Johnny@TheBOD.tv

Cool retreat...

I have a confession.  I'm a church-vision-talk-aholic.  This week I got a great "fix".  Allison and I got to stay at Tatanka Ranch for a marriage retreat.  I'll post more on the marriage part later but the retreat was set up for a few LifeChurch.tv Network Pastors and LifeChurch.tv staffers.  Because of some unfortunate last minute cancellations, the group was small which enabled us to have a fantastic time networking, brainstorming, sharing, and dreaming about what God is and could be doing through these relationships.  Brandon & Christie Donaldson were at the retreat.  Brandon is the Internet Campus Pastor at Lifechurch.tv.  I won't even try to share all we talked about, but please understand this.  Brandon carries the DNA of LifeChurch.tv.  I have never seen any organization so full of humility and graciousness.  So jazzed about the every place God is working, not caring at all about whether it builds the LifeChurch name, but bringing glory to God's name.  So jazzed about GIVING STUFF AWAY.  If you haven't checked out LifeChurch OPEN or the Internet Campus already.  Do it now.  This is history in the making.  You'll want to be able to say, "I remember when..." and more importantly it could be the tool you've been needing to unlock the doors to some barriers in your thinking. 

Nice BODer shirt Brandon... And..... I'm holding you to that promise for a day waist deep in the cold waters of the lower Illinois with a fly rod.

   

Hero of the week....

Anne and Tina are the hero's of the week.  Not only did they step up and haul around a few extra 5th and 6th grade boys for Trick or Treating, but they topped of the night with a stop for MAZZIOS Pizza.  One of the boys was quoted saying, "You're my best friend" to Anne or Tina.  I don't have all of the details on who he was talking to at this point... there is some discussion about who wants to claim the title.  Looks like the girls have new BFF's...  I'm posting a pic of Tina and Anne so you guys can get familiar with some of our hero's.... A big thanks for "LOVING OTHERS & SERVING THE WORLD" girls. 

Sunday Evening......

I have never been so busy, so the blog has suffered.  My Sunday blog is now my Wednesday blog....  It's worth the price however.  The past 10 days have been a blur but WOW.... I've been pushed and challenged.  The challenges of leading this squirming, giggling, messy infant called TheBOD.tv are some of the greatest I have ever faced yet some of the most fulfilling. 

• Sunday was just plain fun.  The energy in the room was incredible.  The buzz of volunteers swarming the  place was HUGE. 
• So many people are taking ownership in the process of leading people to become fully devoted followers of Christ.  So many.  I sit here and run over the faces in my mind and am overwhelmed with gratitude for the work He has already done and is doing in lives.
• It was great having the band back on stage.  Incredibly grateful that God has brought us a steady drummer.  Grateful for the other guys as well but it will be nice not to start thinking about who to ask for next week at 12:31 on Sunday.  A big thanks to Zach, my nephew, for helping us this week on the rhythm guitar. 
• Jake is chomping at the bit to get back to the band.  He mentioned it today.  Rehearsals are really lots of fun with these guys and I know God has great plans for this group.
• We had another card checked this week for "having received Christ as my savior for the first time"!!!!!!  Praise God.
• The Bod Squad is rockin.  Halloween hayride gathered 61 students and for me the COOL thing was a great support team of adults investing in the lives of these guys.  Thanks.

 

Sunday Evening......

OK, so it's really Monday but this is my Sunday recap...

• Second week of live satellite feed.  Things are working perfectly.  The first service we hit the mark perfectly... The second service could have been better but hey we're learning.  At least we didn't go long....
• I've had lots of positive feedback on the music set as well.  Caleb, Jake, and Gray did an outstanding job.  I really love the acoustic set and the intimacy in worship.  Even more, I love passing the baton on to the next generation.  All three of these guys have a passion for Christ and living for His glory.  Nice... 
• The second service is growing.  Still seeing new faces, which is very cool.  I'd love to share more stories, but God is really moving and shaking in our midst.  Soon I'll let them tell their own stories. 
• Supernatural week two HOLY SPIRIT was OFF THE HOOK.  I thought it could possibly have been the best sermon I've every seen Craig do and that's saying a lot.  So visual and the content was fantastic.  What an amazing gift God has given us in the Holy Spirit.  Thanks God.
• Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  Planning has begun for providing meals for a few families in need in our area.  Get involved by talking with Rick and Zenda Rutherford and/or Anita Doubrava.  Christmas comes right on it's heels.  It's obvious that our church is full of givers ready to meet needs.  I can't wait to see what God does through our body this holiday season.
• WE HAVE A DRUMMER!!!  Funny thing.  I told the band this week that I was going to quit pushing and looking so hard.  That God obviously had things under control.  That we had two young men willing to serve as fill-in's and it was great that they would have a platform.  Today I get a call from someone who's been attending and is now willing to give it a go at the drums.  God is good.... All the time.
• I love being a pastor.  I'm really not very good at it, but I love it. 
• Went to the river for some four-wheeling ATV fun with the Koenigseders Sunday evening.  What a blast.  Mud, sand, water, dust thrills and near spills.  Well I did pull one kid out of the bushes who had taken a pretty nasty spill.  His eyes were as big as silver dollars but he was OK. 
• Slept well last night.  Nothing like a full day enjoying God's great glory.

Going All The Way...

