Have you seen our new banner?!

Let me warn you, it is the mother of all banners. I shared the text for the banner with our Executive Director of Operations, Fran. Fran is a "get it done" kind of winner so I basically said, "Make it BIG or go home." (I didn't actually put it like that but I love that quote. :-)

Fran went to work and made it happen. She worked with my friend, Keith Davis, and he built this amazing frame and this is the result!


Awesome if I might say so myself. Don't miss the message. Let us never forget that the church exists for the person who is not even present yet! Sure we are building this place for our community of faith. But we are ALSO building this church for those who are not even among us yet.

BTW - the building construction is going GREAT! We are on schedule and I am very proud of our General Contractor and all the subs. They are working hard and we should pray and encourage them. Here is a recent shot of the building: (This is the front of our building. the back part, the Worship Center is not visible in this picture)

I board a plan early in the morning to speak in Indianapolis. I will return Friday evening to spend Halloween with the fam. Here is a passage of Scripture to bless you as I go.

Psalm 1:1-3

Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.

But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.

They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.

May you be like the trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each and ever season of your life!

Peace -

Monday Musings (And the books I promised)

~I love the pastors and staff of our church. This is Pastor Appreciation Month so I want to publicly praise this group. Trust me - this is the "A Team" and they rock for God! They work hard and love our church. Thanks pastors and staff of newhope. It is a joy to lead and serve you.

~Strong day at newhope yesterday. Really strong. Part II of "The Church and the Politics of Caesar" takes place this coming Sunday.

~Short week for me as I fly out Thursday to speak to three leaders who oversee the Wesleyan Church in America. I appreciate your prayers as I share my heart and vision for the church in the 21st century.I fly back in Friday to share Halloween with the fam on Friday.

~I am glad God is in control of the world. Without the hope of the gospel here and now and a future home in heaven this would all be pretty meaningless.

~Rick Harper tore up the guitar in Worship yesterday.

~We have way too many people coming to second Worship Celebration. If you can make a switch to the first or third service, we would be sooooo thankful! Keep investing and inviting those friends.

~I love the fall but don't like that cold weather is coming.

~I am blown away these days with the level of engagement. Topic like dating, marriage, parenting, divorce, and politics have brought out the best engagement level EVER at our church. Here's a shout out to all the newhopers for being so dialed in!

~Don't forget to "Fall back an hour" this Saturday night.

~I love Jack Johnson. His CD, "Sleep Through the Static" is just what I needed this morning. The dude just makes me chill - perfect for a tired Monday morning.

~Don't have a clue who is going to win the election.

~My youngest child, Joshua Hunter is going on three now. I can't stand not having a baby around. :-)

~I am really feeling like God is leading me to eat a tub of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT! I didn't last night but I can feel it coming! It's a God Thing! :-)

~Hearing from all my old friends last week for the twenty year anniversary/party has me REALLY missing some people. Why do we always say we will "Stay in touch" and we rarely do. Kind of stinks.

~There are people in our community listening and attending newhope these days to make sure I don't publicly endorse a candidate.

~I hope you make it to The Cross Raising Celebration on Sunday, November 9th at 1:30 pm. This is will be historic and powerful in the life of our church!

~November is a really BIG month at newhope. (i.e. Cross Raising, Abundant Life, Starting Point, Baptism and Baby dedications - for more info, check out the online calendar at www.newhopenc.org)

~My allergies are kickin.

~I love this song - "If I Had Eyes." I am tellin you - Jack Johnson IS THE MAN!

~As promised, here are the books I love when it comes to the church and politics:

1. The Bible
2. Resident Aliens by Willimon and Hauerwas
3. Where Resident Aliens Live by Willimon and Hauerwas
4. God's Politics by Jim Wallis
5. What Jesus Meant by Gary Willis
6. Jesus for President by Shane Claiborn

Peace people...

A 20-Year Relationship…

This week, I celebrated 20 years of knowing Christ my Lord. In fact, the date slipped up on me and my wife totally surprised me with a big party with tons of newhopers showing up and blessing me beyond words. In fact, because it was a surprise, I was stunned at how fast a day can turn around. Let me explain.

