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Sunday reflex 11-29-09…

Well, it was Thanksgiving weekend, and kids have been out of school since Friday before last, so I didn’t know what to expect this weekend at mountain Lake…but it was awesome! We actually had a great attendance for a Holiday weekend! I really do believe that people wanted to come BACK for Pt. II of our “When God is NOT Great” series, based on the obscure book of Habakkuk.

Here are a few reflections on the weekend:

• Austin Sisk was back from Australia and led us in worship. Good job, Austin! You are so talented! God is going to do great things through YOU in the future!
• Todd Nichols, our Worship Pastor, got a well deserved Sunday off!
• James Rodder, our Creative Arts Director did a great job running the weekend, in terms of worship.
• MANY people have told me how God is using this series in a timely way in their lives!
• We watched a POWERFUL “suicidal thoughts” clip from Patch Adams. I had forgotten about that clip. Whoa.
• Here are a few snippets from yesterday’s msg:
  • “It’s harder to sit at the table and pray ‘God is great; God is good’ when there’s no bread in the bank and no guarantee of future food!”
  • When questioned about His greatness, God responded once again by saying: “I AM Great; because I always keep my promises.”
  • “But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.” Habakkuk 2:3 (NLT)
  • “As for God, his way is perfect. All the LORD’S promises prove true.” Psalm 18:30 (NLT)
  • “So many of us are so concerned with obeying God’s commands; but it’s just important to Him that we believe His promises!”
  • “When we’re questioning and arguing with God, so many times, he just whispers to us: ‘Have I ever lied to you?’ And the answer is ALWAYS. ‘No’.
• We began our “Care for Kids” emphasis. Ornaments were placed on the tree that addressed a needy child’s wish list  regarding Christmas. We asked everyone to raid the four Christmas trees, take home ornaments, and bring back the gift listed on the ornament BACK unwrapped and place under the tree; God’s people stepped up AGAIN! THANKS MOUNTAIN LAKE!
• We announced our “Simply Christmas Offering” we’ll all be participating in the week of December 20. This offering is a special offering that allows us to prioritize Jesus in our giving this Christmas; allows our church to continue to be the light in our community and world the way He wants us to; and 10% of this offering specifically goes to fund our Benevolence Ministry! I’ve had some questions about the logistics of this offering. I’m going to try to  address some of the questions in a video blog later today.
• We baptized 4 more people on Thanksgiving weekend! WOW! Two of them were Dave and Jean Maryanski. Dave plays in the band and Dave and Jean are in MY Growth Group!  Made this Sunday even MORE special for me!
• It was a GREAT day at Mountain Lake. I am sensing His presence every week these days!

New series beginning Sunday Dec 13th…

Sunday December 13

Sunday December 20

Thurs. December 24

Christmas Eve Service Times: 3:00 4:30  6:00

Get here at 3!!!

“When God is not great” Pt. 1…

The messages are always here, but I just wanted to make sure no one missed this one.  Get still. Allow God to speak to you!

Sunday Reflex 11-22-09

The weather was TERRIBLE yesterday when I got in the car to go to church. Confessionally, I said out loud to myself: “Someone would have to REALLY love Jesus or WORK for the church to get out of bed and go to church today!” I really did!  HOWEVER, tons of you you showed up! Better yet, GOD showed up big time.  Here are a few of my reflex:

• Kicked off our new series “When God is not great,” a msg series on Habakkuk!  Never did I think God would use Habakkuk in our church in such a powerful way!
• Baptized again!
• Thought the band put together the best worship set since we’ve moved in the new building!
• Love Casey Graham being in our band!
• Showed a clip from “Bruce Almighty.” Stay tuned: we’ve got Forrest Gump clips coming!
• Steven Curtis Chapman song: “Questions” . It worked! Todd & Matt did an awesome job on this!
• A few snippets from my msg:
• We’ve all got questions; and a lot of them arise in relationship to God, and His place in our lives and world.”
• God shows us through Habakkuk once again, that: 

When God is not great, He is only not great in our minds.

• When we feel like God is not great, often times He responds by saying:

I AM great; but my plan is just different than yours.

• “Consider this: If God did things the way WE would do them, would He be that great of a God? Have you EXAMINED your past decisions?! The fact that God is not like us is precisely what makes Him a great God!”
• First time I ever used a shower stall door as a visual. You’ll have to watch the msg to see what I did (we’ve got issues w/ our website as of Monday AM; we’re working on it.)
• Closed the message with the story of Horatio Spafford, the author of “It is Well; and closed the service with the song.
• There were tears everywhere yesterday. Good tears. Good day. God is great. Great day.  Thank You, God!

How we’re helping the benevolent…

I shared some stats this past Sunday about how God has used our church this past year to care for the benevolent needs in our community.  I’m astounded at how God is using us!  Since Christmas of 2008 The MLC Benevolence Ministry  has:

• Assisted 87 unique households.
• Given out 126 loads of groceries.
• Paid 67 bills of $50 or higher (utilities and rent assistance).
• Provided 68 Families with Grocery cards.
• Our food pantry is being stocked  100% each week by our Growth Groups.

