when God calls

Last night was a high point in my life … and in my ministry. We had an amazing worship time in the Warehouse. The set was powerful and we wrapped up with Hosannah by Hillsong United. This is one of my all time favorites. There’s a couple verses in there that get me and remind me of what I live for:

“I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith
With selfless faith

I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We’re on our knees
We’re on our knees.”

Powerful stuff … but this is where the story begins. We got to hear Kayla’s voice on stage for the 1st time at 180X last night. I heard it in the crowd a while back and I looked back and thought, wow! I told her, wow girl, YOU HAVE AN AMAZING VOICE! Little did I know that my remark would mean such a huge deal to her.

This post is about Kayla, but this post is truly in honor of a God who calls people, a God who gifts people with amazing gifts.

Our crowd ate that song up. Lora, Erica and Kayla brought it in a “heavenly” way, no doubt. But the story gets good when I got home and Gabby shared with me what she heard from Kayla’s mom. She came to hear her daughter sing at 180x last night. Tears were in her eyes as she told Gabby about Kayla’s passion to sing ever since she was a little baby. Story goes on - and we will leave the details and pics for later - Kayla’s mom wrote a letter to Kayla when she was two. A letter like a wish and a prayer saying something like this: “Kayla, God has given you this amazing gift to sing and I hope one day when you grow up, you will give it ALL back to Him.”

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This really happened last night. This mom got to see her prayers for her daughter, answered! I heard this story and I cried. I shared this story with someone this morning, and I could not contain myself.

We’ve asked Kayla to consider the band a while back, she jumped on it - and gave up A LOT to take on the commitment she took on. I am so proud of her! So proud of her obedience when God calls. There is no doubt in my mind God called Kayla and gifted her with a gift that will make HIS NAME famous to her generation. I so thank God for her mom and dad. I was reminded again of the huge role we parents play in inspiring our kids to FOLLOW GOD and to LIVE FOR HIM.

This is a huge story, a huge win for God that we got to witness. It really starts with God and God gets and will get the glory out of this. But it sure makes a difference when someone OBEYS when God calls. Kayla did. Here’s her prayer at the beginning of this year:

Kayla, we are so proud of you!!! Thanks for inspiring others - including me - to OBEY and to SURRENDER ourselves to God’s purpose for our lives. So many miss it. Thanks for choosing HIM above all. I know you will never regret this. Just when I think of what God will do through you in the next years …

Last night was bitter sweet. Lora and Skipp are moving on. We love these guys. And we’ll miss them tons. They have poured and poured for years. 180X will never be the same without them. But 180X has grown TONS through them. And I believe the youth here at 180X still has the power to change their generation for God. God is calling. Even now, even today in 2008.

God is waiting on people that will obey - and then, watch Him move!

Tonight

Amazing night … Hosannah nailed it, band was off the hook.

Welcome Kayla! Wow, what a voice … to make Jesus famous …

More details tomorrow.
Good night.

| my team |

One of the reasons we wanted to have our youth leaders over at our house Saturday night was this question I’ve kept in front of my eyes for the past 2 months:

Has the ministry I lead done a good job recently of loving, thanking, encouraging our volunteers?

I can’t say that I’m where I want to be as far as this question. But I can say this: we’re going to take the extra mile this time around. Our 180X leaders soooooo deserve it. And fact remains, our ministry would fail to exist if it weren’t for them.

I mean that.

You guys are amazing! Gabby and I thank God for each one of you.

perry noble | quotable

Ooohhhh, my teeth are broken. I got hit. Perry did it, yet again.

I love this guy!

Enjoy.

Are you an initiator or a responder?

An initiator spends their time trying to think big and extinguish the fires of hell…a responder spends their time trying to figure out how to keep people happy and tries to extinguish the fires of small minded people.

An initiator spends their time asking God to lead them to take huge risks…a responder spends their time asking God to keep them safe.

An initiator takes God led risks…a responder will call a business meeting.

An initiator spends all of their time trying to please God…a responder spends all of their time trying to please people.

An initiator will preach what he feels that God has told him to preach and not fear the consequences…a responder will preach what makes people happy so he can receive a paycheck.

An initiator spends all of their time trying to figure out what’s next…and a responder spends all their time trying to figure out how to guard the past and the present.

