Baptism Bash Stories

Tomorrow is the 3rd Baptism Bash for 2009 at Elevate Church.  Why be baptized?

1.  Jesus commanded us to be baptized.  It is an act of obedience. 

2.  You become more like Christ.  Jesus, Himself, was baptized.

3.  It publicly identifies you as a part of God’s family.  Faith is not meant to be hide in our lives.

4.  You can tell the story.  It gives you a chance to share what God has done for you. 

5.  It is symbolic of your “old life” dying (going under – burial) and new life coming alive (coming up-resurrection).

Tomorrow you will hear some of the most powerful stories of life change happening at Elevate Church.  This is one of my favorite services we have at Elevate.

Some Things I Am Looking Forward To

1.  Our new baby girl arrives in less than 5 weeks.  We are so exited.

2.  Baptism Bash this Sunday.  I can’t wait to see people take the next step in their journey of faith in Christ.

3.  College Football.  This is my favorite time of the year.  Watch the Oklahoma Sooners DOMINATE!

4.  Connect Groups.  If you have not been involved, this is a must.  It’s going to be new and improved this fall.

5.  New sermon series coming September 13.   I am passionate about teaching God’s Word in fresh ways.

6.  The Cowboys Tailgate Party:  Hang on.  This one is going to be exciting, new, and fun for the whole family.

7.  Growing this fall.  I believe we are going to see Elevate grow this fall in every area. 

8.  Going deeper with God in my personal life.  I am committed to living with an eternal perspective.  This world is NOT my home.

5 Things I Don’t Like

1.  I don’t like the devil.  Everything about him and his ways are destructive.

2.  I don’t like half-hearted commitments.  There is no such thing.  You are either in or out.

3.  I don’t like disengaged leaders.  They create disengaged followers.

4.  I don’t like waiting.  Most people don’t like this either.  But God teaches me many things through waiting.

5.  I don’t like arrogance.   Arrogance says, “You can’t teach me because I already know.”  The truth is the more I know, the more I know that I don’t know.

Drop me a comment and tell me some of the things you don’t like. 

Sunday Rewind

Yesterday was a great day at Elevate Church.  Here’s my random thoughts about this past weekend.

1.  We had 2 people make decisions for Christ.  Incredible!  I am proud to be a part of a church where people’s lives are being transformed.

2.  Worship was real.  We have one of the best worship teams on the planet.

3.  I loved the God Co video about prayer.  It was hilarious.

4.  I can see a leadership team developing at Elevate in new ways.  It’s simple.  The more leaders, the more followers.

5.  We had 7  first time guests yesterday.  Way to go! 

6.  Elevate Church is an incredible church in the making.  I love being the pastor.

7.  I am so excited about the things we have planned for the fall.  It’s going to rock your world.

8.  Great prayer time for the people headed back to school.  Remember, school zone = prayer zone.

5 More Things You May Not Know About Me

1.  I have fought insecurity in the past.  Height, hair (before I was bald), being overbearing, being a good dad, good pastor, ect.

2.  I have a love/hate relationship with running.  I run for exercise, stress release, weight control, mind relaxation, and prayer.  But sometimes I think I could give it up and never miss it.

3.  I love starting something new.  I am driven to change and new ideas.

4.  I am nervous about being a dad for the 3rd time.  I thank God my first 2 are incredible kids.  This one will be incredible as well.  4 Girls – I live in Hormone Hotel!

5.  I expect a lot out of people.  Maybe because I expect a lot out of myself.

Committed to ?

I find it interesting that if you ask someone what they are committed to in their life, they struggle with answering that question.  Yet the truth is that every person alive is committed to something.  You can see that fleshed out in their lives by where they spend their time, energy, and resources.  The BIG QUESTION is:  Is it the RIGHT thing?  Being committed to the right thing or things in our lives takes serious examination, intentionality, and discipline.  If you want to know 3 things worth committing your life to, you’ll find out this Sunday at Elevate.

5 Things You May Not Know About Me

1.  I am my worst critic.  Usually when something goes wrong or isn’t working, I start with me.

2.  I like alone time.  Although I function very well in crowds, I need my alone time to settle my thoughts.

3.  I have a hyper drive for achievement.  Sometimes I love that part of me and sometimes I wish I could divorce it for a little while.

4.  I have trouble striking a balance in my life.  I spend too much energy on my work and not enough on other important things.

5.  I was almost killed.  Two years ago, today, I stepped out in front of a car at 104th and Western in OKC while jogging at 5 AM.  I felt God pull me back.  I was literally 2 inches from death.

Sunday Rewind

Here are the weekend hilights from Elevate Church:

1.  Great testimony of God’s healing power by video.  Shanda, thanks for sharing about how God performed supernatural surgery.

2.  Set-up and tear-down team was on top of it.  After a summer break it went well.  We could still use some more volunteers.  You could add value to the team.

3.  You are on the roster for a reason.  Team Elevate is all about getting involved in YOUR CHURCH.  You need to find a place to serve and do your thing.

4.  Special thanks to those who volunteered for the sermon skit.  You look good in Dallas Cowboy jerseys.

5.  I had a new family tell me that they came back the second time because of the excitement in the Elevate KinderCrew class.  They have now been coming several weeks.  I am proud of our volunteers – especially those in Elevate Kids ministry.  You guys are heroes.  (another place for people to get plugged in).  You add so much value to the Elevate Team.  I thank you as a pastor and dad.

Tech Vacation

This week, both my phone and modem crashed.  I call it a tech tragedy.  Reminds me that often we become too dependent on stuff.  It’s okay to have stuff as long as stuff doesn’t have you.  In other words, if you are addicted to tech toys, try a tech vacation and see if God will speak to your heart in a fresh way.

Manhood 101

^{It takes a real man to live out faith in Christ – even more true in your  private life.  What happens in your private life will eventually come out in your public life – good or bad. Ps. 101 could be called Manhood 101.  Here are the commitments to God, yourself, and your family – you should make as a man of God.} 

I will sing of your love and justice, Lord. I will praise you with songs.  – Godly
 ² I will be careful to live a blameless life— when will you come to help me?
   I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. – Integrity
 ³ I will refuse to look at  anything vile and vulgar.
   I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them. – Purity
 ⁴ I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil. – Fidelity
 ⁵ I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors.
      I will not endure conceit and pride. - Humility

 ⁶ I will search for faithful people  to be my companions.
   Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me. – Credibility
 ⁷ I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house,
      and liars will not stay in my presence. – Honesty
 ⁸ My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked
      and free the city of the Lord from their grip. – Responsibility