Have you been living in the overflow of gratitude since Thanksgiving? I loved getting to play and rest and spend focused time thanking God for the incredible ways we’ve seen Him move over the last year. Easy to do in a setting like this!

While I was away, Transformation Pastor Helen Musick concluded our series Axiom with, It’s All About People. Here’s a glimpse of what she got to see…

1. It really was home to me. My first time up on a weekend in our new building felt just like “home.”  The distance between our old auditorium and our new auditorium seems smaller all the time.  I think it’s because the thing that never changes about Quest is our people… the most loving, sacrificial people I know.

2. One intentional invitation paid off in a ways I never imagined. Joh and Sharon sat on stage and shared their story of living their lives with such purpose…and that purpose is to reach lost and dying people for Jesus.  I never knew that an intentional invitation 8 years ago would lead to the gift of seeing both Joh and Sharon come to Christ with dozens of people now in their wake.

3. The Brothers Sing! Anyerin and Seth, the Aussie brothers took the stage and it was amazing!  I love those two… they are irresistible. (We’ll miss you, Seth!)

4. It’s all about people. If you want an axiom that describes the life of Jesus, this is it!  And if He’s so passionate about people, don’t you think we should be too?

5. Calling people to come down out of the tree. The story of Zacchaeus has to be one of my favorites, and here’s why: It’s where Jesus, so amazed by this man’s response to grace that He shouts out His life mission:  “The Son of man came to seek and save the lost.”  Can’t wait to meet this “wee” little man in heaven.  A real giant in my book!

6. The Monkees. Yes, I really did think that Davey Jones would call my name and invite me on stage where he would sing “Day Dream Believer” to me.  I had that dream, but it never happened.  Zacchaeus had a dream that day…a dream that Jesus would call his name, and that did happen, and it changed everything.

7. Billy Graham’s 91st birthday celebration leaves me standing in amazement of the impact one person who is available, intentional and he or she can have on a world in desperate need of a Savior.  It reminds me of God’s faithfulness to our “yes.” I hope you’ll say yes to Him every single time. His plans for your life are massive!

8. Who is in your basket? Wednesday night at Celebration, hundreds of people put 1000′s of names in the baskets on the stage.  These weren’t just any names but names of people that they love and are passionate about seeing Jesus transform their lives.  I spent lots of years loving God, but only in the past 10 years of my life have I spent my life loving people.  But now my basket it full!

9. A church that now serves pizza, not people. I love Joe Bologna’s pizza… really their buffalo chicken pizza is the best!  But what makes my heart sad is that a place built to serve people by offering them the life giving message of Christ now serves up pizza and beer.  How does that happen?  How does a church go from a place of restoration to a restaurant?  It forgets that when the church ceases to be about people, it ceases to be the church.  That won’t happen on my watch… not to us Quest.  We will always be about people or as Bill Hybels says, “It’s lights out.”

10. It’s not about me, but it was all for me. I loved speaking the truth that we are called to live a life that is not about me… but we do it motivated by a love that was so for me that it changed me from the inside out and gives my life more purpose and love than I could ever dream of.

Quest’s primary goal in her life as a church has always been and will ALWAYS be Making Jesus Famous. Without apology we will do everything within our power to lift Him up so that He will draw all people to Himself. We had an incredible time this weekend looking at this core truth that everything else revolves around at Quest. Here’s a little bit of what I saw:

1. Quest artists…you NAILED D.C. Talk’s Jesus Freak! I got to see it most of the six times you performed it over the weekend, and it just kept getting better and better. Thanks Headley, Ani & crew! Experiencing that after we’d already been blown away by Robbie, Lonnie & the choir in Never Heard was quite a way to kick off our weekend on Making Jesus Famous! Way to go, musicians. Thanks for bringin’ it with excellence!

2. Meredith’s story of misunderstanding God as a harsh teacher she had to measure up to helped people grapple with the possibility that the way they’ve always seen Jesus isn’t necessarily the end of the story. Thanks to all of you who shared your stories with us during Sing to the King. (I hope you loved getting to worship Jesus like that.)

3. S.M Lockridge’s That’s My King, does as good a job describing Jesus as most anything recorded. I love this video adaptation we showed this weekend:

That’s My King! from Albert Martin on Vimeo.

4. Worshiping like we did this weekend reminded me how good it is for us to exalt someone other than ourselves. It does something foundational in us to lay down self and just worship God. Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people, and we experienced a taste of that this weekend.

