#772 - A PUBLIC THANK YOU TO THE MOVEMENT CHURCH

Today, marks the first Sunday, in 8 years, that I was not the Lead Pastor of The Movement Church in Oakland, California. The full explanation for my transition out of this role can be viewed here.

Since my last Sunday, last week, I have had a myriad of mixed emotions. Sadness. Excitement. Confusion. Fulfillment. Doubt. Anticipation. Anxiety. Joy. So many feelings surrounding a life transition, away from the community of faith that I thought I was going to invest my whole life with, that I didn’t see coming.

But the feeling that has been strongest over the last week, without a doubt, has been gratitude.

Gratitude for 8 years of ministry. Gratitude for fruit. Gratitude for impact. Gratitude for memories. Gratitude for multiplication. Gratitude for opportunity. Gratitude for dreams being fulfilled.

But what I find myself most grateful for are…the people.

To every person who has given me the privilege of pastoring them at The Movement Church over the last 8 years, THANK YOU.

The love that I’ve experienced through your lives has left an indelible mark that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

1. THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME.

Thank you for receiving me as your pastor. Thank you for caring for me. Thank you for allowing me to be an extension of the voice of the Lord in your life. Thank you for showing your love for me by loving, respecting, cherishing, and praying for my wife. Thank you for honoring me. Thank you for appreciating me. Thank you for following my lead. Thank you for forgiving me when I sinned against you. Thank you for trusting me with your stories, your struggles, and your sins. Thank you for inviting me into your homes. Thank you for allowing me to be me. (In all my foolishness and unprofessionalism!) Thank you for your thoughtful gifts, texts, and encouraging emails along the way. Thank you for enduring my confrontational nature. Thank you for persevering through our many tough conversations, both individually and corporately. And even as I told you I was leaving, thank you for your grace, kindness, and understanding. Through all of these experiences listed, I have felt your love for me. Thank you.

So many pastors have been discouraged and berated by the congregations God has called them to lead. This is not the case for me. Because of your Godly, heart-felt, consistent love for me, I move on to my next assignment full of love and anticipating how God may use another congregation of people to be an extension of His love for me. Thank you Movement Church family for loving me. I honor you for loving me.

2. THANK YOU FOR LOVING JESUS.

Today, I love, magnify, trust, and worship Jesus more because I have had a front row seat to your love for Jesus! You have obeyed Jesus. You have worshipped Jesus. You have sang to Jesus. You have sacrificed for Jesus. You have been honest before Jesus. You have given to Jesus. You have repented before Jesus. You have repented before Jesus again. You have received Jesus forgiveness for you. You have forgiven others in response to Christ’s forgiveness for you. You have read God’s word. You have journaled prayers to Jesus. You have come to prayer meetings and cried out to Jesus. You have done hard things Jesus has required of you out of your love for Jesus. You have persevered for Jesus. You have followed Jesus wherever He has led you.

Your love for me wouldn’t have been as easy to celebrate if I hadn’t been sure that your love for Jesus was so much stronger than your love for me! Jesus is honored and glorified by your love for him! Thank you Movement Church family for loving Jesus. I honor you for loving Jesus.

3. THANK YOU FOR LOVING THE CITY OF OAKLAND.

From day one, our mission was to overwhelm Oakland with love. I wanted our church to be in the city for the city. I wanted our presence in the city of Oakland to make a positive difference. I desired that the non-believers in our city would be positively impacted and thankful for our love. Because of your love for Oakland, this dream came true.

Thank you for your sacrificial love. Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for giving to the Be Generous generosity initiative each year. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for volunteering. For cleaning streets. For supporting teachers. For buying supplies. For meeting needs. For praying for the city. Thank you. Thank you for not being satisfied with being consumers of the Word of God. Thank you for taking the love you’ve experienced from God and extending that love to others when given the opportunity. Thank you for the service and sacrifice for our city that was never noticed or appreciated. Thank you for making commitments and following through with them. Thank you for all the ways you’ve loved the city of Oakland in ways that weren’t formally connected to the church. Thank you for the times you put yourself in a position to have less so that others could have more.

Over the last 8 years, the city of Oakland has felt more of the love of God because of your commitment to love Oakland. Thank you for loving the city of Oakland. I honor you for loving the city we’ve been called to love.

Movement Church Family…your love has been a most precious gift to me these last 8 years. I was not entitled to it, but I receive what I’ve experienced through you as a gift from my Heavenly Father. Thank you. May our paths cross again soon!

