Today

What are you doing today?

If today was your last, did you live life to the fullest?

Did you tell people you loved them?

Did you tear people down or build them up?

Have you talked to God today?

Have you considered whether or not your thoughts, words, and actions have honored Him?

Have you thought about what things really matter in life?

Has your perspective of others been skeptical or graceful?

What have you done today to show the love of Christ to those around you?

Have you modeled it?

Have you spoke it?

What are you doing today?

What will you do tomorrow?

What if there is no tomorrow?

Confessions of a Pastor

I have to admit that I have not been consistent of late with blogging. I did not anticipate the amount of my time that would be spent trying to juggle Master's school, church, family, and friendships. I wasn't naive; I knew I would be busy, but disciplines like blogging and twittering that once allowed me to communicate more regularly have become more difficult to pursue. In addition to blogging, working on writing projects has all but ceased right now.

Why am I telling you this?

I need your prayers. I need continued wisdom about what events and commitments to say "yes" to and which I should say "no" to. It is not easy as a pastor to say "no" to anyone or anything you are asked to do, but I'm finding that stewarding my time well is even more important these days for me. The other thing I'm finding difficult is finding time to refresh. It seems that as a student and pastor I'm constantly pouring out, but rarely having anything poured in. This has brought forth the realization that I need an Oasis.

I'm as excited as ever about what God is doing in my life, my family, and The Journey. I believe God is bigger than any stress I face or any difficulties that may come. The stress of life has made me realize how desperate I really am for God to be first in my life. It has made me realize that family can't be replaced by anything. Following Christ and being in the love of my family is the oasis I need. I'm also grateful for a church family that I can go to for prayer. These are my confessions.

Finding a Life Rhythm

Have you ever felt like your life was in a groove and going well, but then other times feel like everything is out of whack? I believe in such a thing as a "life rhythms." Songs are driven by the beat of the drum that keeps the rhythm consistent. If a drummer gets off rhythm, the entire song sounds out of whack. You find "life rhythms" everywhere you look. The sun rises and falls in rhythm each day. The tides of the ocean rise and fall in rhythm. I believe each person has a responsibility to find their "life rhythm" because that is where the sweet spot is.

The danger is when you push so hard that you get out of your life rhythm. If a drum beat is going faster than what the song is intended to go, the song doesn't work. The same is true for you and I. We have to stay "in tune" and marching to the proper pace that our lives should flow. Sometimes it is necessary to take a break to get back on rhythm. Other times we need to pick up the pace so that we can get in rhythm.

What is your life rhythm? Have you ever found yourself out of rhythm and drained and tired? Take time to evaluate the pace of your life, your family, and your work. Our individual mission's that God has ordained for us are too important for us to live out of rhythm. We have to live in tune to Him and walk at the right pace.

Sunday Reflections

I can't believe the DNA series has come and gone already. It was a six week series and it seemed to fly by. We had a lot of new guests who came for this series and several shared with me how much they enjoyed hearing a different angle on those things that should define our lives and our faith. If you missed any of the weeks and want to catch up, go to our website @ www.thejourneytn.org

We had a great day today. The music was incredible and brought us to a place of worship. I thought the 'Signs' song and video was genius...Joey Lockovich came up with that idea. There were many giggles and smiling faces as everyone read the different church signs. The challenge for us is to not let church signs do the work that is reserved for us as individuals to share our faith with the people around us. I want to give props to Robbie and the praise band for gutting it out when the lights were messing up in the first service and when the entire PA system shut down at the end of the second service. We believed there would be spiritual attack today and we were not mistaken. However, God won the day. It was an amazing moment when the whole church lifted their voices and the band came and stood on the stage risers and locked arms. That was a special moment and one I won't forget.

The time is rapidly approaching when we will be meeting in multiple locations. Be thinking of friends to invite to get the word out. It is going to be an awesome ride.

Never Forget

Where were you on this day seven years ago? September 11, 2001 is a day that most Americans, especially living in this era, will ever forget. It is a day that I remember where I was, what I was doing, what the weather was like, and what I was wearing; the memories are vivid. I remember riding down the road crying as I heard music and thought about the people who were killed. It is a day that we should never forget.

Why?