One of the cool things about being a LifeChurch.tv Network church is enjoying the teaching and passion of Craig Groeschel.  One of the beautiful things about Craig is his passion for family.  A passion to live a virtuous life and to pass those virtues on to his family.  It begins with loving his wife and cherishing their relationship.  His new book GOING ALL THE WAY is out and we have some available at TheBOD.tv Resource Center or you can get one at LifeChurch.tv's website store or Amazon.  If you haven't already you need to pick up his other two books CONFESSIONS OF A PASTOR and CHAZOWN.    Below is the scoop on the book.  Happy reading.

Going All the Way: Preparing for a Marriage That Goes the Distance
By Craig Groeschel

“Going all the way” used to mean getting what you want from the opposite sex now…and paying for it later.

It’s time to redefine.

Smart advice for a new generation about love, sex, and happily ever after.

You’ve seen marriages fail time and again. Even relationships you thought were bullet proof don’t last. Once promising couples dissolve in the acid of selfishness, conflict, or unfaithfulness… or fade away to a cold, gray lovelessness. No wonder that for our generation, “getting what you want” is often a substitute for love, and disillusionment about marriage is the new normal.

So what do you do if you want a marriage that doesn’t just survive, but thrives? That doesn’t just begin romantically but ends magnificently? Answer: You do something different.

Whether you’re thinking ahead to marriage, are about to be wed, or have been married for a while and want to make changes, this book can help. Going All the Way will guide you through the choices and commitments you need to make now in order to build a strong and vibrant relationship that will go the distance. In a world where going all the way means putting yourself first, author Craig Groeschel will show you how, by putting God first, you can build a soul-enriching, lifelong relationship.

With practical, candid discussions about sex, first dates, integrity, forgiveness, and communication, Craig will help you prepare for and experience a relationship that gives fresh, hope-filled meaning to “going all the way” with the one you love.

Programming or being...

David hits it out of the park with this post.  The easy thing to do is "start a class".  The right thing to do is be.  Do life together.  It will be what results in lasting fruit.  Read the post and be...

What matters...

• Craig makes a strong point on his post regarding the importance of the Gospel over and above the methods when it comes to being the church.  He's so right.  The methods we use are important as we try to connect with upcoming generations but it's the Truth that will effect life change.
• We had an awesome time Sunday.  We set a record for TheBOD.tv.  Although we aren't about the numbers we broke 200... 201 to be exact for the first time. 
• We were live for the first time... live simulcast.  Very cool.  We also joined with Steven Cole and LifeChurch.tv for the worship element this week.  It rocked.  We'll do that again from time to time.
• The backpack ministry is about to take off.  Lots of interest.  Big things will happen in the lives of those involved.  Both the givers and receivers.
• The 5th and 6th grades will be meeting every other week in the home of one of our great families.  It's very exciting to see this group taking shape.  It'll be great fun.
• The Bod Squad is rocking.  They are seeing lives changed and commitments to Christ almost weekly.  NICE!
• First home group met this week.  It was a great time.  Fantastic discussion on the Spiritual Warfare sermon. 
• God showed up last night for band practice.  The practice was OK but the prayer at the end was a holy time.  It's those moments I live for.  The good life. 
• I'm meeting with a couple of young men now who I think God has his hand on.  We are diving deeper into discipleship and I pray that these two guys will be world changers for God's glory.
• I'm not posting enough.  Tooooo busy.  I'll work at it a little harder.  Pray for us.  We are on the verge of something remarkable. 

On mission or just consuming...

I said something from the platform this week that probably caught some off guard.  It brought a round of laughter, possibly nervous laughter... What was it?  "Some of you won't really like the surprise we have lined up for next week, but that's OK because... IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU."  It's a message I expect to repeat often from the beginning so that church shoppers and consumers just move on.  I will also make the point that it's not about me either.  It's not about buildings, or church growth, or being different, or ____________(you fill in the blank).  So what's TheBOD about, you ask?  God's glory.  You see we are on a mission to bring God glory.  To reflect His glory.  In the words of The Blues Brothers... WE'RE ON A MISSION FROM GOD.  We might expand that and say we are on a mission for God's glory.

Today, I came across this post at the CHURCH MARKETING SUCKS website.  You should read the entire post but one thing jumped out at me.  It was this question: 

Did anyone welcome you personally? That is, who didn’t have a name tag that says, “Greeter.” The “passing of the peace” doesn’t count either.

We've worked very hard to create systems and name tags and opportunities to meet and greet during the service (i.e. "passing of the peace) but the reality is, although guests appreciate the effort, what they really want to know is that someone is genuinely glad they have come to visit.  That someone is not only doing their "job" as a greeter, but is really glad to see them.  The reason it matters to them is obvious, but the reason it matters to us is that it means we are ON MISSION and not just consuming "church" and what we like.  Reaching out beyond our comfort intentionally, because we desire to BRING GOD GLORY.  Because He means that much to us and we can do nothing else but share His goodness and love.  When we understand that it's not about us and live lives ON MISSION, we won't have room for all the people.  God's love and glory is irresistible.  Lives ON MISSION reflect that glory.  So the question we each need to ask ourselves isn't "what do I like?", it's what will bring God the most glory and how can I help make it happen.  When that happens, you'd better not blink.... because we will truly be on the brink of something remarkable. 

New Series coming October 14th...

We finish up the DISCIPLE series tomorrow.  It has been an incredible series to launch TheBOD with.  Simply great foundational stuff about who we are and will be.

Next week WE GO LIVE.  The series is SUPERNATURAL and it's gonna be great.  Invite a friend.

The danger of "and"...

There is and incredible temptation as we go forward to just keep adding more and more to what we do.  The temptation to be an "and" buffet style church.  Craig has a great post addressing the subject and I'm committed to fighting the urge to keep expanding and in effect watering down what we can do really well.  You can find the original post here.