My Secret Weapon For Weekly Joy

I have to let you know about a little secret of mine. I'm addicted to something. I have tried to stop but I can't get enough. I have to let it out.



Every week, I watch atleast 1 MARC DRISCOLL (Mars Hill Church - Seattle) video.
He has been a mentor for me for the past couple years.
Watch him, study him, and grow!

He just preached for thier easter services this past week. This would be a great place to start.

www.marshillchurch.org

or go to itunes and dowload thier weekly video podcasts!

Go Now!!!!!

Easter 2008

We had a great weekend at VENUE this weekend. As far as attendance we had a record for our church at well over 1900 people. 400 of those are from Venue. We know around here at C.W. that numbers are no way to measure Spiritual Growth (which is what we want to be all about) but it is a good indicator that people are still interested in the things of God. So we all are excited around here.

Venue will hit it's one year anniversary next weekend! What a year! With the addition of VENUE LIVE, our Saturday night service, we have almost double in 1 year. Praise the Lord. I continue to remind our leadership team at Venue, that if we remain humble and obedient, than we can trust God with the results. God measures our motives, not our numbers. We are still believing, "Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city."

The Gospel in an ipod Culture (part 2)

I was sitting in my office last week, wrestling with the Lord. Yes, wrestling, fighting, arguing, making my case, and then listeing to His. I asked the Lord in light of my own short comings, if the Bible really works? Being a product of pragmatism, I like you want to know if the Scripture really works? I'm not asking if it's true. I'm asking if it works. Right here. Right now. In my shoes.

Here's how I know it works. I am being changed and I can't explain the power that is working in me except to say it must be divine. It must come from a source outside of me that has somehow invaded me and is presently indwelling me and changing me from the inside out.

I know the word of God is sufficient because in all my moral attempts, and my ethical boot strap tries, I find the same conclusion. Depraved people are just that. Depraved. I can not give something I do not possess. I can not be someone I am not. I need something outside of myself.

The frustrations of our own personal failures to be good boys and girls is no different than that of our co-workers, family members, and freinds. All of us want to be good. We want to think good thoughts about us. We want to be thought of as nice people.

Your not. I'm not.

The answer for our ipod culture is not to tell our people to work harder at it. Or think the right thoughts. No! That is empty ethical, moralism that leads to death or pride. We need Jesus. He alone is good. Which means he alone, when indwelt in a believers life can do the same inside of them.

When we are done trying, the Holy Spirit just might says, "Now that your done, let me step in and see what I can do..."

If you want to know what really changes you. Get in the Scriptures, get real close to Jesus, and listen to the Holy Spirit.

Sounds old school, but it's the only thing that works from the inside out!

The Gospel in an ipod Culture (part 1)

In the wake of cool pastors, brand new sermon series, and fresh ideas on how to reach the masses, I am concerned that our creativity to engage the culture may be what drives us. You say, what's wrong with that? Nothing is wrong with a passion to engage, persuade, or convince people. But even, Telemarketers do that. Their is a difference for having a passion for engagement alone, than a passion for the Gospel. A lot of preachers fall into the worship of the means rather than the worship and exaltation of the message. Prechers love the rush, or the buzz they get while they are preaching. They love the sense of power they feel when hundreds of people are eagerly awaiting their next sentence. They love the means more than the message. They love the method more than the Messiah. So how do you test yourself to see if you are in love with the means or with the message?

Answer: You read 1 Corinthians 2.

1When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.[a] 2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

How's your fear and trembling meter? If it's down but your preaching is still firy hot, chances are you are in love with your gift of preaching more than you are the message your preaching.

If you find yourself haunted by the text, longing for insight and revelation from God for your people, chances are your in love with the message and can't wait till Sunay when you get to open up the Scriptures and preach what God has placed on your heart.

The world could use less preachers, and more tremblers!

Preach the text, but only if it's changing you frist!


p.s. In my former days of telemarketing, I became a better salesman after I owned the product that I was trying to sell!