Ready for 2010

2010 is here! A new year for most people means a ton of resolutions, diet plans, new gym memberships, and more.

There is a saying though that says - "If you do what you have always done, you will get what you always got."

What changes do you need to make in 2010? Most people list what they need to change BUT don't put together a plan to actually make the change.

We start out with a lot of good intentions, but it's action not intentions that bring about the necessary changes in your life.

Here are some questions that have helped me evaluate my life:

1) What do I need to stop doing in 2010? A lot of us are good at to do list but we really stink at stop doing lists.

2) Am I closer to Jesus this year than I was last year? One thing I am doing and would encourage you to do as well is to pick a Bible reading plan from Youversion.com for 2010.

3) Am I regularly observing a Sabbath? Most pastors are terrible about this but God actually had a lot to say about it. I am fighting hard to have a true day off and that includes no technology.

4) Is my family getting all of me OR leftovers of my time and attention? Date night, family time, etc.

5) Is my daily, weekly, and monthly calendar planned with the right priorities? If you don't control your calendar, it will control you.

Unstoppable

We are kicking off the new year with a new message series at Elevate called Unstoppable. Join us January 3rd for this new series and for the next several weeks as we talk about:

• An Unstoppable God - January 3rd
  
• An Unstoppable Vision - January 10th - Our One Year Anniversary!
  
• Unstoppable Partners - January 17th
  

God is unstoppable! Why is it that so many times as Christians our lives seem very stoppable?

Matthew 11:12 says God's kingdom is advancing! Let's join our unstoppable God in advancing His kingdom and begin to realize what it means to live unstoppable in our world.

It is going to be an awesome series and a great month at Elevate Church!

Sunday (Christmas) Reflections

Here are some thoughts from this past weekend:

• I had the privilege to preach at Connection Fellowship Church in South Carolina this past Sunday.
• I am grateful for their generosity and partnership with Elevate Church.
  
• I am also grateful for the many churches that have partnered with us to start Elevate this past year. We couldn't have done it without them. I am thankful they believe in me and the vision of Elevate.
• It was weird not having a service at Elevate on Sunday.
• I am ready to kick in full blast on January 3rd for our new series called Unstoppable!
  
• We will be talking about an Unstoppable God, an Unstoppable Vision, and Unstoppable Partners.
• We have had an incredible Christmas with our family in South Carolina.
• I would love to do a Christmas Eve service at Elevate when we have the opportunity. I think it would be a great way to reach people who may not normally go to church.
  
• Christmas time is probably my favorite time of year.
• One thing I have been reminded of a lot during this Christmas: Jesus is Lord and worthy to be celebrated on December 25th as well as the other 364 days of the year.
• We are great about one day but let's honor Him as Lord and Savior every other day too.
• Our kids had no clue about the difference in temperature in SC. Before we left San Diego, they were packing flip flops and swimming trunks. Just a little too cold for that. :-)
• Some of us went to see Invictus on Christmas night. It was a little slow but a great story about forgiveness.
  
• I am going on a date with my wife tonight. She is hot and I love her a lot!
  
• I am ready for 2010 and the great things God is going to do!
  

Travel Day

We leave for South Carolina today to visit family for Christmas.

Here are our travel plans:

• Leave San Diego at 11:50am pacific time.
• Arrive in Minneapolis and have one hour to switch planes.
• Assuming there are no delays, we will arrive in Charlotte, NC at 10:25pm eastern time.
• Then we will drive an hour and a half to our parents house.

That make me tired to think about it!

Needless to say that with four kids this could be a very interesting trip. We are bringing a lot of games, snacks, and other things to hopefully keep our kids entertained.

I always like to say it is an opportunity to make some memories. One day I am sure we will look back and talk about these kind of trips. If we aren't careful, we will always be in a hurry to get somewhere but forget to soak in the moments with our family.

Pray for us as we travel! I am sure we are going to have an opportunity for lots of memories to be made over this trip. :-)

Sunday Reflections

Here are some thoughts from today:

• We had our Out of this World Christmas service and to say it was like nothing we planned would be an understatement.
• We found out this morning we had to move from the normal theater we use for our service.
  
• We get in the different theater and the power kept going out in the sound system. Finally we made it through sound check with the band, only for the power in the system to go out again.
• We had some incredible things planned for the service but it turned into a worship leader singing with an acoustic guitar and me preaching. That was it.
• To be honest, my first thoughts were not happy thoughts at all. I was frustrated for many reasons but I do remember God saying to me right before I preached that all I needed I already had: Jesus and His Word.
• Wow, that is true!
• Everyone was incredibly gracious and God used the message in a powerful way.
  
• If you are a follower of Jesus, Christmas shouldn't be the day about Jesus. It should be that all of life is about Jesus.
• No one is too good they don't need a Savior OR so bad they can't have a Savior. No one is above the need for the grace of God or too far away to receive the grace of God.
  
• Jesus came because ALL of us needed a Savior (Luke 2:10-12).
  