On Tuesday, I was not having that great of a day, if you know what I mean. Frankly, it was an awful day. I was struggling to get any traction on the sermon for this weekend (The church and the Politics of Caesar), I was not feeling all that well, and I was just a little down. Around 1 pm, I laid down and fell asleep, only to wake up to my wife shaking me, rather firmly, and enthusiastically screaming, “Get up...get up...the kids are in the car and we are waiting...GET UP!”

I had no choice so I got up and must have heard the horn blow 6 times before I made it into the van. (I think she was getting my back for all those times I have blown the horn at her ☺) Once in the car, she would not tell me where she was taking me until we pulled up to this amazing home in the country, where she was preparing balloons, luminaries, an amazing feast, and a cool DJ ready to “Get this party started.”

Amy Lynn then sat me down, reminded me it was the eve of October 23, my spiritual birthday. She and the kiddos then started telling me why they were so thankful that I came to know the Lord Jesus 20 years ago. That led into newhopers arriving and a great party consisting of people sharing about my ministry and how thankful they were that I became Christian 20 years ago.

Throughout the afternoon and into the evening, my eyes swelled with tears as my day went from being pretty drab to one of the best days of my life as I remembered and many of you helped me remember, what God almighty had done in my life since October 23, 1988. Since Tuesday, I keep trying to get through all the cards and gifts and each time, tears begin to flow. Thank you Amy Lynn and thank you newhope for making this spiritual birthday and this October one of the most unforgettable Pastor Appreciation months ever!

One more obvious nugget - when your day is down. When life is hard. When you feel like you want to crawl in the bed. Do whatever you can to remember and recall the goodness of God and what He has done for you personally since the day of your salvation. Trust me, it is better than any drug, drink, or “Take 2 aspirins and call me in the morning!” It is why the apostle Paul always remembered and shared his salvation story.

Read II Corinthians 11 here. And don’t stop early – go all the way to the end of the chapter and hear a man who had hit "Rock Bottom" now boasting in Christ!

Thanks again – I am so thankful for you and covet your prayers for a couple of more "20-year Celebrations"!

New Series Starts THIS SUNDAY!

Has there ever been a more politically charged season than the one we find ourselves in right now? The tension is mounting as we head closer and closer to November 4. And there is much good to be found on both sides of the party lines, making it more difficult for people to cast their vote.

During this two week series, we will explore the role of faith in the political arena. What does the Bible say? How did Jesus interact with the politics of His day, the politics of Caesar? Together, we will uncover principles that will shed light and help us navigate this intriguing and important political season.

One more thing - REMEMBER TO PRAY! We should always talk to God about man before we talk to man/woman about God. There is a lot of talking going on these days among women and men. It might do us all some good to talk to God more and man less.


Almighty God, I pray for your wisdom and blessings on this country and the nations of the world. Father, I still believe that You are in control and that You have all the power needed to change the hearts of people and redeem this sin-scarred world. Light a fire of revival across Your land Lord Jesus. Move mightily among the people called Church so that we might define You to the world so that the world might find You. May your Church be so gentle and humble in Spirit, bold and powerful in Your Word, caring and compassionate for those in need that people everywhere can not deny Your Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. I love You today, and I pray that You work Your will through our church over the course of the next two weeks, so that our lives and vote give glory and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ. In His name I pray. Amen.


Grace and peace...

