Thursday, April 30, 2009

FRONT PAGE NEWS: YOU CAN BEGIN AGAIN!!!

Okay, okay... After another week of bad news... Who knew that on top of everything else going on in our crazy world, people would be freaking out over something called the SWINE FLEW? Holy cow!

This week we're back with more of the THE BEST NEWS YOU'VE HEARD ALL WEEK. It's not just good news. It's great news... Here's the headline: YOU CAN BEGIN AGAIN! You really can!

One of the most amazing things about David is that although He was a "man after God's own heart," the guy blew it, and I mean blew it BIG TIME. He failed on a colossal scale.

But on the heels of one of the most infamous failures in his life and maybe in all of history, David experienced GRACE...extravagant grace... He got a chance to begin again... He got a clean slate and a new start...

Here's what we're talking about this Sunday: Regardless of your failures... Regardless of your mistakes... You can begin again...

Tired of all the bad news? Discover more of THE BEST NEWS YOU'VE HEARD ALL WEEK this week at a2 Church.

TRAINING VERSUS TRYING

We're in a midweek series on spiritual growth. Last night we talked about the importance of training versus trying.

I think most of our attempts at spiritual growth consist of us trying really, really, really hard... Eventually, we just get tired of trying, throw in the towel and give up.

Maybe the answer isn't in trying, but in training... There's a world of difference between the two. Think of it like this:

It’s 7:00 o’clock one evening. Imagine a van pulling into your driveway and a group of people jumping out of the van and marching to your front door. They interrupt your Twinkie-eating, TV-watching, and “couch potato” routine with an urgent message: “Good News! We’re from the United States Olympic Committee. We’ve been looking for someone to run the long distance marathon in the next Summer Olympics.”

“We have stats on every person in the entire nation. We’ve checked everyone’s records. We’ve checked their performance on the President’s physical fitness test. We’ve checked their body type, blood type, and bone structure. We’ve even calculated their current percentage of body fat.”

“All of this has led us to believe that out of two hundred forty million people, you are the one person in America with a chance of bringing home the gold medal in the upcoming marathon. You are on the squad! You will run the race. This is the chance of a lifetime.”

You are amazed. You are stunned. You realize that the farthest you’ve ever ran has been from the couch to the refrigerator… But after the initial shock wears off, you're gripped by the realization of what has just transpired. For just a moment, you allow yourself to imagine, “Maybe I do have what it takes to be an Olympian?” When you close your eyes you can picture yourself standing on the podium after the race with a gold medal being placed around your neck and the National Anthem playing in the background.

Now you’re gripped with a sense of urgency. You realize that your body has got to run that 26-mile race. You realize that a billion people will be watching. You feel a huge amount of external pressure, but you also experience some internal pressure. Because something in you starts to believe, “Maybe this is why I was born. This is my chance.”

The marathon starts to dominate your mind. It occupies your attention. It becomes the central focus of your existence. It’s what gets you out of bed in the morning and what keeps you up late at night.

One of the reasons this marathon dominates your attention is because you realize that right now you can’t run a marathon. Right now, you couldn’t run a marathon even if you tried really, really hard. You’re smart enough to know, trying will only get you so far. If you’re going to compete in the marathon and seize this opportunity of a lifetime, you will have to go into a life of training. You are going to have to rearrange your life and priorities around those practices and disciplines that will enable you to do what willpower alone would never allow you to do. When it comes to running in a marathon, you are going to have to do more than try, you're going to have to train.

This is why this is important: training isn’t something that’s reserved for athletes. Training is required for people who want to play a musical instrument, learn a new language or acquire a new skill. Training is a requirement for any significant challenge in life – including spiritual growth.

Here's the way Paul says it to a young guy named Timothy.

"Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. 8 Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next." ~ 1 Timothy 4:7 (Phillips)

So, instead of trying really, really hard. Why not start training? We'll write more about this tomorrow.

Chris

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

THE PRICE OF SIN

Wow! Words can't begin to describe the emotions pounding in my chest. I just finished watching Steven Furtick, Lead Pastor of Elevation Church conduct a very candid interview with Ted and Gayle Haggard.

The video is about 40 minutes long... I encourage you to watch it... I'll warn you - it won't be easy... It's tough... It's painful... It's gut wrenching. But I think it's important.