* It reminds us that nothing is guaranteed, not even our next breathe

* It reminds us that life it too short for silly arguments, conflict, and selfishness

* It reminds us of what matters: God, family, friends, and living our lives with purpose

* It reminds us to live each day like it is our last

* It reminds us that we live in the greatest country in the world, perhaps ever

* It reminds us that there is evil that exists around us and the world needs the hope of Jesus

Be reminded of these things today. Reflect on where you were, who you were with, and what you felt as you watched those towers and Pentagon come under attack. Take time today to pray for the families still dealing with the lose. Thank God for your blessings and live today reminded of those. Tell your family how much you love them, you never know when it could be the last time. Ask yourself if you are doing what you love in life, life is too short to go through the motions.

Never forget.

This Weekend @ The Journey

We will be finishing the DNA series this weekend at The Journey. The objective for Sunday will be to discuss in depth about what sharing our faith looks like. The "churchy" word for this: EVANGELISM.

How many of you when talking about yourself would say, "I'm an evangelist." The reality is, most of us would not, but maybe we should. We are ALL called to be propagators of the gospel message of Jesus. How we do that and why we do that is something in which we will discuss on Sunday?

Things to ponder:

* without someone caring enough about you and your salvation to tell you, you may not have the hope you have today

* without people who feel responsible to share the message of Jesus through words and actions, how will the world know about God's redemptive plan?

* what will you do about "the call" to make disciples?

All this and more will be discussed on Sunday, don't miss it.

Questions for reflection: when is the last time you shared your faith with someone? Have any of your actions (good/bad) shared your faith for you?

Stunted Growth

Have you ever had moments where you felt your growth as a follower of Jesus had been stunted? Can you recall times where you felt like God was far away and you were trying to regain the status you had before? I think we've all had those times. Some may be experiencing that right now. The one thing I've learned over time is that those times are normal. Look at the Scriptures, the book of Psalm is full examples of David feeling abandoned by God. God does not abandon us. In fact, we are the ones responsible for the "feeling" of abandonment. We have either fell into sin and are not where we were. Sometimes we get into habitual ruts and just go through the motions. Going through the motions will actually move you backwards in your walk with God. Some of you have actually let the "busyness" of your lives to crowd your life so much that you push God out of it. We also have moments of stunted growth when we go through trying circumstances and we don't invite God into our hurts, pains, and difficulties.

If you have experienced this feeling of being "stuck" in the same place in your relationship, try some of these things:

1. Tell God you are tired of being where you are and desire to draw closer. God knows the situation, but it is good to share your thoughts and the way you feel. It is often the catalysts for getting back where you want to be.

2. Tell someone else that you are tired of being where you are and ask them to journey with you to help you get where you want to be. Christianity has never been a solo journey. We are meant to live in community and grow in community.

3. Begin to journal or reading some passages of Scripture they may connect your story to someone else who has been in your position. Go read the book of Psalm.

4. Evaluate how you believe you got off the track you were on. Was is it an event? A hurt relationship? Laziness? Busyness? Find out, that will help you avoid it next time.

5. Repeat Step 1. I cannot express the importance of drawing near to God through simply crying out that you don't want complacency any longer. Tell God you want to be on fire for Him. Ask Him to light the fire in you.

The world can not afford to have a bunch of stunted Christians running around them. The world needs Christians who are burning white-hot for the love of Jesus and are experiencing that love daily in their relationship with Him. The world needs Christians that are growing in their knowledge of God and His love for the world around them. Believe it or not, what the world needs is not the next great President of the United States, it needs you and I to become everything God created us to be.

Sunday Reflections

Man...today was very fun! We had a great day in our services and many people talked about how meaningful it was for them. Couple of thoughts about the day:

* It was fun talking about the Scriptures today and I hope that something was said that can be helpful for everyone as you journey to grow in this area

* Worship was electric today...I could go on an entire rant about that

* Titans won a close a game...just thought I'd throw that one in there

* I can't wait until we launch these new campuses and get a chance to reach people in these areas

* I had a friend from Divinity School there today and he said he really enjoyed it...it was cool seeing him there

* I'm just grateful for all the people who serve on Sunday mornings to make what we do happen...never forget the eternal impact that you are making on people's lives

I'm heading to bed. I'm tired, but grateful for what God is doing in our midst. The Journey is a fun place to be.

Worship @ the New Campuses

OK...seriously, this is not what worship at the new campuses will be. Robbie and the band will actually be traveling to each location to lead worship, but I couldn't resist putting that as the title of this post. Seriously...you have to watch this video. Pay particular attention to their facial expressions and the guy in the back singing background vocals who seems uninterested.

