Last night 321 leaders and emerging leaders of Quest Community Church got to gather together to pray for Code Orange Revival. I loved seeing our leaders pray and cheer on what God is doing in Charlotte, NC through Pastor Steven Furtick and the phenomenal team at Elevation. (If you haven’t gotten to take part in Code Orange Revival yet, there’s still time…the 12 night revival is broadcast live on the web every night and there are still 5 nights to go!)

My good friend, Pastor Perry Noble of NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC, got to speak at the revival last night and spur Elevation on, honoring God and the work He’s doing through Pastor Steven and their great church. It was a rare moment. In the Bride of Christ, we’re called to spur each other on to good works, but all too often churches finds themselves fighting against each other instead. We should be THE most honoring, encouraging people on the planet!

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. – Hebrews 10:24

Uprising pastors and leaders…when was the last time you spurred on what God was doing in another pastor, church or ministry? Go for it! Send them a text, tweet about them, write them a letter to cheer on God’s work in their life and community, commit to pray for an event on their behalf…invite them to The Uprising this April. It’s the whole reason we launched The Uprising to begin with…to spur on pastors and leaders, to help them accomplish all God is calling them to do in their communities!

You’re invited to join us Thursday, April 19 in Lexington for The Uprising. Bring your team (you won’t believe what it does in your church to have them with you!) Invite a pastor from another church. In fact…buy them a ticket. Invest in their ministry in a tangible way. Let God do a new thing in you as you invest in His Bride. (Tickets are available NOW for just two more weeks at our Super-Early Bird rate of just $59.)

It’s an honor to serve Jesus together in their great cause. Let’s spur each other on in new ways this week!

It occurs to me, there’s something I love about Christmas. While we all have busy lives…at Christmas everybody does the same thing.  We are all focused kind of in the same direction.  There is a unity across our whole nation and world.  Whether people see the baby in manger as a myth or fairy tale, we’re thinking the same thing: I’ve got to buy presents, decorate my tree, get my list together. We’re thinking of other people. Being generous like no other time of the year. I love the unity that’s happening out there. (No need to send me emails of how you’ve seen disunity…that’s true, of course, but it’s more unified than any other time of year.)

For now, there’s a hint of openness. People are more available this time of year to hear and experience Jesus for who He really is than any other time of year. Do you see it? Are you watching?

Make the most of every opportunity. Invite someone with you to experience what Christmas is really all about this December. Here are three ways to dive in:

Don’t miss this weekend at Quest! This will be one of the biggest highlights of the entire year as we listen to the stories of real people’s life-changing encounters with Jesus. For the first time ever, we’re bringing Christmas Baptism to the weekend. Who do you know that needs proof that miracles still happen? Bring someone with you as we experience an unforgettable weekend of baptism. Pick up the phone or walk down the hall this afternoon and invite someone right now. Let’s make the most of every opportunity!

This Christmas, we have the opportunity to be Christmas for the students and staff of Millcreek and Bridgeport Elementary by filling a Red Bag for each student and staff member with gifts! We’re collecting 850 bags to bless these students and staff and we’re ALMOST THERE! You can pick up one of the last few bags this weekend for $5 and make sure you bring it back FILLED by Sunday. I wish we could all see the faces of these students and teachers as they experience the love and generosity of Christ through us.

AND…ask Jesus to bless our giving this December as we raise $579,750 to serve kids, families, marriages, people struggling with addictions. In a season when we remember God’s lavish gift to us, let’s go all out in giving to fully resource the ministries God has called us to in Lexington, Frankfort and beyond. You won’t believe how amazing it feels to be generous!

Looking up and seeing one of my longest longshots in church last year on Christmas Eve blew me away. And he’s taken his most substantial steps ever toward Christ this year. INVITE. Statistics say people will yes to Christmas Eve services more readily than any other time of year – and we’re planning our best services ever to honor your invites. We’ve made Christmas Eve services more accessible than ever with two services Friday, December 23 & two services Saturday, December 24th.  Make your plans now to be here and bring someone with you!

As we celebrated Thanksgiving around our table last week, we thanked Jesus for the remarkable ways we’ve seen Him and experienced Him this year. I hope you’ve experienced Him like never before — His lavish grace, His astonishing pursuit and His overwhelming love. We’ve seen pictures of Jesus that have taken our breath away!

A few weeks ago at Quest we looked at the question “Why Didn’t Jesus Fix the World?”  And in a marking time together, we began to understand that Jesus didn’t come to fix the world but to redeem it.  This weekend we looked at the why; why Jesus redeemed the world and why He’s so persistent.

The short answer: because of you, and because of me.

Transformation Pastor Helen Musick helped us understand that WE are the reason why. The world only has value in it because we are here.  That’s why He persisted all the way to the cross – the agent of redemption – and that’s why He persists today, why He is holding back time. And that’s why He calls us to be persistent as well.

