My journey with Newspring began four years ago.  I’ll never forget coming across PerryNoble.com and being blown away by what I read.  I kept thinking to myself, “can he really say that?”  I found the Perry was saying what everybody else was thinking but afraid to say.  Needless to say, a curiosity was birthed inside of me to learn more about Newspring Church.

Within a few months my executive pastor and I managed to line up a lunch meeting with Perry in Anderson.  I’ll never forget what he said to me when I asked him about his boldness on stage.  He said, “the moment you begin to censor your words because of your critics you are done!”  That day I felt as if I was given permission to be ME…to say what God had put on my heart and to say it in a way that I WOULD SAY IT!

Fast forward through many trips to Anderson, multiple unleash conferences, and a pastors coaching network and somehow a friendship began between Newspring and Lifepoint.  There is NO Way I could adequately thank Karla, Jason, Joel, Lee, Ken, Brad, Shane, Lindsay, Margie, Coleen, and the rest of the crew for what they have meant to me and my team!  You guys are amazing and I am honored to serve alongside such incredible servants!

My experience preaching the Word of God at Newspring was an honoring one.  The nerves were definitely flowing!  I didn’t sleep much on Saturday night.  But the God who is rich in mercy stepped in and gave me everything I needed.  Throughout the course of the day I preached to over 9,000 people and saw 74 make decisions to begin a relationship with Jesus! Here’s a few random thoughts on my time at Newspring:

• The Newspring Team is over the Top.  I have to say thanks to Ben Coleman for filming a video on Saturday to send back to my Lifepoint crew.
• I couldn’t tell if my insides were rumbling from nerves or if it was just the bass rocking my world.
• I was excited about preaching on such a big stage until they told me that I couldn’t walk off the mat.  (apparently, walking off the mat=walking out of the camera which appears that I got raptured for all the campus’ watching via video)
• Yes, Perry made fun of me.
• Yes, he poked fun at my last name.
• Yes, my last name means cabbage.
• As it turns out, Pete Wilson and I are in a running for the best looking pastors in america award.  I think you can vote for me on facebook.
• You can tell that the Newspring team are really great friends.
• The 6 o’clock service definitely lived up to the hype.
• I was honored that my staff drove down after our 11am service to support me at the 6pm service.
• I had lots of friends praying for me and I REALLY appreciated it!
• I ate more food in two days than I have in the last two weeks!
• Hanger Steak and Peanut Butter Pie from Sullivans…HELLO!!!!!!

Thank you Newspring for setting an example for churches to follow.  Thank you Perry for being an authentic leader who pushes me to be a better pastor!

Thank you for an experience that I will never forget!

You can watch the message here.

Judging by the pictures and reports, Nashville has been hit hard!  REALLY HARD!  Experts are calling this the “500 year flood.”  Here is the article that appeared on Fox news this morning about the situation Basically what happened is that Nashville received around 15 inches of rain in a 24 hour period and the rivers could not handle it…and this situation is intense and desperate as MOST people living in that area did NOT have flood insurance.

We have an opportunity to step up and make a difference.  I am asking all of Lifepoint and partnering churches to step up and give big.  We are not going to wait until the weekend to collect an offering.  Nashville needs the money NOW!

We are partnering with Pastor Pete Wilson and Crosspoint Church.  I know Pete and I’ve been to their church.  They are in the middle of the mess and they will be there long after relief crews have left.  I don’t believe there is a better mission to partner with.

Here is how the money is going to be used:

• To help people repair their homes (HUNDREDS of people lost everything!)
• To purchase equipment to assist with the relief efforts
• To purchase supplies such as water and food (all but one water treatment plant has been shut down!)
• To feed people

Those are just SOME of the things…

This is our moment to link arms with other believers to serve the broken and hurting.  I’m counting on you Lifepoint to give and to give big!  Let’s let our lights shine bright in the midst of this dark situation.  Pray hard and give big!

Here is the link to give…you can specify “flood relief fund” in the fund section under your donation amount!

Mark your calendar for Saturday, June 26th.  Pastor Michael Lukaszewski and Oak Leaf Church are hosting the NUTS AND BOLTS CONFERENCE.  I have personally learn a ton from Michael and Oak Leaf.  This is a must attend conference for all church planters.

What is it? Nuts and Bolts is a one-day conference for church planters, church leaders and their teams.  There will be two main sessions and one breakout session (you’ll choose from about six of them)

When is it? Saturday, June 26.  We chose to do this on a Saturday so bi-vocational pastors or church planters with day jobs can come and can bring people.  It starts at 9am and it will end with an early-edition of our weekend service.

How much does it cost? $10 a person.  We wanted to keep the cost extremely low because we’re not trying to make money…we’re trying to equip church planters.  And 100% of the registration fee goes to church planting.

Here is a snippet from the first page…

Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up,

that to be low is to be high,

that the broken heart is the healed heart,

that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,

that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,

that to have nothing is to possess all,

that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,

that to give is to receive,

that the valley is the place of vision.

Let me find thy light in my darkness,

they life in my death,

they grace in my sin,

thy riches in my poverty,

thy glory in my valley.

The following is the news story that was aired last night on WECT.

Thanks Strick!

nice design work!

Be sure to read the disclaimer on the first one first.

Phrases we need to ban pt. 1

Phrases we need to ban pt. 2

Steven, if you read this…keep it up!

So I was reading my Relevant and came across a page promoting a new book by Rick McKinley, Pastor of Imago Dei, titled, This Beautiful Mess. It just so happens I picked it up at the Catalyst Conference a few weeks ago. I loved it. Then I flipped the page. One page over was a book titled, Confessions of a Pastor by Craig Groeschel. I read that just after This Beautiful Mess. Great Book. One more page and you come across a new book by Pastor Mark Batterson called, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. You guessed it…I’m currently reading it. I’m at the halfway point and am loving the content.  So take trendy mag add trendy books and you find trendy me.  Pretty cool.
All we need now is a book by Perry Noble. From the sound of it there is one in the works. I can’t wait.

Don’t ever stop reading. EVER!

check out the chapters:

1. I can’t stand alot of christians

2. I have to work hard to stay sexually pure

3. Most of the time I feel incredibly lonely

4. I hate prayer meetings

5. I worry almost all the time

6. Sometimes I doubt God

7. I feel completely inadequate

8. I stink at handling criticism

9. I’m afraid of failure

You will laugh. You will feel convicted. You will know you’re not alone.

I’ll leave you with one of the opening lines. “I had become a full-time minister and a part-time follower of Christ.”

Go get it…Read it.