In Just Five Days

On Tuesday Amy Lynn and I left for the mountains to just get away - just the two of us. When you have five kiddos these kinds of times don't come around too often. The last five days have been so refreshing and good for our marriage. We lived every day to the fullest. Here are just a few things we enjoyed together:

~Eating sushi in the middle of a cornfield at sunset

~Going to the movies and watching, "Nights in Rodanthe" (which we happened to see being filmed at the beach in NC several years ago)

~Reading lots of books

~Riding the Blue Ridge Parkway on my Harley Davidson for 12 hours straight, stopping in Boone, Banner Elk, and Blowing Rock

~Going to the movies again and watching "Body of Lies"

~Enjoying lots of R and R

~Watching the Obama-McCain debate with 150+ Appalachian State University students in a local movie theater

~White water rafting 10 miles down the Nolichucky River (Simply picturesque and breath-taking)

~Walking the shops of Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, and Boone

~Attending the "Woolly Worm Festival" in Banner Elk (Yes, that is the one and only Woolly Worm Festival where worms are actually raced - CRAZY :-))

~Leaving Banner Elk for Chapel Hill/Durham right NOW!!

Hope to CU in the AM at newhope.

How About Your Treasure

I know these can be stressful times. I know some of you are worrying about the financial roller coaster our country and now the world seems to be taking. I have a few thoughts.

First, it is not as bad as mainstream media wants to make it. These things are cyclical and tend to "pan out" in the end. Besides, remember Economics 101 - buy low and sell high. If you are young and a regular investor, these can be GREAT times. I will stop though, I am not a financial advisor. :-)

Secondly and far more importantly, remember it was Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, who said, "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth, rust, and fire will not destroy." (Matthew 6:19 - 21)

In 1956 Jacques Lowe photographed Robert F. Kennedy. Kennedy's father, Joseph, was so impressed with Lowe that he asked him to photograph John F. Kennedy and his wife. Three years later, Lowe became the official photographer of Kennedy's presidential campaign, and after Kennedy was elected, Lowe became his personal photographer.

Lowe was a very meticulous photographer. He had an estimated 40,000 negatives of images of John F. Kennedy and his family, though only 300-400 photographs were made public. While he was alive, Lowe watchfully monitored the use of his pictures. When a publication or museum wanted prints, he personally took the negatives to the lab for printing. When the job was done, he retrieved them himself.

Lowe's daughter, Thomasina, said, "He was being more prudent than most. He really believed they were as safe as they could ever be,'' she said. "He chose to have them there because he was six blocks away from them and he felt psychologically [as if] they were under his bed.''

All 40,000 negatives were kept in a safe-deposit vault at the JP Morgan Chase bank branch at 5 World Trade Center, a nine-story building that was heavily damaged in the September 11 attacks. A team of engineers, a 100-ton crane, forklifts, iron workers, and dump trucks were brought in as part of a plan to move the vault from the second floor. But workers found major fire damage in the vault area; ashes filled the safe-deposit boxes. The only thing that would have survived was metal or stone.

September 11, as horrific as it was, still serves today as an important reminder that earthly treasures are subject to moth, rust, thieves, and fire. The only lasting treasure we can store up is in heaven.

Read Matthew 6:19-21 and go to your Father in prayer. Breathe deeply and know that He has your back now and forever more!

Catalyst

From a leadership perspective, my cup is overflowing and I am drinking out of my saucer. Simply unbelievable. Maybe the best Catalyst conference ever!

I just finished two days of intensive leadership development with 10 leaders from newhope. My brain is literally hurting from so much of info, my body is exhausted, and my heart is soaring. This is the 9th Catalyst Conference held annually in Atlanta. This conference, by far, was one of the best I have ever attended!

Right now, I am hanging in the Marriott lobby here in Norcross, GA, while the rest of the team headed back to central NC. I am staying over to have some one-on-one time with my mentor, Kevin Meyers. Kevin is the Senior Pastor of 12 Stone church. You can check out this amazing church here. I can't wait to hang with him for a few hours in the morning before boarding a plane tomorrow at 11 am.

I am so tired but I have to go out and do something tonight. After sitting in a conference for two full days, I need to get out. Maybe some more sushi and a movie. (Notice I said "more" sushi because we had that last night) The only thing better than two nights in a row of sushi is heaven!

I miss Amy Lynn and kiddos. This is the only bad part of traveling. Love you guys forever.

