Today was an awesome day! Steven and I played “hooky” from our churches this morning and went to Redemption World Outreach Center in Greenville, SC where Apostle Ron Carpenter is the senior pastor…and it was incredible.
Apostle Ron threw me a major curve ball! (Keep in mind that our Greenville location is opening about two miles away from his church.) He recognized me in the church service, told his church that we were starting a satellite campus down then road, said he was excited about it and asked them to celebrate with me. Then room went crazy!
I love that guy…talk about a Kingdom mindset! Seriously, I was blown away. He wasn’t about competition…He was about completion, He knows the church is called to COMPLETE the Great Commission, and celebrates with churches that are doing God’s work.
It really encouraged me that a fellow pastor would support me like that…and it challenged me to do the same for others.
The worship service was incredible…and Apostle Ron brought the freakin’ heat—here are some of his quotes. (I can’t do the message justice…it was seriously incredible!)
- The definition of diligence is doing a little thing a long time until something big happens.
- You will never win if you keep quitting!
- When you are preparing you are out of step with today but in step with what is happening tomorrow.
- The church waits on the world to create a problem & then responds to it—we need to do church in a way that puts the world on its heels!
- Having to be inspired to do what is right is the lowest form of maturity! (DANG!!!)
- There are people who don’t mind if you fail…but it really bothers them if you succeed.
- Gossip is a symptom of an unfulfilled, boring life. The only way you can focus on my life is because there is nothing happening in yours! (DANG!)
- I want you to be so focused on your future that you don’t have time to talk about other people’s past!
Those are just some of the quotes that rocked me.
After leaving there Steven and I went and toured the Greenville campus, which OPENS ON JULY 13th. Folks, I am NOT over-hyping things when I say…I was amazed. I seriously think that great things are in store for that campus.
Tonight I was able to enjoy Craig’s message on “Make Us One” at NewSpring. I seriously think it was the best message on church unity that I’ve ever heard—EVER!
I am so ready to get back in the swing of things tomorrow.
Good night!