For 12+ years as a church, we’ve lived in a culture of redemption where from the beginning, unity was a non-negotiable.  I believe it is an essential ingredient in why more than 12,000 people in the U.S. alone have come to Christ in 12 years here. (And not with out a few storms here and there!) Unity is something we fight for because there is an enemy for fights against it, an enemy who knows and fears the power of unity. The enemy knows if we will be the answer to Jesus’ John 17 prayer, people see who He really is and why He came…they’ll see that the Father loves US as much as He loved His own boy! (UNREAL)

Need a little review?  Here’s some great questions Helen gave us when she taught on this topic. I hope they’ll help you see how you’re doing in this area:

Extreme unity actively works for unity and is marked by a love that is reckless and irrational.

Extreme unity lives without lines.

• What are the lines in my heart?
• Who is it that I find difficult to accept because they are different than me?
• Where are there lines in my heart that keep me from loving recklessly and irrationally?

Potential Action Steps: Seek to add value to everyone you meet today.

Extreme unity joyfully honors those that lead.

• Do I find myself critical because of my perceptions and preferences regarding some aspect of the church?
• Do I pray for those God has given the position of leadership?
• Do I joyfully honor those that lead me?

Potential Action Step: Write a letter or make a phone call to thank a leader in your life for building into you.

Extreme unity assumes the best and is quick to forgive.

• Do I take things personally and find myself easily offended?
• Am I able to love others by assuming the best of them?
• How quick am I at forgiving?

Potential Action Step: The next time you’re unsure of someone’s motives or you’re feeling offended, actively BELIEVE THE BEST.

Will you choose to be an answer to Jesus John 17 prayer?  If you do, you’ll find His love irresistible through you and to you!

Quest Community Church…it is such an honor to be your pastor. I am so grateful to God that He’s given me this privilege. I was completely undone by Pastor Appreciation Month. The cards, letters and expressions of gratitude where you just lavished me and thanked me blew me away. I was so grateful. You are so kind, everyone. I absolutely am the most fortunate pastor on the planet…I get to point people to Jesus, help them ask Him into their hearts, grow in Him and then we get to do this life together.

I love this church and I love this community. I’m so grateful for you all. Thank you.

And…thank you for the ways you showed your appreciation for all of your pastors on our staff. They are the best pastors in the world, so let me just give a shout out to them: Pastor Sharon, Pastor Justin, Pastor Helen, Pastor Dave, Pastor Jimmy, Pastor Kenny & Pastor Brad, I am so proud of you. You are the best Pastoral Team in the world. I know our church’s best days are out in front of us. Heaven has huge plans and I believe God is just beginning His work here…can’t you feel the tremors? I love you all and I’m so proud of you.

Thank you, everyone, for the ways you’ve gone all out in honor this past month. I’ve been so blessed by you. Thank you.

An awesome idea of how to surprise Sharon hit some of the artists and they went for it. Take a look at what they did Friday afternoon:

The Secret Show from Quest Community Church on Vimeo.

So how’s that for a picture of love…

I can’t wait to see you all this weekend…

Here’s what Mac had to say about being at Questapalooza:

Pastor Pete Hise with Mac Powell from Quest Community Church on Vimeo.

Join Third Day, Nicole C. Mullins, Remedy Drive and Quest Community Church and celebrate Labor Day Saturday with us! Get your tickets here!

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as You and I are One—as You are in Me, Father, and I am in You. And may they be in Us so that the world will believe You sent Me….May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” – John 17:20-21, 23b nlt

In this prayer Jesus prayed, He prays for you and for me…that we’d be ONE. He prays for His followers, that we would love one another and others so much that it would make people do a double-take. Verse 23b is almost beyond believable. Let me repeat it: “May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me.”

Jesus staked His own credibility and identity on the quality of community found in His church. He directly links our unity to His legitimacy and the believability of God’s love. This weekend, Quest’s Transformation Pastor, Helen Musick taught out of this remarkable prayer, and she reminded us that WE CAN BE THE ANSWER TO JESUS’ PRAYER.

It’s easy to ask God for the “next big thing” He’s got for you, but are you willing to do the harder work to lay down opinions and preferences to be unified? To quit criticizing? To lay down your resentments toward each other? Are you willing to be the answer to Jesus’ prayer?

Take action today. Forgive. Let someone off the hook. Do whatever you need to do today to be unified in the body of Christ…don’t pause, don’t second guess. We are His evidence…He’s banking on us so the world will believe.

Remedy Drive will kick off the day, followed by Nicole C. Mullen and headlining our 6th annual Questapalooza is Third Day! It’s going to be a day to remember and you’re invited. Make plans to spend your Labor Day weekend with us and invite your friends.

Here’s a little preview of what you can expect:

Thursday is the deadline, but…

EACH DAY UNTIL THEN, WE’RE GIVING AWAY FREE TICKETS TO QUESTAPALOOZA!

Help us promote our Early Bird deadline & you could win!
HERE’S HOW:

1. TWEET THIS: I’m getting my tix to @QPZA before Early Bird ends Thursday, June 30! {link to graphic} RT & enter to WIN A TICKET!

