Let me jump on the snow bandwagon with all the other blogging pastors. Yes, it is supposed to snow tonight and in the morning Good. We are STILL having church. We are NOT cancelling for a few inches of snow.

IF it does start to ice Saturday night and for some CRAZY reason we can’t have church, I will update you here and on our website.

But don’t count on us cancelling. I got a message that I am so freaking pumped about and I ain’t about to let some snow stop the MO we have right now. Church will go on Sunday and it is going to be off the hook!!!! I think this is going to be the most rocking, most uncomfortable, and BEST Sunday of the series so far.

Enjoy the snow tomorrow! See ya at church Sunday!

I went to the doctor and he told me I have a severe case of laryngitis.  There is no medicine for it except resting my voice.  That is easier said than done for me. :)  I love to talk.

But I want to be better so I am teaching tonight at West Ridge Church, not talking tomorrow (DeAnna says it is an answered prayer), and teaching Sunday than I am totally resting my voice the early part of next week and hoping it gets better.

The doctor did tell me to take a shot of Wild Turkey and Honey before walking on stage to clear out my vocal cords.  I might try that at West Ridge tonight.

Things have been so busy around Revolution that I have dropped the ball on Unleash this year.  Unleash is a one day conference hosted by New Spring Church in Anderson, S.C.  We have had an awesome relationship with New Spring since about 6 months into the history of our church.  Revolution Church wouldn’t exist without New Spring.  That is a strong statement and it is the truth.  The conference is coming up SOON and we need to get people signed up.

Last year was their first year holding the conference and we took 52 people.  EVERY person who attended the conference either stepped up into huge roles at Revolution or they left because they realized how serious we are about reaching this region with the message of Jesus Christ.

This year we plan on taking as many people as we can possibly take.  Anderson is only two hours a way so we will live EARLY and return the same day, getting home about 8:00 p.m.  We are going to pay the way for as many people as possible.  Right now, we have the money to take the first 100 people that sign-up.  If more than that sign-up, we’ll find the money, trust me.

If you want to attend Unleash, e-mail Taylor at taylor@therevolution.tv and she will put you down.  If you want to see where we are headed as a church and what it is going to take to get there, SIGN-UP for this conference.  It truly is life-changing.

I was talking to another pastor today and we were talking about some of the interesting things people don’t realize about most pastors in regards to our jobs. The thought stuck with me all day, so here is my ramblings on things people probably don’t know realize about their pastor and his role as the leader of the church.

• We don’t like everything about the church - I get a kick out of people who always say, “I don’t agree with everything, but….” Do you honestly think we agree with everything happening at the church as well? There are several things Revolution does that I would probably change and don’t necessarily like, but that is life.
• You would be surprised what we end up hearing - Trust me, I hear just about everything that is happening in the lives of our people. Don’t ask me how, I just do. There are a ton of ways I find out things, but I somehow seem to find out. We have never had someone leave our church where I was surprised. I hear about what is said in Home Teams. I hear about people who leave and keep contacting people in our church. I hear about people grumbling and sowing discord. I just hear things. So don’t act surprised when I came to you about something you thought was a secret.
• We work more than one day a week - I love people who think the pastor only has to work one day a week. Trust me, a church doesn’t run itself. M-F, we are a business in many respects. There are bills, financial issues, staffing issues, planning, meetings, etc. I love when people say everytime they come to the office we are just hanging out. The reason we are “hanging out” is because you are there and we don’t want to be rude. We are glad you stopped by, but if you weren’t there we would be holed up in our offices doing work.
• We are willing to lose some people more than others - Okay, I don’t know if every pastor feels this way, but I do.  If I have to chose to make a decision that will cause a non-christian to leave or a christian to leave, I will always chose in favor of the non-christian (short of sinning).  If a christian leave, I know they will find another church for their family.  If the non-christian leaves, I don’t know that they will give church and God another chance.
• We all really want to be worship pastors - Yes, it is true.  I can’t sing or play the guitar, BUT I want to be the worship pastor.  I just think it would rock to be the frontman of a band and to lead people in worship.  Plus you can dress any way you want and people think it is cool.
• We don’t do this for the money - I get a kick out of this one.  People think all pastors are in it for the money.  I guess I missed something, but what money are they talking about?  Revolution pays me very well, but I could do what I do here in the secular world and make a whole lot more.  Trust me, I don’t do this for the money.  If money was what kept me in the ministry, I would have quit a long time ago.
• We hate when people leave - Everyone wants everyone to like them.  I hate it when people leave Revolution, I always wonder what I could have done different to keep them, BUT people leave.  We understand that reality and we understand everyone isn’t going to like what we do.  It is life.  We might sound hard hearted about that, but we do care.  However, we have still have all the people who still attend and new people coming in who we need to focus our attention on.  We don’t have time to be upset because we are to busy snatching people from hell.

