Last Tuesday through Thursday I had the privilege to travel to Oklahoma City and spend some time with Craig Groeschel and the crew at LifeChurch - here are some thoughts/highlights…
- The seats on Northwest Airilines were designed for Oompa loompas and Ewoks! In other words—if you are over 4’ 7” tall…you are going to be VERY uncomfortable.
- Getting lost in Oklahoma stinks! We took a wrong turn and drove 31 miles in the wrong direction—NOT because we wanted to BUT because there was literally no place to turn around!!!
- God is good—there was a Starbucks right next to the hotel where we were staying—they knew me by name before we left. :-)
- I believe that Craig is one of the godliest and wisest men that I know…every time I meet with him the Lord uses him to sharpen me…and this time was no exception.
- Craig has a raw passion to see people meet Christ and is unapologetic about it…I have a theory that if you examine churches that are growing that, though the styles are vastly different, at the center of the church is a leader (or leaders) who have an obsession with seeing the Great Commission fulfilled.
- I had the privilege of speaking to their entire staff on Wednesday night and had a blast…those guys are out of control and God is using them to change the way the WORLD thinks about church!
- I can’t brag on their staff enough—everyone of them went out of the way to answer the hundreds of questions we had.
- I got to meet Blake!!! Many of you may remember when this video (one of the FUNNIEST things I’ve ever seen) surfaced on the net. Well—that guy works at LifeChurch now and is one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met in my life. (Seriously—I laugh every time I watch this video because THIS is a speakers worse nightmare…to wind up on Youtube this way!)
- In meeting with the guys at LifeChurch I was reminded that Jesus Christ is using technology to redeem the world…and I honestly believe the most effective way of communicating the Gospel haven’t even been discovered yet.
- I was also reminded that God desires to work in the CHURCH…and that His work will look different from church to church—but it is still His work!
- Flying back was MUCH better…I had an exit row on both legs of the flight.
- I missed my wife and little girl like CRAZY!
Thank you Craig & crew for allowing me to come out there! I LOVE what God is doing among and through you…and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I truly believe your best days are ahead of you!