Evolve Church Planters Conference
Mountain Lake Church • Cumming, Georgia
Just finished two life-changing days at Shawn Lovejoy’s church in Cumming, Georgia.
What a refreshing conference! This may be the first conference that I ever felt specifically “prompted” by the Holy Spirit to attend. During Monday morning’s pre-conference session, God used a guy named David Putman to confirm His calling upon my life to plant a church… I’m still not certain “where,” but I do KNOW beyond the shadow of a doubt, “what” God has called me to do… For the first time in a few months, I feel excited about the future and can’t wait to see what God is going to accomplish. I’ll keep you updated as the details become clear…
Today, I probably heard the most powerful message I’ve heard in years. The message was by a guy named Darrin Patrick, Lead Pastor of Journey Church in St. Louis. Wow!
Patrick began his message on repentance with an incredible quote from Reformed Minister, D. Martin Lloyd Jones… This statement nailed me…
Jones was writing about idolatry and defined an idol as “anything in our lives that occupies the place that should be occupied by God alone… An idol is anything that holds such a controlling position in my life that it moves and rouses and attracts me so easily that I give my time, my attention, my energy and my money to it effortlessly."
Holy Cow! Did you read that? All of a sudden idolatry gets really personal… It’s not just something a group of ancient people struggled with in the Old Testament. It’s something that I struggle with… It’s something YOU struggle with…because you and I regularly give our time, attention, energy and money effortlessly to stuff that doesn’t really matter…
In light of this, Patrick talked about the need for deep repentance… Repentance that moves beyond moralizing and regret, and goes to the core of my motives and attitudes… Repentance that causes me to see my sin, own my sin and TURN from my sin… Repentance that realizes, “I am a bigger sinner than I want to believe, but Jesus is a bigger Savior than I could ever imagine…”
I left this conference touched, moved, inspired and hopefully CHANGED.
Thanks to the incredible leadership and staff of Mountain Lake Church for a great conference.
Here’s the OTHER STUFF you may want to be aware of:
New Teaching Series
SIMPLY JESUS:
Detox for Recovering Obsessive Compulsive Religious Addicts Like Me
Jesus said, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life…” (Matthew 11:28 MSG)
What happens when you get off the treadmill of religious performance and just decide to fall in love with Jesus? FREEDOM!
I am pumped about this series! Don’t miss the kickoff! This Wednesday and Thursday.
WEEKLY BIBLE STUDY SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY
Every Wednesday Evening • 6:30 PM
TRUSSVILLE AREA
WEDNESDAY LOCATION: Home of Ron and Deborah Wiggins
7931 Wynwood Road • Trussville, AL • 35173
THURSDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY
Every Thursday Evening • 6:30 PM
Childcare is provided THURSDAY ONLY by reservation. Contact Janet at 979.3633
THURSDAY LOCATION: Home of Chris and Janet Goins
328 Stone Brook Circle • Hoover, AL • 35226
205.979.3633
UPDATE ON MY DAD: Pastor Ken Goins
This makes the second week in a row that Dad has made it to church! Yea, God! Today he finished the third week of cancer therapy. Every Tuesday he goes in for a treatment with a drug called Rituxan, a monoclonal antibody that targets B-cells. So far, his body has responded well to the treatments.
After next week’s treatment, Dad will begin radiation treatments for approximately six weeks. This will be followed by another MRI to check the status of the cancer.
We are praying for complete healing! Thanks so much for your partnership in prayer and faith.
MINISTRY SCHEDULE
Sale Creek Church
Sunday Morning, February 24, 11 AM
Sale Creek, Tennessee
Lead Pastor: Terry Bolton
Lee University U Church 234
Sunday Evening, February 24, 7:30 PM
Cleveland, Tennessee
President: Dr. Paul Conn
Life Pointe Church
Sunday, March 2, 9 and 10:30 AM
Monday, March 3
Flagship Cinemas
2250 NE Campbell Drive
Homestead, Florida
Lead Pastor: Travis Johnson
Exponential ‘08
National New Church Conference (ATTENDING)
Orlando, Florida
April 21-24, 2008
ABOVE AND BEYOND!
If you would have asked me six months ago what it would be like to go back out on the road as an itinerant speaker, I would have looked at you as if you were out of your ever-loving mind… But it is becoming more and more apparent that God is using this time to shape and change my life…
First of all, Janet and I have met some incredibly beautiful people who have given us a new perspective on what it means to do church and be the church. The believers at Coram Deo in Knoxville, Tennessee are amazing! Thanks guys! The Wednesday PM Bible Study in Trussville is filled with new friends that we’ve just had the opportunity to meet… Thanks Ron and Deborah. The Thursday PM Bible Study is starting to get in a groove…
Almost daily it seems that God is bringing Janet and myself into contact with really cool people. Some of them need Jesus. Some of them inspire us to believe God. Some of them seem to be divine appointments. We regularly sense God saying, “Enjoy the journey… Don’t miss out on this moment. This is crucial… Open your heart… Open your eyes… I’m at work in your world…”
Second, God has been teaching us to TRUST and OBEY. Every week, God has been supplying our need through totally unexpected sources. I marvel at His incredible faithfulness and wonder why I’m so prone to doubt, get stressed or become anxious… In a little more than a week we will have went two months without a “salary,” but GOD has met EVERY NEED! Can I get another, “Yea, God!”?
Third, God has been HEALING Janet and myself… The last few weeks we’ve experienced the Holy Spirit healing old hurts, reviving our Spirit and renewing in us a passion for God and His church.
Wow! I didn’t mean to write so much, but that’s what’s going on.
If you’re in the area, we would love for you to join us for one of our weekly Bible Studies.
As always, thanks so much for your FRIENDSHIP and PRAYERS. We love you. If there is ever a way we can serve you, please don’t hesitate to contact us… Love you.
Chris and Janet Goins
328 Stone Brook Circle
Birmingham, Alabama 35226
205.979.3633
cgoins1127@bellsouth.net
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