I have been up since 2:00 a.m.  Nothing I do allows me to go back to sleep and to be honest, I am glad I am not sleeping.  God has me really burdened right now about Revolution Church.  We are in an awesome, exciting, and SCARY time.  We have a ton of new faces, we are launching a second campus in less then 90 days with no location, we have stepped out on faith in our budget, and we have a ton of things going on right now.

I’m excited.  However, I also feel the need to depend on Jesus more then ever.  I have a huge burden for our people to experience all that God has for them, I have a huge burden for those in our community who don’t know Christ, I have a huge burden for our new believers to take the next steps.  I never want to be a church that is playing church.  I want Revolution to be a church that is literally changing everything in its path with the message of Jesus Christ.

I have spent the last 3 hours praying and reading and just begging God to do something Great though us.  I’m proud to be the pastor of Revolution and I think it is the greatest church in the world, but I never want us to be satisfied with what God is doing.  There is more work to do and we will not rest until we literally change our community.

Things I have prayed tonight regarding the people who make up Revolution:

• A passion to truly be Christ-followers
• A burden for their friends who don’t know Christ
• A faith to trust God with everything including their finances
• A desire to want to serve and be part of what God is doing
• A heart for community and relationships
• To take the next steps (whatever that may be) in their walk with Christ

• It was great to be back teaching today!
• It has been a long time since I left the stage feeling like I dropped the ball, but I did today.  For whatever reason, I just couldn’t get in the flow of the message.
• Glad I have a promise that God’s Word will not come back void. Even when I am not clicking, God’s word is still God’s word.
• I am loving our Pirates series!!!!!! It seems to be connecting big time with the people of Revolution.
• We had to add a SECOND class to hold all the people who are wanting to go to the Financial Seminar with Joe Sangl!!!!! That is awesome!
• I am pumped up about our volunteer appreciation party this Friday night. If you are not signed-up, there is still time. Email Preston and let him know you are coming at preston@therevolution.tv.
• My calendar is slammed this week!!!!
• Again, I am asking for your prayers about our Jasper campus. HOPEFULLY, we are going to nail down a location on Tuesday. The location is GREAT and the price is right, we just have to figure out build-out (yes, I said build-out!!!!!).
• Seriously, I don’t feel like I know the names of half of the people in our church! We have a ton of new people.
• Had some of our people email me some pictures of some crazy people at a concert last night that said they were going to hell because they were at the concert. People are nuts!
• Had lunch with Chris Elrod today. I think we are going to make him an honorary member of Revolution. He’s hung out with us about 3 times now and the dude just makes me laugh!
• I rode 27 miles today. Holy crap, that was way hard! I can’t believe how much I am loving being on the road, looking at God’s creation and not worrying about email and cell phones.
• Did I mention how hard 27 miles was?  About 5 miles of it was straight up a hill and I didn’t think I could make it.
• Love hearing stories from other pastors about those who make up Revolution. I have about 3 local pastors who are always running into our people and I love it when they share stories with me. I love our crazy people!
• I don’t think I have ever been around a group of people who buy into their church as much as the people of Revolution do. I’ve learnd there is not middle ground with us. You either LOVE us or you HATE us.
• I joke all the time that somone should do a reality show about Revolution. I would never allow it, but it would make good TV.
• It hit me today that neither one of my children have ever been part of a church with a “real” building. They have been part of churches meeting in a SDA church, one meeting in a high school gym, one meeting in a lunchroom, and one meeting in a movie theater. We have some interesting things brewing with BOTH of our locations and IF they happen, they will add to their streak of not meeting in a “real” location. I think it is kind of cool.
• Tom Brady scored 50 fantasy points today AGAINST my team.  I have won 1 game this year.
• I need to get away a few days and plan how we are going to get all the new faces connected.
• I love seeing all the kids running around church dressed like pirates!!!!!
• Got a meeting in the morning with a local pastor that I really like.  For some reason, I’m known as the pastor that hates all the other pastors in town.  The fact is, I love the other pastors in our town and pray for them daily.  If there is one area God has grown me in since we started Revolution it is in the area of celebrating what God is doing at other churches.  We are on the same team and I love to hear stories of how God is blessing them.
• Georgia plays Florida this Saturday.  Man, we need to win that stinking game.
• I heard this the other day and it has stuck with me:  First time guests are a gift from God.
• Malcolm and Amy were at Life Church in Nashville today.  Can’t wait to hear what they learned.
• I’m going to watch football.

One of the oddest and coolest things about Revolution is we are the Preacher Kid’s Church.  Last night in our membership we had two PK’s in the class and we have about 8 PK’s already in the church.

All of them but a few were out of church before coming here.  I’m learning from them on how to avoid the same thing happening to my children.  In most churches being the preacher’s kid is rough.  That is another reason I love Revolution!  Our people realize I’m a normal (or not so normal) guy just like them.  They also don’t put crazy expectations on my family.  Hopefully Ashlyn and Avery will turn out as normal as they can being raised in my house.

I think it is awesome that these people that have seen the ugly side of church and wanted nothing to do with it have found a home at Revolution!!!

