Read something in Perry Noble’s blog earlier this week that Brian Houston said (Pastor of Hillsong Australia) that ROCKED MY WORLD!

He took the words out of my thoughts – THIS Makes Me Want To Charge Hell With a Water Pistol.

I’m a HUGE Hillsong Fan. I heard Brian Houston speak live for the first time this past February at C3 (Creative Church Conference…a MUST DO Conference every year).

Just my opinion but I believe Brian Houston and Ed Young are two of the Most Rockin and Influential Leaders on the planet.

If you are an oxygen breathing Christ Follower ANYWHERE in ANY Leadership or Volunteer role – you’ve got to read this. Then, GO FOR IT – beg God to do this in your church…I know I’m begging Him to see this happen at Compass Church!…could be the MOST POWERFUL words I’ve EVER read about what God wants to do in this community through the local church:

“The church that I see is a church of influence.  A church so large in size that the city and nation cannot ignore it.

A church growing so quickly that buildings struggle to contain the increase.

I see a church whose heartfelt praise and worship touches heaven and changes earth.  Worship which influences the praises of people throughout the earth exalting Christ with powerful songs of faith and hope.

I see a church whose alters are constantly filled with repentant sinners responding to Christ’s call to salvation.

Yes, the church that I see is so dependent on the Holy Spirit that nothing will stop it not stand against it.

A church whose people are unified, praying and full of God’s Spirit.

The church that I see has a message so clear that lives are being changed forever and potential is fulfilled though the power of His Word.  A message beamed to the peoples of the earth through their television screens.

I see a church so compassionate that people are drawn from impossible situations into a loving and friendly circle of hope, where answers are found and acceptance is given.

I see a people so kingdom-minded that they will count whatever the cost and pay whatever the price to see revival sweep this land.

The church that I see is a church to committed to raising, training and empowering a leadership generation to reap the end-time harvest that all its ministries are consumed with this goal.

I see a church whose head is Jesus, whose help is the Holy Spirit and whose focus is the Great Commission.

Yes, the church that I see could well be our church.”

WOW! I thought I had vision…modern day inspiration from God to speak those kind of words!

Christmas Services…One Last Plug…YEA RIGHT!

Dudes, Dudettes, Compass Crazies (cats & dogs) – we are approaching 1000 tickets distributed! DANG you guys are excited!

Let’s Finish the Drill  (BWT – Invite EVERYONE you know) – we seriously have the opportunity to be part of the BIGGEST one day of Life Change in Compass history!

We ran into some lifelong friends that live in Oconee that we don’t get to see that often that are coming to Compass this Christmas for the VERY FIRST TIME – I’m stinkin PUMPED!!

Here’s the link for tickets once again! Um…if you don’t have tickets yet…yea – I’d get right on that right now!)

Can’t wait to see you Sunday and see God Rock our Worlds by doing something Unexplainable humanly yet Undeniably Divine to close out 2008!

COUNTDOWN IS ON – only 30 Days until we get to invite people to experience life change through Jesus in TWO locations in Athens! Only 9 Days until Christmas services at NOHS Fine Arts Center.

3 Quick Thoughts That Have Me PUMPED -

#1 – GOD ROCKS – and I want to tell everyone I know and there’s no better opportunity than Christmas. Did you know Christmas has now surpassed Easter as the #1 time a guest is most likely to accept an invitation.

•Compass – let’s go for it over the next 9 days and make the BOLDEST invitations we’ve ever made. This week, my family is baking cookies and inviting every single family in our subdivision to Taste Test Compass this Christmas. I’m also mailing 10 personal invites with tickets.

• Why? Because that first Christmas, God introduced the BEST GIFT EVER – JESUS! As we invite people to TASTE TEST COMPASS this Christmas, we will never have a better window the entire year to introduce our friends to the BEST GIFT EVER – JESUS!

•Can’t scream it enough – Christmas @ Compass will Rock, be off the chain, frickin incredible, stinkin awesome. We are planning the most powerful and creative presentation of the Gospel we’ve EVER done!

•And, we are BEGGING God to Show Up, Show Off, and Rock our Worlds. (SAT PRAYER TIME – 9am – 9:45am at the church).

#2 – WE HAVE A HUGE OPPORTUNITY

•To Make Jesus Famous in our Community.

•To Pour out on behalf of others this Christmas locally and globally.

•To be part of something BIG God is doing in our generation.

