Posts Tagged “30 Days To Live”

Nov 21 2008

Sunday Pre-Game

Posted by: jcarpenter in General, tags: , , ,
5 THINGS THAT HAVE ME PUMPED

#1 This Sunday will be a TOP 5 EVER Sunday – 30 Days To Live will go down as one of the most impacting, inspiring, and life changing series we’ve EVER DONE. This is a DON’t MISS Sunday – just one of those where you know from the start God has put everthing together – the music, message, the 30 Days Story. God has been in my face this week about what future generations will say about this generation.  I Can’t Wait. THIS IS A SUNDAY to Get Your Friends here – God WILL ROCK their world.

#2  My Mother In Law, Nancy Pridgen, is sharing her 30 Days Story This Sunday – OK…OK…I can’t keep this one a secret. Just wasn’t sure this was going to happen. BUT, God wanted it too, so it is. Yesterday when we interviewed Nancy at her home is a day I will NEVER forget and neither will you when you hear Nancy’s 30 Days story and her battle for Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer.  This woman is one of THE MOST Godly women I have ever known. You need to hear what she has to say – it will change forever your perspective on life, eternity, and God!! Heaven is the only thing that gets any better than this!!

#3 We are Baptizing this Sunday – It just keeps getting better. Compass Church has baptized 13 out of the last 14 weeks. That’s NOT NORMAL. That’s Unexplainable humanly, yet Undeniably God. I’m addicted to life change. After we shot Nancy’s video, Paul Sims’ first comment – WOW! Get Ready… there will be a ton of people who Flip The Switch this Sunday after hearing this! If you have a friend who doesn’t know Jesus, THE MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do for them in the next 48 hours is get them to church with you Sunday – it will be life changing.

#4 THE 706 – our student ministry had record attendance Wednesday. They talked about SEX. Wesley took the boys and Lauren took the girls. There is not another couple in the world I would want leading my kids. We have stinkin awesome off the chain stupid crazy sick leaders. I love the new girl bass player – she plays a pink bass, rocks the house, and was recently baptized!! The 706 Band is leading us in worship on Dec 7 – I can’t WAIT!! If your kids are not at the 706, you are missing the boat BIG TIME as parents.

#5 The Oconee Campus Launch on January 11, 2009 – I was asked again this week “What Can we Do To help?”. Click here for a recent Blog Post with detailing the TOP 5 Things we need help with RIGHT NOW. Pray, Serve, Lead a team, Give (Yes, it takes some SERIOUS CASH to reach people for Jesus - $250,000 to be exact to launch the Oconee Campus and enhance our current Athens Campus), and Invite your 2 (we’re asking everyone at both campuses to bring 2 people w’ them Jan 11). Click here to sign up for this Monday Night’s Launch Team Meeting @ NOHS and become part of the Launch Team (VERY IMPORTANT to have EVERYONE there).

SOME OTHER STUFF THAT ALSO HAS ME FIRED UP:

•I’m still NOT OVER the Beyond Gift we received last week. If God Can Do THAT just imagine what else He wants to do through this church. THE BEST is yet to come. I Can’t Wait!

•Christmas Eve Services @ Compass on Dec 23 (7:00 pm) and Dec 24 (4:30 & 6:30 pm). If Paul and Matt pull off what we talked about – it’s gonna BE ROCKIN!!

•Our Next Series – POUR – Dec 7, 14, and 21 is going to challenge us to CARE for ATHENS and this community like never before!

•Dec 14, 2008 Christmas Gift Offering – Praying through what God wants my family to do. It’s challenging but no place else I’d rather be than in the trenches with God!!

•Lisa’s Parents celebrate their 44th Wedding Anniversary Today – we are so blessed to be influenced and surrounded by Christ Following Parents!!

•Every Day my mind is consumed with being faithful and focused with Connecting this city to Jesus!

