Seriously, do not miss the exciting wrap-up of our “You Don’t Have What It Takes” teaching series this Sunday Jan. 29th – 9:30 & 11:00AM . My message will be on how “You Can’t Control the Future” – & why that is a very good thing.

We try to make sure that EVERY Sunday at Eagle Pointe is dynamic, relevant, & life-changing. However, I believe that this Sunday will blow your mind & that this will be the most powerful, life-changing message of this series. (and that’s saying something). PLEASE DO NOT MISS IT!

Also, if you have friends you are praying for to discover Jesus – you need to do flat-out WHATEVER IT TAKES to get them here! I believe God is going to use this message to soften & open even the hardest & most closed off hearts towards Him. PRAY & INVITE!   PS. Don’t forget to bring coats & jackets for the homeless this Sunday.

SECOND:

This Sunday evening Jan. 29th at 6PM will be our Momentum Pre-Super Bowl Party & everyone is invited!  Wear your favorite football team gear, bring some good potluck food to share, and join the fun! Momentum is one of the best environments for you to get inspired & equipped for ministry.

In addition to having fun & thanking all those who serve & help carry out what we are doing here at Eagle Pointe, I will be sharing something God has been showing me recently that all of our folks need to hear.  If you call Eagle Pointe your church home you REALLY need to be there this Sunday evening! Please help me get the word out & get everyone in our church there on Sunday morning & evening.

I have set up a new webpage/blog designed to help our ministry leaders of Eagle Pointe church grow in their leadership abilities & calling. As I say, “leaders are learners” and we all need to be constantly growing & stretching ourselves so that we can better serve our Lord & our church. I also decided to open this site up to everyone who might be interested. We have many ministry friends & partners around the country & world who may benefit.

Periodically, on this site (usually once a week), I will share podcasts, seminars, etc that I am learning from. Usually, when I am working out at the gym I am also listening to some audio training to help me be a better leader. As I say, working out my body & mind.

What I ask of each of you is that, as I post these, you listen to them at least 3 times. We never get everything the 1st time through & we will normally miss some things the 1st time or two. So, listen 3 times & then “reply” to that post & let me know what were your top 5 takeaways from it. I pray we all grow together to become all that God desires us to be in our leadership roles in His church.

Here is a link to the new site - Leaders Are Learners

Make a point of not missing this coming Sunday’s wrap-up of this series as we talk about how “You Can’t Control the Future”. From a human standpoint there’s a lot going on in our country & world to be fearful about; there’s a lot to keep us up at night & cause us to worry about.  I’m going to address these fears this Sunday at Eagle Pointe. Come hungry for God to speak to you & He will change your life.

Also, as always, please care enough about your friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc to do “whatever it takes” to get them here.

Here is an updated list of supplies needed for our Haiti mission trip. At the bottom is also a list of the money for projects we need to fund-raise between now & then. We leave on Saturday Feb. 11th!!! PLEASE help us round up these supplies & donations. We need these dropped off at Eagle Pointe by Sunday Feb 5th – so we can pack everything up & have it ready to go.

Also, if you are unable to bring items to Eagle Pointe – again, donations of money are definitely needed (we will be buying a lot of needed supplies in Haiti – easier than carrying it all & supports the local economy). You can donate online HERE  (be sure to select “Serve The World”)  or email me.

General Items:

• Tooth brushes
• Tooth paste
• Small toys, dolls, etc to giveaway to children (LOTS of small items are easier to pack in suitcases & can cover more kids – ‘happy meal size’ is ideal)
• Candy to giveaway to children (lg bags of smaller pieces)
• Multi-Vitamins (Children & Adult)

Medical Items: (We need LOTS of these medical supplies)

• Anti-fungal medicine (Lotrimin or other otc athletes foot meds)
• Permethrin 5%
• Neosporin/polysporin
• Benadryl  (tabs & children’s liquid)
• Ibuprofen (adult and children’s liquid)
• Acetaminophen (adult and children’s liquid)
• Imodium
• 1 % hydrocortisone cream or other prescription steroid cream
• Permethrin 5%
• Antibiotics by prescription  (Amoxicillin, Keflex, Bactrim, Ciprofloxacin, Augmentin, etc)
• Mebendazole by prescription
• PinX  (otc pinworm medicine)
• Antibiotic eye drops – by prescription
• Visine and Visine allergy
• Albuterol inhaler by prescription
• Prednisone oral tablets and liquid – by prescription
• Glucometers & test strips
• Guaze
• Medical tape
• Blood pressure medicines by prescription
• Diabetes oral medication by prescription

Money – fundraised: (Items bought in Haiti)

• $3000 – building materials for school & pastor’s house
• $600 – local laborers to assist w/ construction projects
• $2500 – food for feeding programs (local church & while we are there)
• $1000 – to bless local church in their ministry

Please help us make a difference in the lives of so many struggling people & families in Haiti & show them the real, practical, & tangible love of Jesus!