This Sunday I'll be talking about grace - the grace David experienced on the heels of a colossal personal failure and lapse into sin... Watching this interview gave me a very current example of what sin can do and the grace that God provides...

By the way, if you're looking for a hero. I don't know that you'll find a more graceful hero than Gayle Haggard... At times during this interview, the grace she exhibited moved me to tears...

Here's the link... Watch it. Feel free to let me know what you think. Or, maybe you need to watch and just spend some time in prayer and reflection.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

SUNDAY IN REVIEW 4.19.09

• Good day @ a2. I love this place!

• Attendance was okay. Not certain of the exact numbers, but it was a solid day and a bit over 150.

• Worship was smokin’! I mean it. Loved the set. This week all of our music was focused on the greatness of God. Mighty King of Love by New Life Worship, Awesome God by Free Chapel, Everlasting God by New Life Worship and Everlasting God by Chris Tomlin.

• Cover songs were strong:

• Katie and Caley covered Desert Song by Hillsong. These girls can SING.

• We went “old school” – I’m talking about Russ Taff “old school” and Kevin covered I Still Believe. Perfect for this weekend’s message.

• Great Scripture reading from Robin, Shannon and Sunish. I love hearing our people read God’s Word aloud.

• Felt strong about the message: It’s The End of the World As We Know It… Wow! Part of this felt so autobiographical… “Been out in cave, forty days, with only a spark to light my way…”

• Message takeaways: God does some of His best work in caves. The cave is where God resurrects DEAD STUFF. Amen.

• Really felt a “leading” to press our people on a worshipful response at the end of today’s message. We went from contemplative prayer, to meaningful response, to “rock the house” worship

• I really believe this: What happens NEXT at a2 is up to us. God is at work. He really is. It’s up to us to partner with Him in what He is doing. What role will you play in God’s plan and purpose at a2 Church?

My big passion right now? To see people come to know Jesus – really know Him. To see God magnified in our lives and in this city.

I love you. I'm out.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Monday, April 13, 2009

SOME PICS FROM SUNDAY








Thanks to Jennifer Giadrosich, here are a few pics from yesterday's first Easter @ a2 Church.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

SUNDAY IN REVIEW - EASTER '09

• Rockin’ weekend @ a2!

• The action started way before the weekend. A big “SHOUT OUT” to some of the most incredible servants on the planet! You guys blow me away.

• Billy Walters was AMAZING in building props, risers and finishing out the Preschool Wall! This guy is the kind of servant I want to be when I grow up. You are amazing.

• Kevin Johnson, Nathan Holladay and Anhtuan Bui did a “bang up” job on the main set and a2 Kids set. You guys rock! I mean it!

Love this! So many of you took OUTREACH seriously this week. I’ve heard all kinds of stories... Saturday Janet and me showed up at a neighborhood egg hunt sponsored by four a2 families: Kevin and Shannon Johnson, Brice and Anna Jackson, Dan and Teddie Butcher and Mike and Shelly Shaw. These families served their community by providing an egg hunt and used it to invite their neighborhood to a2. They had a great turn out, put on a “killer” event and demonstrated the love of Christ. Awesome job! This is the heart of what a2 wants to be about.

• Jess and Denise Dixon served on the “clean up team” this weekend and the place looked awesome. These guys always demonstrate an incredible servant's heart. I love it.

• Nathan Holladay and the entire Guest Services Team created a “Wow!” experience for our guests. From the Traffic Team, to Greeters, to the Coffee Bar - you guys and gals were “on.”

• We have an incredible and growing group of Children’s Ministry Volunteers! Yeah, God! You are some of the most important people on the planet. You are on the “front lines” and making a difference in the lives of our kids.

I’ll name a few...

• Holly Holladay – thanks for the leading the a2 Nursery! Wow! Four volunteers and 10 infants! I love the fact that we have lots of babies!

• Laquita Thomas, Bill Robbins and Becky Abernathy – thanks so much for your leadership with our Preschoolers. I’m really excited about where we’re going and love our growing team.

• Brice and Anna Jackson, Lee and Sheri Peak, Kevin and Shannon Johnson and Jennifer Johnson… Holy Cow! Talk about the “A” Team. This is our Elementary Team and they are the “real deal.” I’m so psyched about what’s happening in our Children’s Ministry.

