the online newpointe experience

I ran into someone at the gym this morning who said, “We were out of town last Sunday and I was so disappointed to miss the first Sunday of the new series (The Me I Want To Be).” To which I responded, “Well…you DID miss a good one but don’t worry, you can get caught up by jumping on www.newpointe.org and clicking on ‘archives.’”

If you were not able to catch the first Sunday of the series, I highly recommend watching (or listening to) the first message Dwight gave last Sunday (Feb. 21). It was so helpful and timely.

Note: not only are the messages online, but you can watch the entire service (music, video, creative elements), too.

I had another conversation with someone else this week about the NewPointe online experience. She told me that her brother lives out of state and has not been attending church. She suggested that he jump online and watch NewPointe live on Sunday mornings (online church happens live at 9 and 10 a.m.). Well, he did, and he loved it. She told me that he said watching online is impacting his live and staring to make him, in a sense, hungry for church again. I think that’s pretty cool. She also told me he logs on to watch NewPointe online every Sunday now.

Did you know that on any given Sunday, over 400 people have been known to join us live online?

If you can’t be there in person, watching online is the next best thing. And if you can’t do that, you can always catch it later in the week! I love technology.

new set design

I’m diggin’ what the NewPointe set design crew did with the stage for The Me I Want To Be series. Good stuff. Here are a few pics from Sunday:

The Me I Want To Be series continues Sunday at all three NewPointe campuses. Also, check out TMIWTB series blow at www.thechangeinside.me.

the me i want to be sermon bumper

Love the new bumper our video crew cranked out for NewPointe’s new series, The Me I Want To Be. Very hip. Very cool. Very creative. Great job guys!

sunday’s scuds (february 21, 2010)

Sunday was a fantastic day at NewPointe. We started a brand new series, The Me I Want To Be. Dwight’s message was right on (and it was very relevant to my life). I hope you got to be there. If you missed it, make sure you pick up a CD or you can watch it online by clicking here.

In the meantime, here are the scuds as I see ‘em:

• It takes courage to become the me I want to be.
• Your life is not about experiences and achievements—it’s about who you are becoming.
• God wants you to reach your full potential more than you do.
• Your life is not your project. It’s God’s.
• We tend to think that becoming more spiritual means becoming more weird. Not true. Becoming more spiritual means becoming more alive.
• The best part of becoming a Christian is that you get to be you!
• You can manage your face but you can’t lie to yourself about what’s going on inside you.
• Jesus became the curse so you and I could be set free from the curse.
• Jesus came to restore everything that Adam lost in the Garden. And when we understand that we’re on our way to becoming who God intended us to be.
• There is nothing more important in life than knowing God as your Father.
• Most of us know about God but we don’t really know God.
• There’s nothing you can do to cause God to love you more. And there’s nothing you can do to cause him to love you less.

Y’all okay?

the me i want to be

Sunday, February 21, we start a brand new series at NewPointe, The Me I Want To  Be.

We all have regrets. We all have dreams of the kind of person we want to become. For many of us there’s a huge gap between who we are right now and the person we thought we’d be (or want to be)—or, more importantly, the person God wants us to be. That’s what this series is about: dealing with the gap between where we are now and where God intends us to be.

This is the perfect series to invite someone to. It’s all about taking your next spiritual step no matter where a person is on their faith journey. We all want to close that gap between who we are and what God’s best version of us is.

The series starts Sunday and continues through March 28 at all three NewPointe campuses. Hope to see you there!

41 things i’m thankful for

I’m 41 today. Somehow, some way, I blinked and I was old. Not sure how or when that happened…but it was inevitable. As I reflect on my 41 years upon this earth, I figure it’s a good exercise to post some things I’m thankful for—one for each year of my life:

