sunday night thoughts…

• Decent day today… I will be glad when Winter break and all this sickness is over though!
• Band did a really good job today… even if they did skip a song 🙂
• The production team never gets any props… but they did an awesome job today!
• I felt like the message really connected today… several of you have asked about getting copies of previous messages.  You can get them from the website or we have CD’s available in the lobby.
• Just finished up with our LifeGroup!  We had a blast!  All of our groups are meeting now… so you have NO REASON not to be a part of one!  Contact greg@lifesonglive.com for more info or to get plugged in to a group.
• Date night is THIS SATURDAY… several of you have signed up, but if you haven’t, send an email to mark@lifesonglive.com and we will get you hooked up.  Headed to Atlanta for Whirlyball and then grabbing dinner at Mary Mac’s!
• I cant wait to start our new series next week, Careful What You Ask For… you guys had some GREAT questions and this series is going to be AWESOME!
• I am headed to a conference this week with Greg Wynn our executive pastor… really looking for God to stretch and challenge us the next couple of days.  I let him handle getting the hotel so I am praying that there isn’t a heart shaped tub in my future 😉
• Kinda feel like we are in a little bit of a rut right now… praying about what we can do to fix that.
• Had a GREAT conversation with a first time guest by phone today… Lifesong, YOU are making a difference!
• Today is my wife’s (aka Hot Momma) birthday!  Happy birthday sweetheart… I love you!

Saturday quote…

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains.” – C.S. Lewis

What price am I willing to pay…

When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake. Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” Another of his disciples said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”But Jesus told him, “Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.” Matthew 8:18-22

Being a christian is easy… being a DISCIPLE is hard.  Many of us are willing to say that we believe in Jesus and will follow Him… to a point.

When Jesus COMMANDS me to go where I don’t want to go… will I go?

When Jesus CONVICTS me of sin in my life… will I do something about it?

When Jesus ASKS me to give up the GOOD so that He can give me the BEST… will I let go?

When Jesus DIRECTS me to talk to others about Him… will I do it?

When Jesus REVEALS that His plans are not my plans… will I lay them down?

Following Jesus has a price… am I willing to pay it?

Sunday night thoughts…

• Good day today.  Decent crowd (especially considering it is Winter break)… some new faces and even some folks back that we havent seen in a while.
• The band had a crazy weird run through but they pulled it out for the service.  Awesome job!
• The guys on the Rhodie Crew are FREAKS!  You guys are getting it done… I really appreciate ALL that you do!
• Talked about sex during the message today… really important message that the church doesn’t talk enough about.  MTV, movies and magazines talk about it all the time (and they are usually WRONG), the Bible has it right!
• Kind of interesting that my mom and aunt decided to visit today 😉
• We had the launch team from Connection Church with us today checking things out.  They are getting ready to launch in the next couple of months… pray for them!  Starting a church is HARD.
• I know of several families that took this Sunday off to be with family… enjoy the break, you guys deserve it!
• Did a wedding yesterday on Valentines day… that dude is brilliant, he will NEVER forget his anniversary!
• Hey guys… remember to court your wife this week… you never know WHERE it will lead 😉
• Announced date night coming up on the 28th… headed up to Atlanta for Whirlyball (church PAYS for) and dinner.  Send an email to mark@lifesonglive.com to sign up!
• I love Lifesong church!

One…

Why do we do what we do?

Why do some of you guys get to the theater BEFORE 7am?

Why do we haul two trailers full of lights, sound, stage, toys, tables, pipe & drape, foam mats, coffee makers, banners, televisions, and a million other things it takes to redeem a theater and turn it into a place of worship?

Why do we bust out butts to unload those trailers and ALL the stuff in them to only reload them a few hours later?

Why do we do the Messages that we do and not worry about offending the religious?

Why do many of you (who most will never know about) work so hard during the week… making media slides, learning new songs, paying the bills, creating graphics, buying muffins, preparing a lesson to teach, sending cards, balancing the checkbook, fixing the stuff that gets broken, getting crafts ready and all the other things it takes to make Lifesong come alive?

Why do we PRAY, hard every week that God will show up and show out?

Why do we practice, tweak, rearrange, transpose, and stress out to make the music the best that it can possible be?

Why do we never settle with “good enough?”

Why do we smile, shake a hand, hug a neck, high five a kid, offer a shoulder to cry on… even when we don’t feel like it?

Why?

Because of one…

The one who shows up on Sunday morning who has lost hope, in church… in life… in God and is giving this church thing ONE more shot.

The one couple who’s marriage is going down.

