I don’t know exactly how to put my finger on it, but somehow I’m enjoying ministry more now than I ever have.  These days are challenging for me, to say the least, but for some reason my stress level is down and my enjoyment level is up.   How is that possible?

• I’ve got an incredible staff that is truly developing into a team.  These folks are talented, and Spirit-led, and I trust them with my life.  That’s saying a lot.  I can’t stress enough how much the people you’re doing life with affect your outlook.  And “the people you do life with” is more than your spouse and kids.
• Things are progressing.  Even though nothing has officially happened yet, I can sense RPC moving toward where we need to be.  Although I can’t verbalize it yet, I sense the promise of great things for us just over the next hill.
• I’m learning better ways to evaluate what we’re doing.  In short, I’m paying more attention to stories of lifechange and less attention to numbers or circumstances.
• I’m learning to turn it over.  And I think, because of my personality type (any High D’s in the house?) this is something I’ll always struggle with.  But, like I shared with someone yesterday, I’m moving away from trying to make things happen and toward following God where he’s working.  Leadership is much easier when you follow the Spirit as HE leads.

As I re-read this, I find myself asking the same question you may be asking: “Shouldn’t he have learned some of this by now?”  And the answer is: I did.  But sometimes I get busy and self-centered, and give up ground I’d already conquered and lessons I’d already learned.  Which forces me to learn them all over again.

Surely I’m not the only one who moves backwards sometimes.  Anyone feel like sharing?

• So the news is out.  If you weren’t there today, we announced that Miranda & I are expecting our second child later this year.  We don’t know a due date yet, but Noah has been telling everyone so we couldn’t keep it quiet any longer.  We’re excited, and nervous, and hopeful.
• Jordan Wilkins did a great job leading us in worship today, including singing an original song.
• Looking forward to hearing him lead the full band next week.  Should be awesome.
• Gabe did well as our host for the morning.  It was kind of weird to see him on stage and not involved with the band, but he’s taking a couple of weeks off from playing.  And he did a good job as host, showing a whole different skill set.
• I made it through the 9:00 service fine, but my throat gave out about halfway through the 10:30.  I can’t believe I got sick again.  Seems like every month I’m sick.  Gotta figure out what’s going on there.
• So excited to continue to hear others’ visions, and to watch them take steps towards seeing them fulfilled.  Good stuff.
• After the 10:30 service today Miranda & I taught the Next Level 1 class.  It was fun, and she really picked up my slack since my sinuses were going crazy.  Always enjoy hanging out with new faces at RPC.
• We announced the results of the Revolutionary Love offering, but if you’re a regular reader here then it was old news.  To recap: we’re going to continue to raise money until we have our $100K, then move just like we’ve been planning.  The only thing that may change is the timetable.  Everything else stays the same.
• Looking forward to hanging out tonight and watching the Super Bowl with some good friends.
• I’ll leave you with the pic from today – it’s one of my favorites:

A few observations on our Revolutionary Love offering from Sunday:

• Everything we’ve collected in offerings through Sunday, both online and in our services, totals a little over $32K.  This is a great start, but still far short of the $112K we need to purchase our equipment.
• We’ve also raised around $7K through fundraisers over the last 8 weeks, bringing our grand total to around $39K.
• As the week progresses, we continue to see money come in.  In fact, I’ll probably be updating you again in a few days with a new total.  That’s very encouraging.
• We still don’t have any plans to borrow the balance of what we need.  We believe that God is going to provide it at the right time.
• Obviously, since we didn’t collect what we need, we’re not placing any orders for equipment just yet.  We had built a couple of weeks’ margin into our plan, meaning our Easter launch date at AHS isn’t out of the picture yet.
• At the same time, if something doesn’t happen soon it’s possible we will be moving our Easter launch date back a few weeks.
• I want to stress that our vision hasn’t changed, and our plans haven’t changed.  We’re still going to raise our money and move to AHS.  The only thing that might be in limbo right now is our timetable.  As I said Sunday, God will provide a “how” but he doesn’t always do it in the time we’d like.  Even so, his timing is always perfect no matter how we feel about it.
• I can’t go into much detail yet, but suffice it to say that things are getting very interesting with the sale of our building.  We’ve got more than one party that seems interested, so there’s a chance things could work out for us here.  Be praying like crazy about this, and when we have something definite to announce we’ll let everyone know.
• The bottom line:  I’m not worried about our situation.  In fact, I feel good about where we are and where we’re headed.  Sunday was one of the best services we’ve had in 7 years.  I truly believe that what’s going on at RPC is honoring to God.  And ultimately God is as much in control of our finances as he is everything else that goes on around here.

