Today thousands of students gathered around the flag poles at their schools and prayed for each other. Students praying for students.  It is a powerful thing to watch the next generation pray.  I have to admit as I watch I am concerned about the support they get.  Very few student ministers, very few pastors, and very few adult Christians even show up.   We talk a good game but in reality very few are really dedicated as these students are to seeing life change happen in their community.  Change happens when people pray.  It is the earnest on a true movement of God.  We are busy with many different things, programs, and agendas but prayer is where change happens.  And what is even more powerful is when we pray together amazing things happen.  The Bibles says “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and heal their land.” (2Chron 7:14).  Did you hear the words “people”, “themselves”, and “their”? God is talking about praying in community, He is talking about our prayer being together and one.  When Jesus taught us to pray He said: “Our father” He taught us to pray in community, together, one prayer with many people praying it.  This morning young voices reached heaven, many voices,but one prayer.  One day a great movement of God will happen, it won’t be because of great programs, cool graphics, great communicators, or powerful marketing.  It will happen when our voices marry together and our hearts bond as we seek the One who can change it all.  Maybe one day.

This weekend was one of excitement and realizations.  First, it is exciting every time God’s people assemble to make themselves more like Christ.  We did that at our leadership lab.  It was one of the largest in our history.  We also assembled for the weekend experiences and began to understand parts of the new work that will be taking place in both of our regional campuses (Sherwood & Conway).  Get use to that title (Regional) because that is exactly what the Sherwood and Conway campuses are going to be.  They are becoming regional because they will be the hubs to provide a center for all the work we will be doing as we branch out and impact the communities around us.

The realizations I had this weekend having the experience of sharing time and listening to Barry Worcester (H2OChurch.TV) is that God expects us to influence, impact, and not implode.  Imagine the world as a stream, God expects us to be upstream.  The reason is how ever we affect the water will effect those down stream from us.  Far too many churches position themselves down stream and find themselves drinking in the influence of the world rather than changing the world they live in.  What is even worse is the temptation to remove ourselves from the stream altogether and have no influence on anyone or anything.  So my first realization is that we have to be upstream, in position to influence.

The second is that we must have an impact.  A statement Barry used is: “You can do way more than you think”.  It is amazing how you feel like you are doing all you can do and then all of a sudden someone comes in and shines a light and God says to your heart “Yep, way more.”  One of the challenges of being in a rut is you very often don’t even realize you are in it.  I have been in a rut.  It is time for new challenges; new heights, new goals, and new energy channeled in a direction that will help this work have greater impact.

Lastly, the realization of imploding is a real and dangerous one even for Mercy’s Cross.  Each time God calls us to step beyond ourselves we have two choices we can step or stop.  Stepping will bring challenges, conflict, and ultimately growth.  Stopping will eliminate you from God’s radar.  If you won’t step up to the challenges of growth you become a relic.  No one in this work wants to be a relic.

From time to time a church planter will ask me, “what do you wish someone would have told you before you began?”  Here’s a list of fifteen things I came up with…

#1 – Everyone Will Not Understand You…SO Stop Trying To Explain Yourself.  Cast Vision…And MOVE Forward!

#2 – Everyone Will Not Like You…So STOP Trying To Be Popular.

#3 – You Don’t Have To Be The Person Who Actually Solves Every Problem….Admit You Are Not The Smartest Person and Let Your Experts Be Your Experts.

#4 – Spend WAY More Time Talking About Who You Are Rather Than Who You Are Not.

#5 – A Leader Is Always An East Target Because They Are…A Leader.  So, Get Over Yourself And Get On With What God Called You To Do!

#6 – When The Holy Spirit Presses Something Into Your Heart…Don’t Ignore Him.

#7 – Do NOT Expect God’s Next Step To Make Sense.

#8 – You Can’t Plan A Move Of God…But You Must Be Prepared For One!

#9 – Do Not Resist Something Just Because You Do Not Understand It!

#10 – People Who Claim You “Are Not Deep Enough” Are Obsessed With Information But Have No Desire To Live Out Transformation.

#11 – You Don’t Need To Listen To Everybody…But You Had Better Be Listening To Somebody Because God Didn’t Ask You To Take This Journey Alone.

#12 – Never Apologize For Asking People To Commit To Something…Jesus Didn’t!

#13 – The Church Has Been Underachieving For Way Too Long…So Dream BIG And Don’t Apologize For It.

#14 – There Will Be Days When You Want To Quit…Don’t…Jesus Didn’t!

(Remember…DON’T GIVE UP…if you are discouraged, take a second and read this!)

#15 – The Gospel Changes Lives…PREACH Every Sermon Like It’s Your Last!!!