A Few Reasons Why I Am Juiced About NP

I am so focused, pumped, and juiced up about what's going to be happening at NP that I am beside myself. We have great days ahead. Let me just share with you what is going to be happening here over the next few months.

• The Choice, Desire, and Will of God series is just really beginning. I am blown away how God has already begun to change and tweak hearts...and we have three weeks left...three weeks that is going to get down to the nitty-gritty of understanding how to interpret God's will for your life.
• Community Groups in February are going through a Francis Chan study called, Sold-Out To Jesus. Chan is going to take us on a three week journey through Philippians 3:1-11.
  
• In March we are going to take a journey through Scripture on how to have a strong, God-honoring marriage. We will entitle the series, The Secrets of a Successful Marriage. This is going to be awesome for all of us, but also, if you know of a couple (or maybe even a single person) who is wounded because of a strained or broken marriage----bring them to NP.
• On March 28th (the Sunday before Easter) we are going to have "Bring a Friend Day." This is when we are going to be challenged to invite a friend to NP...bring your best friend...even if they have a church home. You may have to pay them back by going to church with them....it's okay!! Here's the point. If everyone brings a friend and our focus is on filling up NP with our friends...surely in a crowd of people that size, there will be some who do not have a church home. They will see and experience a "jam-up" worship service and they will feel so welcomed that they will want to come back...the following Sunday is Easter!!! Get the point. Now, if they have a church home, that's okay. It's good to sit in church with a friend. Pay them back by going with them one Sunday (not Easter though...lol). I just figure that odds are if we have 50 guests, surely there will be a few unchurched "friends" at NP on the 28th.
  
• EASTER!!! THE BIG CHURCH DAY OF THE YEAR. It is going to be "crash-bam-boom-bang" on that day at NP. I don't know what that phrase means, but what I am trying to say is Easter Sunday at NP is going to be Jesus honoring and a "blow-out" worship time. It's going to be so awesome that we are going to have THREE (3) WORSHIP SERVICES (8:00am; 9:15am; and 10:45am). We are going to really work our community with evangelism and invites that God is going to honor our efforts and pack us out. On March 28th, each Community Group will receive 200 door-hangers (that's over 2000). Each group is going to be challenged to saturate their neighborhood with door hangers that will advertise the Easter Sunday Services and the series for April called, Get Ready! This is going to be a series on the Second Coming of Christ.
• Oh, almost forgot. The GOOD FRIDAY worship service and Lord's Supper will be held at 7:00pm in NP's worship center. You don't want to miss it either...what a great day to remember and celebrate Christ's redemptive work. Also, at some point on Good Friday afternoon we are going to begin reading the New Testament out loud in the worship center (time will be announced soon). Several of you are going to be asked to be readers. We will start in Matthew 1 and read through Revelation 22. The entire New Testament will be read out loud at NP. You are welcomed to come sit and listen to the whole reading or just show up when you can, come and go as you please, but from beginning to end, God's Word will be read on Good Friday. Ain't that just cool?
• Last thing. Your Pastor and Staff loves you so much. We serve God by serving you. God is about to do something HUGE at NP. He already has, but we anticipate a great movement of the Holy Spirit in a way that is going to be unprecedented. The table is set. Here's what your Staff needs----PRAYER. THE HARDER WE ATTEMPT TO SHEPHERD A CHURCH UNDER THE GREAT SHEPHERD'S GUIDANCE, THE HARDER SATAN ATTEMPTS TO THWART GOD'S WORK THROUGH US. The enemy loves it when we get discouraged, gossiped about, torn-down, and stepped on. I am going to ask you to really pray for us. And when you see Shannon Byrd, Kevin White, and Jay Baker tell them how much you love and appreciate them. They are working and serving their fingers to the bones.
  

I love you guys and love being your pastor.