3 Very Important Things For Everyone At Movement Church

1. I'm loving our new series Extreme Makeover: Life Edition.  Here's a brief review of last Sunday:

• Satan has come to destroy us. Jesus has come to fulfill us (Jn. 10:10).
• Desires shape our priorities, priorities shape our choices, choices shape our lives. Do we desire God's blessing over our lives, or our own agenda?
• Priority # 2 of a Blessed Life: Family/Relationships. To be human is to be in relationship, because we were created in God's image & likeness (Gen. 1:26).  Therefore, our relationships matter.
• 3 Things Jesus Came to Restore: 1) Our relationship to God; 2) Our view of self (healthy identity); 3) Our relationship with each other
• Main point: If we love God and have a healthy view of self, in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), then we can rightly love others.  If we don't, our relationships will suffer.  We'll either depend on others too much (dependance), seek to use people rather than love them (independence), play the victim card (victim mentality), have trust issues (insecurity), or  isolate ourselves from others (isolation). All of which leads to destructive relationships, rather than relationships blessed by God.
• Challenge: Choose to live from our identity in Christ, not for our identity in others. If we do this, our relationships will be the BLESSED EVER!  Don't waste your life!!!
2. Owners: This is your time to shine! We've begun a new year, and we want to continue moving in the blessing we've experienced in December.  That means, as owners, we're called to 4 things:
1. Serve - If you're an owner and you're not serving somewhere, please email pastor Jeff today: Jeff@movementchurch.com.  We would be glad to get you plugged in.  There's no better way to both grow in your faith and make an eternal impact than through serving! Let's go!!!
2. Bring - You have the great privilege of belonging to a church where it's okay to bring people who are far from God.  We want you to be excited to invite your sister, friend, co-worker, mom, etc.  We promise that we'll do everything we can to love and lead them to Christ!  So, do your part as owners and get them here!!!
3. Grow - Regardless of your past, it's not normal to backslide or fall into the same sin pattern as you always have. To be in Christ means to constantly be growing into the person God created you to be!  At Movement, we take this very seriously. We understand that sin always ends down the same dead-end path.  Because Jesus is alive, we have new hope, new life, and new purpose to walk in everyday. God saved us to reach others for Him. The best way to do that is to live differently! No other way leads to joy, peace, and purpose! Choose growth today!!!
4. Give - Why should we give? So we can continue reaching people for Christ, period.  The more we give, the more we reach. Our vision is to grow into our own established worship space, so we can maximize our reach for Christ. This will happen when we as a church get fired up about reaching those far from God.  If the Bible is true, then Hell is real and people we know and love are headed there, unless we do something about it.  God's plan? His church!  Let's be the church and reach people for Christ! Give and give BIG!!!
3. Team Intense is coming next week!  Here's what we need you to do:
1. Share every video, picture, or promo we put out on Facebook. Help us get the word out church!!!
2. Invite every family you know with kids!  This event really is for the kids. This is our way of loving and reaching them for Christ! So, please do your part and invite, invite, invite to this FREE EVENT!
3. Serve - We need MVP's to help set up/clean up on Wednesday, Friday, & Sunday evenings next week!  If you'd love to be apart of the Team Intense Crew, please email Pastor Jeff TODAY: Jeff@movementchurch.com

I love you Movement Church! I'm more excited about our church than I ever have been before.  Join me in charging Hell with some SUPER SOAKERS!  Let's make 2013 the BLESSED YEAR OF OUR LIVES!

Pastor Jeremy

16 Things I Look for in a Preacher | Mark Driscoll

Pastor Mark Driscoll is one of the planet's best communicators.  He planted Mars Hill Church in 1996.  Since then, it has grown to over 10,000 people with multiple locations in multiple states.  As a perpetual student of preaching, I found Driscoll's list insightful, practical, and helpful.  If you're a preacher, or you desire to preach, this is a great resource to read and reflect upon.

Mars Hill had a Preachers' Qualifying Day where each potential preacher was given one text to preach, one week to prepare, and 30 minutes to preach it - with a shot clock and buzzer.  They could only bring a Bible with them on stage.  Read, Reflect, Comment:

Pastor Mark wrote:
This will be fun…for some of us. For our Mars Hill version of American Idol for preachers, I’ll play the part of Simon Cowell, minus the deep v-neck and British accent. Joining me on the judging panel will be Dr. Justin Holcomb who runs Resurgence, Pastor Scott Thomas who runs Acts 29, and Pastor Dave Bruskas, the executive elder who oversees all our churches.

