Gilbert Thurston

A few weeks back I preached a rather controversial message and came down hard on people for not making the switch to the 9:15 Experience so that people far from God could have the better timeslot at 10:45.  To say the least, it has definitely got people talking. 

My one regret was that I failed to mention that there are some legitimate reasons for not making the switch…like if you’re already teaching a class for the kids at that hour or if you’re a nurse at the hospital, or already getting up at 4am to milk the cows.  Other than that, though I still feel strongly that sometimes we have to give up what we want/prefer in order to see God’s Kingdom advance.

Sure enough this past weekend, a lot of you made the switch to 9:15 (we had a record crowd), but here’s the funny part…10:45 was just as crowded as always.  We had 70 more people at 9:15 than the previous week, but yet we only had 9 less people at 10:45 than the previous week.  This is a pattern that we’ll continue to see…as long as seats free up at 10:45, then we’ll continue to grow and most importantly…help the 91,000 people in our community who are destined for hell, find the same love and forgiveness of Jesus that we have received.

So with all that said, I’m still asking more of you to make the switch, if you can.  This time though let’s take a more humorous approach.  So here are the top 10 reasons to switch to 9:!5:

10.  The workers in the Cafe’ spike the coffee for the 9:15 crowd.

9.    The bathrooms have only been lightly used.

8.    You get to hear Gilbert say something crazy BEFORE Lisa makes him
       change it for the 10:45 message.

7.     Since another Experience is starting right after the 9:15, you know 
        you’re going to get out on time.

6.    The 9:15 is presented to you in 3D.   Ok, not really but since you may be 
       tired, it may seem that way.

5.    4 words for you….No Putting Away Chairs!

4.    It’s a little less hazy first thing in the morning.

3.    Your odds of sitting next to someone who smells goes down
       expotentially.  Unless it’s your husband that smells then you have to sit
       next to him regardless of what time you come.

2.    You get to beat the other churches in town to the lunch buffets.

1.   YOU FREE UP A SEAT SO THAT SOMEONE FAR FROM GOD CAN HAVE
      YOURS AT 10:45!!!

Hope your new year is off to a great start so far.  Lisa and I hung out with a group of friends last night eating lots of great food and then sitting down for a game of Chickyfeet (a dominio’s game).  The game takes forever…in fact we never did finish…but the big lightbult moment came part way through when we realized that our big version of fun on New Year’s Eve was sitting playing dominio’s…man are we getting old.

This morning I did something that is becoming somewhat of a New Year’s tradition for me…I read through all of Jesus Sermon on the Mount…the greatest sermon ever preached.  Everytime I read it, it is a great reminder of how far God has brought me, but also a sobering reminder of how far I have yet to go. 

As has become my custom, I’ll read through the entire New Testament in the month of January.  I do this for multiple reasons…number 1 it’s good for me.  Number 2 I do it and let people know about it in the hopes that you’ll at least considering reading that (if not the entire bible) in 1 whole year.  In other words, if I can do it in a month (in my free time), what’s your excsue for not being able to do it in a year?

Here’s the plan:

New Testament in a Year:  Read 5 chapters per week.  Come on that’s less than a chapter per day…you can do it!  If you want something that actually breaks it down day-by-day, try this.

Entire Bible in a Year:  Works out to be 3 chapters per day and then 5 on Sunday.  If you prefer to have a mix of both Old and New Testament each day, try this one.

In this new year I pray that God’s Word would become more real to you than it ever has in the past.  Remember though the goal is not just to get information but to be transformed by what you read.  So as you read it, be praying and asking God, what does this mean to me and how can I apply this to my life?  I believe that if you’ll do that consistently, 2009 will be your best year ever!

Everyone probably can look back to 2008 and recall a Sunday Experience that really changed their lives in some way.  Some Experiences though speak so much that a buzz is created and people want to hear the message over and over again.  To follow are the top 5 most downloaded and listened to messages of 2008:

1. A Time to Run– No surprise here…this message about sexual temptation didn’t just top the list of 2008 Podcasts, but is now the #1 most downloaded sermon in the nearly two years we’ve been posting them.
2. Speak No Evil–  Guest Speaker, Cathy Pence hit us early, often and hard in this message on how to control the tongue.
3. Live Like You Were Dying– If this one was on video, no doubt it would be #1.  This is the message where I was brought in in a coffin and then gave 3 practical steps to carry out if you only had 30 days left to live.
4. Tears of the Saints–  What do you get when you cross a vision message with a healthy dose of convicting and challenging material and cap it off with Hannah singing an awesome version of Tears of the Saints?  It’s our number 4 most downloaded message and it’s not even yet a week old.
5. As Is–  This message explored the topic of how when we are not authentic with others it will often lead to a life of loneliness.