* For those of you who I didn’t get to take a picture with over the last couple of weeks, I’m so sorry. If we do end up taking one together before my wife and I depart, I’ll be sure to add it!

#717 - WHY CHRISTOPHER WILL BECOME ONE HELLUVA' CHURCH PLANTER

Edward & Christopher

Nearly 4 years ago, during a time when I was having a hard time recovering from a difficult ministry season, God blessed myself and our church with an incredible gift—Christopher and Brittany Stites.

In addition to bringing a much-needed reinforcement to our leadership team, God also used them to remind me that, even though I had just experienced a ministry “failure,” he was not finished working in and through THEMOVEMENT.CHURCH. I am forever grateful.

For the last four years I have had the privilege of serving alongside Christopher, and I have had a front row seat to God’s activity through and God’s favor on his life. It has been incredible to watch, and I know the best is ahead. In less than 8 months, we are going to be sending Pastor Christopher, Brittany, and some of our church members out to plant another church in the city of Oakland! Our church plant is going to plant a church!

In an effort to honor Christopher for what he has meant to me and to encourage him (and all those who follow him) for the journey that is ahead, I want to publicly affirm why I am confident Christopher is going to make one helluva’ church planter!

#1 - CHRISTOPHER WORKS HARD.

He rises early. He stays up late. And he does this, day in and day out, to do whatever it takes to provide for his family, serve the church, and be there for those around him. He works hard to be a good husband. He works hard to be a good father. He works hard to build his coffee company. He works hard to preach good sermons. He works hard to lead and love people. He doesn't make excuses about the hard work. He doesn’t complain about the hard work. He doesn’t try to avoid the hard work. He just works hard. Christopher is going to become one helluva’ church-planter because church-planting requires hard work, and Christopher works hard.

#2 - CHRISTOPHER PREACHES STRONG.

Whether he’s given one month to prepare or one day, Christopher, every time out, preaches the Word of God accurately, boldly, and inspiringly. He preaches with a confidence and a force that comes from knowing he is called, the Bible is true, Jesus is worthy, and the gospel is powerful! Every time I sit under Christopher’s teaching, I am impacted by its strength. He preaches strongly because he has, first, been impacted deeply. He preaches strongly because the Spirit of God is in him truly. He preaches strongly because he is gifted immensely! Christopher is going to become one helluva’ church-planter because church-planting requires strong preaching, and Christopher preaches strong.

#3 - CHRISTOPHER LEARNS ALWAYS.

Christopher is a student. He is a student of people. He is a student of ministry. He is a student of the Word. He is a student of people. (I can’t make this up. While I was writing this paragraph, Christopher literally texted me a picture of a paragraph from a book he’s reading! RIDICULOUS!) His passion for learning is motivated by a humility and sober judgement of himself. He knows he doesn’t know it all, but he doesn’t learn to become a know-it-all. He takes learning seriously because he takes becoming a better version of himself seriously. He takes becoming a better Christian, husband, father, pastor, and business owner seriously. Christopher is going to become one helluva’ church-planter because church-planting requires always learning, and Christopher learns always.

#4 - CHRISTOPHER LOVES JESUS.

More than he loves his wife. More than he loves his kids. More than he loves his business. More than he loves his ministry. Even more than he loves his coffee! Christopher loves Jesus. Christopher is enamored by Jesus. Christopher is mindful of Jesus. Christopher is committed to Jesus. He loves Jesus because he is so in tune with how deeply Jesus loves him. Christopher worships Jesus through song. Christopher worships Jesus through prayer. Christopher worships Jesus through obedience. Christopher is going to become one helluva’ church-planter because church-planting requires a constant declaration of the simple phrase, “Jesus loves,” and Christopher loves Jesus.

Though it is going to be difficult to send Christopher and Brittany and their team out of our church to plant another church, I can’t wait to see how God glorifies himself through Christopher’s leadership. I can’t wait to hear the testimonies of lives being changed by Jesus as a result of Christopher allowing Jesus to continually change him. The best is truly yet to come! (Follow their church-planting journey on Instagram - @tmc.life!)

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN!

If you know Christopher or have been impacted by his ministry from afar, drop a comment below and let him know why you think he is going to make one helluva’ church-planter!

#714 - A VERY IMPORTANT OPEN LETTER TO MY CHURCH FAMILY

1st Annual All-Church Retreat!

1st Annual All-Church Retreat!

