Sunday, January 11, 2009

OMG! What a Church Service We Had Today!


Was today's service awesome or what? It totally blew my socks off. I stand astonished every week at what God is doing right now... and today was even better. Where are all these people coming from?

Attendance was good – 507.

Check out the TEEN PICTURES BELOW

If your children attend our Children's Minsitry - Rock Solid - and you would like to know what they leanred today, you can read it here. Our children's ministy is one of the best in the area.

Started a new series – “Growing Up is Hard to Do.”

A few sound bites from today’s message – “What’s My Position?” – are:
  • Many believers suffer from stunted growth or arrested development
  • Some prefer the dependency of a counseling relationship to the rigors of discipleship
  • Psychology has been with us for about 100 years. And nothing we have learned in 100 years of applied psychology can add one iota of insight to the Word of God, or one pinch of power to the God who has been setting captives free for millennia without the aide of modern remedies
  • Spiritual growth means I bring my “practice” into alignment with my “position.”
  • There are no short cuts. Seasoned development is what God is attempting to produce in you

The illustration about being in the bathroom with 360 degree mirrors on the wall was off-the-chart.

We don’t offer Jesus-lite… nor do we offer decaffeinated Christianity. That’s why our church has so many growing disciples and fully devoted followers of JC!

Our vision is not up for sale… neither is it up for discussion.

Our Signs of Life special offering continues to grow. This is truly a God –thing.

GENEROSITY is a sign of a fully-devoted follower of Christ - and our church is FULL of these kinds of people.

The opening song, “God of Wonders” always moves me. It did so again today. Of course, it always helps when the musicians and singers do it well. I’m glad our singers can sing on-key. Aren’t you?

Last Wednesday night the teen department had a record attendance.

Our teen department has more boys (young men) than girls. In fact, the ratio is more than 2-to-1. This is a direct result of having several godly men as part of the leadership team.

The children’s mid-week service is very, very effective right now. It is a delight to see so many mothers bringing their children. The attendance there grows each week as well. They are doing something right!

What God is doing at PCC right now is NOT normal. What I mean, it IS normal for God, but it’s not normal for the typical church. There are amazing SIGNS OF LIFE all over the place.

“24” comes on tonight. That’s what I’ll be doing. I’m going watch Jack Bauer save the world again. He is “the man.”

But a real-life man is Bear Grylls who hosts the survival program Man vrs. Wild. Anyone who can eat a raw heart (or other unmentionable organs) right out of a freshly killed animal has got something I don’t. If I get lost in the woods, I want to be with him. And when I grow up, I want to be like him.

I read the blogs of other pastors all the time and I don’t get it. What’s their problem? Stop whining and fix the problem.

Of course, there are some other blogs I would never read. “They ain’t got nuthun to say.” And besides, it’s hard to listen to a pin head.

I wish everyone could experience what it is like to be part of a church like PCC.

I’m really excited.

I think I need to join Celebrate Recovery for my addiction to Guacamole. And for the record, I make some of the best Guacamole dip you’ll ever eat.

Would you like to know how to instantly recognize false doctrine? Just get familiar with true doctrine. That’s how. It’s a waste of time to study every wind of doctrine that blows through town – there are too many. Familiarize yourself with your own Bible. Then when someone comes along and says something off-the-wall, it’s very easy to see. It will keep from being misled, and it will keep you out of hell.

There is SO much energy at PCC right now – everywhere.

Thank you to the person who left that nice gift on my desk today. You have been thinking of me. It was very nice of you.

I met a large group of first-time guests today. Where are all these people coming from?

I also talked with four new couples to our church – who have been attending about 4-6 weeks. I was so encouraged to hear how excited they are to have found PCC. They were telling me things like, “We’re in…. I’ve signed up for 101… My kids are totally engaged by the children’s ministry… This is exactly what my family has been looking for.” What’s not to like about that?

Got to go. Jack Bauer is coming on in 20 minutes and I want to be ready.

Check back daily this week.