Weekend Mind Dump...

• this series was a harder series to nail than I thought it was going to be. Here is the deal... You can't not talk about tough subjects. Not everyone will agree or think you dealt with it the best.Either people will want more or think you said to much. Messages are serial and not one time specials. If you come one time you get such a small part of what we are trying to do. We are trying to make followers, Disciples, building takes steps and processes. It is not as simple as 1 service and then everything about that subject is out and dealt with nice and neat. I actually think that some of the best messages are those that have very little resolution to them. The most challenging messages for me are the ones I walk away from thinking and talking about. He could have said this... I was challenged by this.. why didn't she say this... What doe this mean for me and mine?... and on and on. So I hope that these past four weeks made you think, challenged you, fired you up!
• The Gifts of the Spirit are for you and me for today! With out them we are not able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we are able. God designed us to live LOUD, LARGE, VENTE, BOLD, DISTINCT, POWERFUL, PURPOSEFUL and the only way to effectively do that is to seek the gifts he wants to give to help us.
• I love how God works... He brought a family who had had some very negative experiences in past churches and I was able to speak to them about a source of pain in a positive and life giving way. Their are no accidents! No coincidences. God works behind the scenes and puts you and I in the right place at the right time even if it feels like the wrong place at the wrong time. He redeems the wrong.
• I made the playoffs in both my fantasy leagues. I am going to get skunked this week I think.
• The Vikings are in 1st place and my Packers are in 3rd. I am shocked! Frustrated! And ready for them to flake out, as is their custom, so the packers can take the division again.
• I am getting really excited about the Christmas series to start. We are talking about some really powerful subjects and spending eac week talking about what Jesus came to bring and how that rocks our world. This week PEACE!
• Good WIll Offering. If you want to give something this year to those in need. Give it through High Point. Mark on your envelope Good Will and we will get it to those in need. Are two partner ministries are Inner City Church of Minneapolis and Neighbors in IGH. Both do amazing work and are worthy places to give our time and talent and money to.
• I meet with Richard Riesing of Artistry Marketing and Got rocked on Monday of last week. He is so challenging and so inspiring. I am trying to get him and his company to come up and work with us to reach this  community more effectively. It costs and right now it is not in the budget. We will have to try and carve it out in the future. I love when people use their knowledge to make the church better.
• The LOCAL Church Is the HOPE OF THE WORLD!
• CHRISTMAS EVE At the movie theatre @4:30pm Plan your holiday festivities around it. bring your neighbors and friends. Invite your boss. Everyone is open this time of year and we are working on making this an amazingly inspiring and meaningful night. 1 hour, candle light, Christmas Carols, The Works.
• Insecure people cling to things they have and don't let go, they feel wounded when things don't stay as they are. Secure people Hold everything they have loosely and are confident that letting go means their is something else to grab hold to coming. As a pastor people come and go from your church. Some leave for other opportunities others don't jive with the vision and direction you are leading, Others don't want to be challenged. I love everyone who comes to High Point. I Hold them to my heart dearly. But I hold them loosely because they are not my sheep they are Gods sheep. I am just the care taker of this flock. God is the Great Shepperd and he knows what he is doing. We said goodbye to Andrea and Orion. I will miss them in our church but look forward to watch them grow as they develop their own flock.
• I almost got scammed yesterday on a car I found on Craig's list. More later but suffice it to say that if the deal looks to good to be true... IT IS!
• O HAS AN EAR INFECTION... yuck.
• I am o ready for God to blow the doors of High Point this new year. Year three at HPC is going to be So much bigger and better than ever. We have new things planned. Challenging series in the works and the vision is clearer than ever before. Lets get this party started!