This Sunday! And Monday! Four hours of 24! Can't wait!

"A rejected opportunity to give is a missed opportunity to receive." - Larry Winget

• Great kick-off of the new year and the Stripped series.

• If you've ever wondered what it means to be "born again" and you missed this weekend, be sure to check out the video or the podcast on the website. They'll both be available about mid-week.

• The band really rocked the NHC version of Saved. Bob Dylan at NHC! Imagine that!

• Met TONS of new folks yesterday and saw lots of familiar faces back after holiday absences. In case you've been wondering, attendance has been up significantly and because of Saturday night service we have space for MORE NEW PEOPLE!

• One thing that really impressed me this weekend - NHC is MESSY! Some of my lobby conversations broke my heart this weekend...
    - A single mom whose ex is threatening her
    - A man who has basically lost his career, wife and family - all at once
    - A man whose wife recently left him
    - A wife whose husband just doesn't get it
    - Two folks who are waiting on serious medical test results to come back
It takes a messy church to reach a messy world!

• Overheard from a 4-year old who jumped up in the middle of his Uhambo class and shouted: "I'm having so much fun!" That just pumps me up! I love what Cathy and our Uhambo teams are doing for our kids (mine included!). We have an absolutely awesome kids ministry at NHC that is second to none. For the life of me, I cannot understand why some parents want to fight us on having their kids in the adult service instead of in Uhambo!

• Next week we're kicking Pt. 2 of Stripped, so GET YOUR FRIENDS HERE!

• Now, on another note - no, I will not share my recipe for Triple Chocolate Brownie Pie. A good chef keeps some things to himself and this recipe is so secret that if I told you, I'd have to kill you.

• And on another note - Carolina LOST...Duke WON!!

This weekend we’re kicking off a new 5-week series called, “Stripped.” Provocative title? Yeah, I guess, but it got your attention didn’t it?

I think this is going to be a very powerful series that is going to challenge our socks off. We’re going to strip things down to the bare essentials of what it really means to become a Christ-follower and then maintain a consistent walk with him.

And this weekend is going to be one of the most straightforward presentations of the gospel that I think we’ve ever done, so if you have friends who don’t know Jesus this would be the weekend to get them here.

And as usual, get here early, fill the front and get ready to rock!

Well, we made it! It’s officially 2009. A new year. And time for resolutions. Have you made some? The most popular resolutions every year usually fall into the same categories: lose weight, quit smoking, get more organized, spend more time with the family, etc. The problem is most resolutions fall by the wayside by about February.

So, I’m not a real big resolutions type of guy. But I do have some questions I’m asking myself at the beginning of this year and I thought I’d share them with you on New Year’s Day.

1. Where can I get a fresh start?

A new year is a great time to start something new or start something over with a new perspective. It’s a great time to kick something into gear and try to make something happen that would be positive. It’s also a great time to cut away dead weight and get lean and mean so you can run the race for another year.

2. What opportunities can I take advantage of?

They’re everywhere if you’ll just look for them. Business opportunities…career opportunities…relationship opportunities…financial opportunities…spiritual opportunities. Open your eyes and look around. What do you see?

3. Where can I raise the bar?

What MUST I do this year? What do I need to get better at? Where do I need to grow? If I stay where I’m at or lower the bar I’ll just sink into stagnation. I need something to shoot for that will force me to grow, learn, deepen or obey.

Finally, here’s something Paul wrote that is appropriate. I’m not sure he wrote it on New Year’s Day, but it fits…

No, dear friends, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. (Philippians 3:13-15 NLT)

Happy New Year!

It was 1978. I was facing a brand new year with lots of uncertainty. Six months earlier I had closed an unsuccessful business venture that left me $20,000 in debt (that’s $68k in today’s dollars). I had just finished a 3 month stint in a temporary job to get us through the Christmas season. And to top it all off, Susan and I had just brought our baby daughter, Heather, home just a month earlier. Now it was the beginning of a new year and I had no job, no salary, no benefits for my family and if you think the economy is bad now you should have been around in the late 70’s! Gas shortages and lines, 20% interest rates and inflation that was off the charts. 