•Don’t get me started here. God is calling us as a church to GIVE OUR LIVES to connect this generation to Jesus! I’m ALL IN. How about you?

•YESTERDAY I had to get a physical
-Lis said if I was going to be THE MAN (which I’m still in shock & awe those words came out of her mouth) I had to get a physical. I HATE Doctor’s Office Waiting Rooms.
-OK – I just found out physicals are VERY DIFFERENT after 40. I’ve NEVER had THAT done to me before. It will take some time to recover from THAT!!
-Let’s start a movement – I think Doctor’s should knock off my bill at least the same amount per hour they charge me for all the time they make me sit here and wait on them.
-I met Ann – the nurse. She was in AWE of my Blood Pressure – 100 over 60. They want to tour me!!
-I told her it was Jesus and the Barley Green I take every day.
-I invited Ann to church – she’s from Franklin County but now lives in Athens. She might come this Sunday!
-PS – who has God laid on your heart to INVITE THIS WEEK – Sunday could be THAT DAY for them that God Rocks their world.

•Thanksgiving – it’s my FAVORITE vacation – not sure why, it just is!

• God is bringing to Compass Church LEADERS and MUSICIANS like never before – it’s something I’ve prayed for weekly for 8 years.

•A Francis Chan quote that’s ROCKING my world  - “…we need to realize that how we spend our time, what our money goes towards, and where we will invest our energy is equivalent to choosing God or rejecting Him!” (DANG! that will kick you in the butt.)

•We have so much to CELEBRATE
-One of our friend’s 10 year olds Flipped The Switch this week. Her mom got to pray with her. She can’t wait to be BAPTIZED. I can’t wait to Baptize her.
-I had some friends (that do not come to our Athens Campus) who live in Oconee County that I’ve been praying for 4 years tell me that they we’re coming January 11th!!
-Tuesday night I got to attend a Beyond Vision Night with 3 New Couples – Blew Me Away – God is bringing some AWESOME people to Compass!!

•Because I’m a Yankee and because it’s my blog – Michigan and Ohio State play tomorrow. I know you don’t care in the South. But gotta give my Ohio boys a shout out. I’m wearing my MICHIGAN Hoodie today and tomorrow hoping, begging, pleading with God to allow them to Kick the Buckeyes Butts!! (that’s what you call a ‘Hail Mary’ prayer.)

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Nov 17 2008

Sunday Post Game

Posted by: jcarpenter in General, Uncategorized, tags: , , ,

SUNDAY POST GAME

A few random thoughts about today before kicking off a new week…

•Not sure if Sunday ENDS the week or BEGINS the week…maybe the Post Game is the Pre Game.

•I do know I’m already PUMPED about what God has laid on my heart to share this Sunday.

•I LOVE Pastoring Compass Church – today our services ROCKED!

•My wife called me “THE MAN” today – I’m still not over that!

•Lis did a GREAT JOB casting vision for volunteers for our Athens and newly opening OC campus. Right at 30 New Volunteers Signed Up Today – that ROCKS! Sign up here to volunteer at our Athens or OC campuses and be part of rocking this city for Jesus!

•We talked about making the most of our Life’s “DASH” (you know, that thing that appears on everybody’s tombstone between the dates).

•I’m still stuck on,  “Does my Dash reflect the kind of life God could trust with a LOT or just a LITTLE?”

•I’m realizing the LOT (which is what my heart wants) requires a dying to self, daily attitude adjustments, and a ton of changes.

•I want to make sure I’m MY VERY BEST to things that LAST FOREVER and are not just temporary.

•Sunday’s 30 Days Story from Larry Damerval (listen here) quite possibly was one of the most POWERFUL MOMENTS ever @ Compass – We were ALL in TEARS at the end – tough, but life changing moments!

•There were 16 people that “Flipped The Switch” this morning. That season of life change that God began during Switch is NOT slowing down!

•We have baptized 12 out of the last 13 weeks – stories of JESUS changing the old to new is ALWAYS a highlight and NEVER gets old!