I give up.  I am going to the doctor in the morning and I am begging him to give me something for my throat.  Pray that that it doesn’t involve shots.

1.) Sunday is  going to be off the hook!!!  I have always prided myself on being as honest and real as any pastor around.  I have never held things back and I have never tried to impress anyone with acting all pastoral and junk.  Well, this week I am being more honest and open than I have EVER been.  This Sunday is no-holds barred!!!  Plus we are busting out some good ole’ southern rock with one of my favorite songs ever.  We have been working all week on a special guest for this song this week.  Right now we are about 50/50 on whether we can pull it off, but either way the song is going to ROCK!

2.) Please continue to pray for my voice.  It is actually worse.  I am just believing the devil doesn’t want this weeks message taught.  People are going to get some major freedom this week from one of the strongest forms of bondage there is.  Please continue to pray I would get better.  Just for the record, I still haven’t went to the doctor.  I don’t do doctors so quit e-mailing me telling me to go.

3.) It is SNOWING!!!!!!!  I am pumped.  It won’t stick and it won’t amount to anything, but it is snowing!!!!  That means I have to get to the store and get bread and milk.  Oh wait, we get our milk straight from the cow so we are good in that area.  I still have to get to the store and get some bread…..and cookies.

We were SLACK last year in regards to conferences.  We went to two (Unleash and ChurchPlanters.com).  This year we are stepping it up to allow our crew to see and learn from those ahead of us on the journey.

On tap so far this year:

Fellowship Children’s Conference -  Jenna and Laney signed up for this one yesterday.  I am excited about them seeing Fellowship and learning how they do their children’s area.  They are going to have a blast.

ChurchPlanters.com - I personally think it is the best church planting conference around.  I love every aspect of it.  This year the speaker line-up is off the hook.  Plus I got to go and root Furtick on.  He’s very shy and introverted, so I hope I can get him to come out of his shell. :)  Oh yeah, I am doing a breakout session on portable church at this conference so that should make it even more fun.

Creative Church Conference - I have wanted to go to this conference every year and this year I am going.  It is the same week of churchplanters.com so it will be a long week, but I think I am going to take some people with me and we are going to have a blast.  Plus Perry is speaking and I am going to streak through the worship center right in the middle of his talk.

Unleash - We are taking our whole staff and a ton of our people to this one.  The BEST conference there is to take volunteers to allow them to see the big things God is doing and can do here.  If you attend Revolution and want to attend this with us, contact Taylor at taylor@therevolution.tv.  It is one day and we will head up in the morning and head back that night.

Drive - We are taking the entire staff to this one this year.  It is a great conference for us because it is in Alpharetta so we don’t have to pay for travel or hotel.  I have heard nothing but awesome things about this one and I am pumped about going.

As our church continues to grow, it is vitally important that we as a staff continue to grow.  We have not done the best job of investing in our staff’s ability to grow in the past due to different circumstances.  This year we will invest in them and I can’t wait to see the results from it!!!

I figure the more people praying the better chance of God hearing. :)  I would greatly appreciate your prayers for my throat and voice.  I am going on 3 weeks now of having a cold and my voice is literally shot.  I can barely talk (that might be an answered prayer to some of you).

I appreciate you throwing up a quick prayer if you think of me.  Thanks!

Other than the fact I have to go the bathroom, these things get me out of the bed in the morning and motivated to do what I do every day:

• That people in my community are dying going to hell
• That I get another opportunity to be with my wife and children
• That I get to pastor a church I love
• That I get to be on a team like our staff
• That I get to hear about life change every day
• That we have so much work left to do
• That God isn’t done with us

I have tried not to use this blog to ever bash another church, especially by name.  BUT a friend showed me this church website and I honestly can’t help but laughing at how crazy these people are.  Check out this website and what it says.  Amazing.  You can check it here.