WOW!  I just left our membership class and there were only 4 people there who were in church previously to attending Revolution!  Hearing the stories of people’s pasts (we had someone who was on the Jerry Springer show!!!!!!!!) and how God has used Revolution to impact their lives just reminds me of why we do Revolution!  Membership class is one of my favorite things and it is one of the things I REFUSE to quit attending.  I love putting names with the faces, hearing people’s stories and sharing our story.

It is so easy for me to focus on the critics and those who bash what God is doing here, but when I hear the stories of life change it keeps me going and more determined to push the limits on how church is done in this area.

I’m always amazed at the stories from people who attend the church who had friends and family “warn” them before attending our church.  It is crazy the way we have a reputation with so many people who have NEVER darkened the doors of our church!  I have never experienced anything like that before.  It is weird.

My favorite story of the night is from a couple that I dig who has been attending a while.  I always wondered how they ended up at Revolution and I found out tonight.  They had a neighbor who was looking for a church so they decided to visit Revolution with their friend.  Well, the friend hated it, but they loved it and have been coming ever since.  I hate that their friend hated it, but I am glad they like it.  They are going to be part of our Jasper crew!

It is so awesome to pastor a church that I would attend even if I wasn’t the pastor!

For the last 4 weeks, I have actually taken our off day which is Friday, off.  It has been amazing to have Friday off to detox and then enjoy my Saturdays.  I know pastors that only take one day off a week off and that explains why they are always burned out and why they are always having their wife mad at that them.

Today, I am going to make some breakfast, attempt a 27 mile bike ride (the most I have ever done is 12), chill with my family, then tonight I’m going to drop into our membership class and share the Revolution story.  I love membership class because I love sharing our story and I love putting names with faces.

It is going to be a good day.

It’s overcast outside, the leaves are changing colors, Tim is off, Malcolm is off, and I’m stuck in the office today so it just seems like a day to blast some Lynyrd Skynyrd in the office. Nothing like getting in touch with your inner redneck.

I try and throw all my meetings on one day so I can just knock them all out and be done with them and today I am slammed with meetings!!!!

Went to the North Central Mission Center this morning to check in with Richard Poe and make sure he is still kicking. He is.

Then I got the office and had a fun meeting with Michael and Linda Creighton. They are house parents at Goshen Valley Boys Ranch in Waleska and I dig them. They are a sharp couple and they are going to be a huge asset at Revolution especially in the area of students. I’m pumped about getting to know them more. Plus, they make me laugh which is very important.

After meeting with them, I had a phone appointment with Josh Singleton who is doing a very good job planting Jordan Creek Family Church in Iowa. I love church planters in Iowa and they always shoot to the top of my schedule after pastoring there for 4 years. It is a hard area and Josh is knocking it out of the park. He’s got a good blog too.

Later today Paul Peterson and Jeff Murphy are coming into the office to talk church planting. They are interns over at Mountain Lake and both are good guys. I’m looking forward to talking shop with them.

Then tonight the family is heading to over the boys ranch to have dinner with another awesome couple who is working there. Steven and Denise have invited us over for dinner. I feel like an old school preacher going to have dinner with on the people of the church. I am really looking forward to it. Denise has a very dry sense of humor and makes me laugh plus I am looking forward to seeing the ranch! The question is are they ready for my two children????

Ever had one of those weeks?  It isn’t really a bad week, it is just one of THOSE weeks.  That is the type of week I am having.  Things have been busy around here with all that is going on over the next month, we have been planning Christmas stuff, we have been discussing Jasper location stuff, and we are still getting use to the fact that on Tuesday all of our staff (including PT) is in the office.  It is packed out on Tuesdays!

On top of that, anytime I don’t preach, I find a million things around that can be improved upon.  Last week, I walked around noticing all types of things that we can turn up a notch.  Getting those taken care of this week has been crazy.

On top of all the craziness going on in the office, this has been one of those weeks where I have been made aware of several of our families that are simply hurting from various things to financial stress to home problems to job problems.  I have really felt led to spend some time in pray for the awesome people who make up Revolution.  I am pretty hard hearted but I hate it when our people hurt.  You wish you could make it better, but sometimes all you can do is listen and pray for them.  It sucks.

I haven’t had a chance to go riding but that will change today.  Right after work, I am going riding for a little while to burn some calories, fat, and stress.  I’m looking forward to it.  I’ve only got an hour but that should be plenty of time to wear myself out.

Saw this quote from Chris Elrod and it made me smile.  It is such a true statement.  I’m not a coffee drinker, but I honestly can’t remember the last time I went into a starbucks and there wasn’t a pastor in there feeling good about himself because he was “among the lost.”  Nothing wrong with Starbucks and nothing wrong with hanging out there, but it does make me laugh that it is more filled with Christian workers then it is disconnected people.

Christians hang out at Starbucks…disconnected people hang out in bars. -Chris Elrod

I know I am getting old because this Church Planting thing is wearing me out!!  As I work on getting Jasper ready to launch in January, I forgot how much work it is.  The good thing is I love what we are doing!

Spent half the day in Jasper today looking for locations and had an AWESOME meeting with Mayor John Weaver (VERY cool dude) and he seemed excited about us coming to town and stirring it up a little. :)  He gave us some very cool insight into the city and was a good help as we are looking for a location to meet in.

Launching new campuses is hard work and I could let one of our staff guys do it (Malcolm has done a ton), but starting new churches is my heartbeat so I am enjoying it a lot!