1. My family
2. Good health
3. Being debt-free
4. NewPointe
5. The awesome people I work with
6. Being loved and accepted by my Heavenly Father
7. Having purpose and meaning to life
8. Pizza
9. My amazing wife
10. The beach
11. Working at a place that is changing the world
12. Summers
13. Coaching my girls in softball
14. Lunchtime basketball with friends
15. El San Jose
16. Vacations with my family
17. Books
18. My home
19. My motorcycle
20. Great conversations with good friends
21. A sense of humor
22. Being able to travel to the Middle East to teach and influence
23. My church family
24. Root beer
25. Music
26. My non-vomit streak
27. My trainers at Super Fitness
28. Peanut butter fudge
29. Hot showers
30. Living in Sugarcreek
31. A creative mind
32. People who are patient with me
33. The ability to continue to learn and grow
34. Laughter
35. Jenny Bunn’s chili
36. The USA
37. Knowing that I’ll spend eternity in heaven
38. Dates with Jenny
39. Being married to my best friend
40. My iPod
41. Coffee

And there, of course, are tons more. But that list is a good start.

sunday’s scuds (february 14, 2010)

Last Sunday we wrapped up the Monopolized series with some practical application based on what we heard over the past five weeks. I was privileged enough to be able to communicate this message. Here are some of the scuds as I see ‘em:

• To be a fully devoted follower of Christ, we must surrender control of our finances to God. At some point, he’s going to deal with the area of your finances.
• Why in the world would we want to take our financial cues from a culture that wants a lot from us but doesn’t want anything for us?
• God wants something FOR you, he doesn’t need anything FROM you.
• Tracking where your money is going is the best financial habit you can establish.
• When we give first, off the top of our paycheck, we’re saying, “Others first.” And that’s the kind of attitude God honors because that’s what he’s like.
• When you make a decision to give a percentage of your income away off the top and it’s the first thing you do with your money, you align yourself with God’s values.
• Giving is an invitation for God to get involved in the realm of your personal finances.
• When you get in the habit of give first, save second, live on the rest, you have properly ordered your financial world.
• Not only has God given us these principles but he’s given us the ability and the enabling to do what we need to do.

A new series starts next Sunday (The Me I Want To Be). And believe me…it’s going to be absolutely terrific. See you Sunday!

how to start a movement

I saw this video over on Tony Morgan’s blog and was so impressed I just had to post it here. Now, before you click away from this page thinking, John, you’ve already shown me this video, I want to encourage you to watch this version. I absolutely love what Derek Sivers has to say. Check it out. What a great lesson.

my three favorite super bowl ads

I’m no commercial critic. I just report what I like. Here are my three favorite ads from last Sunday’s Super Bowl. Enjoy.

 

super bowl mvp talks about his faith

Check it out:

sunday’s scuds (february 7, 2010)

Sunday brought us part five of the Monopolized series. If you were unable to make it to church due to weather conditions, you can watch it by clicking here.

Here are Dwight’s Sunday scuds as I see ‘em:

• When we invite God into our finances, it’s amazing what can happen.
• We need to get a plan to get debt-free.
• When you and I have to go into debt, it’s an indicator that things aren’t going well in our lives.
• Your Heavenly Father wants you to be free in every area of your life—including your finances.
• If you’re going to get out of debt, you have to:
• Accept responsibility
• Acknowledge the bondage
• Develop a plan
• Submit to the Father’s will
• Start right now!

The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. –Proverbs 27:12

• You can’t wish your way out of your financial mess. There will be hard work and sacrifice involved.
• Financial freedom is not determined by how much you make—it’s determined by how much you spend.
• Your yearnings will always exceed your earnings.
• If you can’t make it on your current income, you won’t make it with a little more income.
• Impulse buying leads to poverty—it’s based on emotion.
• How badly do you want to be free? If you’re going to get out of financial bondage you’re going to have to submit to God.
• God doesn’t want your stuff, he wants what your stuff represents (your heart).

newpointe rumblings

Here are a few tidbits from the NewPointe rumor mill:

• Bubba Joe has been working on his game—football game, that is. And he may just want to show off his mad skills at KidStuf this Sunday. Guess you’ll have to be there to witness it.
• Dwight is in the Middle East but he’s preaching at NewPointe this Sunday. How can that be?
• Married Life Live tickets went on sale last week and are selling like hotcakes. Expecting another sell-out so get your tix right away.
• Fee may, in fact, be making a tour stop in the Tusc County area sometime this summer (and no, I’m not talking about the Alive Festival).

bubba vs. danny

A couple weeks ago in KidStuf, Danny brought his trumpet and Bubba Joe brought both of his.

Many of you have asked for this to be posted online. Your wish is my command: