many as we had when we launched Foothills Community Church in Seneca, SC back in 1998)
This week there will be a lot of follow-up, and some tweaks for next week's service. If you attended the Grand Opening, come back next Sunday and bring a few people with you.
On our other campuses great things are happening as well. On Saturday, our Toccoa, GA campus had a huge community party. Hundreds of people showed up to that. Most of the people attending were blown away that it was completely FREE.
On Sunday both the Toccoa and Seneca campuses also had awesome services. We started a new message series called, My Secret Life. This series is going to hit home with a lot of people. Next week the message is called, "My Kids Are Making Bad Choices" If you or someone you know has a "prodigal" son or daughter, get them to Foothills!!
Don't forget, our next Get In The Game Class will be on Nov. 11th at all 3 campuses. Sign-up today.
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Big things coming up
This past Sunday was a great Sunday at Foothills Community Church all the way around. I am honored to serve such an awesome church. If you have not plugged in yet at FCC, I would encourage you to sign-up for our next Get In The Game class on Nov. 11th at all 3 of our campuses. This is a great opportunity to find out all about FCC.
This coming Sunday is going to be epic at Foothills Community Church. I will begin a brand new message series called, My Secret Life. I believe this will be one of the best series we have ever done. We are going to tackle some topics that are very sensitive, but very real.
Also, Don't forget that THIS SUNDAY October 14th will be the Grand Opening of our new FCC Hartwell campus. To say I'm pumped would be the understatement of the year. If you live in or around Hartwell, Georgia or know anyone that does make sure to invite them. Our staff has been praying overtime about this big day. Please join us.
This coming Sunday is going to be epic at Foothills Community Church. I will begin a brand new message series called, My Secret Life. I believe this will be one of the best series we have ever done. We are going to tackle some topics that are very sensitive, but very real.
Also, Don't forget that THIS SUNDAY October 14th will be the Grand Opening of our new FCC Hartwell campus. To say I'm pumped would be the understatement of the year. If you live in or around Hartwell, Georgia or know anyone that does make sure to invite them. Our staff has been praying overtime about this big day. Please join us.
Thursday, October 04, 2012
Don't Quit!
In addition to what my blog normally is, I am going to do some posts on my fitness journey.
One of the things that most of us struggle with is perseverance. Most of us start well, but finish poorly (if we finish at all). This is true in almost every area of our lives.
As a Pastor I see this way too often when it comes to people making spiritual commitments. I think in our hearts we really do want to fulfill those commitments, but we get tired, or things come up and we get distracted, or maybe we don't see the results quick enough.
In Galatians, the Apostle Paul exhorts to stick with it by saying, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
This lack of perseverance is also seen in the physical arena of our life. How many times have you started a diet and given up within a week? Or how many people have bought the latest and greatest home gym only to end up using it to hang up their clothes on?
Several years ago my wife and I did the Body for Life program. We stuck with the program for the entire 12 weeks and we had very good results. But after the 12 weeks I kind of modified the program to allow me to eat a little differently and work out a little less. Before I knew it I was back to my old ways. It wasn't an overnight thing, it was a gradual process.
Here's what I've discovered. when we are going on diets or working out only for the aesthetics of our bodies, our likelihood of quitting goes up exponentially. But when we are doing these things for our health and the way we feel rather than the way we look, the likelihood of success goes up exponentially.
Now, it isn't wrong to care about how your body looks. You should. I love having 6 pack abs and low body fat. I like the looks of that, but what keeps me focused and willing to get out of bed at 5:00am is my overall health.
I do not want to be someone who has all sorts of medical issues that could have been prevented by health, fitness and nutrition. As a Christian I really believe that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and I do not want my lack of care for my body to restrict what God wants to do in me and through me. Don't get me wrong, the spiritual aspect of our lives is the most important thing, BUT I function better spiritually when I am functioning properly physically!
As you know I am a huge fan of P90X. I love the program. Quite frankly it's not for everyone. It's hard. It's very hard. But there are many other programs available that may fit you better. You may not even want to do a program. I get that, but let me tell you why I find it helpful to me. When I press play, I immediately feel like I am being pushed by a personal trainer. Everything is timed and there is no wasted time. You move from one thing to the next.
I have been in enough gyms to know that most of the time when I finished with a set I had a tendency to take too much time before starting my next set. I would be in the gym for an hour and a half and hardly feel like I've worked-out. I can do my P90X from start to finish in less than an hour and I am whipped. It's awesome!
Even with things like P90X most people don't persevere. For those that do, there is change. For those that don't, there is regret.
I firmly believe that the only way to persevere with any type of fitness and nutrition is to make it a lifestyle. It isn't something you DO, it is something you ARE!
One of the things that most of us struggle with is perseverance. Most of us start well, but finish poorly (if we finish at all). This is true in almost every area of our lives.
As a Pastor I see this way too often when it comes to people making spiritual commitments. I think in our hearts we really do want to fulfill those commitments, but we get tired, or things come up and we get distracted, or maybe we don't see the results quick enough.
In Galatians, the Apostle Paul exhorts to stick with it by saying, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
This lack of perseverance is also seen in the physical arena of our life. How many times have you started a diet and given up within a week? Or how many people have bought the latest and greatest home gym only to end up using it to hang up their clothes on?
Several years ago my wife and I did the Body for Life program. We stuck with the program for the entire 12 weeks and we had very good results. But after the 12 weeks I kind of modified the program to allow me to eat a little differently and work out a little less. Before I knew it I was back to my old ways. It wasn't an overnight thing, it was a gradual process.
Here's what I've discovered. when we are going on diets or working out only for the aesthetics of our bodies, our likelihood of quitting goes up exponentially. But when we are doing these things for our health and the way we feel rather than the way we look, the likelihood of success goes up exponentially.
Now, it isn't wrong to care about how your body looks. You should. I love having 6 pack abs and low body fat. I like the looks of that, but what keeps me focused and willing to get out of bed at 5:00am is my overall health.
I do not want to be someone who has all sorts of medical issues that could have been prevented by health, fitness and nutrition. As a Christian I really believe that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and I do not want my lack of care for my body to restrict what God wants to do in me and through me. Don't get me wrong, the spiritual aspect of our lives is the most important thing, BUT I function better spiritually when I am functioning properly physically!
As you know I am a huge fan of P90X. I love the program. Quite frankly it's not for everyone. It's hard. It's very hard. But there are many other programs available that may fit you better. You may not even want to do a program. I get that, but let me tell you why I find it helpful to me. When I press play, I immediately feel like I am being pushed by a personal trainer. Everything is timed and there is no wasted time. You move from one thing to the next.
I have been in enough gyms to know that most of the time when I finished with a set I had a tendency to take too much time before starting my next set. I would be in the gym for an hour and a half and hardly feel like I've worked-out. I can do my P90X from start to finish in less than an hour and I am whipped. It's awesome!
Even with things like P90X most people don't persevere. For those that do, there is change. For those that don't, there is regret.
I firmly believe that the only way to persevere with any type of fitness and nutrition is to make it a lifestyle. It isn't something you DO, it is something you ARE!
Monday, October 01, 2012
sunday review
I had a lot of fun yesterday at Foothills Community Church. It was pretty much an all-day event, but it was so worthwhile.
* Our morning services were solid. The band was on it, the people were singing out. Well done worship team.
* My message was what I called a "kick in the rear end" message. It was a challenge to quit procrastinating about doing what the Lord commands us to do. Sometimes we all need those type of messages to bring us back to center.
* We had quite a few people respond to the salvation invitation. I'm not sure exactly, but probably around 8-10 people.
* We had a ton of first-time guests. I love that our people love their church enough to invite their friends!
* I am so thankful for all of our volunteers at Foothills. We couldn't do it without you!
* Yesterday afternoon we held our Party In The Pasture which is a huge blow-out to celebrate baptisms. But this is no ordinary party. We had a petting zoo, inflatables, a car show, lots of food, a live band (Stone Echo), and of course, baptisms.
* A couple of people have asked why we invited Stone Echo to a church event. For those that don't know, Stone Echo is a local classic rock band, that is awesome by the way. First of all, music is not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. It is a neutral thing. If you think about it, music is just a compilation of words and notes. A certain genre doesn't mean it's bad, nor do certain instruments. Secondly most of the band members are also church members. They love Jesus and they love Foothills. Thirdly they were extra careful to play songs that would be appropriate in our setting. But the best part about having them play was that many unchurched people from the community came yesterday because they are fans of Stone Echo. And in addition to a concert, they witnessed something very moving and powerful. They saw 31 people baptized as an outward expression of their faith in Jesus Christ. And for that reason alone it was totally worth it!! Think about that for a minute. Many of those people were not in Church yesterday, but they were inspired by what they saw at Party In The Pasture! I am praying that many of those people will be joining us for worship some Sunday. And when they come, I can promise you they will hear the Gospel.
* Yes, I said that we baptized 31 more people yesterday!
* Thanks to everyone for coming to the party. We estimate 1,200-1,500 people partied with us!
* All in all it was a long, exhausting, wonderful day! Thanks to all the volunteers that went the extra mile to serve at the Party In The Pasture.
* Our morning services were solid. The band was on it, the people were singing out. Well done worship team.
* My message was what I called a "kick in the rear end" message. It was a challenge to quit procrastinating about doing what the Lord commands us to do. Sometimes we all need those type of messages to bring us back to center.
* We had quite a few people respond to the salvation invitation. I'm not sure exactly, but probably around 8-10 people.
* We had a ton of first-time guests. I love that our people love their church enough to invite their friends!
* I am so thankful for all of our volunteers at Foothills. We couldn't do it without you!
* Yesterday afternoon we held our Party In The Pasture which is a huge blow-out to celebrate baptisms. But this is no ordinary party. We had a petting zoo, inflatables, a car show, lots of food, a live band (Stone Echo), and of course, baptisms.
* A couple of people have asked why we invited Stone Echo to a church event. For those that don't know, Stone Echo is a local classic rock band, that is awesome by the way. First of all, music is not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. It is a neutral thing. If you think about it, music is just a compilation of words and notes. A certain genre doesn't mean it's bad, nor do certain instruments. Secondly most of the band members are also church members. They love Jesus and they love Foothills. Thirdly they were extra careful to play songs that would be appropriate in our setting. But the best part about having them play was that many unchurched people from the community came yesterday because they are fans of Stone Echo. And in addition to a concert, they witnessed something very moving and powerful. They saw 31 people baptized as an outward expression of their faith in Jesus Christ. And for that reason alone it was totally worth it!! Think about that for a minute. Many of those people were not in Church yesterday, but they were inspired by what they saw at Party In The Pasture! I am praying that many of those people will be joining us for worship some Sunday. And when they come, I can promise you they will hear the Gospel.
* Yes, I said that we baptized 31 more people yesterday!
* Thanks to everyone for coming to the party. We estimate 1,200-1,500 people partied with us!
* All in all it was a long, exhausting, wonderful day! Thanks to all the volunteers that went the extra mile to serve at the Party In The Pasture.
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