Jesus was – and is – persistent because we truly matter to Him, because we matter that much to Him. It’s incredible to think that we have such value to God. Even in our brokenness and sin, we matter.  Do you know that is true for you today? Do you the people in your life matter like that to you?

Jesus knows the danger of our foolishness and carelessness. Luke 15 tells three parables of lost items:  a sheep, a coin, a son.  The sheep was lost because of foolishness and the coin because of carelessness.  There’s real cost to being lost.  Where has it been costly in your life?  Jesus wants to meet you there. He’s not disappointed in you – He wants to find you and restore you.

Jesus knows the stakes of our choice. We make choices every day but there is one choice that impacts not a day but eternity.  Jesus knows the stakes of eternity, of heaven and hell. It’s why He was persistent to the point of dying a criminals death – death on a cross. He took our sin on His shoulders to make a way out for us. He knows the stakes for you — and for the people you love. And He will not stop short – He won’t quit. He will do everything possible to help us choose LIFE.

He loves us.  Some of us play a game with our kids, saying, “Know how much mommy (or daddy) loves you?”  Then with arms open as wide as they can go, we declare, “Sooooo much.”  John 3:16 says, “He loved the world so [sooooo] much…”

Love is the motivating force behind His persistence. It’s at the root of every gift, every intersection, every discipline, every offering and every message of He brings you.

In His persistence, Jesus drew me to Himself. No one is beyond His reach. Don’t give up hope. Not for yourself or for those you love. Some of you just reached out to your families over Thanksgiving like never before. Know this: Jesus will not give up His pursuit. He loves your family far more than you do and He is always working to draw them to Himself. He will persist until the final curtain is drawn. He is patient, gracious and kind, giving every opportunity for us to turn to Him.

For those of you who don’t know Him yet – those who’ve never received what He did for you on the cross, I’m praying you’ll respond to His pursuit and run into His open arms today.

Persistence matters because people matter to God. You matter.

Questers, I am about to burst with what God is doing inside of me as we head into IMPACT WEEKEND. I’ve missed you so much and prayed for you over my annual Study Month, and it’s finally time to be BACK!

I visited lots of fantastic churches while I was away, meeting with advancing leaders in North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio & Colorado. I spent time with terrific people who love Jesus, but there’s just nothing like being with your own people. I can’t tell you what it does in me to be home, though, with the people God has brought together in this great community. I’m so ready to lift Jesus up with you this weekend and make Him famous. He’s so good to us, so generous and patient and kind. And He’s got dreams and plans right around the corner that you wouldn’t believe…even if I told you.

There is so much I want to tell you…get to Quest this weekend.

And get ready for IMPACT. We’re just getting started!

Over my annual Study Month this July, I’ll be taking time out to get alone with Jesus, spend time in His Word and visit great churches and leaders to learn and grow. It’s hard to quantify the impact this time makes…from the big ideas that come along the way, to the refueling that comes from extended, uninterrupted time with Jesus and the growth that’s sparked meeting with other leaders who are passionate about leading people to Christ.

God is doing so much in Uprising and advancing churches and leaders all over the world. I’m eager to learn all God has for me/us from these awesome leaders and Kingdom-minded churches. Even though it’s hard to be away from the community I love, the impact is win-win.

Advancing leaders for the cause of Christ must always aim to be teachable and humble. The most effective Christ-followers and leaders are consummate learners…life long students (no matter how they did in school:)).

If you’re leading on the front lines, it’s essential to learn to work with the rhythms of ministry to make space to study, learn from others and hear from God – not just to write a better sermon or come up with the next new idea, but to fall in love with Jesus. I’m so grateful for the Core Team of Quest who sends me off every year to learn and grow as I connect with God’s heart in a singular way and let Him restore me. I can’t WAIT for all God has in store!

Thanks for sending me off, Core Team, and thanks for praying for your pastor, Questers!

Church went to brand new levels this weekend kicking off with Bad to the Bone, arm wrestling matches, Chuck Norris and all your favorite superheroes. Kryptonite met it’s match, and MMA was a teaching illustration. (??) This is The Man Series 2.0 for sure!

Seeing men competing, taking down giants and stepping into their true identities as sons and warriors is just fantastic. Here are just a few highlights from this weekend, (but you’ve really got to see this whole series for yourself)!

• We can’t verify for certain if Jesus ever had on the spot arm wrestling competitions, but we’ll let you know once we finish scouring the Bible:)

• “Do you want to get well?” Jesus asked a man who’d been paralyzed for 38 years. A ridiculous question, but it’s the question men have to answer if they’re going to beat the Kryptonite in their lives.

• Men’s Kryptonite, pride, is lethal, and it’s the catalytic factor in every other area of our lives – our thought life,  our relational world, our plans and goals and our spiritual lives. Pride says: I don’t need help or input. I’m right. I’m better.