In anticipation of this event, I made a list of 16 things that I’m looking for in a preacher or teacher’s sermon:

1. Tell me about Jesus. Connect it all to Jesus. If you don’t mention Jesus a lot, you need to do something other than preach. And tell me that Jesus is a person, not just an idea. Help me to not only know him but to also like him. 
2. Have one big idea. Hang all your other ideas on the one big idea. Otherwise, you will lose me or bore me. 
3. Get my attention in the first 30 seconds without being gimmicky. Get to work. Don’t “blah blah blah” around, chitchat, or do announcements. That will make me start checking my phone. Get my attention, and let’s get to work. 
4. Bring me along theologically and emotionally. Preaching is not a commentary. Commentaries are boring for even nerds to read. Your job is to do the nerd work and bring it to life. Raise your voice, grab my affections, and bring the living Word. 
5. Make me like you, trust you, and respect you so that I can't dismiss you. If you want me to follow you, you have to get me to that point. 
6. Avoid Christian jargon and explain your terms. The average person has no idea what fellowship means, or even God for that matter. So, tell us what you’re talking about and don’t assume we have your vocabulary. 
7. Don't have points as much as a direction and destination. Take me somewhere. Take me to a place of conviction, compassion, conversion, etc. 
8. Don't show me how smart you are, because it makes me feel dumb. I assume you’re smart since you’re standing up talking and we’re all sitting down listening. If you quote words in some language I don’t know, or quote dead guys to show you’re a genius, that makes me feel dumb, which doesn’t serve me well. Don’t come off like that kid in school that the rest of us wanted to give a wedgie to every time they raised their hand. 
9. Invite lost people to salvation. Some people in the seats aren’t Christians. So, tell them how to become one. Talk about sin, Jesus, and repentance. At some point in every sermon just do that. If you do, people will bring lost friends. Don’t be a coward. 
10. Whether it feels like a wedding or a funeral, be emotionally engaging and compelling. Some sermons are a funeral—convicting, deep, hard hitting, and life shattering. Other sermons are a wedding—exciting, compelling, encouraging, and motivating. Pick an emotional path. Have an emotional trajectory to the sermon, not just a theological point. If you pass the audition and get to preach publicly, have the entire service flow emotionally. If we do wedding songs after a funeral sermon, I’m emotionally confused. Likewise, if we’re singing melancholy hymns after a big motivational sermon, I’m also emotionally confused. So, you and the guy in skinny jeans with the guitar have got to get this figured out together. 
11. Look like someone who has it together from clothes to haircut to overall presentation. You don’t need to be a model, but you should look presentable. If you have bed-head, your fly open, keep losing your place in your notes, your shoe is untied, your mic battery dies, and you say, “Um,” a lot because you’re unprepared, I may feel sorry for you but I’m not following you because you don’t seem to have a clue where you are going. 
12. Tell the truth and don't be a coward. Look me in the eye and don't flinch. Don’t apologize for what God’s Word says—just say it. Say it like you mean it. Say it like it’s true. Sure, I may despise you, but at least I’ll know what God said. Get over your fear of man and assume that I may just hate you. 
13. If you get lost or mess up, make a joke about yourself and keep me interested. I know at some point you’re going to mess up. The Bible is perfect, you aren’t. If I can laugh at you while laughing with you, I’ll trust you. 
14. Don’t just preach repentance but also practice it. Don’t talk about everyone else’s sin and never your own. Don’t tell me all the victories you’ve had or that your sin was a long time ago. Jesus is the hero, not you. I don’t trust smug, religious folks who preach how great they are and how I can become like them. It’s smarmy. 
15. Answer some objections. You know how most of us are going to push back, question, disagree, or wiggle off the conviction hook. So, anticipate those objections and answer some. Brawl with me a bit, show me you can go a few rounds, get me in a corner, and work me over until I give in and obey God. But, you have to work at it. 
16. "It" is the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in you and through you. I’m looking to see if you have it. I can’t explain it, but I know it when I see it. 