5. Questers have been going nuts trying to stock up on Dashboard Jesus & The Last Supper lunchbox. (Pretty sure the action figure Jesus is already sold out…I’ve got the only glow-in-the-dark hands Jesus figure in town!) Even though the Jesus toys are sweet, they’re NOTHING compared to the real deal! I’ve talked to so many of you who were fundamentally changed by the real glimpses of Jesus you experienced. Just for the record: So was I.

6. “It’s not about me.” That’s true – of us all, your pastor included. If you’ve ever thought “if only I could get closer to him” (he’s the Pastor he must be super-spiritual)…let me reiterate, I am utterly replaceable & knowing Pete Hise will only get you a bag of chips and a warm spot in hell! Being a Quester will get you jack. It’s Jesus and Jesus alone who rescues, redeems, restores and secures your place with Him forever!

7. Holy cow! Did you hear that list of who Jesus is & what He alone can do in our lives? So many of you were leaning in to hear all you could about the One who bears the only name under heave by which we can be saved! We were seeing Him more & more clearly every moment! (And every line was true! I’ll be listening to that list over & over again. I hope you will, too.)

8. Newsflash: The world is dying of spiritual cancer & Jesus is the cure. If you know Jesus, you have the antidote. 2 Corinthians 5 says, ” God has given us the task of reconciling people to him….We are Christ’s ambassadors.” How about that for an assignment from God Himself?

9. The three shocking truths the world needs to know about Jesus were reorienting:

*** Jesus doesn’t disqualify anybody
(Did you HEAR the story of Paul overseeing Stephen’s murder? He had blood on his hands and he liked it. And Paul was going after more when Jesus stopped him in his tracks & recruited him. No one is disqualified!)

*** Jesus doesn’t want you to pay Him back
(Jesus has never wanted you to try to measure up or earn what He did for you on the cross. If you truly know Christ & Jesus lives in your heart, He has granted you a full pardon. Stop acting like you’re on probation!)

*** Jesus doesn’t want to be a part of your life
(Jesus isn’t a nice, sweet British dude who wants to help you out in life. He’s a revolutionary who wants to start a revolution in you! He wants all of you!)

10. We will all have opportunities this week to let people see the real Jesus in us…loving the unlovable, forgiving the unforgivable, reaching out to those who don’t deserve it.  Go for it, Questers…let’s make Jesus famous together by living out a REVOLUTIONARY LOVE!

p.s. Listen to these words from Jesus’ own mouth…“There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to Me.” (Luke 24:47) You are deeply, deeply loved and very much wanted by Jesus Himself. (And you are always wanted at Quest!) Watch this weekend’s worship experience out here.

Thoughts from the middle of a movement of God…

1. Hope you made it out to Celebration last night! Ani’s new song was a great reminder of what He’s done in us. Worship brought us right to Jesus’ feet, and Quest’s Transformation Pastor Helen Musick was freaking anointed. Thanks for your transparency and leadership, Helen. God really had room to work in people’s hearts and lives. Most tweeted quote? “If you’re not winning it’s probably because you’re fighting your own battle.”

2. What do you do in your life when the wind blows? When you find yourself out of control, do you panic? Or run to Jesus? In that moment, you can make the most of the opportunity knocking at your door. Proverbs 3:5 tells us to, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” When we start leaning on our own understanding instead of leaning into Him, we’ll find ourselves blown off course every single time.

3. Leading people is always messy. It is the very best and very hardest part of any leader’s life. There is nothing more rewarding and nothing more heartbreaking on the planet. Our elders spent lots of hours last night caring for and praying for the shepherding needs of our body…and I’m amazed at the hearts of these men for really messy people. Really grateful for these faithful servant-leaders. (Thanks, friends!)

Honored to be a part of something so beautifully messy and so shockingly alive. Turns out we’re living in the middle of an Uprising, Questers. Abso-freaking-lutely incredible!

As a leader and a pastor, I love seeing people ignited to live their one and only lives for something beyond themselves…for the plans God has for their lives. I loved seeing Him tap so many of you on the shoulder this weekend. Here are a few of my reflections:

1. Experiencing Stomp w/hundreds of Questers participating at the same time was a blast. The main room was ALIVE! (I heard it kicked in Frankfort, too…and even our online guests got in on the action!) Thanks for leading us with great music & awesome worship, musicians…loved it.

