Sunday Nite Speak!

* We had a really good service tonight! I think we had one guest... but several "returners!"

* We kicked off our new message series, called "CRAZY!" I think we started it off well... the gist is that God calls us to an adventurous life and purpose that is seemingly impossible (thus the "crazy"), but made possible because of who He is! We don't have the strength or resources to pull off the gargantuan tasks He calls us to, but that's okay... because His calling is His enablement! So, tonight we looked at the call of Moses... and four barriers he had to bust through in order to embrace the call to the crazy life: the IDENTITY barrier, the INTELLECT barrier, the INFLUENCE barrier, and the INABILITY barrier. And, don't worry... I'll elaborate on all those this week! ;-)

* At some point during this series, we're going to bust out this song... don't sleep, it's gonna be good! And we're not going to tell you which week we're doing it... just know that it'll be sometime before we end the series on March 30!

* I have to be away from Mosaic this coming weekend to preach down in Prattville, AL for an On Mission Celebration with other North American Mission Board Missionaries. I would normally never miss a Sunday at Mosaic because of another speaking engagement, but part of my salary as a church planter comes from NAMB, so... :-) Brian will handle things in my absence... and you all are gonna have a powerful Praise, Prayer, & Testimony gathering! I know Brian... this will be off the chain... you don't want to miss it!

* The following Sunday on March 2, THIS GUY will be speaking at Mosaic as we continue in our CRAZY! message series. He and I are part of the same state convention, and I've enjoyed getting to know him over this last year. God's doing awesome things at his church, and I'm looking forward to hearing God speak through him that evening!

* I saw one of our newest attenders tonight, who usually comes out with his girlfriend... but I didn't see her. I figured she wasn't there, and when I asked him about her, he said, "Oh, she was helping out with the Children's Ministry tonight." WHA--??? Her third week at Mosaic, and she's in it to win it... that's what I'm talkin' about, baby!! CRAZY! YAY, GOD!!!!!

* When I saw the amount of the offering for tonight, my first instinct was, "Whoa... low!" It wasn't terrible, but definitely our lowest giving total in many, many weeks. But then I said, "Actually, that's not too bad, considering it was a holiday weekend." One of the guys' who counts the offering responded, "Yeah... and not bad at all, when you consider that half of our attendance was college students tonight! TRUE DAT!!!! ;-)

* PASTOR'S PICK OF THE MONTH: In the Pit With a Lion On a Snowy Day, by Mark Batterson. This is an incredible book... I really intended to make this my pastor's pick a while ago, but it never worked out to do it. Now... not only is it Pastor's Pick for March... but we'll be selling the book for a low, discount price at our worship gatherings throughout our CRAZY! series... unless, that is, you're a First-Time Guest... in that case, you'll receive the book FOR FREE!

* Saw the end of the NBA All-Star game tonight... if you can really call it a "game" - it's more of an exhibition of individual talent... which isn't really all that bad, despite what my boys in the South think. ;-) I love the team play of college basketball... but, as far as talent goes, there is no basketball that compares to NBA basketball!

* Okay... I've gotta tweak a little sumpin'-sumpin' from this post... I had started reading several books to prepare to lead a study group on reaching secular people far from Christ, specifically dealing with the "new atheism" issue. That will come. But for now, I'm more pumped than ever about mobilizing people to reproduce themselves by radically living out their faith, no matter where they are. So, my book reading has taken a slight turn... here's my tweaked "What's On the Floor Beside My Bed" list:

1. I'm still reading Vince Antonucci's book... just too good to put down!
2. Metamorpha, by Kyle Strobel (Lee's son)
3. Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture by Michael Frost
4. The Multiplying Church by Bob Roberts
5. A Second Resurrection by Bill Easum (reviewing for author)