We concluded our Xtreme series last weekend looking at what it means to live with an Extreme Faith, as we came off of one of the most extreme ways we’ve stepped forward for the last six years running…Questapalooza. We never know from year to year whether God will have us do it again, but Questapalooza has consistently been just a display of God’s goodness and faithfulness as we step out to serve our people and our city. He has done remarkable things over these years as we’ve stepped out in faith.

A few highlights from this year’s Questapalooza…

• I was so proud of Dana Frazier, our 2011 Questapalooza Champion, and the 100s and 100s of of volunteers who spent 1,000s of hours, 1,000s of invites, 100s of meetings, calls and planning sessions and who prayed 10s of 1,000s of prayers…all poured out in faith.
• The guys of Third Day were so genuine…it was an honor to partner so directly with them to get to share the gospel with 1000s.
• I loved that God laid it on my heart to offer an old school invitation to come forward  to receive Christ. Seeing people pour down front was a beautiful, unique experience.
• The story of the prodigal and the pretender hit home with so many. Almost everyone I talked to described themselves as one or the other. And so many prodigals AND pretenders took the biggest step of  faith in their lives…asking Jesus into their hearts! Congratulations!

QPZA 2011 Recap from Quest Community Church on Vimeo.

I loved following Questapalooza with live teaches on both of our campuses as Pastors Ken Land and Helen Musick took the stage in Frankfort and Pastor Justin McCarty joined me in Lexington.

• Extreme faith is a combination of inordinate trust and the unknown.
• One of my favorites pictures of Extreme faith in the whole Bible is Joshua.
• It seems that most of the time when God is trying to grow an extreme faith in people, He leads them where they haven’t gone before…whether it’s getting out of the boat or crossing the river at flood stage.
• If God is leading you…GO…He will make a way for you!
• The Israelites had the opportunity to step out in extreme faith once before in the book of Numbers. They were on the edge of a miracle and they turned back! God led them in the only direction their puny faith could go… BACKWARD. Instead of trusting God and stepping forward, they died telling stories of the good old days.
• The only way you’ll experience the exhilerating trustworthiness of God is by trusting Him inordinately.

As we head into Fall Kick-Off this weekend and the launch of this ministry year, the era of audacity is at hand. As a community we are moving forward, crossing the Jordan. We will not stop on the edge of a miracle! Who are you bringing with you? What’s the audacious step God would have you take? Go! Take the next step in inordinate trust!

“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.

This weekend QCC’s Transformation Pastor, Helen Musick, was in her element bringing our second week of the summer with My Generation: The Beatles. Helen focused on a key truth that is at the heart of God’s good news for us…God made you to love you. (If you’re on vacation and missed this weekend, you can watch online here!)

Here are a few of Helen’s reflections and favorite moments from the weekend:

The Beatles! YOU voted them #1 in our contest and our artists went all out bringing it this weekend!  Between Yesterday and It’s Been a Hard Days Night, we were back in time for sure!

Yes, I knew every word to every song.  And I am proud of it!

I loved the picture of hope this weekend held for parents who wonder if brokenness between them and their child can really ever be mended. Thanks Ben and Trevor for giving us all a picture of what that looks like. Redemption in our relationships really is possible!

Hey Jude…three dads…three sons and lots of tears as we watched the joy of Fathers’ Day come alive right before us.

Two simple facts: (1) God’s love for you is a fact. (2) You were made to experience the reality of God’s love in your life. You might resist, reject, mistrust, and even deny but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s true.

Our pastor asked a question in “Cracking the Code” that made it’s way back this weekend:  “How valuable is a love that is never felt or experienced?” God’s love was meant to be experienced, life changing and a reality in our lives.

Take steps to to live in that reality…

1. Identify where unbelief is robbing you of the reality and experience of His love.

2. Cultivate the experience of love. Do the work that loves requires.

Don’t miss the love of a lifetime that God has in mind for you!

As men everywhere mourn the conclusion of The Man Series 2.0, we rolled out a new and improved version of a QCC favorite. My Generation is back! This year we’re taking a closer look at the artists who have shaped our lives — and Assistant Pastor Justin McCarty kicked us off with the King of Pop himself: Michael Jackson. Were you seeing what he was seeing?

• Holy moly our artists are TALENTED people! From a brand new set (that looks like a rock concert if I’ve ever seen one) to a troupe of break-dancing dancers to an incredible versatile band that pulled off NINE Michael Jackson songs in a row — thank you!! You are amazing people!