• I’ve seen this Kryptonite wreck a marriage…crush kids while pointing a blaming finger at everyone but itself, fans the flames of resentment, destroy dreams, trash families and lie to men telling them they are right & it will not give in! The MMA fight between Aiko and Hirotu at the end of 2009 was a fantastic picture of pride that would not give in.

• The dictionary says that pride is an unduly high opinion of oneself, exaggerated self-esteem. The Bible tells us that that kind of sinful pride is lethal, it won’t listen to the counsel of others and it goes hand in hand w/arrogance.

• Proverbs 16:18 says, “First pride, then the crash…the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.”

• Some lines this weekend that really hit home:
  • Someone once said, “Pride is the forerunner of all sin.”
  • Pride destroys a heart and a life while pretending to give confidence & strength.
  • Self-deception + Self-reliance = Self-destruction every time.

• I love Braveheart, Gladiator and Rocky. After Rocky came out life changed…we drank eggs, got up early to run, set up a ring. I became known as the guy who wouldn’t go down (even when I would Billy Martin, who was three years older than me was beating me to a pulp!). But every great warrior knows when to surrender…to throw yourself on the mercy of the one who is stronger and more able than you.

• LOVED watching people come home at the conclusion of the 11:30 worship experience. Men…Kryptonite has met it’s match. Choose to bow a humble knee to the God of the Universe. You choose. You can pick.

p.s. Come back later this week to go further in-depth on three assignments to beat pride in your life!

Asking questions of yourself, of God and of your leadership is often the catalyst for the game-changers in your ministry. Here are three great questions for every leader to ask:

1. What kind of fuel am I running on? If you’re running on the fuel of yesterday’s accomplishments…the approval of someone you respect or admire…a win in ministry…or just how this day/week/year is going, you are running on a lesser fuel. We are designed to live on the pure fuel of the love of God. Nothing else will sustain you.

2. Where has my comfort won out over God’s call in my life? Safe and comfortable is never the plan for leaders in the kingdom of God. To accomplish the only mission on the planet where heaven and hell hang in the balance, we cannot be satisfied to stay in our comfort zones. We are following in a long line of people who followed the One who walked all the way to the cross…to His own crucifixion. None of the people you admire most in scripture lived comfortable lives. Don’t make comfort your goal!

3. What am I not attempting for the cause of Christ because it means taking a risk? Being a leader means stepping out and taking risks. The investment world tells us, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” And they’re right. What is God calling you to venture for His sake..to advance His kingdom? If you don’t step out and risk, we’ll never experience the catch of God!

I’ll see you with Erwin McManus & Pete Wilson at The Uprising on April 14th!

1. In worship we take our eyes off of us and focus on the one true God. When we focus on the God who moved heaven and earth to be with us, our troubles come into perspective. We were made to worship Him!

2. Tonight we’ll be commissioning Quest’s 2011 leaders. Come cheer on your leaders going out in front of you, praying for you and asking God to bless your lives and the lives of the people you love. From 2011 Accelerators to the 2011 boards, these people lay down their lives for the sake of Christ…for Lexington, Frankfort and beyond so that God can impact our communities and our world through Quest in every way He dreams. (Thanks, guys!)

3. With our team just back from India (for less than 24 hours), you want to hear the first reports of what they saw God doing up close and personal! Welcome home, friends!

I’ll see you at 6:30 as we worship, hear stories of India, commission our leaders and celebrate the Lord’s Supper together!

1. Praying for thousands impacted by the earthquake and tsunami yesterday in Japan. Asking God to meet them in the disaster, to care for their needs and to draw them to Himself.

2. Can’t wait for the next installment of HOSTAGE at Quest. This has been a surprisingly impactful series on every side. I have to confess…I had no idea last weekend on insecurity would have so much traction. We’re looking at ways to dive further into the freedom God offers in this area so it doesn’t eat our lunch. (You’re invited to The Mat tonight at 7pm to remix this weekend.)

3. LOVED our first Accelerate class last Tuesday night. Can’t believe how ready this class was. There is nothing like pouring into advancing leaders ready to lay down their lives for the cause of Christ. Please pray for these 35 Accelerated leaders to agree with everything Jesus has for them.

Jesus said that if you want to know what the Father is like…look at Him. Jesus loved you so much He left paradise to rescue you and be with you.

He knows who you are deep down inside, and He is head over heels in love with you. He chooses you…whether you’ve run far from home or you’re leaning into Him, letting Him love you. You are always on His heart and mind. He is dreaming dreams for you; He is filled with hope for you. He is pulling for you right now.

Whatever is hounding you today, it is NOTHING compared to His love and pursuit.

If you ever wonder what makes His heart beat…it’s YOU.