Want a Quick Laugh?

If you want a quick laugh to pick you up, visit Chad Jordan's blog and watch the 10 second video he has posted today. Priceless!

Click here to watch funny video

This Weekend @ The Journey

We continue our DNA series with the discussion of Studying Scripture. How on earth do we begin to make sense of the Bible? Where do we begin? How do we hear from God through it?

This weekend at The Journey I want to bring to life the purpose of the Scriptures in our lives. I want to simply our understanding of the Bible and learn to use it for all situations in our lives.

On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the lowest, 10 the highest), what do you feel is your current level of competency when dealing with the Bible?

Attack of the Killer Bird

This morning I met with Shawn Allen, our Hartsville campus pastor. We were having coffee while sitting outside on the patio at Panera Bread. Out of nowhere, a bird comes soaring between us and smacks into the glass and onto our table. It landed facing me and I panicked, thinking it was going to come flying at me. It was breathing heavy and was twitching around. I went to pick it up with a napkin, but it kept moving and I kept dropping it. At this point, Shawn and I are dying laughing. The six guys inside the restaurant doing a bible study our also in hysterics as they watch the event unfold. I eventually quit trying to pick it up and instead, covered it with a napkin and we moved tables.

About 30 minutes later, one of the workers came out to clean our table we had left. We told her to beware of the dead bird under the napkin. She went to peek underneath the napkin to see the bird and it flew away. That bird had basically knocked itself unconscious. We were once again laughing so hard we couldn't breathe. All the guys inside were laughing again. It was quite an eventful morning.

Moral of the story...I don't know, help me pick one: once you fall, get back up...never let running into a glass window keep you down...don't attempt to throw a bird away that is only unconscious...be careful eating outside at Panera?

Sunday Reflections

There are many things going on right now in the life of The Journey. We will be launching the two new campuses in the next couple of months and need for each family to begin praying about which campus you plan on attending. It is exciting to think about how God is going reach people through our efforts in the days ahead. We also have a goal to raise $40,000 within the church to provide the resources needed to expand to these new campuses. This goal is not gigantic, but it will take as many people as possible to accomplish it.

Don't forget to continue inviting friends to join us on Sunday mornings. Ask God to reveal to you those people that you are to be investing in. Also, if you are looking for the next step of involvement, you need to find a small group. Small groups are the environments that you will learn more about following Christ and join with others who are desiring the same.

Special Note: Be in prayer for the families and people who are in the path of Hurricane Gustav. The last thing Louisiana needs is another giant storm to trounce it. Let's join in asking God to diminish the storm before it reaches land.

Football Time

Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit's voices are being heard. Fantasy football teams have been drafted and way overrated by their owners. All this means...football season has arrived! Our nation runs on football. I'm excited about all the possibilities and match ups this season. The cool thing about this point of the season is that every one's team has a chance. There is hope and anticipation about what your team might do.

The challenge I have for everyone: Let the excitement for what Jesus has done and is doing in our lives be as active as our football fever. Let our excitement for game day be an excitement that we also see when we show up for worship gatherings on Sundays. Lives are being radically changed by the power of God. It is an exciting season ahead of us. The fall is a great time of year. But there is equally exciting things happening in the Kingdom of God as well. This is going to be a great ministry season for the Journey this fall.

Scriptures that Speak to Me

It has been a while since I've posted any Scriptures that speak to me. These are just passages that have spoken to me throughout or at different portions of my life. The Scripture I'm posting today has recently become a favorite of mine. I have probably read it many times throughout my life, but it has spoke even clearer to me lately.

John 7:16-18 NLT
16 So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. 17 Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. 18 Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies.

This has become the gauge upon which my messages are formed and prepared. My prayer has always been that God would speak through me, but lately I'm constantly asking myself if I'm seeking to speak what God wants or my own ideas. I think a problem that exists in the church in our country is that too many preachers are preaching to glorify themselves instead of the one who's ideas they are to be sharing. The day in which I seek to honor myself by sharing my ideas and quit seeking to share God's message is the day I need to step down. This passage is written on a piece of paper in my office for me to see constantly. I hope that it may somehow speak to you as well.