•Chris had 3 new Christ Followers walk up to him today ready to be baptized.  It’s what they would do it if they only had 30 Days to Live so they are taking the plunge. LOVE It!

•Guess what? WE ARE BAPTIZING this coming Sunday too!! (If you are ready, click here)

•We also had THE MOST GENEROUS MOMENT in our church’s history today – on Thursday one of our Compass families gave an $80,000 check towards BEYOND.

•Yes, all the staff touched it, kissed it, hugged it, prayed over it before we deposited it.

•Two Words – UNEXPLAINABLE yet UNDENIABLE!

•That is THE LARGEST GIFT Compass Church as EVER received. They were more excited about WRITING that check than RECEIVING the BIG check that made that one possible. I’m BLOWN Away by God and blown away by their obedience, trustworthiness, and generosity! God will use that to reach THOUSANDS in this city.

•God REALLY Does have our back. I’m feeling very small, incredibly humbled, exceptionally Grateful, and unbelievably Blessed! Going to blog more about this tomorrow.

•Alex Maeland has a gift leading worship. I love going into battle with this kid. He’s only 21. God’s got BIG PLANS to use this generation to take this world for Jesus!

•SHOUT OUT to our VOLUNTEERS – I’m BLOWN Away right now by your passion and commitment to do WHATEVER it takes to pull off a Sunday and CONNECT Athens to Jesus!

A. You get your butt out of bed EARLY on really cold Sundays!

B. It seemed like there was two feet of pine needles in the parking lot early Sunday – it was clear by 8:15 and ready for people! Great Job Athens Campus Set Up Team.

C. We tested new technology in our services today – the PRODUCTION TEAM (ALL Volunteers & all ages high school to adults on camera, lights, graphics, computer, backstage, onstage) knocked it out of the park! Words fall short to explain what this will mean in the future to our ability to tell people about Jesus!

D. We have a ton of New VOLUNTEERS and MINISTRY TEAM LEADERS Test Driving different ministry areas  - WELCOME to the TEAM – God’s going to use you to Rock Athens for Jesus!

•HUGE THANKS s to those who have made the switch to the 9:30am service for opening up chairs and children’s spots for guests in the 11:15 service.

•There’s a HUGE BUZZ about what God is doing in this warehouse, our city, and getting ready to do in OC.

•Quote of the week from an OC Campus Leader - ”Two of the families that I have been praying for told me that they had no excuse not to attend church starting January 11th…especially since the OC service will be at 11:15!!!!!“

•168 hours and we GET to do this all again – What are you going to do THIS WEEK with those 168 hours that MATTER! I pray it involves REPRESENTING Jesus WELL and TELLING people about Jesus BOLDLY.

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Nov 14 2008

Sunday Pre-Game

Posted by: jcarpenter in Uncategorized, tags: , , ,

SUNDAY PRE-GAME

#1 – TODAY
I can’t sleep so I’ll blog!!
TODAY – GOD showed up BIGGER than He EVER HAS in our church’s history and ROCKED our world!!
If you’re a Dawg Fan – it would be like making it to and winning the National Championship!
BIG DAYS in my life – kissing Lis for the first time (WHOA!!!!), our honeymoon (…ok, WTMI), birth of our 3 kids (I’ll never forget), and TODAY!!!!!!
OK – you get the picture – BIG STINKIN DAY – I CAN’T WAIT to tell you on Sunday what GOD DID!!
Today was also one of the TOUGHEST – I had to make a tough leadership call that I hated to make! It was the right call, but TOUGHEST one to date!