PS. If you are interested in going on our next Haiti trips (June 9-16 & Oct. 6-13) please email me.

While nothing will beat being at Eagle Pointe experiencing everything live & in person – you can watch our messages ONLINE (Also, below is the video of the message from our YDHWIT kick-off) I encourage you to watch it & share it with your friends.

Listen – God IS going to use this series to dramatically change your life if you let Him! Please do not miss this Sunday at Eagle Pointe as we continue our YDHWIT series. Also, please care enough about your friends, neighbors, family members, & others God brings across your path – to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get them here!

I look forward to seeing you & those you bring with you this Sunday!

This Sunday at Eagle Pointe we will kick-off an incredible, life changing teaching series called “You Don’t Have What It Takes“. As we face the start of a brand new year, many of us have fears & uncertainties about our world, as well as, doubts about ourselves & our abilities.

The reality is that trying to juggle everything life throws at you can feel like a three-ring circus. No matter how hard you try, you’ll never be able to handle it all on your own. Bet you didn’t know that was a good thing!

We all struggle with feelings of “we’re not good enough”, “we can’t handle it all”, “we can’t please everyone”, & “we can’t control the future”. We all battle fears & insecurities; we all struggle with feelings of inadequacy; and as a result we tend to allow those fears to paralyze us & keep us from moving forward into the life that we were created for & designed to live.

In this series we will learn how God can “make up the difference” of where we fall short, & how He can help us break free of our fears & insecurities & launch out boldly into the life He desires for each of us.

I cannot encourage you strongly enough to not miss this Sunday at Eagle Pointe & each week of this series — it WILL change your life! Please also care enough about your friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc to do flat-out WHATEVER IT TAKES to get them here!

Here are 2 promo videos you can share with friends…

2012 is going to be 1 wild ride here at Eagle Pointe Church – are you ready? Have you already jumped on the bus? To me it seems that there tends to be 2 types of people in church settings when it comes to this. Those who sit back & wait. They want to observe from a distance, not get too close to the action, and wait and see if the ride, once it gets going, looks like something they want to be a part of. For whatever reason, they don’t want to jump on board too soon. Maybe they don’t want to take the risk of committing themselves, their time, talents, and resources when they’re not 100% sure what the outcome will be.

Problem! These are also the same people who usually wait until it’s too late. By the time they decide to jump on board, the bus is so far down the road that they can’t catch up. That’s the way it is most of the time with whatever it is that God is doing. God reveals His vision for something He is up to, & it’s up to us to decide if we’re willing to and going to have the faith to jump on board His bus before it departs.

I love the story of Peter walking on the water with Jesus (Matthew 14:22-33). Many people chastise Peter for taking his eyes off Jesus and beginning to sink. In my view, Peter was the only disciple who had the guts & audacity to believe Jesus enough to get out of the stinkin’ boat. The rest stayed in the comfort & safety of the boat, while Peter took the leap/step of faith and went on the adventure of a lifetime with Jesus.

God wants to take Eagle Pointe Church on the adventure of a lifetime in 2012 & beyond! Are you going to sit back, observe, and wait and see if the ride looks safe? Are you going dip your toe in the water to test it out? Or are you going to take a leap of faith as Peter did? Are you going to jump on board the bus, buckle up, hold onto your pancreas, and get ready for the ride & adventure of a lifetime?

The bus is departing very soon! It’s time to decide! What will YOU do?

I cannot thank our incredible Eagle Pointe family & friends all over the U.S. & around the world for the overwhelming prayers & support we have received. The fact that I am alive & writing this today is an absolute Christmas miracle. Prayer works! GO GOD!!!

In this short video below I explain to our church family what had happened, as well as, what the long-term prognosis is – have a look…

Here in the Greater Atlanta area, homelessness is a serious epidemic. Experts estimate that we have approximately 20,000 homeless people in Greater Atlanta. With only 3,500 shelter beds available in the area, that leaves several thousand homeless Atlantans with nowhere to sleep at night. AND – here we are barreling full steam ahead into winter.

