We are surrounded with brokenness…with people far from God who desperately need Him, people who are looking to you and me to get a glimpse of the One who gave His life for them.

Sometimes I watch people look around, thinking somebody’s got to do something. But what if it’s YOU? What if you’re the one Jesus is calling out of the boat to be the impact in someone’s life?

Our arts team put this together for this weekend and I thought I would share it here as a reminder of what God calls all of us to – the impact He’s entrusted to US.

I Am The Impact from Quest Community Church on Vimeo.

God’s sacrifice, our sin, the cross, the empty tomb…I’m undone all over again every time I come face to face with Jesus’ remarkable sacrifice on the cross.

As I’m working away – writing, praying and preparing for Easter weekend, I can’t get over what He did for me – personally. I will never recover from His extravagant offer of love…His sacrifice. Nothing in the universe compares to His singular act of love that Good Friday 2,000+ years ago. Nothing comes close to His extraordinary love. It is beyond anything I could have ever hoped for.

Are your hopes up this Easter? God has more in mind for you than you could possible begin to imagine. I don’t know where you are on the road or where you find yourself on your spiritual journey, but Heaven’s hopes are up for you…for the people you love…for our cities and our world.

Luke 14:23 says, “Go out 2 the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in…” I want to encourage you to DO IT. Invite everyone you know…invite everyone you come in contact with between now and Easter. Let’s SPILL OUT HOPE into this hopeless world.

I’m cheering you on as you go all out inviting and getting ready, Questers. Pray for me as I finish my talk and make my last invites. I can’t wait to partner with you this weekend for the most remarkable weekend we’ve ever experienced together.

I’m thrilled that we moved Vision Weekend to January. So many people came out because they wanted to know the vision of our church…both new people and Questers making every effort to be there all together. We grew by 630 people from one weekend to the next. Loved watching the responses of 1000s of you receiving God’s vision for our church – and our lives. I’ve had an amazing time over the last two days reflecting on the ways God showed up this weekend…it was remarkable.

Here are just a few of the things that stand out from Vision Weekend 2011:

• The musicians did an amazing job with worship. I loved the song Rescuer by Chris McClarney (and I think you’ll like it, too..his music is worth downloading).
• The Still Haven’t Found video was terrific. Thanks to the artists for going out of their way to put themselves in vulnerable positions to connect with folks. I heard a million comments of people saying, “that was my story…”
• I love going to a church that will push the limits to connect people to God. We didn’t get any complaints for showing a harsh video. After 12 years, maybe it’s become clear that we’ll do anything short of sinning to win people to Christ and help them find freedom and healing.
• The realities of domestic violence, drug addiction, and  people doing anything to find love is a common part of people’s lives. Jesus spent His life connecting with people in hard places – and we’ll do anything to connect with them so they can connect with Jesus.
• Hearing Mildred’s reading from Jeremiah 31 was remarkable: “Israel, out looking for a place to rest, met God out looking for them!” God told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love! And so now I’ll start over with you and build you up again.”
• Even when we don’t know where to look, God is out looking for us. There are lots of you reading this – this is true for you – or you know someone who it’s true for:

• When churches have a “Vision Weekend,” they usually mean something about establishing or clarifying their vision. But Quest’s vision has been exceedingly clear from the day we opened our doors on May 2, 1999. (I loved hearing 1000s of Questers all say our mission statement together: Transforming Unconvinced People into Wholehearted Followers of Jesus.)
• Vision Weekend kicked off Christianity Isn’t…a series dealing with the myths and misconceptions that people have about Christianity. We misunderstand many things and most of them don’t matter, but our understanding of Jesus and Christianity impacts everything else…it’s foundational for every area of our lives.
• Jesus was misunderstood His whole life – from the time He was born until His dying breath.
• I loved the picture we saw of Jesus in Luke 19 – crying out “if only…” If only you’d understood who I am and what I want to offer you…the hope and peace and joy and life I want to give you!
• But not everyone misunderstood Jesus. Looking at John 4 and Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well was remarkable…and a picture of the Vision of Quest Community Church. We will be people who encounter Jesus for ourselves and run tell everyone we know about Him!
• People all around us are looking for change. And WE ARE THE CHANGE! We are living breathing examples of the redeeming power of our great God. After all these centuries Jesus is still the answer for everyone – everywhere.
• The Church was never meant to be a fortress to keep the unconvinced world out or a country club to keep holy people in. The Church was always meant to be an agent of transformation in a world that is stuck.
• The brand new initiatives were amazing:
  • Advancing Strategic Partnerships (w/A21, Compassion & other local ministries)
  • Quest’s First-Ever Worship Album
  • Our Boldest Outreach Ever
  • Expanding Our Global Influence
  • The Possibility of a Cincinnati Campus (Pray for everything that needs to fall in place for us to receive this offer from our denomination.)
• We wrapped up the weekend with three challenges – to pray, to trust God with our resources and to get out of the stands to participate this year. You are really, really needed!