2. The video of Devin (one of our great dancers!) trying out different serving roles at Quest was a great reminder that we really do want everyone serving in their right spots! You are not just a warm body to us…we are a team & we can’t wait to see you thrive as you serve in the ways God wired you!

3. I couldn’t get over the I am the Church video. Because it’s TRUE. It takes all of us to BE the Church. Seeing redeemed person after redeemed person offering up the truth they’re living out in their lives was enough to do me in.

4. Rick Warren’s best selling hardback book of all time, The Purpose Driven Life sums up the truth we looked at this weekend in its opening line…“It’s not about you.” In our Sunday worship experiences in Lexington, thousands of Questers said it together…”It’s not about me.” (Wondering what could happen in our world if we lived like we really believe that.)

5. The picture of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in John 13 is unforgettable. He took on the role of the lowest servant or slave and washed their feet like a man w/no pride or care for His reputation. Then He looked them in the eyes and said, “Do as I do.” Wow…THAT is who we follow.

6. Reading that story and teaching on this topic, I couldn’t help but remember so many of Quest’s pioneers who laid down their lives to see this church we love come to life. Thanks for being such servant-leaders, friends. You embody the heart of a servant…sacrificing your time, money and lives for the sake of Christ. You’re the reason we have the opportunity to serve out of the overflow of His work in our lives!

7. Thanks again to the 600 of you who volunteer to make our weekend worship experiences happen. You are heroes! And special thanks to those of you who serve us by reseating us in appropriate sections of the auditorium once the sermon has started. Follow them, Questers! (Hope my comments on it this weekend didn’t freak you, but remember… it’s not about you!)

8. It’s true. I actually believe that football is the perfect analogy for just about everything:) AND…I hope every single Quester did the work to identify whether you’re an Observer who’s been sitting in the stands, drinking it in…a Cheerleader who’s a little closer to the action, cheering on your church from the sidelines or a Player on the field, making the game happen.

9. There was such a buzz at Dive In out in the Landing…hundreds of Questers were in conversations…signing up to take their next right step. Way to GO!! I am SO PROUD OF YOU! If you’ve not signed up to serve yet…consider this my personal invitation to DIVE IN, Questers. You are really, really, really needed.

10. The Uprising will happen as we put a serving towel over our arms. I’m reminded how much God loves entrusting His treasures to our hands…because He LOVES us. He wants us all to get to be in the middle of His plans & dreams for us…and for the world. Go to www.theuprising.net to sign up for more information today!

p.s. Good news. Checked w/my wife…turns out we did NOT lose any kids at the boys’ birthday party.

Twenty seven years ago on a cold November night, I sat at a concert by an obscure band name Oasis in upstate New York. I heard a guy in a blue leisure suit explain the truth of Jesus to me, and learned for the very first time that Jesus loved me and died to pay for my sins so I wouldn’t have to. This guy told me that Jesus wanted to live in my heart and make me brand new, and I recognized the offer of a lifetime.

That night, 27 years ago today, I asked Jesus to forgive me, lead me & make me His son. Nothing on earth compares to what Jesus did in me in that moment: He made His home in my heart and radically changed me from the inside out. And I have never recovered.

Thank you, Jesus. I love you.

I really can’t tell you what it did in me to stand up & give that sermon this weekend. I am undone by the potential of the church, the beauty of the bride, and the hope of the world beating in the hearts and lives of ordinary men & women. It impassions me like few things on the planet. If you missed this weekend, watch it here. These are the stirrings of the Uprising…one of my favorite topics of all time. Here’s a glimpse of what I saw from my unique vantage point:

1. Hope was kindled! From wholehearted worship and stories from ordinary people…to the beacon of hope burning bright, hope was palpable in the room every single service. (And…I’ve never seen the 11:30 service more focused and ignited!) Now we spill it out into our world!

2. I am constantly amazed at the quality and skills of our artists at Quest. This weekend’s PTI is just one of the best things going out there…Amber & Slim, you guys nailed it. And Headley, Lonnie & Ani you rocked the house with Tobymac’s No Ordinary Love. Thanks to the whole crew (artists, band, dancers, etc.) who drew us in. It was a great reminder of the reality we live in all the time. This is not normal!

3. I loved standing up to preach off of the energy of that song, and…I can’t believe I never made it the podium on time trying to get around in my “boot.” Can you believe our video crew captured my injury on film??:) For the record…I saw no one launch, heard no reports of actual puking!

4. When I said we didn’t sacrifice in Imagine2 to build a building or to pay for bricks and mortar, the lights come on for hundreds of you who are new to Quest as you began to grasp that it was never about a building…it was always about YOU.

