What a weekend! Nehemiah four is one of my favorite chapters in the Old Testament. I loved diving back into this great story with Questers this weekend.
So many of you relate to the Israelites in the Land Between. Remember: You are not alone. The God of the universe wants to partner with you to accomplish great things…in your hearts, your lives, your ministries. Don’t give up! Don’t bail. He’s fighting for you even now!
These aren’t ordinary days around Quest Community Church. We’re ramping toward the fall with unusual speed, and I believe God has something substantial in store. You are really, really needed.
Does it stir something inside of you to hear about what God is doing at Quest these days? Does your heart beat a little faster when you hear about leadership at QCC? I want to personally invite you to dive into the RAMP at a whole new level by joining us for Quest’s Leadership Retreat on August 20, 2010.
Leadership Retreat 2010 from Quest Community Church on Vimeo.
If God is stirring your heart…do whatever it takes to be there. Leadership Retreat marks and changes the trajectory of our whole year. It prepares us to lead out in our teams and our community in ways that impact the watching world and draw thousands to Jesus. I really can’t tell you how much I believe God is going to meet us at this year’s retreat. I’m so pumped it’s hard to focus on everything else I’m in as we ramp toward the fall. Registration is filling up fast and spaces are limited.
Oh my gosh, did it feel great to be back! After a season of learning, being away, and entering into the discipline of being alone with God, I can’t tell you how much I looked forward to being with you again! I was so ready to be back in this great community of people I love and will grow old with…there’s nowhere I’d rather be on the planet.
And…church was so great today! I loved getting to open the Word of God with you again. What a Vision Weekend! I think you’re going to LOVE Nehemiah. I won’t forget seeing people streaming forward for prayer with humility. What a way to enter into the year where we will come to KNOW the One in whom we trust in brand new ways. Let’s come to know Him together, friends. The best days of Quest Community Church are ahead of us!
p.s. Thanks to all of you on my Arms Up team! Your prayers over the last month really, really mattered, and I am so grateful.
For almost four weeks now, I’ve been away on Study Month…visiting churches, spending time alone with God, investing in my family, doing strategic planning for the future, meeting with advancing church leaders…and missing YOU like you wouldn’t BELIEVE, Questers! You’ve been on my heart so much – I can’t begin to tell you. I’ve gotten to pray for you in unique ways over Study Month…praying for your marriages, your families, your children, your neighbors and friends, your impact lists, your relationships with Jesus…I prayed for hundreds and hundreds of you (maybe thousands of you) by name. And now I’m about to BURST to see you all again. I can’t WAIT to be back for VISION WEEKEND!!
Whatever else you’ve got going on…GET HERE this Saturday & Sunday!! Call your friends and make sure they’ve got it on their calendars! Invite anyone you know who’s ever wondered what Quest is all about. This weekend will be the best picture of who God’s called us to be as a church you’ll see all year! Come see what God has in store for us next as a community…and what He wants to do in your life in the areas you need Him most! He can do the impossible!
The brand new August ramp series, God Can kicks off Saturday at 5:55 and Sunday at 9:30 & 11:30 with Vision Weekend! Don’t miss it!
My Generation wrapped up this weekend with Classic Rock! All I can say is WOW!!! Ani & the band…you guys blew us AWAY for SEVEN straight weeks! Thanks to the teaching team and other artists who led us through a great summer looking at the soundtracks of our lives.
Music impacts us, draws us to God, gives voice to the feelings of a generation, and is an evidence of the cries of our hearts. From the Psalms to Van Halen (and, yes…even Country), we express ourselves and meet with God uniquely through music. I hope you drank in everything God had for you in this great series!
Here are Helen’s reflections from this weekend:
1. My Generation: 7 Genres, 21 services, 78 song by 71 different artists, 100 musicians and vocalists, 25 guitars, 80 hours of practice! A HUGE THANK YOU to Ani and the rest of the music team that just hit it out of the park for 7 weeks in a row this summer. The music of My Generation was amazing!! Thanks for going all out week after week.
2. Saved the best for last …Classic Rock! Jimi Hendrix, The Who, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones and so many others. Just another typical day at church…YEAH RIGHT!!
3. And yes, the back stage passes were real: Eagles, Blue Oyster Cult, ZZ Top, Billy Joel, and of course… Lynard Skynard! [That's a whole story in and of itself!]
4. Mick Jagger got it right. I can’t get no satisfaction and neither can you…not from this world. BUT Jesus came to give us rich and satisfying lives. Want satisfaction? Look to Him.
5. Are you living with what Pastor Pete calls a “Jesus and…” mentality? (Jesus AND…a a date, a new job, my kids improving, my marriage…) Nothing will bring true satisfaction but Jesus. Everything we try to add to that leaves us clinging to things that were never designed to satisfy us and can’t. TRUE satisfaction comes from living a Jesus-only kind of life.
