Sunday Bullets

- WOW! Where do I begin. Let me start with some great verses. Hebrews 10:23-25, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

God is so faithful! Last night our pastors had a meeting. There was no business discussed or decisions made. We simply gave God praise. We worshiped Him for who He is and what He is doing at LifeSong Church.

- Yesterday we had the largest attendance of our existence. 478
We had several people give their heart to Jesus Christ. We had many more life changing commitments. God is doing amazing things among us! I want to ask you to do me and our pastoral team a favor. Would you be willing to move closer to the front and leave the seats open in the back for our guest? As you know it is already difficult for first time guest to come into our compact building and not feel overwhelmed by all the people and crowded hallways. We even had one family come into the building and the guy had a panic attack and had to leave. This is serious. Let's try not to crowd the hallways. Go into the cafe,worship center or outside to hang out with each other. Hanging out and having a great time with each other is one of the things that makes lifeSong such a unique church. Our love for one another is apparent and contagious. Back to my original request, let's leave the back seats open for people who are coming in the last 5 to 10 minutes before our service. If we can do this people will not have to search for a seat. This is HUGE!!! Thanks for your help.

As of yesterday we have 250 Free Thanksgiving Meals to give away to families in our community. Lots of folks are calling or coming by in anticipation for this give away. Rest assured that no one will be turned away.

I love you guys!

Great Stuff!!

- Our goal, at LifeSong Church, was to get 100 Thanksgiving meal paks for families. As of today we are at about 175. Don't stop bringing them!! We will feed as many families as we can. They will receive a 10-12 lb Turkey and all the fix ins for a Thanksgiving Feast. Tell any family that you know that can benefit from this give away. We will have a tent set up outside from 10Am to 5Pm the 24th and 25th. They can stop by anytime between those times. Call for more information 864 439-2602. Sharing the love of Christ in practical ways to introduce them to a different way to live.

- We have had someone donate over $10,000.00 worth of new sound equipment and a HD Video Camera. Volunteers have been in the sanctuary this week building an awesome new sound booth. Thank you to our donor and all the people using their speciality skills to make this happen.

-Larry had an overwhelming response for casting call of our Christmas Dinner Theater. The tickets for this event will be printed soon. Thank you to everyone who came. We will still need help with food prep and serving. If you have an interest please see Larry.

- Lots of spiritual decisions are being made every week as we see God saving people, transforming us, and adding to our numbers weekly.

Love you guys! Thank you for all you do!

Learning How To Live On The Front lines

A friend of mine has a son that serves in the US Army Special Forces. He lives on the front lines in the war on terror in Afghanistan. The last time I saw my friend he told me that he very rarely hears from his son when he is on a mission because their operations are highly secretive. The last time he talked to his son he was very upset because several of his fellow soldiers were killed out of his platoon. One of the fallen slept in the cot next to him.

I can't imagine what it would be like to live on the front lines in that kind of war, but this morning I was reminded that I am living on the front lines of a spiritual war. I just got off the phone with a grieving family that lost a loved one to suicide. I deal everyday with the attacks of the enemy. The bullets are flying. I see and talk to the people that the enemy has wounded and seeks to destroy. The front lines is filled with pain, addictions, sin and carnage. It is where heaven and hell meet the real world we are living in. I have chosen to be here. I want to be here because that is where the action is. It is where Jesus is rescuing people from the grips of hell. It is where desperate people come looking for answers and I have a chance to look them in the eyes and offer them hope and victory through Jesus Christ.
The truth is this is where God has called every Christian. He wants to be on the front lines fighting and rescuing people. There are a lot of us who have chosen to not get dirty because it is to hard. We don't want to be under constant attack from the enemy. We can't deal with the pain others are in. We want a nice little world with a little white house and a picket fence. Or should I say a manicured church building with stained glass windows and stain proof pews. We stand up in the pulpits and preach about the battle on the front lines, but very rarely venture their ourselves. The reason for the slow death of our churches has no finger to point, but to look in the mirror and see the cause.

