Randomness from the weekend…
- Planning to start lifting as part of my workout. I went to the gym with my friend Dave on Friday night to put together a routine. I have to say its quite embarrassing when he is lifting 2-3x what you are lifting!
- Workout followed by In n Out – great guilt-free combination
- Girls volleyball tradition on Saturday. They lost a game they should NOT have lost. Frustrating.
- Starla had a show at the house and we were keeping the kids of some friends on Saturday so I ended up flying solo at the park with 7 energized kids. I survived.
- Went to see Shutter Island on Saturday night. Good movie. I had read the book a year or two ago. Movies never equal the book.
- Sunday was another good day at GP.
- Attendance was up.
- Band was solid. It is great to see new faces and talent developing.
- We tried to fly in a small helicopter to help announce the Egg Drop. Let’s just say it “crashed.” It did not make it far before crashing into a speaker and going down for the count.
- Egg Drop 2010 will be the biggest community event we have ever pulled off. I will post more about it later.
- Check out eggdropvegas.com for info or to pre-register your family.
- We had a great creative element today in the form of a temporary tat that was painted on an arm during the message. It was very different but worked very effectively to illustrate my message.
- Today was one of those messages that spoke to me throughout the week which helped me teach it more effectively today.
- We have had several people at GP tell me their stories in the last few weeks. A great reminder of why we do what we do.
- We have some broken people in whom God is doing incredible things.
- I met a man today who recently committed his life to Jesus at GP. He was a Muslim 5 weeks ago!
- I have been so reminded the last few weeks that it is the gospel and only the gospel that transforms lives.
- We are in a great season right now.
- Some highlights from today’s message:
“We are called to love what God loves and as God loves”
“Jesus followers are instructed to love 4 different types of people: the family, losers, winners, and enemies”
“Jesus is clear that the defining evidence of our love for Him is our love for each other”
“The family can be a little difficult to love at times (including me)”
“People see God through our love for each other”
“What does our treatment of each other say about God to others”
“Love for God and disdain for others can’t co-exist”
“Loving losers means loving those who we are not likely to notice”
“Agape sees the value of the one”
“Agape loves those who are do what we do – only better”
“Loving winners can be more difficult than loving losers”
“Agape replaces the clenched jaw with a grateful heart”
“Agape enables us to love those we are naturally inclined to hate”
“Agape is not natural. It is supernatural.”
“Agape lovers do what God does – love enemies”
“The opposite of agape is not hate but fear”
“Fear prevents us from being loved and loving”
“Perfect love drives out fear”
“I can only live agape when I have fully embraced and accepted agape”
- We took time to pray for two other influential churches in our area that God would bless their ministries in a supernatural way.
- I told the story of Corrie Ten Boom’s forgiveness of the Nazi soldier who abused her in prison. POWERFUL story on God’s love.
- Our elders introduced a new ministry at GP today that involves GPers helping meet the needs of other GPers. Love this idea.
- We have a GREAT group of elders. I love those guys.
I am traveling most of this week. I am not a big fan of traveling during one of our busiest seasons but I am going to the missions conference of one of our primary partners who supported us as part of their 2010 Vision five years ago. It is cool that we are now a growing church that was merely a part of their vision five years ago.
God has really reminded me in recent days why we do what we do. I never want the stories of life transformation to stop or become old. They keep me going.
Busy, busy days ahead. We are about to pull off a major community event that is bigger than anything I could have envisioned a few years ago. I am just thankful to be along for the ride.