2. EACH DAY BETWEEN NOW AND THE DEADLINE, we will choose a random winners (1 ticket each) from those who tweeted.

THIS THURSDAY, JUNE 30 is your LAST CHANCE to get the best price on tickets! Get your today and then RT for a chance to win an additional ticket for a friend!

In 1 Samuel 17, David passes up the false battles that present themselves to him – the taunts of his brother, the laughter of Saul, the voices that said he was too young, too unqualified – and he steps up to fight the battle God laid out before him. This is a remarkable story most people are familiar with, but truth is, David would never have fought Goliath if he’d been caught up in the smaller battles that were trying to distract him.

When insecurity offered itself up, he didn’t bite. When he was accused of pride and deceit, he didn’t choose to make defending himself his priority. But in the face of Goliath’s taunts, David experienced a holy discontent – and he stepped into the battle he was made for.

Listen to this great line of David’s, “Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you….and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues His people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and He will give you to us!” (1 Samuel 17:46-47, nlt)

Fight the battle God designed you to fight today…HIS battle!

You can defeat temptation in your life – whether you’re just beginning your spiritual journey or whether you’ve been a pastor of 30 years. Here are three simple steps that can draw you in the right direction – toward God who wants to see you grow – and away from the tempter who hates you and wants to see the bottom fall out of your life. Choose to live your life on PAR.

Position Yourself Well

Position yourself around the people, the places, the practices that will encourage you to grow. Get around people and environments that point you toward the places God is taking you. Being positioned well will help you defeat temptation when it tries to lure you places you don’t belong. Position yourself well – in church, with friends, in a Life Group – and/or at The Mat on Friday nights. And spend great quiet time with Jesus. He wants to meet every need and equip you to defeat every giant in your life.

Advanced Decision Making

Decide in advance: name the non-negotiables in your life and stick to them. Decide to do specific things that will have positive effects on marriage, your life and your heart. (Establish a weekly date night with your spouse, etc.) And establish guard rails you won’t cross.

Advance decision making matters because so many missteps are made in the midst of battle. If you’ll take this step, when you find yourself in the heat of the battle with temptation, you will have already chosen your response. Had David said, “I go to war with the others…,” he never would have faced the giant of Bathsheba.

In quiet times – out of the heat of battle, decide in advance – I’m gonna DO these things and NOT do these things.  These are non-negotiables – no questions asked. (I will not go to strip joints or bars…I won’t connect with an old flame on Facebook…I won’t stretch facts for financial gain…I will put blocks against pornography on my computer…I won’t lie for impression management and gain.) When you decide in advance, you don’t have to win the argument against temptation in the heat of the moment, because the decision has already been made.

Resolve to Live a Self-Examined Life

Men, especially, want to give ourselves a pass on living self-examined lives…on real reflection. But this key component of PAR is essential. It’s in stopping to reflect, “How am I doing as a husband, father, friend, son-of-God…in my spiritual life – really?” that we pause long enough to course correct. One of the #1 strategies of temptation in your life is to prevent you from reflecting, but it’s in moments of reflection that we pause long enough to give God a window to show us the way out.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

Following PAR will help you find the way out! Position yourself well. Choose to live a self-examined life. Commit to reflecting on who you’re becoming and how you’re doing in the key areas of your life. Invite close friends into the process with you and ask them to tell you the truth. You can defeat the giants in your life…and avoid the battles you were never meant to be in!

1. I had a blast this past weekend as we launched The Man Series 2.0! I’m not sure it’s legal to have that much fun in church. I’m sure the girls are all having a great time at Women’s Retreat and all, but…this is The Man Series! I’m pumped out out of my mind about the generational impact that is unleashed when a man surrenders his heart and will to Jesus. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to invite the guys in your life to experience church like never before!
2. Men…give the women in your life the best gift you could possibly give them this weekend. Come to church and invest in your spiritual life. Offer to come with you wife. Call your Mom and tell her you’re going to church this weekend…you’ll make her day!
3. And…I’m so pumped to celebrate three years of Imagine 2: The Power of Everybody this weekend! Three years ago Questers set out on a journey to raise $12.6m to build our current auditorium, establish the Frankfort campus, and mobilize outreach in Africa and India and reach the world for Christ. Since then we’ve watched as over 9,000 people have come to Christ through the ministries of our church in the United States alone (w/1000s more in India). Many of you are in that number…isn’t that UNREAL!?!! This weekend, we turn the corner into the final 12 months of our Imagine 2 journey, kicking it off with our annual Imagine2 Milestone Offering…and you’re invited to be a part of it. Investing in something this transformational is an opportunity you don’t want to miss! God has been so faithful! Join in “the power of everybody” this weekend, ask Jesus what part He might have you play and give freely.

I’ll see you this weekend for Mother’s Day, Week 2 of The Man Series 2.0 and our Imagine2 Milestone Offering…can’t wait!

Wildcat fans…this is the best venue in town to cheer on the Cats on the big screen! Come experience Quest for yourself at 5:55 and stay for tip-off at 8:47. (Dinner available for sale before the game.)

Questers, invite everyone you know to church Saturday night and to the game afterward. Let’s invite the whole city!