We Must Protect This House

A few weeks back I went to a USC football game and sometime right before the kickoff the Under Armour slogan, "We must protect this house" came blaring across the load speaker. It was a cry for the home team not to lose on their field.
I ran across the picture you see above that reminded me of that slogan. Why? Because marriages and families don't fall apart in a day or a month. Marriages fall apart which leads to the death of families over a period of time of inattention and compromise. It starts with the small things that turn into the big things that leads to the death of feelings for their spouse. Everything is glitter and gold until you walk down the aisle and then the new wears off. How do you make it when the new wears off? A lot of people ask that question. Some take the wrong approach, they think that having a child will solve their problem. That is a huge mistake! When you have a new baby in the house it is hard work and only mask the problems in a relationship. The feelings of dissatisfaction will soon return with a vengeance.
Then there are some who look for counseling. That is a great idea, but the problem is many wait until it is to late and feelings have grown cold. I have seen in many couples that once they reach this stage in their marriage very few survive. So what is the best way to protect your house?
Do it right from the beginning or start doing it right today!
I had a young couple that came into my office this week and they greatly encouraged me. I was impressed that they were willing to do whatever it takes to honor God; no compromises, no personal agendas. Even though these guys were at the beginning they displayed an attitude that we all need. It is not an attitude of perfection, but of willingness. Here is the prayer for your marriage today, "God I am willing to do whatever it takes to make my marriage the best that it can be."
Here is a good start as to how to protect your house:
1. Personally spend time building your friendship with Christ individually. You need both, husband and wife to commit to this.
2. Pray together. (The most intimate thing you will ever do together.)
3. Date your spouse.( The best investment you will ever make in your child's life is to let them know you love each other. They are not the center of the universe.)
4. Communicate (Move beyond the how was your day to your hopes, dreams and future. I know guys are gagging right now. Seriously make time for it. I need to follow my own advice here.)
5. Forgive one another (It takes two to cause the death of a family. Stop blaming everything on your spouse. Acknowledge your errors and forgive them of theirs.)

This final one is for couples who are dating, but not married yet.
6. If you want to honor God and you want His blessing on your marriage. Don't act like your married before you are!! ( You know what I mean.) However, do everything I said above as the top priorities in your relationship. Develop good habits now!

If will be a great blog to share with your friends! Every couple needs to read this!

Our Heart

I missed you guys on Sunday, but I am also thankful to spend some time with my wife and get my batteries recharged. I am coming back to the pulpit Sunday to start a new series that I think is going to change all of our lives. Our last series, SWAT:Spiritual Warfare Attack Training, was a eye opener. Many of us had never considered the spiritual war that we engage in everyday. It taught us to be aware of how Satan works and how God has given us the tools to stand firm and win this war.
This next series is called INVEST. For the next 6 weeks I believe that God is going to teach us some incredible truths. I believe that God is going to change us individually that is going to lead to a congregational power and presence like we have never seen or been apart of before.

What do I see happening in the next 5 to 10 years. I see a people who takes the title of "missionary" seriously. That passion radically changes the way they live. It all begins with Luke 10:27 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself." When the congregation lives that way the result will be "community transformation". We will literally see hundreds and thousands of people saved every year locally. We will be apart of every facet of our community. There will be many Christian leaders that are being called out of our body to go to the four corners of the earth to plant churches and invest. God is strategically calling people here as we are seeking to move people from a "church mentality" to a "kingdom mentality". Our heart is not to build a church. It is not to establish a denomination. It is not to promote an agenda of renouncing the symptoms of lostness. We are not here to judge the world. We are here to advance the mission of Jesus Christ.

You need to be aware that what I am describing above is a radical shift from where church culture is today in North America. You cannot come here and sit on the sidelines. God has called all of us to work and do it with high expectations and excellency. If you have a consumer mentality of "what is in it for me" then I pray you will change your mind. To put it more simply, we are not here to cater to you, we are here to help you become all that God wants you to be and lay up treasure in heaven.
The truth is, we all have to grow. We are at the beginning of this journey, but the evidence of what we are seeing God already doing in us and through is very encouraging. I hope you can see a small glimpse of my heart today. I love you!!