Since coming back to work, over the last two weeks, I have felt an overwhelming sense of love and appreciation from you towards me. It has been incredible! Thank you.

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the privilege it is to be one of your pastors. Being back with you has reminded me of so many of the things I love about you, and, through the writing of this letter, I want to be sure you know why shepherding you brings me great joy and God great glory.

#1 - YOU’RE HUNGRY.

For Bible teaching. For righteousness. For more of what God has for your life. For more of what God has for the city of Oakland. Thank you for being a church family who isn’t satisfied with the status quo. God is glorified through your hunger!

#2 - YOU’RE HUMBLE.

In the way that you receive correction. In the way that you respond to praise. In the way that you request direction. In the way that you cry out to God in prayer. Thank you for being a church family who understands that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. God is glorified through your humility!

#3 - YOU’RE HONEST.

About your struggles. About your sins. About your shortcomings. About your doubts. About your disappointments. About your dreams. About the issues you see in the church. About the problems you see with church leadership. About the concerns you have with the way things are being done. Thank you for being a church family that prioritizes truth-telling over image-protecting. God is glorified through your honesty!

#4 - YOU’RE SACRIFICIAL.

With your time. With your financial resources. With your physical and spiritual gifts. With your homes. With your cars. With your comfort. With your sleep! With whatever you have that can be leveraged for the good of someone inside and outside of the church who has a need. Thank you for being a church family who consistently “picks up your cross” to follow Jesus. God is glorified through your sacrifice!

#5 - YOU’RE SENSITIVE.

To the needs of others. To the pain of others. To the skepticism of others. To the experience of a first-time guest. To those who find themselves on the “fringes” of our church family. To the cares and concerns of my wife. To the leadings/promptings of the Holy Spirit. To the moment. Thank you for being a church family who isn’t tone deaf to the Holy Spirit of God in you and to people that are around you. God is glorified through your sensitivity!

#6 - YOU’RE SUBMITTED.

To the Word of God. To the pastors of the church. To the leader of your ministry. To each other. Thank you for being a church family who understands that how we submit to each other is a reflection of how submitted we are to God. God is glorified through your submission!

#7 - YOU’RE COMMITTED.

To God. To our mission to overwhelm Oakland with love. To the ministries in which you serve. To the small group in which you participate. To becoming a praying church. Thank you for being a church family who does what you say you’re going to do. God is glorified through your commitment!

#8 - YOU’RE COURAGEOUS.

Through your steps of obedience. Through your willingness to have tough conversations. Through your interactions with those who don’t yet follow Christ. Through your faith to follow God wherever he may lead you. Thank you for being a church family is willing to leave your comfort zones for the sake of the gospel. God is glorified through your courage!

#9 - YOU’RE COLLABORATIVE.

In the way that you approach ministry. In the way that you solve problems. In the way that you overcome obstacles. In the way that you meet the needs of our city Thank you for being a church family who truly functions as a body—each member interdependent upon the other. God is glorified through your willingness to work together!

THANK YOU.

Thank you for being a church family that daily glorifies God though how you love God, love others, and love me! There is no other church family who I would rather serve alongside.

As long as we stay humble and reliant upon the power of God within us, there is no telling how God will glorify himself through us next! Buckle up. THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

#611 - EASTER AT ELMHURST: BY THE NUMBERS

Yesterday, theMOVEMENT Church in Oakland celebrated it's fifth Easter since starting in the fall of 2013. It was an absolutely incredible Easter Service that you had to be at to fully appreciate all that God is doing within our church. 

Though many things took place in yesterday's service that cannot be quantified by a number, here are a few of the numbers that tell the story of God's grace and faithfulness towards our community of faith. 

  1. Over 250 in Attendance - I am not entitled to anybody attending any service.

  2. Dozens of 1st-Time Guests - It is a privilege to host guests on any Sunday, but to be trusted with a guest's Easter Sunday is a special honor. 

  3. 9 Baptisms - Our highest number in a single service ever. 6 were students. (We've never baptized anyone in our student ministry before.) 3 were men. (I love seeing grown men go public with their faith in Christ. One was from Ghana!)

  4. 6 "Baptizers" - Every person was baptized by the person discipling them! (Also, I didn't baptize a single person!)

  5. 35 Kids - The growth in our kids ministry has been so encouraging. The amount of kids attending, over the last several months, has gone up, but more importantly, the number of volunteers joyfully engaged with the kids ministry is also super exciting!

