shawnlovejoy.com

Awe-dacious Goals...

Here are the new AWE-DACIOUS  goals our church has just announced through our Awe-dacity Spiritual initiative:

• We will Awe-daciously challenge to the way we worship God corporately and individually.
• Awe-dacious additions to our Ministry Team, including the addition of at least THREE new pastors.
• Awe-daciously establishing the Mountain Lake Center for Marriage and Family Counseling.
• Awe-dacious new World Care partnerships, including Haiti, with the new goal of sending 1000 people across the world in the next four years.
• Awe-dacious new local community partnerships, where we’ll release hundreds of Mountain Lakers to BE the church in our community!
• Awe-daciously launching at least 2 new churches
•  Awe-dacious adjustments to our ministry presence online, including a fully interactive weekly worship experience there!
• Awe-dacious, faith filled giving that will allow God to accomplish all of this!  
  

More later on these goals and how we will seek to accomplish them!

Sunday Reflex 4-25-10...

Yesterday we celebrated "Global Awe-dacity Day" at Mountain Lake Church. First time in our history we've done something like this. Here are some highlights:

• No, we didn't flip the services this Sunday. 
• We showcased every World Care Partner we have a relationship with. 
• We had booths  from our World Care Partners displayed all over the lobby. Thanks to  all of our partners for all you did in making yesterday such an amazing day! 
• Videos from Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee, American Caribbean Experience in Jamaica; Engage City Church in Australia; and ELAM ministries, Iran.
• It was an honor and privilege to have Dr. Jean Dorlus, from STEP Seminary, in HAITI, with us! Jazzed about this partnership in Haiti! Pastors: interested in partnering with us on this project? Drop me a line!
• Also an honor to have Nicole McCoy, Exec. Director of Forsyth Community Connection in the house! So pumped about our partnership with them! 
• Great to have Paul and Sherry Peterson,some of our church planters from 180 Church, in the house!  
•  "Our tendency when we hear all of this is to say: 'Wow, Shawn. This is great. I'm glad we're doing this. I believe in this.' But do we really?"
• 3 levels of belief in a cause:
• • Belief in a cause to the level of convenience.
  • Belief in a cause to the level of comfort. 
  • Belief in a cause to the level of sacrificial commitment.
• "Christian talk is cheap. Our belief in a cause is demonstrated by the level of our action, not the level of our voice."
• HUNDREDS stood up in each service, expressing their desire to step toward serving our community, nation. and world in a greater way! 
• I has another friend from the community visit first time yesterday, and said he enjoyed it. He was even more enthusiastic about seeing a church serve the community!
• Leadership Community yesterday afternoon: BEST ONE EVER! Todd Nichols gave us a first glimpse at the Mountain Lake Worship Project he's been working on. We'll unveil some of these songs to everyone else at Awe-dacious MERGE Wed night, May 5.  
• Anther awesome day at Mountain Lake Church.

Relish the Responsibility: Guest post by Tricia Lovejoy (pt. 2)

        As believers, we are called to serve God and others.   But, as a Pastor’s wife, I also have the distinct honor of getting a front row seat for all the action!  I'm not going to squander the influence and responsibility my role innately has.  No way. I have chosen to relish the responsibility.  I have chosen to leverage my influence for God's purposes.  I understand that I live in a fishbowl, and people are watching me. Might as well give them something good to watch, right? ;)  So, I discipline myself to stretch my faith and skills so that I have something of value to offer those who are watching.  Paul’s words are a great motivator for me: “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Phil. 4:9
    What about you, Pastor’s wife?  How can God use the partnership you share with your husband?  My suggestion?  Get in there and get your hands dirty!  Whether you are best behind the scenes or out in front, love God and lead well, my friends!  Break the mold! Relish the responsibility!

Relish the Responsibility: Guest post by Tricia Lovejoy (pt. 1)

        I'm not the stereotypical pastor’s wife - if there is one anymore.  I don’t play the piano, I’m rather outspoken, and I’ve been known to laugh at inappropriate things.  I also have strong opinions....about a lot of subjects. Just ask my husband. On second thought, don't ask him. No need to stir that pot.  Suffice it to say, I don't fit the mold. But just like Mountain Lake’s tag line, “We'll change the way you think about church,” I had to change what I thought about the role of the traditional Pastor’s wife.  I am not, nor do I want to be, the quiet wife who sits idly by while her husband completes his "job" of being a pastor.  You see, 15 yrs ago God called Shawn and me to invest our lives in His mission. Did you catch that?  He called US as a TEAM. I don't bear the title of pastor on Mountain Lake Church letterhead, but I am one nonetheless. I partner with Shawn on his weekly messages, I am highly invested in the prep/planning of MLC activities, I know the needs of our people, I am driven to see people know God, I celebrate and encourage our team, and I bear the burden with Shawn of how difficult it can be to sit in the Lead Seat.