Hostage

I want to close our SWAT: Spiritual Warfare Attack Training Series with a blog today that I hope will encourage you not to live your life in fear.
After 30 years of investing their lives in Hickman's Grocery at the famous Green Pond, SC my mom and dad had to close up shop and walk away. It was not an easy decision. The economy had nothing to do with their closing. In all reality this little store had become a staple in the life of this small town. Many elderly people depended on my mom and dad getting their groceries together and delivering them. This store was more than a job, it was a labor of love. There were countless lives touched by the love and generosity of my parents working through this business.
It all seemed to come to an abrupt end. It is difficult to tell the story of the horror of what could have happened. Within a 6month period my parents were robbed twice. The first time it was a butcher knife that the assailants used to strike fear. The second time it was a gun that was fired into the ceiling as a warning to heed their commands. I wasn't there, but just thinking about it causes me to be angry and spurs my heart to cry of justice. Even though it happened many years ago I still give thanks that neither of my parents or sister were harmed.

These robberies sound a lot like the way Satan attacks us. The Scriptures say that Satan wants to kill, steal and destroy. He is willing to do whatever is necessary to hurt us. His #1 attack is to strike fear in our heart and make us believe that he is bigger than God.
In the book of Joshua God tells Joshua and the people over and over again to "be strong and of good courage". God knew the people were scared. He knew that the people were questioning whether or not the would able to take the promised land. Joshua and the people were at an incredible moment of decision. They had to decide, "Can I trust God to see me through this?" We know from our Bible that God God did what He said He would do. He did more and blessed His people more than they could have imagined. It is important to remember that when Joshua was leading the people through this there were many moments of faith. They didn't know what was going to happen. They just had to continue to put their faith in God.
There are many of us that face this hostage situation everyday. Satan wants to take our faith hostage by causing us to fear. He wants to rob us from our joy and the blessings of God. I say to you today, "Be strong and of good courage." Pursue after God with all your heart. Believe He is with you. Trust that He will do what he said He will do. Don't give up, let up or shut up until Jesus takes you up. Spend your days pursuing the greatness of God and making His glory known.

Sunday Bullets

The "Mortality Room" drama was a huge success. You saw 12 people give their lives to Christ and numerous others make rededications. Thanks to Larry and the cast for all of their hard work and effort.

Our mill village outreach was another huge success. It is hard to know how many people were there, however we gave out close to 1000 hot dogs and bottled water and that didn't touch the crowd. I am guessing at least 3000 people. We had a ton of volunteers that came. Thank you for showing the love of Jesus to others.

The SWAT series came to a close yesterday with the outpouring of prayer and love. We spent our morning talking about prayer. Here were a few very important quotes you will want to remember:
"If you do not pray then you have already lost the battle. Even if you put on all the armor of God prayer is essential to winning the battle against Satan."

"Our prayer lives have to be built on our personal relationship with God. Remember it is personal. Talk to God like a friend and give Him time and room to speak during your prayer times."

It was apparent yesterday that a lot of people are willing to move out of their comfort zones and publicly pray for others. I want to encourage you to invest in other people by praying for them. Take the time to stop what you are doing and pray for people. Don't just tell people you will pray for them, actually do it!

During our first service yesterday our parking lot was full to overflowing. We had 411 people at Lifesong yesterday during our 3 services. There is still lots of room to grow. INVEST and INVITE!

Love you guys! Have a great week.

Get the Crap Out of Your Mouth

Rm. 12:5: “We…are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” We are inseparably connected to one another. Therefore, God has ordained how we are to act towards one another, both positively and negatively so that we build up one another into the full measure of Christ.

During my life I have been hit with some pretty sharp blows. I remember in college that I learned very quickly not to stand around after the running back had been tackled. I had a habit of running up to the pile at the end of a play and having some big offense lineman come and clean my clock. Those blows can be painful, but the most painful blows I have ever been hit with come in the form of words. Our words can carry the weight of a heavy weight champion. We often forget that and let the punches(words) fly without thought.

In general I believe that there are two groups of people. There are those who try to look for the best. They can see something good in every circumstance. Then there are those who use their mouths like a toilet, crap goes in and crap goes out. They are critical, negative or gossipers. They cannot look at a situation without seeing what is wrong with it. The problem is that people who are like that can't keep their mouth's closed. They think that other people want to hear and smell their crap, but the truth is the only people who want to hear negative and critical talk is other negative and critical people. We choose which group we want to be in. People who's words are life or people who's words lead to death.