Okay, I hardly ever take the time to watch videos on the interweb, and definitely never anything as long as this one (6 minutes).  That should tell you how good this was, and how much you need to carve out 6 minutes and watch it…

HT: Matt Mooney via Brad Lomenick.

• The band was smokin’ today. Joe did an incredible job leading us in worship, and the song selection was right on.
• Normally, both services are exactly the same but today we switched things up. In the 10:30 service we moved the host to the beginning, and the movie clip to the end of the worship set. That allowed the band to play their entire set uninterrupted, and the difference was palpable. Both services were great, but the 10:30 was electric.
• Our new series, Pursuit, is shaping up to be incredibly intense for a lot of people, including me. My goal today was simply to encourage you to hang on to your vision. You may not know how your vision is going to happen, but remember: what is your business and how is his. God doesn’t produce a vision without providing for it.
• The movie clip from Facing the Giants fit perfectly with our subject today. You only get to change the world if you refuse to give up.
• Seriously, the Spirit of God was present in a very real way today. Like a lot of you, I got lost in worship and found myself cheering God for who he is. I love seeing so many people worshipping in spirit and in truth.
• Wow, there were a ton of new faces. It’s amazing to watch so many of you invite your friends and family to experience the life change we’re seeing. One lady told me today that she counted 19 people who were there because her son and his friend had been busy bringing people to RPC to hear about God.
• We’ve sold over 70 RPC graphic tees so far. Today was the official deadline, but if you still want one call the church office first thing in the morning and catch us before we place the order.
• We announced in the services today that we raised over $2,000 from our yard sale Saturday. Thanks to everyone who donated items, we’re that much closer to our goal.

And now for news on our Revolutionary Love offering:
We’re still collecting online donations, but so far we’re at somewhere around $30,000 for our RevLove campaign. Let me stress again: if we don’t collect the money we need to purchase our equipment right away, we’re not going to borrow the money. There are still people giving through our give online page. Once we’ve collected everything over the next couple days we’ll figure out where we are and what our next steps are.  And don’t forget, this August our mission team will take 10% of what we collect to Honduras to build houses with the Trash Mountain Project.

One more thing: sometimes it’s hard to evaluate what we’re doing because there are so many different elements at work. But today, as I drove away from RPC, I knew with everything in me that God was pleased with what happened there. And in the end that’s all that matters.

Have a great week, and feel free to comment on what you experienced today.

We’re only 4 days into our new series on vision, Pursuit, and I’m blown away by the stories I’ve already heard from people sharing their visions.  Some are sharing things they’ve been praying about for years, some are sharing for the first time with anyone, and others are still trying to figure our if their “good” ideas are “God” ideas.

Either way, I love it.  And as strange as it sounds, I want to encourage you to keep struggling.  Pray about the seed God has planted in you.  Examine it from every angle.  Run the numbers.  By meditating on it (a lot) you’ll gradually begin to own it.  And, as we’ll see later in Nehemiah’s story, before you share your vision with others you must own it yourself.

I’d love for RPC to be a place where we consistently broker the dreams of others.  Your dream may have nothing to do with RPC.  It may be much bigger than RPC.  But if we can be a part of you chasing after it then we all win.  When you move forward, we all move forward.

If you’re ready to share your vision but nervous about how others will respond, why not go here and email me first?  Sometimes it’s easier when the first encounter you have is encouraging.

Absolutely love some of the new Christian Bumper stickers that Jon over at Stuff Christians Like is planning to create.  Some of them are down right hilarious.  Check them out:

1. “Quit judging! I direct deposit my tithe.”

2. “Sorry I cut you off. I’m a Christian, but I drive like an agnostic.”