Notre Dame rolls into Chapel Hill tomorrow and I HAVE FOUR TIX! It is HUGE to have the Fighting Irish in town. I hope the Heels "smack 'em in the mouth." It will be tough. I know Notre Dame is struggling this year, but listen closely, they are in a "whole nutha" league. It will be huge if we can beat those bad boys!

The future of our church is so freakin amazing that I can't even communicate it, let alone imagine it. (See Ephesians 1) I sense God is up to something new among our Pastoral Team and SALT leaders. I really believe the best is yet to come.

I just had a group of five females come and sit down on the couches beside me in the lobby. Their perfume is SO STRONG. Dude, four more just joined those five - that makes nine if you are doing the math. Strong strong strong perfume and lots of chatter. :-) I guess they are going out for a Friday night in Hotlanta. Bless 'em Lord.

For those of you stressing over the financial situation in our country and around the world, may I remind you that God is still on His throne and everything will be alright. I promise. He owns it all, including eternity. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. Breathe. Breathe. He is still here...and there wherever you are.

I can't wait to get home.

Peace out...

Fear

Fear. It's a big part of spiritual leadership. Ministry is full of fear: The fear of making a mistake; Fear of not measuring up ; the fear of no one showing up ( I call this CPS: Church Planter's Syndrome); the fear of failure; or the fear of what people will think of us if we DO fail! Fear is a big deal in life and ministry!

As I awoke early this morning and had time with the Lord, I stood in God's presence and reflected more on fear. These days, I have been leading all our leaders in the area of gutsy leadership. That is, leadership in the midst of fear. I know this doesn't sound academic, but "guts" is one of the most underrated qualities required, I believe, by great leaders in God's Kingdom. It hit me this morning, though, to have guts requires that I am tapped into God in deeper levels of intimacy and passion because those "guts" that I so often talk about come from a source outside of ourselves.

This past Sunday, I taught from I John 4 whereby the Word of the Lord says, "Perfect love drives out all fear." (I John 4:18) I think that is an incredibly pertinent verse during this particular season. I sense fear welling up throughout our land and now throughout the globe when it comes to the current financial crisis. Throw on top of that, the "hot potato" political season in which we find ourselves, and the stress level, laced with fear, is climbing. It is into these kinds of times that God's Word says, "Perfect love drives out all fear." (I John 4:18)

I'm always encouraged to know that I can struggle with fear at times and still be a great spiritual leader. Joshua, the leader who actually had the COURAGE to believe the Israelites could take the Promised Land, struggled with fear. God told him: "I command you—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (NLT).

Stepping into the Jordan, and then into the Promised Land took a lot of COURAGE for the Israelites. I'm sure they were still afraid, but COURAGE allowed them to move forward in the FACE of fear! Enveloped in God's love, they cast fear aside because His love always drives out fear! I think every spiritual leader needs to possess tons of guts/courage to be the leader. The very essence of leading requires that we take people into uncertain places where we've never even been ourselves.

So, regardless of who you are, if you're afraid today, welcome to the club. It is natural to be afraid from time to time. But, if you are a believer in God, be assured today that His love is far greater than your fear. Tap into His love and allow the Lord Jesus to drive your fear away as you rest securely in the arms of the Almighty!

Remember that the Lord YOUR God is with you wherever you go. That includes places you've never been before! So go for it!

Leadership Summit 2008 - Session #5 called, "IT"

By far, this was my favorite speaker and talk. In fact, if you have been around newhope lately, you know I am trying my best to convince large numbers of people to read Craig Groeschel's new book titled, IT.

Before I share his talk with you, let me tell you about Craig Groeschel. He pastors Lifechurch.tv, an amazing movement of God. Craig’s church is in 13 locations in six states with 25,000 people. Lifechurch.tv has been called one of the most innovative movements across North America!

Maybe you have heard it said, "You can learn from anyone." OK - I agree. But let's be really honest, some people are easier to learn from than others. They are more interesting. They demonstrate competencies others lack. They have an impressive track record. They know something you don’t (yet), can do things you can’t (yet) and offer what you need (now)!