5. We were all holding our breath a little bit this weekend at the beauty of the Bride. It was an astonishing picture of who Jesus always dreamed for us to be. The church was never meant to be about rules or judgment or all the things we’re against…she was always meant to shine the love, truth and grace of Christ! And WE are the church!

6. Do you have any idea what it did to the heart of God to see hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hands raised as His rescued sons & daughters? Every single one of us…potential rescuers being called up to join the Uprising and live out His dreams for our lives. At every service I lost it more and more over the potential of what my eyes were beholding. (And…I really meant it when I said I was proud of those of you NOT raising your hands. You are why we exist as a church.)

7. For many of you, the stats of the decline of the church in America & of our ever-darkening culture went from being just numbers on a screen to a painful reality this weekend. The stats don’t surprise me as a pastor, but they sadden me…and they’ve got to spur us on to take action! The reality? Eight churches a day close their doors. 85% of U.S. churches are in decline. 95% of Christians will never lead another person to Christ. 33,000 people a year successfully commit suicide. Over 1,000,000 marriages a year end in divorce. And most of the world, along with the U.S., is beginning to look elsewhere for answers. In this dark hour, it is critical for the Church to rise up and be who Jesus left her here to be!

8. The lighting of the beacons from The Return of the King is absolutely one of the best scenes of any movie ever made, and a fantastic picture of the call to the Church today. I could feel something stirring in all of us as we remembered what hope kindled feels like. We are not alone, Questers. You are not alone, pastors. The resistance is gathering.

9. Telling Questers about talking to my friend Jody on a plane two summers ago made it personal for so many of us. The truth is…mostly nobody knows that Jesus loves them and died for their sakes. We have GOT to light the beacon of hope in our day…in our church and around the world. It is not right to keep this to ourselves! As I lit the flame this weekend, Jesus ignited something in us that can never be extinguished.

10. Did hearing the characteristics of people & churches of the Uprising make your hearts beat faster? Jesus wants to shape us into dangerous, embracing, unapologetic, revolutionaries who will be irresistible to the watching world. He is who they are looking for…so don’t hold back or hide under the pretense of nice & sweet, politically correct or powerlessness. Be who Jesus created you to be, Revolutionaries in the Uprising! I can’t wait to join forces with you here in person for The Uprising one-day conference next spring! Pastors & leaders, sign up for more information on The Uprising at www.theuprising.net. I’ll see you April 15, 2010!

Uprising Promo from Quest Community Church on Vimeo.

p.s. I’m disappointed to learn there are still a few people not cooperating with our reseating policy. For security purposes and to help people stay focused during the teaching of God’s word, we really need your support in this. Remember…you can feel free to come or go as you need to during the first portion of the service, but after the teaching pastor stands up, you will be reseated in a special section of the auditorium. Be kind and helpful please.

As I prep for this weekend’s talk, I am absolutely bursting to hit this week’s Axiom…Join the Uprising. After recovering from UAsked4It for a bit, I can’t wait to be back. And I can’t believe it’s this topic I get to come back to!

There are few things on the planet that pump me up as much as the heart-pounding picture of the church Jesus launched in the book of Acts. I hope you’re ready for a life-changing, reorienting look at the primary reason Jesus left us here as a community here on this earth.

I’ll see you this weekend…we have a seat saved for you!

p.s. Don’t miss this opportunity to be the first to hear highly-anticipated news about The Uprising Saturday @ 5:55pm and Sunday @ 9:30 & 11:30am EST.

Just got done programming our 2009 Christmas series! Thanks to our creative team for going all out dreaming up some of the most creative elements we’ve ever seen. I love being a part of a church where people get to use their gifts to change the world! Already dozens & dozens of hours have gone into planning Christmas at Quest. I think you’re going to love this series. Start praying about your invites NOW!

Kinda cool to think God’s already planning ways to blow our mind this Christmas right now, isn’t it??

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Who’s around your table who inspires you? Who sees around the next corner with you? Do you have a short list of visionaries who look ahead with you for what God is doing next? I’m heading from an afternoon with Quest’s Lead Team into Quest’s Core Team tonight…one of my favorite meetings of the month. This board selflessly lays down their lives for the bride, they love and pray for the church, they see into the unseen…and they INSPIRE me! Thanks, Core Team. You fuel me for the journey. Thanks for overflowing vision and living in the “God Can.” Jesus loves to dream His dreams through you. Can’t believe what we get to see & do together!