3. “My other car is a chariot of fire.”

4. “In case of rapture, I’m not sure reading this bumper sticker is a top priority for you.”

5. “Another Sunday Morning Jogger/Saturday Night Church Attendee”

6. “God created it. The Bible said. My wife and I are doing it. SEX.”

7. “A hedge of protection is my car insurance. Seriously, I’m uninsured.”

8. “I’ve got GPS. God Prayer System!”

Okay, so the last one was a little weak, but most were pretty funny.  Check out the rest of the post on how to score your Christian Bumper Stickers.  And, by the way, if you have a blog reader then he ought to be in it.  You can also subscribe via email.

Okay people, it’s ‘fess-up time.  What bumper stickers are on your ride?

Recapping an intense day at RPC…

• The music was good and really led us to worship.  Rebecca’s talk before the last song really pulled us in – especially knowing what she & Mark have been through this year.  Powerful stuff.
• Loved the stage and auditorium setup, and the way it was themed.  JJ has pulled together a talented & creative team.
• We had quite a few more people sign up for groups today.  I’m really pumped about the increasing number of people at RPC who are seeking out community.  You can email Chris this week if you’re interested.  Trust me, you’ll see a significant difference in your life.
• The sermon.  Yeah.  It was intense, to say the least.  I felt like I had 2 hours of content compressed into 30 minutes, which actually turned out to be 45 minutes.  But you’ve gotta remember, this series was 6 years in the making.
• I had several people approach me after service to talk about their visions, and the discussions are passionate.  Incredible.  This is such a powerful subject when it’s your vision.
• I’m looking forward to preaching through Nehemiah.  Over the next 6 weeks we’re going to cover a lot of ground, and the story we’re going to cover is incredible.  One of my favorites.
• If you missed RPC today, catch the podcast later this week.  It’s not too late to get in on this series.
• Speaking of, be sure to check out our new web site some time this week.  There are still a few tweaks we’re making, but I’m really happy with the way it turned out.  Also, it’ll provide us another way to communicate with you.  Bookmark it and check it often.
• Don’t forget, next Sunday (the 31^st) we’ll take up our final Revolutionary Love offering.  We’re raising the funds to purchase equipment for our relocation, and to build homes for the needy in Honduras.  Pray this week about what God wants you to give.
• Also, in support of the Rev Love offering we’re having a Yard Sale this Saturday.  You can begin bringing your donations (priced, please) to the church beginning tomorrow.
• That’s it.  We’re headed to some friends’ house to watch the Saints-Vikings.  Don’t know who I’m rooting for, but I’m interested to see who takes it…
• Today was intense for a lot of people, and I know I’ve missed something.  So tell me: What did you see today?  What’s your vision?

Circumstances continue to remind me that when you attempt great things for God, Satan will do everything he can to derail you.  What I underestimated, but is becoming clearer each day, is that he often uses small discouragements to shake you and make you want to quit.  But what I’m noticing just as much lately is that for every small discouragement, God sends a small victory.  Kind of his way of saying, “Don’t give up your faith just yet.  I’m about to do something huge if you’ll just hang in there.”

Has anyone else experienced this, or am I crazy?  Tell me.

Have you seen a glaring deficiency in the business world that’s begging to be addressed?

Have you seen a nitch in the market that must be filled?

Have you seen people who are hurting and emotionally or spiritually needy, and want to change it?

Have you heard about poverty or injustice, across the street or around the world, and think it should be stopped?

Have you seen firsthand what physical illness and disease can do to the body, and you want to make a difference?

Are you dissatisfied with the way your family was, and determined to create a better one for your kids?

Are you depressed with the rising divorce rate, and intent on not becoming just another statistic?

Are you focused on graduating college or graduate school, even though no one else in your family ever has?

Are you convinced that success for you means being the best stay-at-home mom you can be?

If so, our next sermon series, Pursuit, starts this Sunday at RidgePoint Church and it was developed with you in mind.  Because deep down you know you were created for something specific.  And you measure success by how much you matter, not by how much you earn.  This week we begin the journey of discovering what God’s vision is for your life, and what your next steps are as you pursue it with all you’ve got.