• Deborah and Pandy – the curtains and palms looked AWESOME! Thank you so much!

Then there’s the main room Easter Worship Event:

Beautiful Day rocked. Katie “brought it” in the lead vocal and made a classic her very own.

• The band was “on.” God has given us some amazingly gifted musicians. What a line up: Justin O, Steven R, Bethany B, Carlos P, Carol L, Mikey W, Nathan S – YOU GUYS TOTALLY ROCK!

• BTW, a great band can’t do a lot without a BANG UP SOUND GUY. Paul Baggett is THE MAN. Sound was kickin’!

• Loved the worship set today: My Savior LivesNew Life Worship, Let God Arise ~ Chris Tomlin, Stronger ~ Hillsong, Shout Unto GodHillsong United.

• Premiered our new worship choir today. They were “off the ever lovin’ chain.” Loved hearing their voices on “Shout Unto God” and the closer! Thank you guys and gals.

• Message was SOLIDThe THIRD DAY Changes Everything. Special thanks and acknowledgment to John Ortberg for the resources in his message, Life With God.

• Take away from the message: Our God is a THIRD DAY GOD. It may be Friday, but Sunday’s comin’! Well… Preach, brother, preach!

• GREAT CLOSER – I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin. Mike Shaw is one of the most gifted vocalists I know and I thank God for Him. He “brought it” on this song. Awesome job.

• Our attendance was by far OUR BEST EVER – at least 284 STRONG!!! Yeah, God!

• BEST NEWS: People made decisions to follow JESUS. We are working through the Connection Cards and contacting everyone who responded!

• Next week we continue the series THE BEST NEWS YOU’VE HEARD ALL WEEK… I’m already excited about the message. During the rest of the series we’ll be focusing on the book of Psalms. Think life is crazy today? Wait to hear some of the headlines from their lives. Relevant? You bet.

• I love being a part of what God is doing @ a2. This is going to be a wild, wild ride and I don't want to miss a SECOND of it! Here we go!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

THIS WEEKEND

So, a2erswho are YOU bringing to church with you this weekend?

People need Jesus! And this is one of those occasions, where I really believe, we are NOT called to be passive or silent. It's crucial that we get active.

Here's our commitment: We promise that we'll do do everything we can do as a church to make sure the Gospel is presented in a very clear and unforgettable way

But the rest is up to you!

What do you need to do to get people here?

Maybe you’ve asked someone 100 times in the past…ask them again!

Personally…I am glad there was a lady named Shirley who kept asking my Dad to come to church... He finally went, fell in love, heard the Gospel, met Jesus and not only was His life transformed, but our entire family was changed because of my Aunt Shirley's persistence...

Shirley wouldn't give up on my Dad! Please don't give up on THE PERSON (or PEOPLE) God has placed in your life. Don't give up!

a2 is offering TWO EASTER WEEKEND WORSHIP EXPERIENCES:

Good Friday Worship and Communion
The Wonderful Cross

Friday, April 10, 6 pm

Easter Sunday
THE BEST NEWS YOU'VE HEARD ALL WEEK

Sunday, April 12, 9:45 am

Our purpose in both services? To present the truth of the Gospel!

So, here's my challenge: BE THE GOSPEL! Do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get people here...

Here are a few real PRACTICAL IDEAS for you:

Pray like crazy. I mean it! Pray like EVERYTHING depends on God. Work like everything depends on YOU. Pray that people who don’t know Jesus would come to know Him this weekend. Beg Jesus to change lives this weekend. Beg Him. Be passionate in your prayer time. Let's believe that after this weekend HELL will be LESS CROWDED than it was last weekend because we were willing to abandon ourselves to the GOSPEL and GO FOR IT!

TEXT your friends an invite to experience THE BEST NEWS YOU’VE HEARD all week this Sunday at 9:45.

EMAIL invites to your friends.

HANDWRITTEN NOTES to your neighbors.

• Put an INVITE CARD on your neighbors doors. (No, I’m not asking you to show up on a bike wearing a white shirt and tie…)

• Carry a stack of INVITE CARDS with you and invite the people in your OFFICE, the people you meet at the gym, the Check Out girl at WALMART.

CALL your friends to make a personal ask.

THINK about who you haven't seen in church in a while and give them a SHOUT.