Catch the original post here:  16 Things I look for in a Preacher | Pastor Mark.

Comments?

My Biggest Sin Issue

Last week I was visiting with a friend, and we were discussing some of the things he's struggling with spiritually. At one point, he looked at me and said, "What about you? What are you struggling with?"

My mind began to file through possible sin issues...

Then it struck me.  My greatest spiritual struggle is over-eating.

I know this may not sound like a big deal, but I assure you it is. The bible recognizes it as a sin and calls it gluttony:

Proverbs 23:20-21
Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Philippians 3:19

Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame...

Chances are, if you are over-eating, you are worshiping the god of your stomach rather than the God of the Cosmos. This is a serious issue, because it relates directly to idolatry.

 Here's 5 ways you can tell if your god is your stomach:

1. Do you run to food when you feel sad? Angry? In times of celebration? 
2. Do you find yourself eating when you feel bored and not necessarily hungry?
3. Do you spend a large amount of money on fast food during the week, just to feed yourself?
4. Do you feel real anxiety if you don't finish all the fries in your McDonald's # 2 Combo Meal? 
5. Is your definition of "satisfied" when your stomach hurts because of over consumption of food?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, chances are you struggle with this sin as well. It may be helpful to understand that food should be used as a means to glorify God, not satisfy your cravings. When Jesus was tempted with food worship by Satan in Matt. 4:4, he responded with, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

BREAKING FOOD ADDICTION:

1. Recognize that over-eating is a sin/idol issue (See Romans 1). 
2. Repent and beg Jesus for freedom from this vice through prayer. 
3. Resolve to fast at least one meal for dinner once per week. I believe that fasting breaks spiritual addictions, and particularly food addiction. When your belly grumbles for food, allow that to take your heart and mind to Matt. 4:4, and watch how God liberates you!

When your hunger for God begins to out-weigh your hunger for food, you are well on your way to having a healthy relationship with food. Food is not the enemy, eating too much of it is.

 Please leave a comment below.

Why?

Greetings Movement Church! It was AMAZING celebrating our 4th Birthday as a church this past Sunday!  God really has been faithful to us from the very beginning!  When the Watsons, and Fran and I began Movement Church, we had no money, no people and no idea what we were doing!  So, when I say, God has been faithful, I sincerely mean it!

In light of the message from last week, and our recent birthday, I think it's important to remember why I felt an overwhelming call/passion to start this church in the first place, despite our blatant ignorance early on.  Here it goes:

1.  Vision.  When I was 15 years old, God put a grandiose vision in my heart to reach 1000's for Christ.  As I've aged, that vision has become clearer, stronger, and more realistic (now 31 years old).  I believe with every fiber of my being that there's NOTHING greater I could give my life to than the local church!  Jesus bled and died to start it.  It was His idea, not mine.  Movement Church was started with a vision that Jesus would change 1,000's of lives.Well, that vision is coming to life and I believe our best days are still to come!
2. My conversion.  Nobody on this planet can argue with my conversion experience  Why? Because it's mine.  I know what it's like to live my life apart from God.  I remember how lonely and hopeless my past, present and future seemed until I put my hope in Christ.  And I remember experiencing real PEACE the moment Jesus came into my life.  I knew that NO MATTER WHAT Jesus had my back, and still does!  I started Movement Church, because I wanted (and still want) as many people as possible to experience real life-change for themselves, just like I did!
3. Transparency.  Before planting Movement Church, I'd been involved in a denomination where people were extremely fake.  At first, I thought I was the only one who had real struggles, but I soon realized that we "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). I had a vision to build, not the perfect church, but a church that was honest about its imperfections.  If everyone is walking around pretending to be perfect, but secretly living under the plague of hidden sin, we will stay sick.  Well, I didn't want sick, I wanted health. I started Movement Church so that people broken like me could become brand new in Christ!

I'm sincerely asking you to join me in this movement!  How?

1. Grow.  Growing people change.
2. Serve.  Saved people serve people.
3. Bring.  Found people find people.
4. Pray.  Prayer works, so pray for your church.

If you do those 4 things, I can promise you that you will experience great meaning in your life!