  6. Dozens of Volunteers - Set-up. Tear down. Guest Services. Kids Ministry. Student Ministry. Music Ministry. The awesome day that our church and our guests were able to experience is owed in large part to the sacrificial service of our volunteers.

  7. 3 Staff Members - Not including me, our church has 3 full-time staff members, and I can't thank them enough for everything they do to serve the church. Because of their leadership, even though there are a lot of moving parts on an Easter Sunday, I was able to focus my attention solely on preaching and connecting with our guests. I praise God that they free me up to do what only I can do!

  8. 1 "Old Friend" - I was so encouraged to see a former member of our church, Colton, join us for yesterday's service. Several years ago, it was an Easter Service at theMOVEMENT that re-ignited his love for Jesus. He got baptized at theMOVEMENT shortly thereafter. He has since moved to Arizona, but I praise God for being able to re-connect with him yesterday!  

  9. 1 Gospel Proclaimed - The only news that has the power to save!

  10. 1 Christ Risen - The only Person through which salvation can come!

I am grateful. That God would use a wretched, rebellious, sinner like me to lead a Church is something I will never completely understand, but I will always be grateful for. If this were a movie, I have one of the best seats in the house, and I don't want to miss a thing!

#514 - WHAT HOSTING MAYOR LIBBY SCHAAF TAUGHT ME ABOUT GOD

This past Sunday, our church had the privilege of welcoming the Mayor of Oakland - Libby Schaaf, into our Sunday service. Above and beyond her just joining us for service, we also had the opportunity to hear about some of her goals for the city and how we can pray for her as she endeavors to do the same thing that we as a church are endeavoring to do: overwhelm Oakland with love.

But as great of an opportunity as hosting the mayor was, I think even greater were the lessons that hosting the mayor taught me about God:

1. GOD CAN BLESS IN AN INSTANT.

We got the call on a Monday. She was sitting in our service the following Sunday! The crazy thing is, this was not an opportunity our church was pursuing! This was not an opportunity I had been seeking. This was not a goal our staff had set out to accomplish. But, God can bless in an instant.

Regardless of whether or not a blessing is in your plans, when a blessing is in His plans, it can happen instantaneously! 

God can create more momentum, favor, and blessing in a moment, than we can create in a lifetime. The question this forces me to ask myself is this: Do I live my life with an eager expectation of the next instantaneous blessing of God?

2. GOD'S WAYS SUPERSEDE OUR WISDOM.

From the moment we arrived in Oakland, having a positive impact on the city was our desire. Having favor among the civic leaders was our hope. Being known as a church who was in the city, for the city was our aim. But, our knowledge on how to make that happen was limited. Our connections were few. Our influence was small. On our best day, we could have never positioned ourselves to have the mayor of Oakland be interested in our church! But, God's ways supersede our wisdom.

God can have a "way" about causing His plans to come to fruition, that far exceed any idea or plan that we can even conceive!

Not only was the visit of the mayor an instantaneous blessing, but after getting off of a phone call with her office this morning, I am seeing how it was also a connection that will lead us to more opportunities to serve the city than we could have ever created for ourselves. The question this forces me to ask myself is this: Am I limiting how God will accomplish His purposes through me to my wisdom or am I humbly seeking His ways?

3. GOD IS HONORED BY HONOR.

Regardless of the mayor's political positions. Regardless of the mayor's religious beliefs. Regardless of the mayor's policies. (Most of which I am not very well acquainted.) We thanked her. We applauded her. We listened to her. We prayed for her. Why? Because, God is honored by honor.  

Honor is not something that people in positions of leadership have to earn. Honor is something that followers of Christ are privileged to give. And God is pleased when we do.

And as we were honoring the mayor, I felt the pleasure of God on our church. I knew we were doing the right thing. I was convinced that extending honor is honorable to God. The question this forces me to ask myself is this: Who am I dishonoring?      

God can bless in an instant.
God's ways supersede our wisdom.
God is honored by honor.

Is the way we are currently living our lives reflecting our belief in these three truths about the nature of God?

#442 - EASTER 2016

220 adults. 30 kids. 1 baptism. And PLENTY of churros!  

As I reflect on my third Easter Sunday at theMOVEMENT, our most well attended service in the history of our church, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for God's gracious goodness in my life! 

In an effort to practice my personal value of resolute gratitude, here are 5 things I'm grateful for in regards to this past Easter Sunday. 