Many people suffer from the misconception that homeless people are too lazy to work or addicted to drugs. However, many homeless people are victims of job loss, physical illness, domestic violence, etc. In fact, statistics tell us 40% of these homeless people are women & children! Think about that! Also, approx. 50% of these homeless people work – they have jobs!

The problem is that most are earning minimum wage. One wage earner being paid the state’s minimum wage ($6.55/hour) would need to work 85 hours per week to afford a two-bedroom apartment. Even with two full-time minimum-wage earners, decent housing is not attainable in most places in Greater Atlanta. Therefore, we have an epidemic of families living in their cars or on the streets.

Last night while watching my kids play in the comfort of our warm home, I thought about all those families & people living on the streets. It was cold & raining last night here in the Atlanta area. And I thought about how it wouldn’t take much in today’s economic climate for any of our families to find ourselves in the same situation.

I will be talking about some of this & how we can show care to those in need/”the least of these” this Sunday at Eagle Pointe, as we continue our “Let It Be…Christmas” series. As well, your generous gifts towards our “Serve the World Christmas Offering” will help us & our ministry partners continue to assist homeless people & families in 2012. (You can DONATE ONLINE & please check out the blog series I did…  “Serve the World: Christmas Offering – Part 1,  Part 2,  Part 3  Part 4, & Part 5.”)

In addition to that, I want to challenge you to do something right now, today & this week, in order to help the homeless.

We’re collecting supplies for Winter Survival Kits for the Homeless. We need Jackets/sweaters, Ponchos, Gloves & Hats, Hand & feet Warmers, Blankets, Socks, Wipes, Batteries AA & AAA, etc. You can drop supplies at Eagle Pointe church this week from 6:30AM – 6:00PM.

This Saturday Dec. 10th at 9AM we will be putting together the Winter Survival Kits at The Extension. Then at 4PM we will be giving out these kits to area homeless people at Must Ministries.

Please contact Rusty Draper (678) 551-9736 if you would like to help on Saturday – we do need several volunteers.

How comfortable do people feel in your church?

I know, I know, that was a beer commercial but I think it illustrates a great point for churches to consider – how comfortable do new people, different people, people who are not exactly like us, FEEL when they come into our church???

Many of you know that I walked away from church for a 6 year period of my life. I was a bodyguard & head of security for some of the biggest rock n’ roll bands in the world. I rode motorcycles, had long hair & tattoos, & I remember vividly the looks I would get from those who I looked different from. I remember when I “gave church a try” with Gina, who would later become my wife, and the uneasiness I felt. Would this be like the uptight, holier than thou, legalistic church I had grown up in? Would these people accept me or would I be an outcast?

Most of the people coming through our doors have never been to church, or haven’t been in many years because of a bad experience or they never saw the relevance of church. And as they pull onto our parking lot they are experiencing a great deal of uneasiness. They are wondering – Am I dressed right? What will they people be like? Will I be accepted or looked down on? What is the music like? What is the pastor like? Will they ask me to drink the Kool-Aid? Many times I liken it to going to a party where you don’t know anyone. As uneasy as that is for all of us, it’s about 20 times worse for people walking into a church where they don’t know anyone.

Listen – it is our responsibility to put them at ease immediately. I tell people that our “Host Team” (greeters, parking, ushers, coffee servers, children’s check-in, etc) may be the most important ministry in our entire church. Studies tell us that the average visitor to a church will make up their mind within in the 1st 8 minutes as to whether they are ever coming back to that church again. Did you catch that??? EIGHT STINKIN’ MINUTES!!! 8 minutes is about the time it takes for them to park, walk in the building, check-in their kids, grab a cup of coffee, & MAYBE have heard the 1st song! Think about that!

We are in a community where 90% of the people within a 5 mile radius of our church do not go to church regularly. We work our tails off to try to reach out to them & to get them to “give church a try”, & when they come they are feeling that uneasiness & they are looking for an excuse to say “AH HA! THAT’S why I don’t go to church!”

So, in addition to having a kick butt Host Team, I tell everyone who comes to Eagle Pointe that WE ARE ALL, every single one of us, is on Host Team EVERY weekend! It is up to us to make sure that everyone, no matter who they are or what they look like, feels loved, welcomed, accepted, & appreciated from the moment they pull onto our parking lot until they the moment they leave.

Because if we blow that first 8 minutes, if we don’t make a great first impression, then we will have just wasted that God-given opportunity to impact that person & their family for Jesus Christ! And that is completely unacceptable to me!

So, how comfortable do people feel in your church?