Consider what the Scripture says:

Positive Verses:

Mk. 9:50: Be at peace with one another [1 Thess. 5:13] John 13:34: Love one another [occurs 20 times in NT] Rm. 12:10: Be devoted to one another Rm. 12:10: Give preference to one another Rm. 12:16: Be of the same mind toward one anther [Rm. 15:5] Rm. 14:19: Build up one another [1 Thess. 5:11] Rm. 15:7: Accept one another as Christ does Rm. 15:14: Admonish one another [Col. 3:16] Rm. 16:16: Greet one another with a holy kiss [occurs 4 times in N.T.] 1 Cor. 11:33: Wait for one another 1 Cor. 12:25: Care for one another Gal. 5:13: Serve one another Gal. 6:2: Bear one another's burdens Eph. 4:2: Forbear one another in love Eph. 4:25: Speak the truth to one another Eph. 4:32: Be kind to one another Eph. 4:32: Be tender hearted to one another Eph. 4:32: Forgive one another [Col. 3:13] Eph. 5:19: Speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs Eph. 5:21: Be subject to one another Phil. 2:3: Regard one another as more important Col. 3:13: Bear with one another Col. 3:16: Teach one another 1 Thess. 4:18: Comfort one another 1 Thess. 5:11: Encourage one another [Heb. 3:13; 10:25] 1 Thess. 5:13: Seek for what is best for one another Heb. 10:24; Stimulate one another to good deeds Jas. 5:16: Pray for one another Jas. 5:16: Confess your sins to one another 1 Pt. 4:9: Be hospitable to one another 1 Pt. 4:10: Use your gift to serve one another 1 Pt. 5:5: Be humble towards one another 1 Jh. 1:7: Fellowship with one another

Negative Verses:

Mt. 24:10: Do not hate one another [Titus 3:3] Mt. 24:10: Do not betray one another Rm. 14:13: Do not judge one another 1 Cor. 6:7: Do not go to court with one another 1 Cor. 7:5: Do not deprive one another in marriage Gal.5:15: Do not bite and devour one another Gal. 5:26: Do not challenge or envy one another Col. 3:19: Do not lie to one another Jas. 4:11: Do not speak against one another Jas. 5:9: Do not complain against one another.

I want to start a cultural revolution. I want to begin it with us( those who read this blog). For the next 30 days commit to not saying anything negative or critical of another person. Instead, let our words be seasoned with the love of Christ. You will notice how much better your day will go. You will see the joy of Christ in your life swell.

Will you join me in this revolution?

Hijacking the Pastor's blog!

I'll probably get fussed at for doing this, but I'm hijacking my husband's blog today and directing you to read my blog over here . http://www.thehickmanhappenings.blogspot.com It may be the only time I can get away with this!

Sunday Bullets

I love Jesus and am amazed at how He always blows our mind with immeasurably more than we ever expect. Conventional thinking would have been that people would never get baptized in a lake in late October. Their excuses would be that it is to cold. If you were at our baptism yesterday that misconception was erased from your mind as 15 people stood publicly professing their love and life's service to Jesus Christ. Then an invitation was given and 5 more people came into the water clothes and all to be apart of this life changing moment. This year we have seen 53 people enter the baptism waters and many more who have been changed and are being changed by the love of Jesus Christ.

As we finish up the month of October, pastor appreciation month, I want to say how thankful I am for our pastors and their families. We are more and more coming to realize the gravity and seriousness of leading this charge into the enemies territory. They have sacrificed a lot to lead this church. It is days like yesterday that we are reminded that no matter what the cost it is worth it. Thank you Larry, Tim, Lynn, Allan, Debbie, Brian, Barbie and Amy.

Want to Hang out?

I always joke with people and tell them one of my spiritual gifts is "Hanging Out". The truth is I love spending time with people. Over the next couple of weeks and months I would love to schedule a breakfast or lunch to hang out and get to know you better. We can have a serious conversation or just shoot the breeze. This invitation is for guys or couples, but if you are a woman or a couple who would like to hang out with Amy and me we would love to do that as well. Just shoot me an email at jeff@lifesongchurchonline.com and I will be in touch.