• Tell your KIDS to bring their friends! That’s right! Your kids can really make a difference for Christ this Easter weekend. Their friends and family maybe looking for something fun to do…

• Be a part of our GOOD FRIDAY WORSHIP and HOLY COMMUNION SERVICE this Friday, April 10 from 6 – 7 pm. Titled, The Wonderful Cross, featuring an “unplugged set,” an intimate time in worship, a completely different message than Sunday, Holy Communion and an opportunity for prayer – this service will prepare you to experience the power of the resurrection.

Yesterday me and Janet delivered 30 handwritten invites to our neighbors… We have 10 more to go… Today, we’ll finish out our neighborhood.

We’ll also mail a couple of invites to some friends of ours…

We are expecting God to BLOW OUR MINDS this weekend. We are expecting Him to do more than we possibly imagine.

Why not give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to work through YOU?
Be obedient to share the GOOD NEWS. Get ready to watch God transform lives – one step at a time.

GET THIS: This Sunday is going to SERIOUSLY ROCK! It’s all about Jesus! We are going to LIFT HIM UP and EXPECT HIM to CHANGE LIVES.

Let’s GO FOR IT!!!!

Chris

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

THANK YOU

This is an Anheuser-Busch commercial... No! I haven't taken up drinking... No! I don't endorse Anheuser-Busch products... No! I don't "kick a few back" after a long hard day on Sunday.

I'm a total abstainer... Have been all of my life. But this commercial moves me...



This week is a week of remembrance. A week to remember all that God has done for us... And just as returning troops deserve a warm welcome home and an authentic expression of our appreciation, this week my heart is riveted on the cross and the fact that in light of all that God accomplished for me through Jesus' sacrificial and substitutionary death, my only response can be AUTHENTIC WORSHIP - not just appreciation - but all out, face down, hands up, life before God has a living sacrifice - WORSHIP.

Amen.

POSSIBLY MY FAVORITE EASTER SONG

I've told you guys and gals, I LOVE EASTER! Love it!

Here's perhaps - I do reserve the right to change my mind - here's perhaps my FAVORITE EASTER SONG. Every time I hear it, I feel HOPE RISING! It's one of the most beautifully written, poetically powerful songs I've ever heard...

Regardless of what's going on, because of Jesus' resurrection we are "THIRD DAY" people. We really are...

Check out the lyrics to this song by Michael Olson... You can download the single on iTunes, Amazon or Lala.

Oh yeah, one more thing... Get ready to shout, cry, whatever it is you do when nobody's looking...

The Third Day
Michael Olson



Verse
Creation brings an offering
As autumn leaves turn to gold
The trees bow down in highest praise
Now made bare before Your throne

The western sky's an amber blaze
At the end of the day
For everything must die to rise again

The winter's chill, a bitter cold
As sin and shame leave us to fall
The clouds so full of newborn snow
For grace to come and save us all

Within the darkest night of man
Was found Your saving hand
For everything must die to rise again

Chorus:
On the third day behold the King
On the third day death has no sting
On the third day we're forgiven and reconciled

Verse
The earth it groans in labor pains
As flowers stretch to heaven above
Your creatures sing a prophet's song
To be a gift of selfless love

The sun is rising in the east
And Your Spirit is unleashed
For everything must die to rise again

Chorus
On the third day behold the King
On the third day death has no sting
On the third day we're forgiven and reconciled

Verse
And so we wait in joyful hope
For You to come and take us home
And so we join beneath the cross
In suffering from whence we go

The greatest act of sovereign grace
In the universe displayed
For everything must die to rise again

Chorus
On the third day behold the King
On the third day death has no sting
On the third day we're forgiven and reconciled

On the third day the saints rejoice
On the third day we lift our voice
On the third day we're united and glorified

HIS LAST DAYS - Part 1

This morning I was contemplating the last week of Jesus' life... The events that unfolded during what we've come to call "Holy Week."

I thought I would share a brief glimpse of HIS LAST DAYS... This is Part 1 of at least a "two part" post.


Monday
The Cleansing Of The Temple
Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-48

There is a great deal of speculation that Annas, the former high priest, and his sons had grown very wealthy at the expense of the people who came to worship God.