#2 – THIS WEEK
I told our staff on Monday before I flew to Ohio this was a MAKE or BREAK week!
So much had to come together for the January 11 OC Launch to be successful. Sign up here to Volunteer.
I feel good about where we are now – BUT, there’s SO MUCH MORE to do!!
The staff worked their butts off this week (PS – these guys are THE BEST – tell them that when you see them Sunday).
They love Jesus, they love You, they love this community, and they love CHANGED LIVES!
God REALLY DID ask and REALLY DOES want us to do this thing!
I heard Rick Warren say today that he believes God allowed him to write the best selling book of all time (“The Purpose Driven Life”) because He knew He could trust him with it.
I believe God has given us NOHS because He knows He can trust us with this incredible privilege and awesome responsibility to tell people about Jesus in Northeast Georgia!
We’re NOT going to let Him down!!

#3 – THIS SUNDAY

A. I believe WILL BE the largest attended Sunday to date this year. Why? I know what God has asked me to say and I believe He wants to say it to a ton of people!

B. WILL BE one of the MOST POWERFUL and LIFE CHANGING days we’ve ever experienced at Compass Church!

C. I can’t say it enough – the 30 Days story WILL CHANGE your life – it has mine. Share your story here!

C. You need to get there EARLY – huge help with parking, kids registration, and seating!

D. We need you to attend the 9:30am service if at all possible – huge thanks to those once again who have made this switch and opened up seats for our guests @ 11:15.

F. I’m praying God will Rock your world and whoever you bring with you. SATURDAY PRAYER TIME – 9:00am – 9:45am @ church.

F. INVITE a guest, PRAY like crazy for God to do the Unexplainable yet Undeniable; DON’t come alone, DON’T come late.

#4 – RANDOM THOUGHTS

A. I talked to a first time guest last night. He put me on hold to finish paying for a can of Copenhagen – I LOVE THIS CHURCH and the PEOPLE God is bringing our way!

B. LOVED this email – “Hey Jim!  FINALLY…..two of my close friends who pay their therapists way too much came and sat with me at Compass Sunday!!!!!!!  I wrote their names on the list during the Switch series and have prayed for and witnessed to them for months.  Thanks for making it so easy for newcomers to feel welcome and right at home immediately.  This past Sunday, including them, I had 6 adult guests with me and 5 Kidzu guests with me!  I AM SO HAPPY!  WHAT A WEEK!“
PS – that’s the THIRD week in a row God has brought another one of our 184! Keep INVITING and keep PRAYING!!

C. Technology test did NOT go as well as we hoped for today. Think we know the problem. Dang – we NEED this to work – it will save us thousands!!

D. I can’t wait to see Mackenzie sing and dance in the musical BIG Friday night and Sunday afternoon. Our whole small group is going – I LOVE our small group!

E. Tomorrow at 1:00 pm we’re throwing a party for Grandma’s 93rd Birthday. She ROCKS. We’re Blessed to have her around. They’ll be about 25 close friends and family. I can’t wait to see her smile when she walks in the room!!!

F. GA High School Football Playoffs start tomorrow night – if you are a sports fan, there’s nothing like it!!

BEAT TECH FOOD DRIVE

Ok CompassCrazies – time to step up!

We are helping provide food to the Food Bank of NE GA this month in order to make sure that people have a Thanksgiving meal.

THIS SUNDAY – I’m asking EVERYONE who can to do WHATEVER you can and pitch in so we can make a difference in this city.

Here’s a list of items we will be collecting this Sunday…

  • Peanut Butter
  • Baked Beans
  • Canned Chicken & Tuna
  • Beef Stew, Chili, Soup
  • Ravioli/Canned Pasta
  • Cereal & Granola
  • Rice & Instant Potatoes
  • Canned Fruit & Vegetables
  • Pasta & Sauce
  • Canned or Dried Beans

I think it would ROCK if every person attending Compass Church this weekend could at least bring one thing (more if possible) and allow NE GA to see the IMPACT of a church that is serious about meeting needs in the name of Jesus!

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Nov 10 2008

Sunday Post Game

Posted by: jcarpenter in General, tags: ,
Long Day but INCREDIBLE.