Lastly, I cannot wait for this Sunday! Remember the rock illustration from two weeks ago?  Well, this Sunday I'll tackle the topic, Choosing to Cheat My Family, AND I'll explain the rock illustration!  POWERFUL!

Praying for you!

PJ

P.S:  If we really believe Hell is real, why do some many churches do so little to stop people from going there? 

Did You Hear?

Hey Movement Church! I'm so thankful for how God is transforming lives weekly at our CHURCH!  It NEVER gets old!

Last week we began our brand new series called, Choosing to Cheat.   

Here are 8 things we learned:

1. Cheating is choosing to give up one thing in hopes of gaining something better. Ex: A teenager cheats her parent's trust in order to go to a party.
2. When we cheat, we say no to one thing, in order to say yes to something else.  Ex: I can say no to a late night run to Taco Bell, and say yes to a thinner waistline (working on this one).
3. When we choose to cheat God (by not making Him priority in our lives), we are choosing to cheat ourselves out of our destiny (God's plan for our lives).
4. Our decisions determine our destiny and our choices reveal our character.
5. One of the biggest decisions Joseph had to make, while he was enduring hardship, was whether or not he was going to trust God or cheat on Him with his own feelings (Genesis 37:23-28; 39; 40:9-15)
6. Choosing to Cheat Principle: Choose to cheat on the right things now, so that you won’t be forced to cheat on the wrong things later.  Ex: Cheating work to make time for the family.
7. Joseph cheated on the right things (his feelings), and was blessed for it in the end (Genesis 50:20).
8. Is Jesus first priority in your life?  If He is, the promise is that you have everything you need (Matthew 6:33).

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33

THIS SUNDAY:  We're celebrating our 4th birthday as a church!  There will be cake & ice cream, AND A GIFT from us to YOU!

Here's how it works:  The more first-time guests you bring to church with you THIS Sunday, the more opportunity you have to go home with FREE Applebee's dinner & Regal Movie Tickets!  One of your guests will go home with dinner & a movie as well! Inviting people to church has never been so easy!  

What can you do to make a difference? 

1) Invite as many people as you can to church with you this week!  Call them!  Text them!  Drag them (if you have to)!  Tell them we're giving away free Applebee's dinner (for two) & a pair of movie tickets to a first-time guest this Sunday!

2) Join us in praying that God would bless us with many first-time guests, and that He would save and change lives! 

3) Get fired up for your church!  God is moving at MOVEMENT CHURCH!

I CANNOT wait to see you all Sunday!

Pastor Jeremy  

3 Things I Do When I'm Struggling

Hey Movement Church!  My heart is heavy for you today.  I know that many of you are struggling.  Some are struggling spiritually.  Some physically.  Some emotionally.  And most financially.

I want you to know that I understand your struggle, because at times I struggle in all those areas as well.

Here's what I do...

When I'm struggling, this is what I try to do:

1. Get alone with Jesus. Obvious, huh?  Not so fast.  If you've ever done this regularly and sincerely, with the understanding that you're broken and He's your only solution, then you'd know how hard this is to do.  Listen to me, 1,000 hours of your effort and stressful toil can NEVER outdo what GOD can do in your heart in a single moment!  When I force myself to get with Him something supernatural happens, and suddenly I begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
2. Talk to my spouse.  I tend to carry things that are stressful by myself. I usually use the excuse that I'm the man, and it's my job, but that's not totally true. Jesus gave me a helper (Genesis 2:18).  So, I've learned to share my burdens with my wife, not expecting her to fix them, but desiring her to simply listen, hold me, and pray for me. Sometimes that makes all the difference. You may not have a spouse, but I bet you have a friend.  Remember this: A problem shared is a problem halved.
3. Realize everything is a season. Just as we witness colors changing, leavings falling, and colder nights, we also experience different seasons in our own lives. This is biblical (Ecc. 3:1).  This comforts me, because I understand that if I'm in a dry season (which I currently am), that if I hold on, Spring rains are coming!  God allows us to go through difficult seasons for 2 reasons: 1) To intentionally and lovingly grow our faith, trust, and dependance upon Him.  We cannot forget that He's our Heavenly Father; He loves us; and He really desires to have a relationship with us.  In  tough seasons, let's be honest, we seek Him more. 2) To give us perspective.  If it were 90 degrees and sunny EVERYDAY, we'd all soon come to expect it and take it for granted. But those of us who live in NEO have come to appreciate summertime, because we've experienced brutal winters.  Well, the same principle applies to our lives.  If we've been through Hell, hopefully we'll have a greater appreciation of Heaven.