Starbucks Boycott

On my last day of orientation at Vanderbilt on Friday I parked at Starbucks across the street. I had got a cup of coffee and walked across the street to complete my orientation. While there, I met a guy that I really connected with and we talked about ministry and many different things. Toward the end of the day we decided to skip out on the last session and because he lives in Hermitage I told him I would give him a lift. When we got to Starbucks parking lot I quickly noticed that my Jeep was not there. I had been towed. Starbucks towed me. The cafe that takes so much of my money took even more. We had to catch a ride to the tow company and then I took him home. It cost me $65 to get my car out.

When I got home and told Katrina, she suggested that I boycott Starbucks $65 worth. At first I didn't think I had it in me, but after some thinking, I believe that is exactly what I need do. So, since Friday, I haven't touched Starbucks, a.k.a. St. Arbucks. The plan is to drink $65 worth of coffee somewhere else before going back. It is my small way of getting justice and vindication.

Question: Have any of you ever been towed? This was a first for me and I felt violated. If so, tell me your story.

Just Imagine...

Just imagine if these new campuses are able to reflect the movement and momentum that we have experienced in the last several months

Just imagine if we were to go from ministering to roughly 170 adults/kids weekly to 450 adults/kids weekly in a matter of months

Just imagine Sundays where 100's are giving their lives to Christ and are being baptized

Just imagine a church in which people who are de-churched or have never been come to encounter the Living God

Just imagine the number of broken marriages that will be made whole as a result of The Journey coming to them

Just imagine God raising up several full-time ministers from within our body as a result of tasting what it's like to serve God

Just imagine the Journey being a church that influences churches throughout the nation

Just imagine that first Sunday we have three campuses operating and the excitement and anticipation we are going to have

Just imagine how God is going to change your life as a result of being a part of this movement

Just imagine if the numbers I'm projecting are undershooting what God plans to do and He blows our minds!

Take some time today and this week to just imagine the possibilities...I am pumped!

Campus Plans

There are still many moving parts to figure out regarding our launch of two new campuses in the near future. We have some targeted dates this fall that will require us to gage where resources are and how things are shaping up. Right now, we do have our strategy for how we will launch these campuses. We are going to be taking a staggered services approach to successfully launching these new campuses. We believe this will allow us the maximum momentum going into these new areas. It will look like this:

Providence Campus: Sunday 9am

West Campus: Sunday 11am

Hartsville Campus: Sunday 6pm

Each of the services will be identical services so that all campuses are learning and progressing at the same pace. Robbie and the band will lead worship at each location and I will be the primary communicator at each campus as well. The role of the campus pastors will be to shepherd and minister to the people on an individual basis that come to their campuses. They will be responsible for leading teams at their campus, overseeing small groups assimilation, and for overall campus development and growth. As we continue to grow and progress at each campus, there will obviously be other changes and new strategies implemented; however, we believe this gives us the best potential for success as we begin.

We (the elders) need to know which campus you and your family are planning on making your home campus. Obviously you would be free to go to any of the campuses, but we are trying to gage how the numbers are going to shake up at each place so that we can begin to look at developing leadership teams at each place. There will be a letter sent to everyone this week that will have a card in it. The card will ask which campus you are prayerfully considering to attend. Please fill this out and turn it in on Sunday. This information prepares us to be successful as we move forward. Exciting times are ahead.

Sunday Reflections

It was a good day today. We had two very good crowds for the services. It seems like the message came across, but it wasn't without difficulty. I will be the first to admit that today's topic was not the most glamorous or popular. There probably aren't many Sunday's you wake up saying, "I can't wait to get to church today...I hope he is talking about fasting!" Maybe you do, but I highly doubt it...I sure don't. I did feel that I was preaching exactly what God wanted me to speak today. There is a difference between preaching what people want to hear and what God wants you to say. I felt today was a day that wasn't going to be fun to preach, but it was necessary to get people where God wants them.

Points to remember about today:
* the Cone Shell marine snail is one bad dude!

* Scriptural fasting is: abstaining from food or certain types of food for a period of time for spiritual purposes...sorry...fasting TV and XBox doesn't count

* Jesus mentioned fasting as part of the three chord group of things that people who follow God would do - when you give..., when you pray..., when you fast...(Matthew 6)

* The reason we don't fast is because of King Stomach and his rule in our lives

* We eat away the blessings of God

* fasting brings: things to the surface that control us, balance to our lives, healthier bodies, effectiveness in our prayer lives, guidance for decisions, and revelation

* primary purpose of fasting: acknowledging that God is our source of life, nourishment, and sustenance

* when we fast it is as if we were in continuous prayer

* desire to experience the Blesser more than the blessing

* If you want to discover more of God through fasting, just do it. Start slowly and progress how long you fast. There is never a convenient time to fast!!