• If you feel like you're a "thousand miles" from Jesus, you need to remember that God has a history of taking people far from Him and bringing them to Jesus.
• I am so proud of our volunteers and their attitude through a stressful morning.
  
• We are not having a service next Sunday to give all our volunteers the weekend off. They do an incredible job.
• I will be preaching at one of our partner churches in South Carolina next Sunday. I am looking forward to sharing with them.
  
• Sunday, January 3rd we are starting a series called Unstoppable. We are talking about what it means to be the church and to truly be unstoppable in our world.
  
• Sunday, January 10th is our One Year Anniversary! I can't wait to celebrate what God has done this past year and to look forward to the things God has planned for 2010.
  

Random Friday

Here are some random Friday thoughts:

• I am so excited about our Out of this World Christmas service this Sunday! It starts at 9am at the Ultra Star Cinemas. Go here for directions and don't miss our first Christmas service as a church. It is going to be awesome!
• I have barely been able to come up for breath this week with so much going on: Christmas service, end of the year stuff, gearing up for our January series, and our One Year anniversary on January 10th.
• I am so pumped about what God has next for Elevate.
  
• Isn't it funny that I talk about Being still last Sunday and this week has been filled with things that can keep me distracted.
• I have been so encouraged to hear how God is working in the lives of those at Elevate as they fight for silence and to truly hear from God.
• Satan doesn't care about turning you into a demon possessed person. He is ok with you focusing all of your time and attention to things that won't matter in a 100 years or next year for that matter.
• I know I haven't updated the blog much lately but it will probably stay this way until the first of January.
• Thanks for your prayers and being a part of this journey!
  

Sunday Reflections

Here are some thoughts from a great day:

• We had the most unique service we have done since Elevate started. We called it the HOPE Encounter.
• We talked about being still and knowing that Jesus is God!
  
• I know it was probably hard and a bit awkward for some people to sit in silence for a few minutes but it is was needed.
  
• Some people say they feel like they can't hear God's voice. Maybe it's not that He isn't speaking, it's you have so much noise in your life that you can't hear him.
• God spoke to Elijah with a "gentle whisper" not in the winds, an earthquake, or the fire. (1 Kings 19:10-13).
• We also reflected on the price that Jesus paid for us at the cross through the Lord's Supper.
• God's approval is not won through what you DO. God's approval was won 2,000 years ago at the cross!
• Jesus substituted His perfection for our imperfection, his righteousness for our sinfulness.
• Is what you are living for worth Christ dying for the way He died?
• Someone gave me their ipod for the next 40 days as they focus on hearing from God.
• Someone else gave me a big hug after the service and thanked God for Elevate and how God has used this church to change his life.
• Someone else sent me a text about how God was challenging them in a major way through the message in certain areas of their life. Their are other stories too.
  
• These are the type of things that I live for and why we started Elevate Church: To see lives changed by the power of the Gospel and lead people to become passionate followers of Christ!
• Naomi has been singing a song that she learned in E-Kidz. I am grateful for those who serve in our E-Kidz ministry and teach our kids about Jesus!
  
• I am very grateful for all of those who make Sunday's at Elevate happen each week. You all are a huge blessing!
  
• I love that clip from Elf. Buddy the Elf is so funny. That has to be one of my favorite Christmas movies.
• Who are you inviting to our Christmas service this coming Sunday? Pray now and invite your friends and family. It is going to be an incredible service we are calling an Out of This World Christmas!
  

Random Friday

Here are some random Friday thoughts:

• I can't wait until Sunday! It will be the most unique service we have ever done at Elevate Church. We are calling it the HOPE Encounter.
• Our first ever Christmas service will be on Sunday, December 20th and it's called Out of this World Christmas. I can't wait to share what God has put on my heart to share on this day!
• I am going to get a haircut today. I am way over due!
  
• I heard that in 2005 there were over 500,000 Bibles sold a week in America. Our problem is not access. Our problem is when we don't read the Bible with a holy anticipation for what God wants to say to us. That changes when you realize that God's Word is "living and active; Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12
  
• You need to stop right now and watch this. It is a video from Matt Chandler. He is a pastor in Texas and he did this video before his brain surgery. You can follow the updates at their church blog.
• I love this post by Perry Noble about the Urgency of the Gospel. Heaven is real. Hell is real. Everybody will spend eternity in one of those places. What are you doing to make a difference? Read this and this to see how much Jesus cares about those who are far from Him and the measures taken to reach them.
• If you haven't already, start praying for who you can invite and be sure to invite them next week for our Christmas service.
  

Out of This World Christmas

I am very excited about our Christmas service on December 20th called Out of this World. We will take a look at a Christmas that truly came from out of this world.

Begin praying now who God would have you to invite to this special service. Then go invite them!

Christmas time for many people is a lonely time as they think about loved ones they have lost in the past. For others, it is about shopping, lights, Christmas trees, family dinners, and pretty much everything but the one it is truly about: Jesus.

Whether you are a Christian or not, it is easy to get so busy in the season that we miss what it is truly all about.