Two filled to capacity ROCKIN services at Compass Church, 1:30 baseball tryout for my oldest, Mackenzie’s BIG matinee show at 3:00, surprise birthday party for a close friend, and connection group tonight…just getting home, wiped out, BUT so PUMPED about what God is doing!

#1 – TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
-Kicked off our new series “30 Days To Live“. The title says it all! God ROCKED our worlds. I was SO CHALLENGED to do the things that MATTER MOST!
-I LOVED the new set design – our Creative Team led by the great Paul Sims ROCKS! Thanks for working hard to get this one right – Jesus Rocked through you today!
-We BAPTIZED – that’s 10 of the past 11 weeks. Truly Amazing. NEVER gets old.
-I was BLOWN away by the response in BOTH services to receive Christ – couldn’t even get a hand count there were so many. I’m addicted to changed lives!
-My prayer is for us to be UNSTOPPABLE when it comes to connecting with this city and helping people find their way back to God!
-The band was solid again today – we are SO BLESSED to have the talent and heart we do on the Compass stage.
-Felicity Combs made her Compass debut on stage today – she’s got a killer voice. Hope to see her up there leading us in worship soon!
*****Link to her website – get from MATT or HER…
-I suggested a change in one of the songs between services. It was the wrong call on my part – ‘AWKWARD’! What in the heck was I doing? I need to stick with being preacher man  and not the music man – lesson learned!
-Lis and I had first time guests today just diagnosed with cancer. God has entrusted us with SO MUCH opportunity to minister to hurting people.
-The Time is NOW for you to TEST DRIVE a 30 Days To Live Connection Group. Click here and tell Chris “I want to TEST DRIVE a 30 Day’s To Live Small Group”

#2 – DON”T MISS NEXT SUNDAY
-Squeezed in some time between the craziness this afternoon to work on next Sunday’s message since I’ll be out of town Mon – Wed!
-I’m blown away once again by what God wants to say through this series.
-Heads Up – there’s NO WAY you can be breathing and listen to next week’s 30 Days To Live story and not be FOREVER DIFFERENT. It will ROCK your world.
-Who has God prompted and positioned you to invite? Let’s turn our Good Intentions into Action this week and bring someone to an environment where Jesus can rock their world.

#3 – ON A PERSONAL NOTE:
-My heart hurts. My friend Sonny Lemmons father began his dance on streets of gold Saturday. Sonny worked with the 706 for several years.
-I fly out in the morning for Ohio with Grandma for her sister’s funeral. Dang – it’s going to be 23 freakin’ degrees with snow in the forecast. I’m a Georgia boy now – don’t like cold!
-I have THE BEST CONNECTION GROUP in the world. Our group time was amazing tonight – I was SO TIRED when I got there but SO REFRESHED when we finished.
-Grandma’s 93rd Birthday is this Saturday. We’re throwing her a party on Friday! EVERY birthday 90 and Beyond deserves a BIG PARTY!
-Mackenzie’s ‘broadway’ debut was a HUGE SUCCESS Friday night. Wouldn’t have traded that moment for the world!
-I’m so IN LOVE with my wife. After 18 years, it really does get better and better!
-Both my mom and Lisa’s mom have chemo on Tuesday – and I thought I was tough. Both of these ladies are such an inspiration! Your prayers are HUGE!

Off to Ohio…

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Nov 07 2008

Sunday Pre-Game

Posted by: jcarpenter in General, tags: , ,
My week has been incredibly random…I don’t like those by the way. I’ll let the blog be random (and some ranting).

#1 – ELECTIONS
A. I’m SO GLAD it’s over!!
B. I’m sick and tired of hearing people screaming that the world is coming to an end…I checked, Obama’s name IS NOT in the Bible.
C. If you don’t like the results of the election – stop whining and start praying for our new President! Yes, we have the right to our opinions. But, I believe the Bible teaches us to pray for our leaders whether we agree with them or not. Also, it’s incredibly hypocritical for Christ Followers to slam someone they haven’t prayed for.
D. I love what Perry Noble said “The president of the United States does not hold the universe in His hands!!!  God does–period!”
E. Some people have said they didn’t think I was interested in politics….they’re wrong. I just believe that God has given the church a platform not to endorse political parties but to endorse JESUS as the only person that can truly bring about the change our hearts so long for!