Through all of this, God is giving our church a reputation for caring for economically challenged people! The Forsyth County Schools are now sending all families who come to them for food assistance to Mountain Lake! Praise God!

When God is NOT great…

Remember this prayer? 

“God is great; God is Good; Let us thank Him for our food;  By his hands we all are fed; Thank You Lord, for daily bread; A-men.” 

Truth is however, we don’t have to get very old, until we begin to think: “Well, God doesn’t feel so great, right now.” We begin to feel this way when we suffer; when we see or experience injustice or violence; when we’ve prayed for something for a while now and…crickets. We begin to think: “Maybe God’s not great; because if He was, He’d do something about this.” If you’ve ever felt this way, then I’m going to introduce you to someone Sunday you’re going to REALLY relate to. His name is Habakkuk.  I have never taught out of the book of Habakkuk before. Sunday’s the day. This is the series. Come prepared to hear God speak to you through a book in the Bible you’ve probably never read before! Come prepared to be encouraged. I can’t remember a time when I’ve been more excited about a series than I am about this one! Get here! Invite someone to come!  Now!

Sunday Reflex 11-8-09…

Yesterday we continued our “Favor” msg. series, as God REALLY showed up in our services. I can’t even explain it, but I felt His presence so strongly!  Here are a few reflections from my perspective:

• We talked about faith yesterday, and after praying and working through this msg, I believe it’s the most impt. msg I’ve given in a while.
• “And without faith it is impossible to please God…” Hebrews 11:6
• HOW did Noah walk in step with God so completely?
• “It was by faith that Noah built an ark to save his family from the flood.” Hebrews 11:7
• Faith is trusting that God is who He says He is, and He can do what he says He can do.
• Faith is required to walk with God.
• “Most of us say we trust in God, but do we really? How can we know?”
• Our faith is primarily revealed through two things: our emotions and our decisions.
• If we’re freaking out all the time; driven by fear, anxiety, worry, and despair, we might SAY we trust God, but we don’t!
• Our faith is also reveled through our relational decisions, professional decisions, and our financial decisions.
• Probably NOTHING reveals whether we trust God or not,more than THIS:

• If we trust God completely, we’ll operate with complete financial integrity; and give to Him EXACTLY as He commands!
• “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Malachi 3:10 (NIV)
• “Favor requires getting in eth boat BEFORE it rains. That’s what Noah had to do.”(See Gen 7). 
• Fruit from yesterday: Two kids from one of the families in my Growth Group got baptized yesterday! Congrats David & Christy!
• A lady in my Growth Group by stopped by to let me know she “checked THE box” yesterday on her communication card. WOW!
• Two different people came to me expressing their desire to begin to tithe. (even though they’re struggling), because of yesterday’s msg. WOW!
• We showed the next “Sonic knock-off” FAVOR commercial. I posted it below.
• Closed the service with “I will walk by faith” song
• Great parent/student lunch yesterday in the LOFT after the services. Helped parents in the transition from authority to influence as kids get older.
• GREAT DAY. God was here. He’s changing a lot of lives right now!

Favor Promo 1…

What have you done to try to get God’s favor?

 

Favor comes through relationship not by behavior!

Stay tuned this Sunday for part 2 of this video series…

Sunday Reflex 11-1-09…

• Yesterday we kicked off our new series called “Favor” based on the life of Noah.
• If you missed the message , or want to share it, you can watch  it here. 
• I’m willing to bet no one in the room had ever heard this story told through these lenses, but I really believe it’s the POINT of the story!
• The word FAVOR is actually the first occurrence of the Hebrew word for GRACE!  Ever heard that God is a God of wrath in the OT and grace in the NT? Not!
• Noah proves to us once again, that: “Favor comes through relationship, not by behavior.”
• Noah found grace because He pursued a personal relationship with God!
• Noah walked with God. This is significant, because in may of our relationships with God we want God, but we want Him to walk with us! Be in step with us! Bless our plans! Whoa.
• Everything about our lives: The quality of our lives and relationships, or joy and peace; everything about knowing God’s will for our lives…flows out of our relationship with God!
• If you relationship with God is not right, nothing else will be!
• “How would you characterize your relationship with God?  By where and how often you go to church? Where and how you volunteer? What small group you’re in? Or by the amount of time you’ve spent with God lately?
• God always takes the initiative in our relationship with Him. He invites us to walk with Him!
• The band did another awesome job leading us in worship!
• We continue to baptize people every week in our services at Mountain Lake!
• One of my favorite songs right now is “Let Me Sing.” It allows me to respond to the favor God has shown on MY life. Here are some of the lyrics:

“Let me sing louder than creation to you, for the pain your bore in your body, to bring me back to you, Let me sing.”

• Newcomer’s Lunch yesterday. John Shepherd has done a GREAT job in helping us step up that environment! Tons of new people joined our church today. The mission is happening!
• Yesterday we announced that we have connected 435 new people into Growth Groups this Fall! WOW!!!!
• Still astounded at God’s favor on my life in allowing me to preach His word. Thank You, LORD….