I want you to know that I'm doing my best to pray for you regularly. If anyone can fix it, God can. If anyone can make it better, God can. If anyone can get you through it, God can.  I'll leave you with just one verse to consider this week.  I pray it ignites your faith:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. --Matthew 6:33

Pastor Jeremy

Promises to Stand On

Hey Movement Church!  As promised, I wanted to share with you  6 promises from God's Word that you CAN and SHOULD apply to your life, beginning today!  I'll conclude with an important reminder for us all to consider.

Before I share with you these principles, you need to know what to do with them.  I implore you to PREACH them to yourself and your family REGULARLY!  

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. - Romans 10:17

Faith is built through the relationship between speaking and hearing God's Word!  There will be times when nobody else is around to encourage you but YOU!  In those moments, recalculate your resources according to what God's Word says instead of what your mind thinks or emotions feel - and PREACH to YOURSELF!

Okay, here are 6 of the 12 promises!  I'll give you the rest of them next week!

 

1. I'm completely forgiven and free from all guilt and shame over my past: 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 1:9; Ephesians 1:7-8; Romans 8:1-2.

2. I have big faith in a BIGGER God who didn't conquer death so that I could play it safe, but so that I could win my generation to Christ: John 14:12-14; 2 Corinthians 5:19-20; Hebrews 11:6.

3. I have no fear or anxiety; I trust in the Lord with all my heart: Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:7.

4.  I am able to fulfill the calling God has placed on my life: Exodus 3:9-12; Psalm 57:2; Colossians 1:24-29.

5. I am fully resourced to do everything God has called me to do: Deuteronomy 8:18; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Philippians 4:13.

6.  I have no insecurity, because I see myself the way God sees me: Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 139:13-16; Ephesians 5:25-27.

 

These principles won't do you any good if you don't read them and preach them to yourself.  So GET BUSY!

 

Switching gears, I want to remind you that at Movement Church we take life-change very seriously.  That means, it's vital that YOU commit to do your part in this relationship by  INVITING people you know to church who are not Christians - but need Jesus to change their lives!  Found People Find People!  

 

If you believe the Bible, then your behavior should match your belief system.  Simply, if you say you believe God's Word is true, then you will do whatever is necessary to bring someone who needs Jesus to church with you, so they don't end up in hell, right?

 

Again, we promise to do our part in providing an EXCELLENT atmosphere for the presence of God to begin to move in the hearts and minds of your guests, but you've got to meet us halfway!

 

Remember the TOWELS!  Each one of those white towels represents a person that needs life-change.  Every person has a name and a story that matters to God, and therefore matters to us!

 

Let's get busy getting rid of those white towels on stage.  Now's the time!  This is the week!  We have BAPTISMS scheduled IN 2 WEEKS, so let's GO!

 

Finally, this Sunday we will discover pt. 3 of our SOUL | DETOX Series titled, Tortured Soul.  YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS IT!  BRING SOMEBODY AND EXPECT GOD TO SHOW UP AND SHOW OFF!

 

Until Sunday,

 

Pastor Jeremy

Weekly Note From Pastor Jeremy

Hey Movement Church!  I am so grateful and thankful for you all!  I love my church! I have 2 things to share with you today:

1.  Last Sunday!  WOW!  Last Sunday was, in my opinion, was THE BEST worship experience in the history of our church!  Here's a quick recap for you to THINK on today:

• Proverbs 23:7 "For as he THINKS in his heart, so IS he."  Is your soul covered in Stinking Thinking?
• The Enemy is after your MIND.  The soul is the place where we are made aware of ourselves, the place where we think.  It makes sense then, that Satan would attack you with thoughts of fear, worry, anxiety, depression, and guilt.
• It's NOT God's will for you to harvest TOXIC thoughts in your mind (Matt. 6:27; 2 Tim. 1:7; Phil. 4:6-7).

Luke 10:38-42

Martha: Was too DISTRACTED and BUSY to make time for God's presence in her life.  As a result, she was falling apart!  