The one guy who had been in church his whole life but never allowed Christ to break his heart.

The one girl who feels used and worthless.

The one who wouldn’t step foot in a “church” building.

The one you have been inviting for weeks… months… years… to come.

The one who got burned out on church because of all the politics, the drama, the power struggles, the apathy and the hypocrisy.

The one kid who may not hear about Jesus during the week…  but who will while sitting in the floor the hallway of the theater.

The one who will finally stop being a consumer and will become a contributor.

The one who will stop playing the Christian and will pick up their cross and follow after Jesus with everything they have got.

The one who will step over the line of death into life and become a Disciple of Jesus.

The ONE who gave His life for us.

See you Sunday…

Promise + Process = Payoff

Between the PROMISE of God and the PAYOFF is ALWAYS a PROCESS.  We don’t like it, but its true.  Look at the account of Joseph in Genesis… God PROMISED through a dream (Chapter 37) that Joseph would be a great leader and in chapter 41 God gives the PAYOFF, but sandwiched in between those two was the PROCESS to get there…

• getting ridiculed and shunned by his brothers who HATED him…
• being thrown into a well and then sold into slavery…
• leaving behind EVERYTHING that he knew and moving to another country…
• being accused of rape…
• being thrown in jail…

The PROCESS for Joseph’s PROMISE was long and painful, and I am sure that it was NOT the path that he would have chosen… but it was HIS path.  Many times in my life I want the PAYOFF without going through the PROCESS.  I even look at the PROCESS as somehow less of a blessing the PROMISE and less of a reward than the PAYOFF… but its not.  God is just as sovereign in them all.  PROMISE + PROCESS = PAYOFF.  What PROCESS are you going through right now?

Sunday night thoughts…

• Great day at Lifesong
• Crazy low day as far as attendance… but we had LOTS of guests today!
• The band was tight today!  We are blessed with an awesome band… Love having the band cover “How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You” today.  A little (LOT) different vibe for us, but I liked it!
• Had a blast teaching today… not every pastor encourages his peeps to have an affair!  Listen to the message to find out why.
• We had a ton of volunteers out with sickness and family issues today… loved seeing how you guys STEPPED UP and got it done!
• You guys have voted and our next series is going to be crazy good… the four questions YOU want answered are…
• Just finished with our LifeGroup… we had fun, grilled some burgers and had some great conversation around the fire.  I am seriously pumped about kicking off these groups!  Send an email to greg@lifesonglive.com to get plugged in to a group.
• You didn’t really think I was going to tell you what the topics of the next series are… did you?  Show up in a couple of weeks to find out 😉
• We have our date night planned for February 28th… it involves a ball, collisions, and electricity.  Trust me and make your plans to be there!
• Someone gave me a book today as a present… I love books 🙂
• Don’t miss next Sunday… we are talking about something that the church doesn’t talk enough about.
• We have several folks going through some tough times right now… I am praying for you

Friday five…

Five reasons to invite someone to Lifesong this Sunday…

• The music is going to be INCREDIBLE… seriously!
• The message is one that EVERYONE needs to hear… don’t we all want to know how to have an affair?
• There will be DONUTS and gourmet coffee and other goodies in the cafe’
• God is doing something special through Lifesong… not everyone gets to be a part of a MOVEMENT of God.
• Your faith isn’t worth much if your not willing to share it

Sunday night thoughts…

• Great day at Lifesong… what a way to kick off our new series Rated M!
• Highest attendance of the YEAR… up 170% from the same Sunday last year… very cool!
• Lots of guests this last month.  What is awesome is to find out that these new folks are INVITING there friends to Lifesong!
• Found out that two more people stepped up today to volunteer… this makes me happy 🙂
• Had our lowest offering of the year…why does that always seem to happen after the REALLY EXPENSIVE weeks?
• Have I ever mentioned that you can give online? 😉
• Had a first today… Jessica played the violin on the bands cover of I’ll Stand By You… really cool.
• The message seemed to connect today… the podcast should be up soon.
• I was concerned that my voice wouldn’t hold out today from being sick this last week.  It just made it.
• The new website is up and looks awesome… much thanks to Jason for all the hard work!
• I practiced what I preached on today this weekend taking some time alone with Tammy… had a great time at KOOZA (will write more on that latter), a night away from the kids (will NOT write about that) and a leisurely day hanging out together on Saturday.  I LOVE my wife!
• Just finished up with the Lifesong Super Bowl Party… had a blast hanging out with everybody.  More than FIFTY people here at the house!  VERY COOL!
• Thats it… I’m wiped, off to bed I go.