Epic Baptism 2009

Epic Church’s summer baptism in Shelby Twp, MI. We celebrated all that Christ was doing in the lives of 10 people. It’s great to serve an amazing God.

Definition of Success.

Mark Batterson, of National Community Church in Washington DC, had a four great definitions of success in his blog post “Definition of Success” on Monday. It was encouraging, challenging and made me rethink a number of things…

“Thought I’d share a few of my personal definitions of success. It’s important to define success in biblical and personal ways. You need to know what you’re aiming at or you will succeed at the wrong thing.

1.  Success is maximizing your God given potential. Success is synonymous with stewardship.

2. Success is doing the best you can with what you have where you are. Success is not circumstantial. Some of the most successful people are those in the worst of circumstances, but theymake the most of them. That’s success.

3. Success is when the people who know you the best respect you the most. We care way too much about what strangers think of us, but they won’t be the ones at our graveside. I want my wife and my kids to respect me the most.

4. Success is trying until the day you die. I think most of us give up on our dreams way too easily and way too quickly. We stop trying. But if you’re still trying you’re succeeding!

One key to success is not worrying about the outcome. Winning or losing isn’t the issue. Trying is winning! That is what I told Parker when he decided to run for class president. That is the lesson I learned at our triathlon this weekend. That is what I’ve learned as a church planter. The measure of success is this: how hard did you try?

If you pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on you cannot fail.

Money: Separating the Lies from the Truth

1. LIE: It’s My Money

TRUTH: It’s All God’s

The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours; everything in the world is yours – you created it all. Psalm 89:11

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him. Psalm 24:1

2. LIE: Before this Economic Collapse, I Was in Control

TRUTH: God’s Is Always in Control

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Phillippians 4:20

3. LIE: Financial Security Exists

TRUTH: The Only Thing Secure in This World Is Christ

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:1-2

4. LIE: The More You Have the Happier You Are

TRUTH: The More You Give Away the Happier You Are

God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. John 3:16 There is more happiness in giving than in receiving. Acts 20:35

Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor. The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. Proverbs 22:9, 11:25

5. LIE: If __(insert job, raise success, etc)_____ Would Happen, Then I Would be at Peace

TRUTH: When You Put You Life In God’s Hands, You Will be at Peace

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep…My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:15-16, 27-39

New Series@Epic: Life.Money.Hope.

With all the financial uncertainty in the air, most of us are saying how do we find peace when everything is chaos? Where do we turn next? How are we supposed to think about cash? There are answers and there is hope. Join us at Epic Church as we talk about the most controversial subject in most of our lives – money.

Separating the Lies From the Truth – Sept 20
Breaking the Bondage of Debt – Sept 27
Moving from Worry to Hope – Oct 4
Your Personal Stimulus Package – Oct 11

The Nines: Pride is Sneaky

Pride is sneaky.

Four Ways to Know When Pride is Sneaking Into My life

1. Forgetting the gift is bigger than the person
2. When we grow impatient with most people
3. When we are unwilling to hear the truth
4. Symbols of power become important

The Nines Conference Today

Don’t miss the Nines Conference today. Leadership Network asked some of the church’s greatest leaders: “If you had nine minutes to talk one-on-one with thousands of church leaders, what is the one thing that you would tell them?”

The result is a series of passionate and personal messages that will help you and your church navigate into the future.”

If you haven’t registered, you can HERE