6. Lots of dissatisfied people found hope as they reflected on the truth that the place of dissatisfaction can be the place God was pursuing you so that you could find true satisfaction. Thank you Elizabeth, Charley and Nicole for sharing your hearts with us!!
7. True satisfaction is not found in SOMETHING, it’s found in SOMEONE. Amazing to watch the conversations after services as people experienced that in life giving ways!
8. God is dissatisfied when one of His kids lives at a distance. He loved us so much that He sent the thing that satisfied His heart more then anything, His only Son, to satisfy the debt for our sin.
9. You will never be completely satisfied until you surrender your life to Him. A simple truth that changes everything.
10. Quest in Haiti… seeing our team in Haiti brining hope to the needy gave us a picture of the truth that satisfaction is found in living out His plans for us.
p.s. Be here next Saturday and Sunday as we welcome Pastor Pete back from Study Month and all come together for VISION WEEKEND!! You won’t believe what God has in store!
Leaders are called to lead out front, and they have a unique role in any organization. The leader has got to see a vision for where the organization is going, pull the trigger to make action happen, lead through challenges along the charted course, take the heat and pass along the credit, inspire and impassion, hire and fire, and lead with humility, confidence and courage. It’s a tall order, but one that fuels and inspires leaders – especially leaders called by God to accomplish a life and eternity changing mission.
There is a certain aloneness in leadership…you alone will stand accountable before God, leaders, but in Exodus 17 we see a great picture of how leadership works in community. As Moses fills a role only he can fill, God brings others alongside to help him accomplish what he’s been called to do.
“As long as Moses held up the staff with his hands, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites gained the upper hand. Moses’ arms finally became too tired to hold up the staff any longer. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side, holding up his hands until sunset. As a result, Joshua and his troops were able to crush the army of Amalek.” – Exodus 17:11-13 (nlt)
As I get ready to head out on my annual Study Month, I am thankful for dozens and dozens of you who will be a part of a team holding my arms up in prayer as I prepare for the next ministry season and meet with other advancing church pastors and leaders across the country. Let’s advance His kingdom together this summer, friends…there’s no more important mission on the planet!
I don’t care what Justin says, you can’t convince me Van Halen is dated! Other than that, assistant pastor Justin McCarty and the whole worship and arts crew at QCC hit it out of the part this weekend. Here were Justin’s thoughts:
Anticipation for My Generation hit an all-time high this past weekend as we finally covered the music genre that swept the voting process: The 80s! And it wasn’t enough to just play the music — I saw more leg warmers, neon, and acid washed jeans than I have in…well, decades! I really loved this weekend — it was certainly one of my favorites to teach. Here are some ringing thoughts…
1. From the initial gong of “Beat It” — it was on! The Quest Band did a fantastic job of covering the 80s hits by Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, and Huey Lewis & The News. Anyerin Drury again stretches the limits of what should be possible for one person: playing the Van Halen guitar solo from “Beat It” and singing the insanely high notes of “Livin’ On A Prayer” — wow!!
2. Shocker of the Week: In “Back to The Future”, Marty McFly went back in time 30 years from 1985 to 1955 and it felt like a whole different century. If he hopped in the DeLorean today and went back 30 years, it would be June 1980. A 2010 high school senior would feel just as out of place in 1980 as Marty did in 1955! Doesn’t that make you feel old??
3. The 80s were my childhood – the years when my life’s foundation was being set. Do you remember what building materials you used early in life to build a sense of identity around? Isn’t it crazy that a 10 year-old’s decisions solidify like concrete, forming the foundation that we live on for the rest of our lives?
4. Jesus’ words from Matthew 7:24-27, about the importance of what foundation we choose to build our lives on, remain timeless – no matter what generation you’re from. And just because your “house” isn’t crashing down, don’t be fooled. Your current state isn’t necessarily a measure of the solidity of your foundation.
5. Crashes do happen all of a sudden, but they don’t just suddenly happen to you. There are always warning signs… the slow leaks in our foundation are always indicators of big problems if we don’t act on them.
6. After putting off dealing with our house’s foundation issues for almost a year, I found out from a Master Builder that the problems weren’t impossible to deal with. “We can do this!” Is there an area of your life where you could you stand to hear the good news from Jesus that “We can do this!”? Let Him at your foundation now — it could save you a big crash later!
7. One of the simple building materials that Jesus uses to rebuild our foundation is Truth. The truth of God’s Word is like rebar for our lives. It’s unchanging & solid – exactly what our hearts need. But God’s Word only becomes our foundation as we act on it. Are you putting into practice what you hear?
8. The second building material Jesus uses is Love. His unconditional, unchanging Love is like concrete, pouring over the Truth and providing a strong, steady foundation for our hearts.
9. Foundational issues are usually the evidence of where the love of God has been missing. So don’t avoid the slow leaks – they are indicating where you most need the love of God. The more you deny it, ignore it, or cover it up – you’re protecting yourself from the Love of God. Jesus has a cement mixer of love waiting on standby, but we have to pick to receive it – and that comes by giving Him access to the cracked, leaking places in our life.
