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Sunday Night Thoughts

• It was "National Youth Pastor Preach in Big-Church" Sunday yesterday.  Pastor Jake did a great job bringing it!

• Here is a sample of Jake's message:

• "God made me just the way that I am…and He likes me."

• "I'm OK, because God says I'm OK!"

• "Even if no one else sees…Jesus sees us and notices our acts of kindness."

• "He's (Jesus) the only ONE we do things for ultimately.

• "God is with us even through the deepest hurts of life."

• "There are too many grumpy Christians!"

• "We should live every day with His joy!"

• "I peeked at the end of the Bible, and guess what?…we win!"

• "Eternal life…that's the promise we have in Jesus Christ."

• It was good to see Ben and Kim Kemper visiting here yesterday.  Kim was our receptionist for several years until she and her family moved to Colorado.  Poor them…they get to look out their windows and see the Rocky Mountains.  

• This was the LAST two-service Sunday.  Next week we go to three: 8:30, 10, & 11:30.  I am SO looking forward to what God is going to do!

• I spent late last night with the Gonzales family from Newman, CA that are a part of our NLCC family.  They had two chaplains from the Army show up at their door in the evening letting them know that their son T.J. was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq yesterday.  Be praying for them and their entire family as they walk through this terrible loss.  (Thanks to the two chaplains who were so tender and grace-filled towards Tony and Marlynn.  It's good to know that families who have to walk through such a tragedy are being cared for by Christ-loving chaplains).

wow!

Wow!

…that was my thought last night as I sat and watched rehearsal for "Behold the Lamb of God."  You may think that I'm just trying to hype the 4 concerts this weekend, but after you experience this you'll know it's not hype.  Get ready for one of the most moving, powerful Christmas concerts, and the quality level of the performance is incredible.  

When you come to see this (Saturday, Dec. 20 at 5 & 7 p.m., and Sunday Dec. 21 at 5 & 7 p.m.) you will walk out and kick yourself if you don't bring anyone with you.  

IT IS THAT GOOD.  Don't miss this, and invite all the people you talk with today and tomorrow.  Send out a few emails as well, post it on facebook, put it on your myspace, text some friends…whatever it takes.

Remember it's at the Turlock Community Theater (the Old Turlock High School at the corner of Canal & Colorado).

Click here to see more about "Behold the Lamb of God."

Send Me

Towards the end of my message Sunday I gave you a list of people from the Bible and how they fell short by most standards, and yet God used them.  I had a few people ask for that list, so I'm posting the end of my message here…

God uses all kinds of people – regardless of their past, their failures, or their weaknesses.  The Bible is FULL of real-life examples.

Moses stuttered. David was ill-eqipped and inexperienced. Hosea was married to a prostitute named Gomer. Jacob was a liar.  Gideon was a coward.  King David had an affair.  Solomon was too rich.  Abraham was too old.  Timothy was too young. Peter cussed.  Lazarus was DEAD.  John was self-righteous.  Naomi was too poor.  John Mark was rejected by Paul, and Paul was murderer – so who was HE to be rejecting anyone.  Jonah ran from God.  Miriam was a gossip.  Thomas doubted.  Jeremiah was depressed.  Martha was a worry-wart.  Samson had long hair.  Noah got a little too drunk.   The list goes on and on.

God isn’t looking for superstars…He’s looking for servants.  People who are willing to say, just like Isaiah…”Lord I’ll go, send me.”

Thoughts from Sunday

• What a great day celebrating Christmas.  

• I love it when the kids sing, and they did a GREAT job!  Watching their eyes shine and seeing their mouths try to remember the words to the songs… it's hard to beat that.

• A HUGE thanks to Kourtney Avila and her incredible team from Children's Ministry.  We are so blessed to have Kourtney on our staff.

• Thanks to Jim Hampton for getting the crowd clapping when I was talking about serving and putting others first.  I appreciate Jim and Julee because they actually LIVE it out.

• Thanks to Joe Padilla in the second service for the BIG AMEN!  Even though your daughter was totally embarrassed, I love your passion!

• On behalf of myself and the entire NLCC staff -- thank you for your generosity and your Christmas gift offering to us.  We are truly humbled.

• Thanks to all of you who are answering the call to serve as we go to three services in January.  There are still tons of opportunities to connect, grow, and serve -- Don't miss out!

• Sunday was the largest non-Easter attendance we've ever had --- 1347 people.  Please, don't tell the fire marshall.  It's starting to get crazy.  Good crazy.

• 26 people accepted Christ this week!!  Again… good crazy!!

• Gena and I had our staff and spouses over Sunday night for our Christmas party.  We had such a great time and a lot of fun together (you DON'T even want to know what some of the white elephant gifts were).  I wouldn't want to work and serve with anyone else.

Thoughts on Sunday

• It was COLD today as I made my way to the church.  I got there a little before seven and someone was already there getting things ready for the day!

• Thanks to Steven and the team today for leading us in worship.  "Amazing Grace -- my chains are gone" is always so powerful.

• I'm excited and getting ready for "Behold the Lamb."  This is going to be incredible!  Don't forget to mark the dates, December 20 & 21.  This concert is so hard to describe, but once you hear it, you want to make sure that everyone you know experiences it.

• Thanks to Jon and the creative team for the Christmas decorations.  They look great!

• I love this Christmas theme of "regifting."  It's really what we've been called to do.  To take what we've been given and extend it to those around us.

• If you'd like to read some great re-gifting stories, go here.

• I'm so glad to have Daryl Poppen coming to join our staff team in January.  His gifts and experience is going to be HUGE for NLCC.

• I loved having Jim and Katherine McFadden come and share in the services this morning about their experience volunteering in Children's Ministry.  I wish you could sit and talk with them one on one.  They can't stop talking about how great it's been for them.  Jim said that they so look forward to Sundays because they can't wait to be with the kids.  He even said how much HE"S grown by studying the kids stories and getting to learn the Bible in a whole new way.

• Gena and I had our church board over last night just for a time together and Christmas dessert.  I'll just say this…NLCC is blessed beyond measure to have godly, humble, wise people like this as leaders.  I thank God all the time that I get to serve with people like this.