Crazy busy day today.

• First time at C3 we’ve had to seriously shorten our service due to early movies.  The theater has been awesome to work with each week, but today, due to contracts w/movies, we had a major crunch.  So, our 10:30 worship experience was only 45 minutes long today… wow!  Huge thanks to the volunteers that tore down in record time – you make it happen each week!
• Today we talked about going “All In” in our relationship with Christ and as a community of faith.  C3′ers are stepping up big time as we focus on being the church instead of doing church.
• This series “Protect This House” has brought back many memories of the birth of C3 – those were intense days, but God has been so faithful, and we’ve already seen 366 adults become Christ-followers in our short existence!
• This week… it’s still all about the “chair“- those people in your life and mine that are far from God.  Pray for them, invest in your relationship with them, and invite them to C3!
• We’ve gotten tons of names that you’re praying for and inviting to C3 between now and Easter Sunday.  If there are people in your life that are far from God and you’re praying for them and planning to invite them to C3, please let us be praying with you!  Just send a text to 68632 (begin your text with the word “pray” then just put the first name(s) ).  Our leadership will be praying for these names each day.

Live this week on purpose, all in – with a love these walls cannot contain!

Today we kicked off “Protect This House” – a new series @ C3 Church.  The first step in protecting the house is making sure our heart beats for what God’s heart beats for – people, especially those far from him!  It’s not about doing church, it’s all about being the church.

Also, we dove into 10 for 2010 – as we’re each praying for and inviting 10 un-churched people to come to C3 between now and Easter.  We’d love to be praying with you for the people you’re inviting.  Just let us know – Text the word “Pray” (w/no quotes) then space, then the persons 1st name to 68632. (So if you’re praying for and inviting someone named John, simply text Pray John to 68632).

I’m pumped about praying for you and with you for people that God’s going to radically change.

Angie and I just flew in from Dallas (where it was stinkin cold!).  I love Dallas, but it’s great to be home.  So many things are flying through my mind, rapid fire, so I want to just share a few…

• I needed this week.  Not real sure how to explain it, but you have those moments in life where God does something special.  This week changed me.  We were at the C3 Conference with hundreds of other pastors and leaders from 49 states and 19 countries.  What took place exceeded my expectations – and that’s a huge understatement.  I’ll probably jot some more thoughts about it next week.
• I can’t wait for tomorrow!  God is doing some huge stuff in and through C3 Church – and we’ve only been doing this a couple years!  The stories of life-change I’m hearing blow my mind.  Tomorrow we’re going to wrap up “In The Zone”… and it’s going to be strong!  Be there, invite somebody… and be on time (I’m so jacked I might just preach first before any music!).
• Next weekend (2/28) we’re kicking off a brand new series…

It’s all about the house – I can’t wait!!!

A few thoughts on the fly:

I love leading C3 Church.  The opportunity to lead a fresh, engaging, compassionate movement that is passionate in it’s pursuit of loving God and loving others is overwhelming.  Every single Sunday before I walk on the platform I’m in awe of what I get to do.  I’ve been in church my whole life, but I’ve only experienced being a part of a movement for a couple years.

I love what God does when I can’t do anything.  This morning in the second service a ton of stuff went wrong.  The theater decided to begin the movie intro music during the message.  Also, someone decided it was time to pressure clean the theaters projector (which could be heard throughout the theater).  There were several others “interruptions” – the bottom line is life happens often in the realm beyond our control.  I was… frustrated ( ) to say the least.  But, the reality is God still changed lives, hearts and attitudes.  We have a responsibility to bring our best (so we will have conversations this week with those we need to and the problems should be solved), but ultimately it’s all up to God.

I’m really praying for people who are not “zoned in”.  I’m already hearing from many who want to step into the zone.  God is going to use this big time in the lives of people, families and C3.  We have a huge opportunity to make a difference and reflect who Christ is.

When I realized what could happen if we go all-in following Christ, living in the zone, it charges me up!  C3 could:

• build 15 to 20 homes through Habitat for Humanity, or
• Feed the entire homeless population in Orlando for an ENTIRE YEAR!, or
• Provide backpacks and school supplies for EVERY  elementary-aged child in East Orange County, or
• Build 600 clean water drinking wells in Africa, changing the lives of 500,000 people immediately, or
• Provide 1 YEAR of living expenses for every person at C3 who has lost their job this year, or
• Fund the operations of 150 orphanages overseas…

I could go on, and on.  The reality is if we live as Christ-followers we have an opportunity to make a major impact in our city.  Living in the flow of Jesus, loving God and loving others can be shown in tangible ways, that give us an opportunity to share the life-changing, eternity-changing message with people in greater effectiveness.

So, 2010 is going to blow our minds, and 2011 will go even further.  We’ve just got to live in the flow of First things First!

It just happens.  The storms we experience can linger with us for a long time.  Last Sunday, as we began “Rain” @ C3 Church, one thing really stood out to me.  A question kept haunting me.  Noah obeyed God – built the ark, got on, rode out the storm, waited 150 days for the waters to descend, then began to rebuild.  I don’t know if it was a few days or weeks later, but… I wonder what he thought the very next time it began to rain?

So often, even when God takes us through something, when life begins to look similar to the “storms” we’ve experienced… we wonder…  is it beginning again?  Will it be as bad or maybe even worse?  We remember the 150 days, because the residual effects of the storm hang around long after the rains stop.  The not knowing how long it would last… or if life will just be this way forever now… all because of rain.  It’s starting again.

We can’t stop the rain, but we can decide how it will affect us.  Each time it rains in our lives it can bring new fears or grow new faith.  It’s going to rain… so let it feed new faith that will grow in our lives and expand our influence for Christ!

Don’t miss this weekend as we continue to learn how to navigate “Rain” (and remember to INVITE SOMEBODY)!