    God has chosen to bless this partnership I share with Shawn, and we have seen God do astounding things. But, here's the clincher: our ministry would be severely hindered without each other's support. As a pastor and wife, we make each other better. When Shawn is overwhelmed, God gives me perspective to encourage him. When I doubt my abilities, God gives Shawn words to strengthen my spirit.  When God speaks to one of us, He always confirms it in the other.  God put us together for marriage AND ministry, and life rocks! Pastors' wives: whatever you do, relish the responsibility God has given you to lead in the church and follow Jesus with your spouse! It's a special calling and privilege!

Stay tuned for Part Two of this post tomorrow...

Sunday reflex 4-18-10...

Yesterday was one of the most amazing days I can remember @mtnlakechurch in a while! These were some of the highlights:

• We Awe-daciously challenged the way we worshiped today by TOTALLY flipping the service an TEACHING BEFORE THE MUSIC.
• We caught EVERYONE off guard today. 
• We changed the way we did our music, teaching, offering time, announcements...pretty much EVERYTHING was shaken up!
• We didn't pass the offering basket for the 2nd time in our church's history today. At our Grand Opening Service in 2000, I forgot to call for the offering! 
• Austin Sisk did a GREAT job leading worship today. You are becoming a great worship leader, Austin!  
• I laid out our new Awe-dacious goals for our church today. I'll post LATER on these. AWE-DACIOUS STUFF! 
• "Awe-dacity" series is based on Acts 2:43: " A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders."
• Awe-dacity: Daring to BE the people of God. Daring to BELIEVE HE can use us to change the world. 
• "An awe-dacious life is a life devoted to Christ, for Christ, and living in his power."
• "The best way to honor someone is to care about the things they care about."
• "Every time God calls us, He calls us OUTSIDE of our comfort zone."
• In the 9:30 service, people started spontaneously standing up during the message as a sign of their commitment to Christ and His cause! Never had that happen  before!
• Newcomer's Lunch was AWESOME today!  Great turnout!
• Blake Stanley, our new Exec Student Pastor started officially today. Heard GREAT things about his leadership, teaching, and vision this weekend!
• My friend Dave Travis, from Leadership Network surprised me and showed up with his family to worship. Love that guy. 
• HUGE attendance today! God is growing this church big time right now!
• Another one of the highlights of the day for me was seeing a couple, for whom I had testified in their divorce case, greet me in the lobby, holding hands. WOW. 
• God is doing some amazing stuff right now at @mtnlakechurch.

Two big events this weekend...

Sunday Reflex 4-11-10...

Didn't know HOW yesterday would feel for lots of reasons yesterday, but once again, God showed up at Mountain Lake!

• Record Attendance for a Spring Break Weekend!
• Week Two of our Re:Vive Series. 
• I have heard SO MANY comments about God using this series in people's lives!
• Worship team did another amazing job. 
• My friend, Tony McCollum, Sr. Pastor of Fusion Church, taught for me yesterday, and knocked it out of the park! 
• Tony is one of the funniest men on stage I've ever been around. However, he also brought a very fresh, encouraging Word from God yesterday!
• "The reason Jesus raised people from the dead, is because that's precisely what people told Him He could NOT do!"
• "Jesus CAN resurrect a dead marriage; a dead career; and a career bank account! Can I get a witness?!"
• "We can either run crazy toward FEAR; or run crazy toward TRUST." LOVE IT! 
• "We must invite God into every area of our life; not withhold one area of pocket." 
• Favorite quote: "Jesus is greedy! He wants it all!"
• Our last Sunday without a Student Pastor. Blake Stanley, our Executive Student Pastor starts today! I'll post more on this later. 
• Another awesome day at Mountain Lake!

Does God believe in you?