NOTE:
Tomorrow I will lay out some details about the future of the Journey and our new campuses...invite someone to the blog to see it. Everyone else in the church will receive a letter on Tuesday or Wednesday describing those details. All I can say for now is: HOLD ON TIGHT...HERE WE GO!

Spiritual Community or Social Club

A question popped into my mind this morning: what makes the relationships at church different than all the other relationships we share? Just for the record, I'm not one of those guys who believes in having your "church" friends and your "real" friends. I have discovered that my friends are my friends, some go to church and others do not. My question centers around the discussions being had between friends who call themselves followers of Jesus and those who don't. If I was to give my honest assessment, I believe the church, which is a spiritual community, often ends up being no different than a social club.

Let's face it, we can have conversations all day long about the weather, our kids, the latest development in Titans camp, the presidential race, and many other things. We seem to be able to carry a conversation about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie better than we can about the condition of our hearts. We don't often have much to say about the bitterness, jealously, envy, hate, lack of forgiveness, lust, pride, fear, and other things that too often fill our hearts. The church, and more importantly, the relationships in the church, are to be full of transparency so that we can lift each other up when we fall. It's OK to enjoy being with church people and having conversations outside of what Jesus has done for you. My fear is that we have that conversation all too often, and forfeit the closeness and realness gained from authenticity with each other. There is a big deficit in the number of conversations Christians are having that pertain to spiritual matters and growing.

This is why it's important to be in a small group on a regular basis. If you are not in a small group, find a 20/20/20 group to be a part of. Even beyond groups, there is a need to transition some of our close friendships to allow for more spiritual conversation to occur. There is too much at stake for us to not have others helping us along the journey. We have to allow conversations to take us into the presence of God so that we can grow together. You will be amazed when you being to engage in meaningful conversations just how much WE ALL struggle. Next time you are spending lots of time with people from church, ask yourself the question: is this a spiritual community or a social club? When you discover the answer, do something about it. Be the person who shifts the culture.

A New Journey Begins

Today I begin a new journey in my life. I start my Master's program at Vanderbilt today. I have orientation and registration for classes all day long. This evening will be a class reception and dinner. Two thoughts are swirling around my head:

1. How did I fool Vanderbilt into accepting me?

2. What level of focus and commitment is this going to require of me?

This program will grow me and challenge me in great ways. Completing this program is going to open many opportunities and doors for me in the future. More importantly, I believe I'm going here for more than a piece of paper; I believe I'm going to Vanderbilt because their are leaders and individuals there that God desires for me to encounter and invest in. There are going to be some kingdom warriors that I'm going to partner with as a result of this...I'm believing that with all my heart.

I know it is going to be difficult. I truly believe God has ordained this season for me, but I know it is going to require extreme focus. Pray that I would be wise with my time and confident in myself as I embark on this new part of my life.

Book Review: Wild Goose Chase

I've never met Mark Batterson before, but after reading his new book Wild Goose Chase, I feel we are kindred spirits and men with the same heart beat. The theme of his new book is on reclaiming the adventure of pursuing God by following the lead of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The title of the book reflects the Celtic Christians and their name for the Holy Spirit - An Geadh-Glas, or "the Wild Goose." Mark uses this theme of chasing the Wild Goose as the backdrop for exploring how to live on a radical journey with Jesus and why we often settle for a complacent religious experience instead.

The book is structured to look at six cages that keep us from engaging in the life that God desires for us to live. Those six cages are: the cage of responsibility, the cage of routine, the cage of assumptions, the cage of guilt, the cage of failure, and the cage of fear. Mark takes biblical characters and traces their steps of chasing the Wild Goose to show how we can break free from each cage. Mark's strength as a writer is that he is able to communicate profound truths with simplicity. His conversational writing allows for the reader to easily follow where he is leading and to grasp the content being shared. Mark uses humor and personal story to help make the connections to the points he is communicating. This makes the book a very easy read.

Wild Goose Chase is a great book for those seeking to understand how to live a more vibrant faith. This book is not designed to answer deep theological questions or as a model for having a successful church. This book is intended to serve as a catalyst for breaking out of the rut of religion and into the adventure of relationship with God. I believe Mark delivers on his intentions of writing such a book. He challenges the status quo of Christianity and dares to believe that there is something much deeper waiting to be found. In Mark's own words: This book is about more than you and me experiencing spiritual adventure. In fact, this book is not about you at all. It's a book about the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who wants to write His-story through your life. And if you read through Scripture, you'll discover that His favorite genre is action-adventure (Wild Goose Chase, pg.11).