Hear me loud and clear leaders - Craig Groeschel is a person I want to learn from - period. He is talking and I am listening. As such, grab a beverage and enjoy a slightly longer post - his talk was / is REALLY good!


The Leadership Summit and Craig Groeschel - IT


You know when you walk in a church if it has IT or it does not have IT.

Spir – IT. But this is more than just the spirit. It is the Spirit but it is also about special people who are open to IT.


What is IT? “I don’t know”, says Groeschel. :-)


In general, he says this:

God makes it happen. It is from Him, by Him and for His glory. We can’t create it, manufacture it. One person can bring it. One person can kill it. It can’t be taught; it can be caught. It is not a system.


Craig’s strong admonition here was bold and clear. The arrogance of suggesting that “IT” is simply and only the presence of the Holy Spirit demeans the Spirit-led ministries of faithful pastors around the world who love God deeply and serve God passionately. In other words, never imply that "IT" churches are the only ones with the Holy Spirit. That would be a terrible oversimplification and simply untrue. I loved Craig’s clarity on this.


Here are his theories:

1. It can’t be taught – it is often caught. One person can kill it. It can be found in all kinds of churches.

2. IT happens. People will criticize it. IT happens. ☺ Often it doesn’t. If you have it, you can loose it. If you don’t have it, you can get it!

The early church had “IT.” Recall Acts 2:42 – 47. "IT" happened "Daily". Imagine if the church saw people converted daily! If someone had a need, people would sell what they had and feed others. When the church was like that, God gave IT to them and people said, “I want IT.”



Qualities that are present when you see IT:

1. Laser focus – more is NOT better. Better is better. LESS IS MORE! In order to reach people that no one is reaching you will have to do things that no one is doing. YOU HAVE TO ASK WHICH MINISTRIES ARE MAKING FULLY DEVOTED DISCIPLES?

Here is how they focus at Lifechurch.tv:

1. weekend worship
2. small groups
3. kid’s ministry
4. student ministry
5. missions

{Personal Note to newhopers: At newhope, we’re constantly trying to maintain laser-like focus. The pressure to “do more,” and divert resources away from the critical growth path of our ministry is huge. I’m sure you feel it too. Every leader is faced with this reality; you can’t say “No,” until you’ve said, “Yes.” Figure out what God wants you to do. You need the “God idea,” not just a “good idea.” Say “Yes,” to the God-idea and you’ll have courage (and reason) to say “No” to the things that dissipate your energy and drain your resources. THIS IS ALL ABOUT VISION, newhope. As God keeps blowing this thing up, we will need to become more and more intentional in what we do and what we do NOT do!}


2. They see opportunities when others see obstacles. We say, “Where God guides He provides.” Well, where God does not provide, He also guides.” What is God trying to show through your greatest limitations?

3. Organizations that have it are willing to fail. People say failure is not an option. I say, “Failure is a mandate.” We have to be willing to fail. We do not fail enough. What has God called you to do that you are afraid to do – get out of the boat and walk on water!

4. Organizations that have IT are led by people who have IT. You need to have IT before your ministry can get it. (Craig says Ephesians 2:8 – 9 saved his life) Ministry about killed his faith. He stopped trying to build His kingdom and was trying to build the church and there is a HUGE difference. He said, "I had become a full time pastor and a part time follower of Christ." {That statement took my breath away. He had lost IT. Lord, never let me "Go there."}

In closing, Groeschel, says this:


* “It” matters. If you don’t have “IT,” go get “IT.”
* "If you lost IT, go find IT.
* "You need IT.

QUESTION: What are you going to do to get IT?


{Final note from me :-) I repeat, this was solid! I have not been able to shake this talk. I encourage you to go buy this book ASAP. You can do so here.

If you don't have IT, I sincerely pray you miss some sleep over this one. No, I take that back. Actually, I pray you can't sleep a wink until you get IT!

My prayer is that churches all over this land will saturate planet earth with the undeniable and contagious reality of IT. If we do, get ready, because I can promise you there are not enough churches in the land to handle the influx of God's people!

May God bless us all with IT!}