Howdy NewSpring Church, SEVEN things I would love to share with you today…
#1 - This past Sunday we began our “Party” series by celebrating communion together, and…in my opinion it was the most amazing communion service we’ve ever had together in the 11 year history of our church. Remember…the object of our worship WILL determine the level of our joy…AND…only Jesus can stand up under the weight of our worship, anyone or anything else will always lead to disappointment, regret and even destruction.
#2 - I am getting more and more excited about the way our church (every campus) is stepping up and doing whatever it takes to GET PEOPLE to a Christmas service. (Here is where you can get your free tickets online if you haven’t already done so...and there are some services that are already nearing capacity so you had better get them quickly!) It is during this time of year that we are reminded that JESUS CAME TO US!!! He left heaven, was not obsessed with being comfortable but rather doing whatever it took to make sure that mankind could be reconciled to and have peace with God.
IF we are truly going to be followers of Him then we’ve GOT to not just know what He said but also we must do what He did…which means walk out of our own comfort zones and do whatever it takes to reach people far from God. We can’t just “live a great life” and hope they see it…we’ve got to speak the words!!! (See Romans 10:14-17)
I know for some this is a frustrating process as you’ve asked and asked and people say they will come but don’t! Please see II Peter 3:9, God was patient with us, we must be patient with others!!! I promise the Gospel is going to be presented and we are believing for hundreds and hundreds of salvations!!! Let’s go all out and do what it takes to make sure people know about and are invited to “THE PARTY!”
#3 - This coming Sunday, in my opinion, is going to be one of the most encouraging and challenging Sunday’s we’ve had all year! If you want to read/study ahead then spend some time in Ezekiel 37:1-14. As you read it you may wonder, “what in the world does this have to do with Christmas, a party or my life?” Answer - EVERYTHING!
#4 - For those still looking for a GREAT Christmas gift idea, how about a trip to Israel? We still have room for about 50 or so people, and I can promise you from personal experience that a trip to Israel will bring the Bible to life in ways that you could have never even imagined. I can’t wait to get back over there and experience it with our church, and I hope you can come along, it’s going to be amazing. (Here is the website with more info and so that you can sign up.)
#5 - On Sunday, January 1st we are going to have our annual “Year In Review” service where we CELEBRATE all that God has done in 2011 and ANTICIPATE all He is going to do in 2012. It is one of the services every year that our church looks forward to…and this year is going to be no exception! This past year the Lord allowed us to start a campus in Charleston and we’ve seen Him do AMAZING things there…this next year He has opened up the door for us to begin THREE new campuses across the state (Myrtle Beach, Greenwood and Spartanburg!) 2012 is going to be an AMAZING YEAR!
#6 - On Sunday, January 8th we will begin a series entitled, “All In!” I can’t wait to dive into the book of Acts and for us to discover together what it is that Jesus actually wants you to invest your life in…and also what could happen in the world if the church went “All In!” NOTHING has the power and potential of the local church to bring lasting change in this world when the church is hitting on all cylinders…and I can promise you that this series is going to take your walk with Jesus and our church to the next level!
#7 - And last but not least, we will NOT be having services at any NewSpring campus on Sunday, December 25th. A few may be wondering why and so I will take just a second to explain. Beginning on Wednesday, December 21 we will begin our Christmas services and will have a total of 26 services across five campuses over a period of four days. That’s a lot of opportunities! :-) Our staff and volunteers have been preparing for months to make this time period the best it can possibly be, hundreds and hundreds of hours have been invested in what we are all sure is going to be an amazing experience.
After an incredible ministry run such as that the leaders in our church decided that it would best serve our church, our volunteers and our staff to encourage them to spend Christmas Day with their families. I can assure you that Jesus will not be offended as we went all out to celebrate Him and His birthday on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday! :-)
That’s it for today…see you Sunday, I LOVE MY CHURCH!!!