•Don’t forget to bring your Christmas Gifts for the Fowler Drive project to church with you Sunday. We deliver them this week. Those kids and families are going to be blown away this Christmas by God’s love through you!

•This Sunday, we are taking our Beyond Christmas Gift Offering. A word of encouragement – DON’T SKIP and sit this one out. God is going to Show UP and Show OFF big time.

•What I know? #1 – His job is to SPEAK. Our job is to OBEY. #2 – It’s never equal gifts but equal sacrifice. #3 – It’s not about what we can’t do, but what we CAN DO together.

•We have experienced OFF THE CHART RETURNS as a church this year!! I really do believe the BEST RETURN you will ever receive on your money is POURING it in GOD’s ECONOMY through His local church.

•Just knowing how God has already worked this year, I believe He is prompting many of us in a crazy time to be MORE GENEROUS than we’ve ever been before – I’m praying with all my heart we will RESPOND to WHATEVER He asks us to do COURAGEOUSLY!

•Plus, I’m feeling a little emotional – our last time together in the warehouse before we become one church meeting in two locations in this community. Sunday is going to be one of those days where God does something BIG!

#3 THE BEST IS YET TO COME

•It shouldn’t surprise us that God wants to FINISH 2008 STRONG! Hold On, Pray like crazy, Invite EVERYONE you know, and Get Ready, Get Ready, Get Ready for God to Rock our world!

•In our creative planning meeting it was summed up best this week “I’ve NEVER been part of a church that’s baptized this many people in one year and seen so much life change. I don’t want that to STOP.”

•We are going to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to Take Jesus to Clarke, Madison, Banks, Green, Jackson, Ogelthorpe, Oconee, Walton, Barrow, ALL of Northeast Georgia, to Athens and BEYOND!

•Absolutely LOVE being your Pastor! Can’t Wait to Celebrate with all of you on Sunday!

SO MUCH Happening – wanted to get a Thursday  SHOUT OUT to everyone.

•First – we DON’T have our Christmas Tree decorated yet. Not Good – hopefully tonight!

•Second, An “Elf” arrived at our house in the middle of the night…Seriously – A Real Elf.  Her name is Allie.

•Grandma and MacKenzie made a bed and sewed Elf size pillow cases, sheets, and a comforter for the Elf’s much anticipated arrival. (Mackenzie wrote a note to Santa to ask him for one to play with her during the Christmas season).

•She’s been leaving crackers and water out every night because that’s what elf’s eat. (I’m learning A LOT this Christmas).

•We ‘thought’ the elf was coming Tues night, but MacKenzie was VERY SCARED about it (breaks my heart when my little girl cries).

•Allie waited one night and we put the bed away. But Last Night, we were ALL ABOUT the elf coming to our house.

•When MacKenzie woke up this morning, Allie was in her bed waiting on her with a note and some “magical snow flakes” that might cause her to do some mischievous elf-type shennagins in the middle of the night when sprinkled (I’m hiding the snow flakes while KZ is at school).

•At 6:45 am this morning, MacKenzie came running into our bedroom excitedly saying “Daddy, my elf came last night. See Daddy, I told You He Was Real.”

•That’s when it hit me – that’s just like so many of us and our friends are with Jesus!

•There’s an excitement inside of us for God to do something Great – to SHOW UP and SHOW OFF in our lives.

•There’s also a part of us that when we sense He is that’s gets real scared and we’re not sure we want Him to come into our lives.

•Every day we cross paths with people who wonder – Is He Real – Is He Really Going to Show Up in my life?

•That’s what Christmas is ALL ABOUT – it’s a season where the window of our hearts are open to the possibility of a divine miracle like never before.

•We desperately want and need the Christmas Story to be real and God to Show Up and Show Off in our lives.

•I believe with all my heart that if you will make bold invitations to this year’s Christmas services like never before you will be able to look at your friends as you are walking out (you might not say this one out loud) but DEEP INSIDE the words will be echoing “SEE, I TOLD YOU HE WAS REAL.”

•I left the church @ 10pm last night after finalizing this year’s Christmas Services.

•I felt just like KZ – Excited and Scared.

•Excited because I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW GOD IS GOING TO ROCK your world, your friends and family’s worlds, and this community’s world like NEVER BEFORE on December 21!

•Scared because there’s only 11 days left until we go live.

•Christmas @ Compass will be the MOST POWERFUL presentation of the Gospel we have ever given at our church. I believe once again God is preparing Compass to be ground zero for something Unexplainable yet Undeniable.