In an act of breath taking courage, as a matter of public record, Jesus single handedly – without a sword or army – took on the one of the greatest powers of His day. He took on the power structure that involved people who had a vested interest in maintaining a religious system that had made them wealthy... He was in such powerful control that nobody could raise a hand or a voice against him. He wouldn’t even permit anyone to “…carry goods through the temple…”

Many people believe that this single action was the equivalent of Jesus signing His own death warrant... It infuriated the religious authorities of Jesus' day...


Tuesday
Last Day Of Jesus’ Public Ministry
Tuesday describes Jesus’ last day of public ministry. It’s basically a continuance of the showdown he began with the religious authorities on Monday.

• Jesus Confronted the Religious Authorities
Matthew 21:23-22:46; Mark 11:27-12:37; Luke 20:1-44

• He Pronounced Judgment Against The Scribes And Pharisees
Matthew 23:1-39

• He Talked With The Disciples
Matthew 24-25:46; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:5-36

• A Conspiracy Was Planned By Religious Authorities
Matthew 26:1-5; Mark 14:1-2; Luke 22:1-2

• Jesus Was Anointed with Expensive Perfume and Worshipped
Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:2-8

• Judas Agreed To Betray Jesus To The Religious Authorities
Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:1-6

Think you've had a tough day at the office? This was an emotionally and physically exhausting day for Jesus...


Wednesday
Unknown
Wednesday was a day of silence in the life of Jesus. Scripture records nothing concerning the events that took place on Wednesday.

Maybe Jesus was spending some time alone with the Father... Maybe He needed some silence and solitude before the storm...


Thursday
Celebration Of Passover / Institution Of Lord’s Supper
Matthew 26:17-29; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:7-38; John 12:2-38; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

We're not certain of what happened earlier in the day, but we do know that it was probably Thursday when Jesus met with His disciples and celebrated Passover and instituted the Lord's Supper.


Thursday Evening
Gethsemane
Matthew 26:30, 36-46; Mark 14:26, 32-42; Luke 22:39-46; John 18:1

Sunday through Monday Jesus has squared off against the religious authorities. On Thursday evening Jesus faced the greatest battle of His life.


Luke 22:44 (NKJ), And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.


“…being in agony…”

Agony - “…being in the grip of a shuddering horror in the face of the dreadful prospect before him.”

“…an anxiety from which there was no escaping and in which he saw no help and no comfort.”

“…it is used of a man who is rendered helpless, disorientated, who is agitated and anguished by the threat of some approaching event.”

“…shocking horror, awe and dismay…”


“…Then His sweat became like great drops of blood…”

The agony was so intense that it resulted in a medical phenomenon. In medical terminology the phenomenon of blood mixing with sweat is known as hematidrosis. It is a rare phenomenon that occurs in someone who has a blood disorder or is in a highly emotional state. Extreme mental agony causes the blood vessels that supply the sweat glands to enlarge. The vessels eventually rupture and blood mixes with sweat. Blood loss is minimal, but the skin becomes very sensitive.

Jesus’ Threefold Struggle At Gethsemane

Emotional Pain

Mark 14:34 (NIV), He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me.” 35 He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground.

Why the emotional pain? Phillip Yancey says, “…I detect in the Gospels’ account of Gethsemane a profound depth of loneliness that Jesus had never before encountered…

The world had rejected Jesus: proof came in the torch light parade then snaking through the pathways of the garden. Soon the disciples would forsake him. During the prayers, the anguished prayers that met a stone wall of no response, it surely must have felt as if God, too, had turned away.”


Mental Anguish

Mark 14:35-36 (NKJ), He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."

The phrase, “…he fell on the ground…” can actually be translated, “…he kept on falling on the ground.”

Satanic Warfare And Activity

The word “agony” in the original Greek can also mean struggle or conflict. It’s from a root word, which was actually used of the place where the Greeks assembled to celebrate their Olympic Games. It can refer to “a place of contest, conquest and physical struggle for the purpose of overcoming all opposition in the attainment of a goal.”

Satan had avoided any direct confrontation with Jesus, since the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness and his blistering defeat. Now in Gethsemane, Jesus relives Satan’s wilderness temptation. In the closing hours of Jesus’ life, Satan makes one last all out frontal assault on Jesus Christ attempting to detour him from the cross.

Spiritual warfare takes center stage in the opening scene of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ." I believe Mel's depiction is accurate. That the evil one Himself mobilized the forces of hell against Jesus as He prayed in the Garden...