Mary: POSITIONED herself in God's presence and LISTENED to His Words.  As a result, she was at peace.

Bottom Line:  Rather than thinking Satan's TOXIC lies over your life that seek to destroy you (Jn. 10:10), STOP, POSITION YOURSELF IN GOD'S PRESENCE, AND LISTEN to His WORD!  Believe what God's WORD says about you, and you will live in PEACE!

2.  I am SO PUMPED for THIS Sunday!  The truth that I'll be sharing with you is one of the single most powerful things I've EVER learned in my walk with Jesus!  It literally SET ME FREE!  So, join me in praying NOW for God's Spirit to show up in a POWERFUL way, GET EXCITED, and BRING a friend!  

I am praying for God's favor to protect you like a shield this week (Ps. 5:11-12)!  Please pray for me too, because we're in this together!

SEE YOU SUNDAY!

Pastor Jeremy

One Question That Can Change Everything!

Hey Movement Church!

As you might know, I post a personal letter to you weekly to hopefully encourage and remind you to continue to stand firm in your faith, to keep fighting the good fight, and NOT GIVE UP (Isaiah 7:9b).

The one question I want leave you with today is this: What is it like living on the other side of YOU? 

What is it like being married to you? Being your friend?  Being your son or daughter?

To be human is to be in relationship with God and others, and at the end of your life, the relationships you've nurtured measure the quality of your life! If today were your last day to live, what would matter most to you?  Not your car, career, or calendar.  The relationships you have in your life would mean more than gold!

Psalm 90:12

¹² Teach us to number our days,
    that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 

God's Word tells us clearly to number our days so that we may be WISE. Simply, that means that we need to live as if one day we will die, because one day we will; therefore, our focus must be on what REALLY matters MOST in our lives TODAY!

If today were my last day on this planet, what would I do differently?  How would it affect my relationship with Jesus, family, and friends?

I want to challenge you be bold and ask three people closest to you the following question, and then INVEST IN WHAT MATTERS MOST TODAY!

What's it like living on the other side of ME? 

I will post again this Thursday, to prepare you for our BRAND NEW SERIES beginning this Sunday called SOUL DETOX!  I believe it will change lives!  Stay tuned...

Pastor Jeremy

Note to Movement Church

Movement Church. I want to keep it simple today. Here are 5 things I want you to know:

1. It was AWESOME to see all those babies get dedicated last week! I will continue to pray for our church, as raising godly kids is one of the more rewarding, yet challenging things in life! See Proverbs 22:6.
2. I LOVED our Worship Experience overall, didn’t you? We talked about 3 Things You Can Never Do in Church: 1) Church as HABIT; 2) Church as SPORT; 3) Church as HOBBY. How do we avoid EVER doing those things in church? By applying the following to our lives: 1) Growing people CHANGE; 2) Saved people SERVE people; 3) Found people FIND people! If you missed the message, or would like to share it with a friend, here it is: http://vimeo.com/48361426?action=share
3. FBC voted NOT to merge with Movement Church, and honestly, I'm extremely happy about it! The truth is, we're two different churches with two different missions, and I feel freed up to CONTINUE with our VISION to see 1,000’s & 1,000’s of people come to Jesus, one life at a time! We'll keep you posted on WHAT'S NEXT and how that relates to the Coventry launch as we know. In the meantime, please go out of your way to be like Jesus to the people of FBC! Love them. Thank them. Serve them. I know you will :)!
4. I’m so THANKFUL to JESUS & PROUD of YOU! The seasons are changing, and the Fall months (Sept. – Nov.) are PRIME for INVITING people to “COME AND SEE!” So, let’s take it to the NEXT LEVEL and blow the roof off of our place of worship by FINDING people to bring to Jesus this Sunday! Here’s what I want you to do: 1) Begin to ask Jesus who He’d have you invite to church with you this week; 2) Pray they would say, “Yes.”; 3) ASK them to COME AND SEE, and offer to take them to lunch afterward; 4) PRAY THAT JESUS TRANSFORMS THEIR LIVES WHILE THEY'RE AT CHURCH!
5. I LOVE YOU MOVEMENT CHURCH! Thank you for being a people who don’t give up, don’t give in, and chase Jesus with all you’ve got! We will win!