An initiator prays huge prayers and asks God for impossible things…a responder doesn’t really think God is in the miracle business anymore & will pray prayers that doesn’t require God’s help to accomplish so that “God doesn’t look bad!”

An initiator will surround himself with leaders who will speak their minds…a responder want people around him who will say, “Your poop doesn’t stink!”

An initiator wants to meet with people who do not think like him…a responder is threatened by people who aren’t just like him.

Perry, if you are reading this, just wanted to say thanks bro for always pushing me over the edge. Thanks for being a radical crazy follower of Jesus! You never fail to inspire and stretch this heart of mine.

Press on!
[FP]

desert song | hillsong

WOW.

Even in the desert, I will bring praise!!!

What a testimony!!!!!!!!

what I believe | and stand on

These lyrics remind me of me:

You hold my every moment,
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
You heal all my disease
I’ll trust in You
I’ll trust in You.

I believe that You’re my healer
I believe You are ALL I NEED
I believe You’re my portion
I believe You’re more than enough for me
Jesus YOU’RE ALL I NEED.

These are trying days in my life …

Changing circumstances … hard stuff to swallow … valleys that we all have to go through because ‘we’re not there yet’ … times in which LIGHT and God’s Hand holding mine is all I need.

To rest in the loving and secure arms of my Father … to be reassured of His faithfulness and character … to be loved and blessed with a family like the one I have on this side of heaven … to work with leaders that do it all for Jesus and His fame … to be faced with the crude reality of what it means to follow Jesus (while this teenager speaks Truth in my life today in my office) … that, for me is enough.

And if I didn’t have anything else but HIM, my Savior … it would still be enough. Here’s a song that rocks my soul and keeps me safe and secure in the arms of my UNCHANGING God, in a world of changing people and changing circumstances.

No more words needed …

Jesus, I believe YOU ARE ALL I NEED!!!

for my beat down brudas!

In the past few weeks I’ve had some hard conversations … with people I love and care for a whole lot. Brothers of mine who’ve been beat down by the enemy. Brothers of mine who have failed (like we all of have at one point in life or more than just one point) and got deeper and deeper into the lies of the father of lies. So deep that they started believing there is no point of return or no point in returning.

So, as best I could, I tried to lift up their faces and remind them of WHOSE THEY ARE. To remind them of their position in Christ, of their seat at the Father’s table where they truly belong. To remind them that all hope is NOT lost because Jesus paid it all and it’s all covered under His blood. So I caught this video (warning, graphic content) today and thought of my ‘beat down’ brothers. And I wanted to remind them that it’s been COVERED … it’s been PAID FOR, FORGIVEN and REMOVED as far as the East is from the West.

I hope it brings you too - if you’re beat down - to where you belong. In the arms of your Heavenly Father.

I could not help but go get this video also and embed it here. I hope it helps you as much as it helps me, every time I watch it.

6:00 PM

The grill will be hot around 5:45 PM.
Our house. Call my cell for directions (you should have it by now. If you don’t have it, comment here and I will call you back)

Good times, great food.

Special presentation around 7 PM.

If you lead at 180x in any capacity, make plans to be there.

so, Cal’s home …

Went by to see the bruda today around 3 PM. I felt some Australian accent. Seen no tight jeans. He looks good. He lost some weight. It goes with being in love, I guess :) And being far from his mom’s cooking for so long … I’m sure that did it too. We need to reintroduce him to Southern style cooking. And the good ol’ sweet tea. For sure!

So yeah, Cal’s home. And to me, that’s a good thing. Real good.

Welcome back, my friend. You’ve been missed!

ID | part II [friends]

A reply to Lexie (one who missed 180 tonight):

Lex, tonight was awesome. intense. great crowd for this summer time when most places struggle getting anyone there on wed nights. i am so proud of our teenagers that invite and bring their friends. each week we have new people coming in!!!

the band rocked out. they started off with Meant 2 Live by Switchfoot. Terry (our new guy) rocked my face off, he is SOOOOO good!!! Sing to the King and From the Inside Out, OMG!!!

Message (i thought) got most everybody’s attention.
Topic: if your friends determine the quality and direction of your life, pick wisely. If you’re a follower, follow WISE people. If you are a leader, lead people in a direction they’ll thank you for, 10 years from now.

i showed a pic of me at 14!!! oh no! you should have seen it :)))) not funny at all.

we wrapped the night with 260 water balloons busted on everyone!!! thanks Rod and Pam!