What's the point of reliving these events? To focus on the work of our Savior and to deepen our worship for all that He has done. We'll write more tomorrow...

Until then, take a few moments to read the texts, mediate on what Jesus experienced and maybe even be moved to worship Him for all that He has done...

Amen.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

MAKING THE GOSPEL HUGE!!!

A few days ago I read this post over on John Piper's blog.

It blew me away. As we approach Good Friday and Easter Weekend to talk about the things that Paul called of "first importance" ( the words of John's post came back to mind.

What can you expect if you bring a friend to a2 Church Friday evening or Sunday morning? You can expect us to make the GOSPEL LARGE!!!

Here's John's post... Here's praying that this weekend the GOPEL is GI-NORMOUS @ a2 Church.


Never Let The Gospel Get Smaller
John Piper

Here is a simple exhortation that I have been trying to implement in our family:

Seek to see and feel the gospel as bigger as years go by rather than smaller.

Our temptation is to think that the gospel is for beginners and then we go on to greater things. But the real challenge is to see the gospel as the greatest thing—and getting greater all the time.

The Gospel gets bigger when, in your heart,

* grace gets bigger;
* Christ gets greater;
* his death gets more wonderful;
* his resurrection gets more astonishing;
* the work of the Spirit gets mightier;
* the power of the gospel gets more pervasive;
* its global extent gets wider;
* your own sin gets uglier;
* the devil gets more evil;
* the gospel's roots in eternity go deeper;
* its connections with everything in the Bible and in the world get stronger;
* and the magnitude of its celebration in eternity gets louder.

So keep this in mind: Never let the gospel get smaller in your heart.

Pray that it won’t. Read solid books on it. Sing about it. Tell someone about it who is ignorant or unsure about it.

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel.... For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

Saturday, April 4, 2009

MAXIMIZING EASTER: HINTS FOR REACHING YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND FRIENDS

Special thanks to Travis Johnson, Lead Pastor of Life Pointe Church for the insights...

This year me and Janet are placing hand written notes on the doors / mailboxes of all our neighbors (about 30 homes). We’re also mailing invites to friends. We really believe some of them will be joining us for Easter weekend @ a2!

Here are a few tips for maximizing days like Easter to introduce your neighborhood and friends to Christ.

• Hand write a simple note and include it with the Invite / Impact Card. Remember to include the time, date and location in your note.

• If possible, personalize each note with your neighbor’s name, etc. If not, a simple, “Hi!” will do fine.

• Utilize the “Best News You’ve Heard...” Invite / Impact Cards.

• Include your first and last name, address, phone and email with the invite. It shows that you’re not some “random” solicitor or crazy person just passing through.

• On the outside of the Invitation Envelope write: “You’re Invited!”

• Place the invitations on people’s doors. Don’t knock or harass anyone.

• As you walk through the neighborhood, pray that God would connect with the people He longs to reach.

• Expect some of your neighbors and friends to respond.

• If possible, grab a cup of coffee or share lunch with them after their visit. Be committed to the relationship, regardless!

Friday, April 3, 2009

FOR THE GLORY!!!

FOR THE GLORY!
Palm Sunday, April 5, 9:45 am
a2 Church




What occurred during the last week of Jesus' life and ministry? What was on Jesus' mind as He entered into this week? What was it that caused Him to focus so singularly and passionately on the cross? What were His priorities?

What if Jesus' priorities could be narrowed down to three simple objectives?

* God's glory! His NAME and His FAME!
* His redemptive plan and purpose.
* Your ULTIMATE good.


What difference would that make in your life? Does this sound like nothing but boring theology?
Then, you may not understand the three ultimate objectives on the heart and mind of Jesus as He entered His last week of life and ministry and what it means to YOU.

Discover the difference these three priorities made in Jesus' life and the effect they can have on your life.

You don't want to be late. From the first note to the last word, this Sunday's service @ a2 will rock and could very well change your life. See you Sunday.

LESSONS IN "WHAT NOT TO DO"

In this clip Mark Driscoll shares "what not to do" when it comes to witnessing. Maybe you've had one of these experiences? Maybe not?

Regardless, we're called to share our faith, but what does it look like... I love the way Mark describes what Peter is getting at in 1 Peter. Goooooood stuff.