Sometimes as I’m prepping for a weekend, God rocks my world and I get the sense He’s about to unleash something that matters in seismic ways for us as a church. This weekend I feel like He’s about to do just that.

For the first time ever we’re launching our entire year with VISION WEEKEND. This weekend will kick off a seven week series called Christianity Isn’t. First up this weekend: Christianity Isn’t What You Think. I’ve gotta tell you, what God has in front of us blows my mind!

The truth is, when I get a chance to talk about the truth of God’s word and look at the life of Jesus and what He said the church ought to be like, it does something in me I can barely describe. It’s so substantial, so real, so thorough, so reticent with my experience with Him, that I find myself pumped out of my mind with anticipation for what He wants to unleash.

Most of us have had experiences with church (and with Christians) that have left us mixed up about what Christianity is really all about. But Jesus was never mixed up. His purposes were undeniably clear, often unexpected, and undeniably revolutionary. This series will unpack His heartbeat in ways that will blow our minds and that have the potential to reorient our lives.

As we head toward Vision Weekend, I have two requests:

1. Pray for my prep

2. And invite like crazy!

Bring everyone you know with you. Go for it…risk it! People are looking for a way for life to do life differently this year. They’re looking for the keys that will really make a difference. You can give them their best shot this weekend. I’m praying for every single invite that goes out!

I can’t wait…I’ll see you this weekend.

Pete

p.s. Get to ELEVATE tonight at Celebration at 6:30 for fantastic worship, the Lord’s Supper, and a great way to get your heart ready heading into Vision Weekend! What a way to kick off the year together!

This weekend I got to preach on one of my favorite topics on the planet: the reality that Jesus came and died and left us here for ONE THING.

From day one…for all the uncertainty and discovery and learning that would lie ahead for a brand new church called Quest Community Church…our purpose was distinctly clear. Our calling was specific. God’s assignment for this church was precise. We are called to…

Transform unconvinced people into wholehearted followers of Jesus.

God called us to build a church that would do anything short of sinning to help unconvinced people come see Jesus for themselves and step into an eternity changing relationship with Him — and then to raise up the most transformed, loving, committed, generous, biblical, contagious followers of Jesus on the planet. For 11 years that has been QCCs One Thing and we’ve done our very best (w/tons of mistakes & mishaps along the way) to accomplish that mission. It is the One Thing Jesus called us to be activists about, and we build our entire ministry around it!

• Questers…when I ask you to pray, love and reach out to your neighbors…it’s because the world is going to hell faster than we know. God’s heart breaks over His kids who are far from Him, and He’s calling us to reach them!

• Uprising Pastors…when I ask you to become distinctly clear on the ONE THING and live with the stakes always before you…it’s because you’re leading in the only eternal endeavor on the planet…and real people’s lives are hanging in the balance!

2,000 years ago He tapped a guy named Peter on the shoulder to change the world..and 2.1 billion people are living in his wake. That’s what can happen when ordinary people live for the One Thing!

p.s. If you missed this weekend — or if you’re an Uprising pastor who could use a reminder of why you do what you do — you can watch this weekend’s worship experience here: Come See For Yourself…How to Change the World.

You know where you’re gonna watch the NFL Kick-Off tonight (YES!), the job you want to be in 5 years from now, the easiest way to skim through your days, and/or what that corner office will look like when you finally make it to the top of the ladder. Maybe if you’re a pastor you’ve already got your whole ministry future mapped out in front of you.

But what if God calls an audible? What if He wants to reroute your life? Are you ready for it? Are you even listening? What would it take for God to get your attention?

It only took 32 words from Jesus for Paul to abandon his plan for his life and go with God’s plan. (Acts 9:3-6)

Paul’s response to Jesus changed the world. He became the second most influential human being to have ever lived, second only to Jesus. 2000+ years later our lives are still influenced by God’s redirect in his life.

Uprising leaders, Christ-followers, seekers: Listen and RESPOND to God’s whispers in your life. If you don’t live out the dreams He has planned for you, no one will.

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!