I am looking forward to us taking some time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas as we prepare to celebrate the birth of the One who came and truly changed the course of history.

It is quite amazing that a little peasant boy born in a barn would alter time the way that Jesus has done. Seriously, think about it: over 2,000 years later and we are still talking about Him!

I can't wait for our Out of This World Christmas service!

Baptisms

We baptized six people this past Sunday at Elevate. We borrowed a portable baptismal and had a Baptism Bash at someone's home. It was a great time and it makes everything we do worth it! Seeing people put Jesus first in their lives and walk in obedience to Him is so awesome!

Below are a few pictures from the celebration.

Sunday Reflections

Here are some Sunday thoughts:

• It was the third week in our HOPE series and Chris shared about Seeing in a Blurry World.
• He did a great job and here are a few points from the message:
• "God will get you where He wants you to go" (Isaiah 45:2-3).
• "Delayed obedience is disobedience."
• "Be aware of blind spots in your life."
• "The result of clarity is seeing Jesus even in hopelessness."
• We had some receive Christ! That is awesome.
• After the service, we baptized six people at our Baptism Bash! It was so much fun.
• I know I say it a lot but I am so grateful for volunteers that serve at Elevate every week.
• I am so excited about the next two weeks at Elevate.
• Don't miss our HOPE encounter on Sunday, December 13th. It is a service like we have never done.
• Then we celebrate our first Christmas service on the 20th called An Out of this World Christmas.
• Remember what I said Sunday morning: Pray every day this week for the people you plan to invite to our Christmas service. We are providing invites this coming Sunday for you to use to invite friends and family.

Random Friday

Here is some Random Friday stuff:

• Week three of our HOPE series is this Sunday! It has been so awesome to see what God has been doing over the last few weeks.
• We also have our Baptism Bash right after the service. If you need to be baptized, don't put it off. Take the Plunge! Send me an email to sign up: Kevin@ElevateSanDiego.com
• December 13th is our HOPE Encounter. Get ready for a powerful worship service and a great time for all of us to truly experience hope!
• Our Out of this World Christmas service is on December 20th. It will be our first Christmas celebration as a church. I'm really looking forward to that day!
• I know I say it a lot but it's true: I am excited about what God is doing and can't wait for the next few weeks.
  
• If you are a pastor and not excited about what God is going to do at your church, then you can't expect others to be excited either.
• This a great post by Perry Noble about praying for your pastor. We are in a war and could use a lot of prayer!
• I love the "Church Math" post by Tony Morgan.
• Georgia beat Georgia Tech and South Carolina beat Clemson. I think that means Georgia and South Carolina should play in the ACC Championship. :-)
• In case you didn't know, the National Championship is being played this weekend by Florida and Alabama. :-)
• I love the Christmas Season!
• Pray for Matt Chandler. He is a pastor in Texas that is having brain surgery today. Here is an amazing post by his wife about everything that is happening right now.
• "Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell." - C.T. Studd
• That is a great quote above. Elevate doesn't exist to be a nice cozy place for Christians but a place for people desperately in search of Hope to find the source of Hope: JESUS!
  

The Hope of the World

Jesus said that He would build His church and the gates of Hell will not overcome it! (Matthew 16:18)

It is His church and He is the one who is building it.

He didn't say He was building his non profit 501 (c) 3. He is not building a para church ministry.

I have nothing against ministries that have been created separate from the church. My problem is that the reason that many of these organizations have started is because many in the church have forgotten this fact: The Church is the Hope of the World!

It brings so much freedom to realize that it's not my church. It's not about the name of Elevate or the name of any other church. Elevate Church belongs to Jesus! It is His church and He is the One advancing His kingdom through it.

If you are a follower of Jesus, remember during this Christmas season that within you is the greatest hope anyone could ever find. Share it with others and let others see Jesus and His church being built through you.

Jesus and His Church is the hope of the world!

Enjoy the Journey

"Enjoy the Journey because the destination is a mirage."

I have heard this said on many occasions in reference to ministry. We can become so obsessed about where we need or want to be that we don't enjoy where God has us in this moment.

I can see this in my life when it comes to ministry but also in other areas as well.

For you, it could be:

• I can't wait until our kids get older.
• I can't wait until I get a raise or a better job.
• I can't wait until we get to the next season of life.
• I can't wait until we can get a bigger house or new car.
• I can't wait until I get to trade in my spouse. Ok, hopefully you aren't saying this one. :-) Just checking to see if you were listening.

I said something this past Sunday in reference to the life of Joseph. Be faithful "here" before you get "there." Read Genesis 37-45 for the whole story.

Too often we are focused on "there" wherever that is for you. It is the mirage. You think once you get to that place you will be happy, complete, or finally "arrive."

Don't buy it! You won't get there until you are faithful here. Start enjoying the moments of life right now. Don't wish your life away. Realize that if you can't be satisfied where God has you now then you won't be satisfied when you get to that illusive place one day.

"As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work." - (John 9:4)

Make the most of today!