I highly recommend the book for those who desire to begin living that action-adventure. The challenge is great, but the reward is greater. The book is available for purchase at all major book distributors, including Amazon. I am also giving away a free copy of the book. If you would like the free copy, simply leave a comment on the blog expressing why you desire to "chase the goose" in deeper ways in your life and I will choose one person to send the book to. The book is 174 pages long and published by Multnomah. If you would like to learn more about the book or Mark, visit: www.chasethegoose.com or www.markbatterson.com

Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of Washington, D.C.'s, National Community Church, widely recognized as one of America's most innovative churches. Mark is the author of the bestselling In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day and a widely read blogger. He lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Lora, and their three children.

Details Coming Soon!

Well, we believe we have our battle plan together for launching these two new campuses in Providence and Hartsville. It has been since February that we have been praying through details, finding leaders, and getting a strategy for success together. This week I will be sending out a letter to the church outlining the details of our strategy for these new campuses. I will release the information here on the blog first the day before the letter goes out - so tune in.

Snippets I can share now:
* You could attend each campus in a single weekend if you desired

* Teaching and worship will be the same at each campus that it is at the current campus

* It is going to require us to get some financial resources together to make it happen

* It is going to take a sacrifice of time and service to make it happen

* It is going to be amazing

* The campuses will be launched sooner rather than later

Stay tuned for the details in full in the next couple of days!

The Summit Church

God is doing some amazing things right now in the life of The Journey. People are finding Christ, we are about to launch two new locations, and many other great things are happening in the lives of people. These things are awesome, but there is still more to be excited about. The Journey is a mother/partnering church to The Summit Church that is planting in Seymour, TN (just outside of BIG ORANGE COUNTRY). They have been doing preview services on Saturday nights and things are really coming together for them.

I want to put out a challenge for the Savage Generation blog readers. I want you to consider how you can be a part of supporting and backing this new church start. Though we don't live close to them, it doesn't mean we can't be behind them in prayer and in things we could help with. For example, many of us here go out to eat at restaurants on a regular basis, but what if you took the money from one meal and decided to bless this church by offering them a resource. Pastor Bryan McKnight would be grateful, but more importantly, you would joining God in His mission to reach the people of Seymour. To help them out, look at their Wal-Mart Registry list and see if there are items you wouldn't mind assisting them to purchase.

God is working all over our great state. We have the privilege to not only be the church here in our region, but to help ignite a Jesus movement in Seymour as well.

Sunday Reflections

Let me begin by saying...WOW! God are you kidding me! Today was one of those days in which I say, "Thank you God that I get to be a part of this!"

What an amazing day today at The Journey. God continues to pour out His presence and favor on this church and these people. I get excited to think that we have not seen what all He desires to continue doing through our church. Do you have people in your lives that you should be inviting to church? Bring them! God is encountering people in ways I've never been a part of in all my life. We are witnessing people who have been far from God run to Him and others who have been playing it safe with God become DANGEROUS people!

The final number of people baptized today at church was 9. That's right...2 scheduled baptisms and 9 people end up getting baptized. Today we seen men in their late forties weeping come forward to be baptized. We seen a husband and wife duo come forward. We seen many people who wanted to be baptized today because they had never been baptized upon accepting Jesus as their Lord and King. We seen people who were baptized as youth, but never understood what they were doing and they wanted to do it right. Praise be to God! He is at work in our midst and He wants to blow our minds with what is to come. We have had nearly 30 professions of faith and baptisms over the last three months -- that is a God thing.

Before leaving today, a friend approached me that has a gift of prophecy. This is a very mature follower of Christ and doesn't walk around wielding his prophecy sword around trying to say, "thus sayeth the Lord." But he did approach me today and said that God has shared with him, "this is only the tip of the iceberg...get ready!" I say, "Come Lord Jesus, Come!"

Continue praying big prayers Journey Church. Listen to the voice of our Great Shepherd and obey Him. Our prayers become more in line with His will as we simply follow His lead. I love being your pastor. I love where God is leading us. I love to dream of what the next several months are going to look like.

Click here to watch Week One of the DNA series: Repentance. This week's message and baptism videos should be up by mid-week.