So…who inspires you, leaders? Who’s around your table?

After Quest’s staff families spent an incredible few days together on our Staff & Family Retreat, Assistant Pastor Justin McCarty brought a great message on community at Quest this weekend. (Weren’t you proud of your church, Questers?) I hope every one of you took Justin up on the challenge to step forward in LifeGroups.  This really is the richest community I’ve ever seen…and YOU make it possible. Thanks for leaning into people and into Jesus. We were ALL created for community! Here are J’s thoughts…

———-

This weekend I got the privilege of teaching on a subject that is literally Quest’s middle name: community! But it’s more than a name – it’s such a magnetic reality. People are regularly shocked by the love, acceptance and belonging they experience when they walk in the door. Leading people toward their next step into community was like giving people a huge present. Not only is it exactly what their hearts are longing for, but I know they can experience the real deal here. Acts 2 is happening — and we get to be a part of it!

Here’s what I saw…

1. I don’t think I could have been set up any better for a weekend about community than Pastor Pete taking us on the Staff & Family Retreat. The sense of family, and spirit of love and acceptance that characterizes Quest Community Church is the same spirit that marks our staff — we love being together! I love that Quest is consistent all the way through. From the top down, we love each other and you can feel it!

2. I was amazed by Cecily’s story of receiving help from her LifeGroup. That ordinary people would sell their possessions and belongings to provide Cecily with money for a new car was such a jaw-dropping picture of how similar our 21st century church is to the original 1st century church!

3. “Let Us Love” is one of my favorite songs we’ve ever done at Quest! Not only is it a great NeedtoBreathe song, but when we combined it with pictures of people doing life together at Quest and added a chorus of kids singing and jumping up and down, you could feel the energy and joy of this community onstage. Thanks Anyerin, band and kids for rocking out and leading us into the joy of community!

4. One of the ringing lines from the talk has got to be “People are dumber by themselves!” A few funny photos and a YouTube clip helped us see the truth of Genesis 2:18 — “It is not good for man to be alone.” Not only did it make us laugh, I’ve been amazed by how many people have resonated with that truth as they’ve seen the fall-out of living in isolation in their own lives.

5. As our world grows in pseudo-community (and as our church grows bigger), we’ve each got to choose… Are we going to settle for the appearance of community or are will we press into the riskier places of real, authentic community? I was thrilled to watch the lights go on for lots of people as they realized places where they’ve been settling for pseudo-community.

6. I loved getting to teach on independence and interdependence. The love and unity we experience at Quest is present because we’ve abandoned our “right” to not need each other. It’s a revolutionary idea to lay down independence so that we can experience the interdependent community that our hearts were made for.

7. I talked with so many people afterwards who resonated with the picture of redwood trees — 300 ft. trees with root systems that only go 4ft. deep. The only way it can work is that the roots of the trees grow together… they “hold hands underground” and their interdependence holds them up during the roughest storms. God is calling us to live the same way when it comes to our relationships – we’re meant to live interdependently on each other.

8. Questers did a great job taking the challenge to become more than just a cheerleader of community, but to “put teeth to it” and take an action step! What would it be for you:

• Getting in a Life Group? (Thanks Dave Griffith and the Life Group Team for opening up Life Group tryouts for people to experience a taste of community this week!) If you know you’re an onlooker of community instead of being on the field, go for it! It’s worth the risk!

• Getting real at Life Group? Don’t hide in plain sight if you’re already in community. Take the courageous step and be known… God promises to draw you deeper into community and forgive our sins if we’ll live in the light!

• Getting about others at Life Group? What if you’re the answer to someone else’s prayer for community? Walk into Life Group this week asking God who you’re meant to help or serve.

9. I heard from several different people that Sunday night Life Groups were full of new people checking things out and there new levels of authenticity from regular LifeGroup members. I can’t wait to hear more about what Jesus does in and through LifeGroups this week. I’m especially excited to see how many people signed up to be in a LifeGroup for the first time. Way to go to those of you who took the courageous step of stepping into community! I’m so proud of you!

10. Ending the message with Jesus’ picture of heaven – life in community in His Father’s house rang out so loudly. (John 14:2-3) Whether it’s like a college dorm room where laughter keeps you up all night or something a little bit like the picture below we saw of Staff & Family Retreat, I can’t imagine a better eternity than walking past room after room of people that I know and love… doing life together forever. It can begin now, Questers — choose well!