Sunday Bullets

- I keep my last blog as a reminder on here to myself that when you are under intense spiritual attack there is a reason. I woke up Saturday morning to learn that a precious young lady that God gave us the privilege to minister to was killed in a car accident. I will never forget seeing her hand raised during one of our youth services saying she wanted to receive Christ. One of our great parents took the time to explain to her what it meant to know Jesus and she surrendered her life to Christ. Why do I do what I do? Because God has put us right in the middle of this fight. We are fighting for the souls of people. It is not a game or some good idea. Every day, every moment there is a fight.

- We saw 5 people give their lives to Christ during our 3 worship services and at least 5 others make public rededications. There are at least 5 more that will spend eternity with Jesus. We should stand in awe of the significance of that!


- This week we are committing ourselves to pray and invest in at least one person that God has put in our areas of influence. We can't save them, but God can use us to show them His love. We pray that God will use all that we are and all that we are for His glory.

One of those days..

Today is one of those days that I want to throw in the towel. Satan is really attacking my mind. Do you ever feel like people would be better off without you or that the battle you are trying to fight is to much to overcome. I am not talking about in a "taking your life" kind of way, but a "is this really worth it" kind of way. Everywhere you turn people let you down, take you for granted, try to hurt you or talk about you. I am not asking for your sympathy, just your prayers. This to shall pass. This is a very real and candid look inside my life today. These days don't come around as often as they use to, but none the less I hate them when they come at all.

Leadership Insights

One of the great tasks that is before our pastors is to develop as leaders. Every organization from the largest companies in America down to the smallest organization, the family depends on leadership. The truth is everything rises and falls on leadership.
We have made a strong commitment to grow as leaders. I want to give you a sneak peek inside an email I sent out to the pastors this morning.

Just a few thoughts on leadership and a couple of things:

We have been talking about developing as leaders and raising up people to fill critical
leadership roles within our ministries. There are some positions that you want to ask for
volunteers, but we need to change gears in how we approach key leadership. More than 4
out of 5 effective leaders will emerge as leaders because of the impact made on them by
established leaders who mentored them. People naturally follow leaders who are stronger
than themselves.
People cannot give to others what they themselves do not possess. Followers simply cannot
develop leaders.

Bottom line: WE TEACH WHAT WE KNOW AND PRODUCE WHAT WE ARE.

Let's make sure that whatever we do that we do it with excellency. Many times we will
only have one shot to connect with people. Let's make sure that on Sunday morning we are
prepared to do our best. Let's make sure that we are modeling to our people who we want
for them to become. The time to prepare for the people is before they get here, not while
they are here. Let's push ourselves to a higher standard. Raise the bar of expectations.
Let's work hard and leave the results to God.

It is important for you to pray for us. I hope this will give you some insight into how you can lift us up. Have a great day!

Ripple Effect

As a kid and now as a bigger kid I love to spend time on the water. When my dad would take us to the river my first instinct was to look for some rocks to skip across the water. The trick was to see how many times you could skip it before it sank beneath the water. Sometimes I would pick up a rock that was to big to skip so I would just throw it into the water. No matter what the size of the rock when it hits the water it makes ripples. The ripples start where the rock enters the water and then spreads in a bigger and bigger circle until something stops it. The thing is the bigger the rock, the bigger the ripples.
Rocks thrown in the water are like the decisions that we make. Small decisions don't make many ripples in our life, but large ones can change the course of our lives forever. Every decision no matter how big or small makes ripples or to say it a different way, carries consequences. Those consequences can be good or bad, but none the less they effect our lives.
I think back to the discussions that I have had with people about decisions that they are trying to make. Their past, their present, their upbringing, the advice that others have given them and many others factors are swirling around in their head. We can all be skewed by external and internal factors that are beyond our control however, the real test, for the Christian, is making Jesus the top priority in our decision making process. He is the solid rock. His truth is reliable and right. It does not waver or change from person to person. He gives us the answers we need to ensure our decisions are the right ones.
I encourage you today to put Jesus in the center of every decision and if you do He will not fail you. Generally, the course of life is determined by just a few critical decisions, however sometimes we don't know that when we are making them.