My thoughts on Tuesday about Sunday:

1. Am I the only one who feels the incredible move of God that is building in our church?  I think not!  I am CONSTANTLY ENCOURAGED by the stories I hear about how Jesus is meeting so many of us RIGHT WHERE WE ARE and loving us!  There is so much confidence that comes when we know that we are loved and accepted by Him.

2. This week is the week many of you need to go ahead and give up!  That’s right, GIVE UP putting off getting involved in one of our Community Groups!  We get it – there’s always the fear that you’ll be sitting there holding a cup of coffee staring awkwardly at faces you don’t know.  The reality? Once you go, you’ll find it almost impossible to resist because they are so unlike that awkward situation you’ve envisioned. I can almost guarantee you that once you join a C-Group, you’ll start liking it more than Sundays (and Sundays are PRETTY DANG GOOD!!).

3. People ask me all the time how the church is going, and I always feel like telling them that we aren’t starting a church as much as we are starting a MOVEMENT.  Not that there’s anything wrong with church, but so often people equate church with religion, while what we want is to see a movement of redemption!  Religion SETTLES; Jesus REDEEMS!  You can help keep this movement growing by simply sharing us with your friends.  In fact, make it a priority this week to go to our Facebook page and share it with your friend list.  We believe that the resources He gives to us are meant to be shared as widely as possible, and you play a big part in that.

4. Finally, I want you to do everything you can to MAKE SURE YOU GET PEOPLE TO CHURCH THIS WEEK!  I’ll be wrapping up our “new” series and know that God has a special word of hope about the future for those who feel that they have been left behind by God.  I am expecting a packed house and a full altar.  We live near God so that we can be sent to those far from Him.  BE SENT THIS WEEK and come expecting new beginnings!

Here’s what I thought about as I left the Community Group our family was a part of last night (we love roaming around – can’t wait to pop in at the one you’re a part of!):

1. Our church is 2 weeks into our new Community Groups, and I can’t stop smiling when I leave them.  They’re fun, filled with encouraging people, and I leave the conversations 100% PUMPED about the truths God is showing us each Sunday.  I love the people that lead them, and I love how CLOSE OUR CHURCH IS GROWING!

2. Most of us can remember plenty of times that we heard a sermon but couldn’t remember a thing that was in it by the time we got to the parking lot.  The best way to break that cycle (well, outside of having preachers who believe it’s a sin to bore people with the Bible!)?  Talk through with others how to apply the truth that was preached!  Being able to do that while drinking coffee and shoving sweet desserts down your face is a BONUS that happens at each Community Group!!

3. After hearing the comments from the people at the Albemarle CG last night about the message I preached last Sunday on CHANGING YOUR DEFAULT, I am convinced that there hasn’t been another message more critical to the mission and DNA of The Gathering to this point.  If you missed it, you can see it here.  If you were there, this is a message that absolutely needs to be shared with everyone you can think of.  So many people are TRAPPED in old, negative, stinking thinking and they need to know that JESUS CAN RESCUE THEM!  Let’s use the power of social media to encourage as many people as we can!  Simply go to the message video on our site and click the Facebook Like button beside the message title to post it on your Facebook wall.  You’ve got a friend who NEEDS THE TRUTH in this teaching!

I can’t wait to see you all Sunday.  It seems that each week we break the largest crowd record that was broken the week before.  Numbers aren’t the most important thing, but I love leading a church that God can trust with what is closest to His heart – THE SOULS OF PEOPLE!  And don’t come alone!  People who are near God want other people to be near Him, too!