• Dance competitions are apparently much more difficult than you’d think! Thanks to every contestant who gave it a valiant effort! [Even still, doesn't it already make you long for push-ups, races and arm wrestling, though?? ]

• That video of Michael Jackson’s morphing face was disturbing for sure (check it out here). But it gives you a good sense of how God sees our “corrective surgeries of the heart” to become the people we want to be.

• I don’t think any pastor anywhere has ever linked Michael Jackson and Moses! Thanks, QCC, for allowing me to be the first!:)

• A quick recap of the three identity lessons we looked at from Moses’ life:
  1. Who You Are Begins With Who He Is
  2. Stop Arguing and Start Listening
  3. Weakness Isn’t a Limit

• Because God is God, what He says goes. Which means: who He says we are — we are. When we offer suggestions or objections to what God says about us, we only find ourselves arguing with God.

• “Look at Me!” — it’s what God is whispering (or perhaps shouting) to every person you’ve ever met, including you and me. The identity we’re looking for doesn’t come from ourselves — it only comes from seeing and knowing God — “I AM WHO I AM.” It’s only in Him that we find who we are and what we’re living for.

My Generation is just getting warmed up! Next week…don’t miss an unforgettable look at the artists that have shaped decades of music and changed the world: The Beatles!!

The Man Series 2.0 was simply remarkable. I couldn’t believe how ready men were to hear the straight truth about everything from pride to lust to the battles men fight and really grapple with the unique challenges and callings of men. Almost 100 gave their lives to Christ during this series alone…it was just phenomenal.

• I loved concluding The Man Series with a week on declarations, opening up the way for men and women alike to step forward in baptism. Those baptisms were a remarkable ending that I’ll never forget.

• Van Halen’s Right Now was a fantastically challenging worship song. Seriously that intro heading into baptisms couldn’t have been more on target…don’t wait for some tomorrow // right now is your magic moment. (Thanks Ani and Quest Band…you guys nailed it!)

• Women, you were so supportive during this whole series. Thanks for cheering on the men in your lives. I had so many women explaining to me that this series wasn’t just for men. Here’s the secret, women…we knew it would be life-giving to everyone, but we wanted a unique chance to speak to men.

• 1 Samuel 17:46 is one of my favorite new passages of scripture: “Today the Lord will conquer you and I will kill you.” What a fantastic verse to mark this series and to mark our lives, men. The battle is the Lord’s, but sometimes…He lets us kill the giant.

• Don’t spend your lives trying to be “the man.” Bow a humble knee to The Man. Man up and kneel before a Holy God, and He will invite you into remarkable battles with Him.

The Man Series 2.0 is blowin’ our minds! Men and women, you both want to catch every single week of this one. God’s doing something substantial in this series and this weekend was no exception.

• It’s hard to go wrong in a series for men with a little bit of competition. (Trust me, women – your men were made for it.) For those of you who weren’t sure about my call on the winner of the race Saturday night, here’s the proof…

• Add to that a moment of Man Ballet circa 1988 with Mike Tyson and Michael Spinks…and you KNOW you’re in the Man Series!

• Stupid Criminals are always fun to laugh at, but this week they helped us realize how hard temptation can be to resist.

• Temptation is NOT A SIN! (Women, accusing your man because he’s tempted is arguing with how he’s made.) Even Jesus was tempted. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.”

• I LOVED bringing the good news that “THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY OUT!” “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.” - 1 Corinthians 10:13

• While we couldn’t tackle every area of temptation men deal with this weekend, it was so helpful to take a look at temptation’s MO…
  • Temptation lure us places we don’t belong.
  • Temptation tries to get you to want what doesn’t belong to you.
  • Temptation seeks to depersonalize consequences.
  • Temptation thrives on entitlement.

• David defeated Goliath, but he lost the battle with temptation with Bathsheba. He was IN THE WRONG BATTLE!

• Some ringing lines worth remembering…
  • What tempts you for a moment will only satisfy you for a moment.
  • Temptation will assume as much control of your mind and heart as you will give it.
  • Never underestimate the sin you’re capable of committing.
• A word to women…don’t give yourselves away cheaply. If he is tempted by you and you give yourself away, he will be tempted again by someone else. You are worth more than that!

p.s. Come back tomorrow for how to live your life on PAR. I can’t believe what a helpful tool it’s been for so many over the last 10 years!

Week 3 of the Man Series 2.0 lived up to the hype! We solicited questions and comments from Questers for this weekend’s topic of “What I Wish You Knew” and members of the Quest Lead Team took aim at the areas of common misunderstandings and confusion between the sexes. Thanks to Justin McCarty, Sharon Clements, Dave Griffith, and Helen Musick for bringing hope, truth and laughter to subjects that are vital to understanding how God designed men and women to thrive!