•We’ve NEVER had on stage before the talented musicians and the frickin Athens American Idol choir. Matt heard them last week at the Classic Center – you may not let me preach. They will bring the HOUSE DOWN! PRAY – we need a bus for transportation to get them there.

•God wants to Rock our Worlds like never before with a big finish to 2008!

•Ticket Reservations are going well. It’s HUGE HELP for planning. Get your Free Tickets here – No one will be turned away, BUT this is a HUGE HELP for planning.

•Please PRAY for me, our staff, and rockin volunteers. Me – I’m sick – doesn’t happen often but got a screaming SORE THROAT – hating it. Lis loves it because I can’t talk much. Our Staff & Volunteers– craziest season we’ve ever been in.

•I’m SO GLAD God prompted us to move our Christmas Services to Dec 21 if for no other reason than to give our volunteers and staff a much deserved and needed Holiday break with their families!!

•PRE-GAME Tomorrow – this Sunday is last time we meet in the warehouse before becoming One Church with Two Locations in Athens. This would be a GREAT SUNDAY to invite people – God is going to Show Up and Show Off in a Big way and we’ll be able to look at each other and say, “SEE, I TOLD YOU HE WAS REAL!”

•WHOA….Can you believe we only have 37 Days until we get to invite people to experience life change through Jesus in TWO locations in Athens? Only 16 Days until Christmas services at NOHS Fine Arts Center.

•You know that feeling when you were a kid the night before Christmas – the anticipation, the excitement, the unknown, that sixth sense that something GREAT was about to happen. I’ve had that feeling 24/7 for weeks about the month of December at Compass and what God is preparing us for in 2009.

5 THINGS THAT GOT ME UP EARLY THIS MORNING

#1 – JESUS– He went ALL IN for me. Why wouldn’t I go ALL IN for Him. The more you get to know Jesus, the more you fall in love with Him.

#2 – THIS CHURCH – There’s a buzz around this town, among our people, and among our staff about what God is doing through this church in this community. If we will stay faithful and focused on making Jesus famous in this community, the best is yet to come!! There’s also some that think we’re CRAZY – guess what, they are right. Crazy about Jesus!

#3 THIS SUNDAY – We are kicking off our new series POUR. We’ve planned something we’ve NEVER done before on a Sunday morning that is going to be OFF THE CHAIN but almost didn’t happen. God came through – it’s going too! This would be a GREAT SUNDAY to invite EVERY Middle, High School, College student or 20 Something, Parents or Grandparents of a student you know especially if they think church is boring. I can’t wait – what I share with you about what God has been preparing for us to pour will change the trajectory of our church and your life forever. Oh…Get there EARLY! We are changing the way we seat people in order to open up God-sized room for a God-sized movement. Our Usher team rocks – love it when the volunteers rule!!

#4 – CHRISTMAS @ COMPASS – DANG! You guys are excited about Christmas. Tickets are going fast. I’ve screamed enough about this service this week. It’s going to ROCK!. It will be the most clear and direct presentation of the Gospel we’ve ever given. Lives will be changed! It will be the most incredible team of musicians we’ve ever had on the stage at one time. Icing on the cake – the Athens American Idol Choir – pinch me!! It is THE BEST OPPORTUNITY of the year to invite your friends. People will be texting their friends between services to change their plans and get to the 6:00 pm service. Enough said again…

•Here’s the link to get your tickets to the December 21 Christmas services, OR, you can grab them at church this Sunday.

#5 – LUNCH TODAY – Lis and I are having lunch with a couple that mentors us and has Poured SO MUCH into our lives the past 5 years. We’re eating at PF CHANGS. I can hear the Chicken Lettuce Wraps and that Great Wall of Chocolate Cake calling my name. Don’t Hate Me!!

GET THE WORD OUT…don’t forget Candy Cane Taste Test Party tonight here at the church @ 6:30 and tomorrow’s Watkinsville Xmas Parade.  Meet at Jittery Joe’s in Watkinsville (Hwy. 15 and Barnett Shoals Rd.) at 10:00am to pass out Candy Cane Taste Test invites during the parade and invite thousands from the Oconee community to experience church and Jesus like they never have before.  Don’t forget to WEAR YOUR T-SHIRTS!

Gotta go for my morning run!! I know December is a crazy month, but let me encourage you to make church a priority. And, remember there is not a better time to invite friends to church than the month of December!!