I CANNOT WAIT to see you all this SUNDAY! It's going to be AMAZING!

Love,

Pastor Jeremy

Are You ALL IN?

Good Morning Movement Church!

As I sit in an airport awaiting a flight, I am recapping the last 4 weeks of our ALL IN Series! This Series has been a personal favorite for me. Below I am going to briefly cover the main points of each week, and I am hoping that you use this as a tool to revisit when you may feel ready to throw in the towel. As always, you can listen online by clicking here.

Mark 12:30(NIV)
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

We learned that Jesus is a bottom line kind of guy, and he sums up all 613 commandments in the Old Testament with one: That we would go ALL IN in our pursuit of Christ!

1. ALL IN HEART: Growing in Christ doesn't just "happen." It is intentional, not accidental. Pursuing Jesus with all our hearts means to do so as an act of the will (intentionally).

2. ALL IN MIND: Humans hear approximately 50,000 words per day, which is the equivalent of an average sized book! That means that something is capitalizing our minds daily, and if we are not intentional in our pursuit of Jesus with our minds, we can easily be overcome by all the other conflicting messages battling for our mind space! Read, pray, journal at least 3 days per week, and watch God perform miracles in your life!

3. ALL IN SOUL: If a person begins to connect with another person at the deepest part of himself (the soul), then he will begin to become like the other person overtime (married couples for example). If we are increasingly becoming more and more like Jesus then we will begin to care about what he cares about, which are LOST people (Lk.19:10).

4. ALL IN STRENGTH: This means to literally pursue him with "all the strength of us," or to leave EVERYTHING on the field and hold nothing back. You can't ever get comfortable in your pursuit of Christ, because at that point you stop moving toward him and therefore, you stop maturing. All of us have a Next Step to take in our pursuit Jesus! It could be trusting him with our salvation, or trusting him with our finances. It may be different for all of us, but we all have a next step to take!

To conclude this post, I leave you with a quote and a thought:

"If Christianity is false, then it is of no importance. If Christianity is true, then it is of infinite importance. However, what it cannot be is moderately important" (C.S. Lewis).

If Christianity is true, then the only biblical option is that we obey Jesus' commandment to go ALL IN! That's the only option. Anything else is TOO risky!

I love you all!

Cheers!

Pastor Jeremy

Vision Loss

Proverbs 29:18a

Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained.

Recently, my Grandpa has had increasing problems with his vision. When he was young, vision wasn't an issue, but now that he getting older, he is beginning to understand the value of being able to see clearly.

As we age, vision loss increases rapidly. Just as this becomes problematic from a physical stand-point, the same is also true spiritually. Over time, Christians tend to lose sight of what we believe God has called us to step out on faith and do.

I want to take a moment and encourage you to dare to dream big in God! I don't know where you are spiritually, but I know that God has big plans for your life (Jer. 29:11). He created you to accomplish things that he already prepared in advance for you to do (Eph. 2:10).

5 TRUTHS about VISION:

1. Vision, calling, direction, and purpose are all words that mean the same thing. Do you feel a natural pull toward some specific direction? For me, it is reaching people who are far from God and bringing them close. For you it could be business, arts, music, sports, or simply being a Stay-at-Home Mom (which is by far the most difficult, yet rewarding of all).

2. Vision is much bigger than YOU. If you CAN accomplish what you feel God might be calling you to do apart from a deep devotion, surrender, and commitment to Jesus, then you don't have a vision, you have an idea.

3. Vision drives you to your knees. People with great vision are often looked at as being arrogant, when in reality, they are very aware of their limitations, and they continually beg God to use them despite their inability.

4. Vision brings laser focus to your life. One reason why teenagers are so wild is because they lack vision, direction, and purpose - so they foolishly go in any direction the wind blows. Vision restrains you to accomplish that which God has called you to do.

5. Vision enacts your faith. You cannot believe God wants you to do something great, and then sit on your hands and wait for it to magically happen. Step up and step out in faith! Act on what you feel God is calling you to do. Make that phone call; invite that person to church; start that business; begin those classes; seek restoration in your marriage; AND BEG GOD!

Don't let people who have lost their vision try to rob you of yours! Love Jesus, commit to finding his purpose for your life, go for it and never turn back! Your purpose depends on it!