And…thank you Arts Team! From a “battle of the sexes” medley (featuring Beyonce, Toby Keith, ZZ Top, Bon Jovi and more!) to the incredible talents of our Drama Team, we laughed our way into a new appreciation for the differences between the two sexes. Here’s a quick snapshot of the fundamental needs at the heart of our unique approaches to life:

• Women Need Love — God created them to be pursued & chosen by their men.
• Men Need Respect — God created them to be admired & cheered on by their women.

• Nagging is never helpful. It always translates as disrespect.
• Men respond to vision. Help us understand why it matters that we are needed when you need us to do something.

• Being heard is being loved.
• Being unengaged during a conversation affects women in the same way that being unengaged during sex affects men.

• We are designed to operate with you as a team. Find ways to communicate “I’m with you”, even in activities that don’t directly involve you.
• We don’t usually know what qualifies as “investment” in us — will you please be patient in trying to crack the code?

• Date us again. Choosing not to date us after we get married is like us choosing not to have sex with you after the honeymoon.
• Time is currency – when you invest it in us, it makes feel like you’re choosing us this day and every day.

• Men want a wife who is eager, engaged and surprising in bed. It really matters that you enjoy the sex too!
• Keep it interesting (surprise, even shock us)!  Keep it frequent!

• Great sex = relational intimacy for women. When we feel loved & cherished by you, we want to make love with you!
• “Sex starts in the kitchen” — pursuing us before we get to the bedroom is what ignites desire in us.  (And yes, the kitchen is a fun place to have sex too!)

Invite someone with you next week as we take an unforgettable look at “What I Wish You Knew” through the eyes of both men and women!

Okay…if you haven’t seen the kick-off to The Man Series 2.0 yet. I can’t begin to do it justice. You’ve got to get to Quest’s site and see it for yourself. I’m so glad I broke the pattern of being off the weekend after Easter and prayed for energy and endurance to teach. I absolutely believe that God is going to do in men during this series will echo for generations!

• Ani & the Quest Band knocked it out of the park with the best man music on the planet. (Did you stick around after the 11:30 and see Ani playing Sweet Child of Mine w/his guitar behind his back?! And where else are you gonna hear riffs from Stairway to Heaven and Highway to Hell all in the same ten minutes in church?!)

• Man music AND competition in church! A man throne and a seat of shame. Does it get better than this? Vic Mahoney, I think you beat every guy in every service shooting hoops!

• In a PC society, it was a blast acknowledging the truth of the differences between men and women. So much of the time we try to smooth over the differences, but God DESIGNED us to be different!

• Loved how together men and women felt responding to this topic. We’re all better off when men are who God designed them to be! I’ve heard from more women and men both about how much they’re loving this series already than I could begin to tell you. It’s clear how needed this series is!

• Look at these stats from a study reported in USA Today: If a child comes to Christ, there is a 12% chance that the rest of the family will follow suit. If a mom comes to Christ, there’s a 15% chance the rest of the family will join her. If a man of the house comes to Christ, there is a 90% chance that the rest of the family will come to Jesus and stand a fighting chance. UNREAL!

• Men…WHAT-IF? It’s time to crack open the WHAT-IF door and let God excavate His dream for your life. If you will begin to understand God’s design for you as a man and choose to live it out – rather than hide from it, run from it or  ignore it – but cooperate with Him and agree with what He shows you…your life will be without limits! You won’t believe what God is able to do in & through a man who surrenders his heart & will to Christ to become just who he was made to be.

• Here were the three essentials for men to understand:

• God Has not Overlooked You – Not a single one of you is disqualified from God’s design. His image is in you and He can excavate His dream in your life.
• No One Can Face the Giants in Your Life for You! – I am embarrassed to tell you the number of men who claim to believe in God and see the importance of spiritual matters but try to leave the whole deal to their wives to handle. No one can face the giant of your core need but you.
• God has Designed you in His Image – God has always seen your potential…from day one…in the womb. He prepared great exploits in your name on His behalf and it doesn’t have to look like the guy next to you…need to look like you. That’s who He made you to be. So many of us have thought we need to conform to the image of dad, brother, but you were not made in their image. Be free of that.

• Men…God designed you to be like Him…not to lead a passive, unresponsive, domesticated, emasculated life, but to face giants, lead a charge, champion causes, rescue a bride and risk all for a mission bigger than you. Get ready for FIVE MORE WEEKS of boot camp! The Man Series 2.0 is just getting started!