As bad as it sounds, 1978 turned out to be a watershed year. It was the year that I decided to do bold things and take actions that would lead me to a better position. It was the year I decided to trust God like never before. As the saying goes, I decided to work like it all depended on me and pray like it all depended on God.

I decided not to let fear or my insecurities keep me from launching out into new areas. I would knock on every door I could and trust God to open the doors I needed to walk through. I knew I couldn't do it myself, but I also knew God wouldn't do it without me either.

That year changed my life in so many ways. My decision to trust God and to step into new territory in faith led to a new career that not only provided for my family, but was the key to getting us out of debt. And it was the set-up that God used to position me for full time ministry just a few years later.

Thirty-one years later I’m reminding myself of those lessons. I want to step out into 2009 with the same passion that I stepped into 1978. I want to make the same kind of decisions – decisions that will position me for God’s will and God’s move in my life. I want to be driven by my passion for the kingdom, not my fears and insecurities, and it all begins with my decision-making.

What do you want out of 2009? It begins with what you decide. Will you decide to do whatever it takes to position yourself so God can do something miraculous in your life? Will you be driven by your fears and insecurities or decide to be driven by faith and trust?

Nobody will make those decisions for you – not even God. Even the most miraculous moves of God require our participation. Don’t ask me why, that’s just how God seems to do it. You have to make the decision to trust…to step into new territory…to make the jump with your mind and your actions.

Scary? You bet! But you only get one shot at this life. So take your best shot this year and just see what God does!

Guess who put this together?

Musician in the making...

It's down to crunch time. NHC's Christmas Eve services are almost here. We've given out almost 2000 tickets and I want to remind you to DO SOMETHING WITH THOSE TICKETS!  Don't let them collect dust on your kitchen counter. Get them into the hands of someone who needs to come to our Christmas Eve services!

Here are some tips to help you get them here Wednesday...

1. Pray

Pray that they will be open to your invitation and that they will come and that they will respond to the gospel. Remember, God wants them to hear the gospel even more than you do.

2. Give them a positive invitation

Never apologize or hesitate to offer them an invitation. Be positive! "Hey, we're having an awesome Christmas Eve service at NHC, and I got you some free tickets. How about joining me?" Remember, what we have to offer them is the most important message in the world.

3. Offer to pick them up

Think about it: do you like showing up someplace strange and new by yourself? It's so much better when you're with someone.

4. If they can't come, invite someone else

Quick! Call someone else and then call someone else until you get someone to come with you.

5. Remember, this is one of the two times of the year when people are most likely to accept your invitation to church

So, don't hesitate. Get your friends here Wednesday for the 6:00 or 8:00 services. See 'ya then!

Just got word that we've handed out 1900 tickets for Christmas Eve services. Tickets for the 6:00 PM service are gone but we still have some left for the 8:00. Again, NOBODY WILL BE TURNED AWAY so, even if you didn't get tickets - COME ON!  And bring your friends and family!

• GREAT weekend!

• Man, Jon and the band and the worship team KICKED it this weekend! Then Yvette and Melinda took it to a whole 'nutha level with You Are Good. And I can't forget Felicia's version of A Baby Changes Everything. Better than Faith Hill! Absolutely great worship set, guys!

• I'm just guessing here, but it looked like we had close to 20 people indicate commitments to Christ this weekend. That'll make your Christmas merry!

• And now we're gearing up for Christmas Eve at NHC. Two identical services at 6:00 and 8:00 PM. And it's a great opportunity to invite your friends, so INVITE, INVITE, INVITE!!

• If you don't have tickets come anyway. The ticketing process is just to help us control numbers in each service and no one will be turned away just because they don't have a ticket.

• And get here early...get in your seat...get ready to rock. You don't want to miss the opening song. Trust me...you don't want to miss it.

• Can't wait to kick off our new series in January - Stripped. (That's gonna generate some emails!)

• You guys really rocked the Angel Tree project this year by helping 186 kids in Durham and Orange counties to have a little merrier Christmas. If you didn't get to see the pile of gifts that amassed last weekend, check out this video montage on Leah's blog. Way to go NHC'ers!

• It's late...I'm shot...one last thing - if you can't make it for Christmas Eve, I hope you have a great Christmas. Thank you NHC for being the great church you are!