10. God loves us so much that He will put some of the amazing plans & dreams He has for our lives on hold until our foundation is solid and secure. Take this summer to investigate the “leaky areas” of your life and let Jesus at them. He’s eager to rebuild your foundation with Truth and Love so that He can build the magnificent life He planned for you on top of it.
We got to announce the 5 Year Anniversary bands for Questapalooza this weekend, and this party for the region is gonna blow you away. Make plans now to be here to see Switchfoot, Newsboys & Group 1 Crew this Labor Day! Tickets go on sale July 4th! (You’ll love the new lower ticket prices, too!)
BTW – Over the last few years, 100s of leaders have been developed through fall projects like this one, 1000s of volunteers have gotten into the game, and more than 1,000 people have come to Christ at this little party for the region…WOW!!! Leaders, when God gives you an idea, pay ATTENTION! Take notice…and take action!
After four weeks of Making the Most of What You’ve Got, I’m so PUMPED to see you really going for it, Questers. You’re trusting God with your resources and taking your next steps toward financial freedom…and I’m so proud of you!
When you trust God with our money,you’re really trusting Him. And His is ALWAYS trustworthy. He will not drop you or forget you. He gave you His BOY…He’s not going to withhold from you now.
Tonight at Celebration I was thrilled to announce some amazing numbers that might encourage you as you remember you really are part of The Power of Everybody. As we all dive into our next steps of financial freedom…
Do you have ANY idea what kind of freedom you’re opening the door to Questers? If we commit to this together, cheer each other on and trust God with our resources…there’s no limit on what He can do in us and through us! The watching world won’t have any idea what to do with such a radically generous community.
I’ve seen Him be so faithful in this area of my life, friends. Go for it! Trust Him with all you’ve got and let Him lead you. He’ll be so FAITHFUL.
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give Him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. - Proverbs 3:5-10 MSG
Cheering you on and praying for you! I can’t WAIT to hear what God does in your lives.
p.s. If you missed part of this series…dive in NOW! Watch online here.
Wow! What a way to wrap up this series…here’s a little of what I saw this weekend:
1. Reflecting on the Power of Everybody through Imagine2 and looking out and seeing your faces was enough to make me lose it. Do you understand that YOU are the reason we sacrifice and give to God through Imagine2? You are the desire of God’s heart and we were determined that there would be room for you to hear that great news for yourself. To all of you who’ve come over the last two years…you are so welcome here.
2. The lie of the ladder was exposed this weekend. Climbing the ladder of success will never give you what it promises. You’ve seen the truth…now it’s up to you what you do with it. Will you keep climbing, trying to reach things will never satisfy you? Or will you say no to being defined by your stuff? Jesus says you are already invaluable and you can choose to believe Him!
3. So proud of hundreds of families who’ve stepped into the Tithe Challenge for the next three months! You won’t believe what this is going to open up in your lives, friends. When you step out in faith trusting God to be true to His word, He can’t WAIT to prove Himself to you. (Mal. 3:10)
4. Did you hear that list again of things God could unleash through QCC if we were just faithful to return His tithe to Him? The reality of what God could unleash through us if we are just faithful blows my mind and makes it hard to sleep at night. 1 John 3:17 is hard to get away from…
If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.
5. Love that reflects the heart of God is selfless and sacrificial. I was thrilled to announce our upcoming mission trips to Haiti! So many of you have been begging for this opportunity to serve since the earthquake hit in January. Start praying now about going!
6. I loved the spontaneous applause in every worship experience when we announced that we just doubled our international staff in India. Every single dollar you give, Questers is spent reaching people for Christ here and around the world. What an incredible investment!
7. This world is not our home. You really are made for more…and this isn’t it. Your most priceless possessions will all rust and fade away. But Jesus went to prepare a place for you…and it’s gonna blow your mind! You really don’t have to store up STUFF here. He’s got so much more than you could ask or imagine waiting for His kids in eternity!
8. Christians ought to be the most generous people on planet earth. God has been SO generous with us, how can we be anything but?? You have no idea what the watching world thinks when Christians are stingy. It breaks my heart and makes me angry. How will they ever discover the God who loves them and gave EVERYTHING for them if Christians walk around stingy?
9. I hope you wrote this down…“If you’re not trusting God with your money…you’re not trusting God.” It’s a defining reality that can help you know where you really are with Him. If you can’t trust Him in the smallest area like money, how will you ever trust Him with your heart?
10. Seeing thousands of us over the weekend pour into the aisles to give back to God was incredible! What an incredible picture of The Power of Everybody! For those of you who’ve found your way to Quest since we opened this new building for you…Welcome to the Imagine2 Journey! Sacrificing for people who will come behind you will rock your worlds and change the face of eternity. I’m so very proud of you, Questers. There’s no church on the planet that I’d rather serve.