#2 – 30 Days To Live Begins THIS SUNDAY @ COMPASS
A. Don’t MISS IT- this will be THE MOST POWERFUL and LIFE CHANGING series we’ve ever done!! Check out the preview here. I’ve been waiting almost a year to preach this series – I’m blown away by what God wants to say to us.
B. Don’t COME ALONE – if you just found out you only had 30 Days To Live, who would you want to invite and see Jesus change their life  - INVITE them THIS Sunday.
C. COME EARLY – yes, I sound like a broken record but it helps in a big way with parking, kids registration, and seating.
D. COME @ 9:30 – the 11:15 is slammed!
E. PRAY like crazy – Most have the will to win, some prepare to win. Let’s be those that PREPARE for God to do something UNEXPLAINABLE yet UNDENIABLE as a direct result of dangerous prayer. (SAT PRAYER TIME – 9:00am – 9:45am)

#3 – MONDAY & TUESDAY
A. Staff attended a 2 day Multi-Site Practicum hosted by Dave Ferguson from Community Christian Church in Chicago – dang, they know what they are doing!
B. In 1998, they had one location and 600 people…in 2008, they have 9 locations in Chicago with 5000 people.

C. I’m Convinced God’s Dreams for HIS CHURCH are so much BIGGER than ours. God, I want to dream those kind of dreams.
D. I’m Convinced after these two days our best days are ahead of us…church, stay faithful and focused on Jesus!
E. I’m Convicted there’s so much more we CAN and SHOULD be doing individually and as a team to tell people in Athens and Beyond about Jesus.
F. I’m Committed to doing WHATEVER IT TAKES to see people far from God connected to a passionate, purposeful, and growing relationship with Jesus!

G. I Can’t Wait for our 2nd Campus to open and then our Downtown Campus and then…..(more on the doors God is opening later).
H. The Staff came back PUMPED – we are on the right track! This thing is going to work…which shouldn’t surprise us since God asked us to do it!
I. We need $200,000 in the next 4 weeks to purchase all the equipment and roll out the marketing for Christmas Eve and the NOHS launch. Can’t Wait to see how God does that!

#4 – BITTER – SWEET CONTINUES
A. Gram and I are flying to Ohio on Monday for a graveside memorial service for her sister.
B. Satan attacked a close friend in the ministry this week…painful, messy, ugly, broke my heart…I want to punch Satan in the face. Amazing though how God shows up to clean up the mess…I’m so glad HE sent JESUS to clean up MY MESS!
C. My Mother In Law received AWESOME news this week – her tumors have shrunk 10-20% and her C-125 levels were down 80 points – this is HUGE. She is TOUGH. God is GOOD!
D. It’s stinkin’ UNBELIEVABLE all God is teaching me right now and wants to do with Compass Church in this city – THAT DAY will become THIS DAY!
E. Wed. Morning Men’s Group Rocks – continues to be a highlight of my week – I love praying with men in our church!

#5 – MY DAUGHTER
A. Mackenzie, my 9 year old going on 21,  has her acting ‘debut’ tonight at 7:00pm at the Oconee Civic Center in the musical BIG!
B. Talk about preparing for something BIG – she’s rehearsed EVERY DAY this week from 4pm-10pm and countless hours the past 2 months.
C. I’ve been EXCITED ALL WEEK long to be there tonight and support her – this dad thing is tough but also REALLY COOL! Wouldn’t trade for anything!

I’m PREPARING for and ASKING God to do something BIG THIS SUNDAY…how about you?

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