Have you ever felt like no one believed in you, especially some of those closest to you? If so, I got an encouraging word from God for you today. The question so many of us often ask is: "Do I believe in God?" DO I really believe He is who He says He is and that he can do what he says He can do? I think these are great gut check questions all of us must grapple with, However, I believe just as  importantly, all of us ought to be asking: "Does God believe in me?"

In accomplishing His mission, this a question Jesus constantly asked Himself. Many in the crowds didn't believe in Him. The people in His hometown didn't believe in Him. John 7:5 also records, to me, one of the saddest statements in the Bible when it says that "...even His own brothers didn't believe in Him." How discouraging this must have been to Jesus! What kept Jesus going? What kept Him on mission when many around Him, even some close to Him, didn't believe in Him? I found the answer: Jesus would simply go back and nail down the answer to one question: "Does God still believe in me?"

Here's the conclusion Jesus came to: "And the one who sent me is with me--He has not deserted me. For I always do what please Him" (Jn 8:29).  In other words: "It doesn't matter if tons of people don't believe in me. I have come to the conclusion that my Heavenly Father still DOES believe in me; and that is all I need!" 

By the way, that's all you need to know, too. God believes in you. Finish the task He's given you. Complete the mission He's given you. "Do what pleases Him." He has not deserted you. He will not; because God believes in you!

Easer Services Reflex...

I can not believe all that God did this weekend. He surprised me AGAIN. IT might be impossible for me to put into words all that God did this weekend, but I'll try:

• For the first time in the history of our church, we did NO mail outs to the community as a whole, regarding our Easter services. The only mktg we did was some INVITE CARDS we gave to our attenders, and a few road signs that told our service times.
• This Easter was also in the middle of Spring Break. I personally knew of HUNDREDS of Mountain Lakers who were out of town this weekend! I really didn't think we would have a huge attendance this weekend. Wow, was I wrong!
• It started with Sat night worship services. Nearly 1300 Mountain Lakers gave up your seats on Sunday to worship with us on Saturday! That's the only numbers I'll share here. I don't want Pastoral Pride to slip in like I've already seen displayed on the web this AM.
•  Thanks, Mountain Lakers, for always responding to our calls to move days, services, campuses, and parking spots. I love you and you honored Jesus once again by placing His agenda ahead of yours! We could NOT have held the crowds we hosted without your response! Thanks! 
• So many of you introduced me to friends, neighbors, and family that you had invited to be with you! THAT'S the way You love out the mission of Jesus!
• We had NUMEROUS people volunteer on Saturday and Sunday for different positions! I am so thankful to you, guys!!!
• I had someone attend Sat night services that had been promising me they would visit for two years! It made my night! 
• I also had the biggest skeptic of organized religion I know, show up! He told me after the service that somehow he felt like I was talking to him the whole service. I told Him that was Jesus.
• All in all, I probably had two dozen unchurched friends and neighbors show up... and they enjoyed it! Very personally rewarding.
• This was the most Spirit filled worship services I've ever experienced at Mountain Lake. God was in there. We all felt it. 
• The worship was amazing. The teaching, even if it was me, was powerful. I FELT God speaking to and through me, unlike any time I can remember.
• We baptized people on Easter for the first time. Their stories were amazing!
• I really believe God gave me a WORD for Easter. The most enlightening and encouraging Easter message I've ever given. I had a feeling God was going to see it; and He did!  
• "Death represents the inevitable and impossible. Resurrections represents the revival of possibility." The msg. will be online HERE before noon Monday.
• All in all, we had four awesome worship services, record crowds, amazing worship, and a personal encounter with Jesus.
• I pastor the greatest church in the world. Just sayin'. 
• "I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene..."

By Your wounds, Lord...

By Your wounds, Lord:

• I am forgiven.
• I can forgive myself.
• My past is redeemed. 
• My past can be overcome.
• My addictions can be broken. 
• My weaknesses can become strengths.
• I CAN change.
• I CAN become the person You want me to be. 
• I have eternal life.
• I have purpose.
• Your mission has become My mission.
• You have more control over me than sin does.
• You've made it possible for me to have a relationship with God.
• You put your Life Lord, where Your Word is. 
• You have given me hope.
• I am healed. Daily. 
• I can be with You. Forever.
• YOU MAKE EVERY FRIDAY A GOOD FRIDAY!

"He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed." 1 Peter 2:24 (NLT)