  1. Leading a selfless, sacrificial, and committed team. I am so blessed to be surrounded by a group of people who have caught the vision of Overwhelming Oakland with Love and, whether paid or unpaid, are willing to do whatever it takes to make that vision a reality! I have done nothing to deserve the team I am privileged to lead, it's all grace.

  2. Worshipping with a diverse community of people who represent various cultures, ages, socioeconomic statuses, and degrees of faith in God. I am so blessed to be a part of a community of faith that accurately represents the demographic of the city in which it has been called to serve. I have done nothing to earn being a part of such a diverse community, it's all grace.

  3. Serving alongside my family. My mother and father served on our church's guest service team and my youngest brother sang with the band. To carry out the mission of God with the people who are closest to me is one of my life's greatest joys! I have done nothing to merit doing ministry with my family, it's all grace.

  4. Preaching the Gospel to a packed house! My Heavenly Father knows that it is a desire of my heart to be used by Him to preach the good news to as many people as possible. To have the opportunity to share the uniqueness of the Christian message to a full room is something I hope I never take for granted. I have done nothing to entitle myself to such a privilege, it's all grace.

  5. Seeing a dream become a reality. What started out as a hope in my heart is slowly but surely becoming a fulfillment of my faith! Unchurched people trying the church. Dechurched people returning to the church. Overchurched people enjoying the church! I have done nothing to warrant such results, it's all grace.

Because I know me better than anyone else, I am convinced that if it were not for the grace of God, theMOVEMENT Church in Oakland would not be experiencing the type of favor and blessing it is experiencing. An awareness of my inadequacies, shortcomings, and deficiencies does not allow me to take credit for something that surely God is doing!

What God did in and through our church this past Sunday is more evidence to a truth that I am learning to grasp more and more as the years go by:   IT'S ALL GRACE!

#352 - YEAR ONE REFLECTION

On September 14, 2014, theMOVEMENT church celebrated it’s 1-Year Anniversary. Which means, one year has gone by since the day a group of 20 committed individuals (Our Core Team) and a group of 50 sacrificial volunteers (Our Launch Team) planted a church in the city of Oakland with the mission to Overwhelm Oakland with Love.

A few of my favorite memories of our very first year include:

1. Serving a carne asada taco lunch after our launch service to our over 200 attendees. (Experiencing the excitement, energy and enthusiasm following our first service was a huge encouragement!)

2. Raising over $12,000 during our very first “Be Generous” giving campaign to provide for individuals and families with financial needs in our church community! (Delivering the checks with my wife to the various families was an experience I will never forget.)

3. Holding our service in a venue with no heat during a couple of very frigid weeks in December. (Preaching to a group of people bundled up in scarves and big coats is pretty funny!)

4. Baptizing 13 people! (Waching Un-Churched, De-Churched and Over-Churched individuals tell their story and go public with their faith in Jesus Christ is one of my greatest joys.)

5. Seeing the 2-Pac version of myself during one of Josh’s messages! (Being able to laugh at myself and enjoy a message that I wasn’t preaching is always a treat!)

There are so many more memories that I could share, but for the sake of brevity, I want to take a moment to reflect upon a few things that I hope to never forget.

My Major Mistake — Hiring too fast. Firing too slow.

The lesson is pretty self-explanatory. I brought someone onto our team with not enough thought, prayer and consideration and allowed that person to stay on our team with too much thought, prayer and consideration. Moving forward I must take the totally opposite approach. Hire slow. Fire fast.

My Major Surprise — The Gospel is Powerful.

Not that I didn’t think that the gospel was powerful, but through this last year I was pleasantly surprised to witness how powerful it actually is. If I’m being honest, seeing people surrender their lives to Christ in response to the message that “Christ saves sinners” without having to use tactics or force…surprising. Seeing long-time “Christians,” by the power of the gospel, mature their motivations for their good deeds…surprising. Seeing “atheists” confess Jesus is Lord, without all of their questions being answered…surprising. Seeing myself love people where they are, in light of the fact that the gospel says that “While I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me”…surprising.

I must remember, our marketing has no power, our musicians have no power, our methods have no power, and I definitely have no power. The gospel is the power unto salvation! The only question is, “Will I trust it?”

My Lasting Lesson — Jesus builds His Church.

I may be shepherding. The congregation may be serving. Guests may be attending. But Jesus is the one who is actually building the church. I may be preaching, but Jesus is saving. The congregation may be participating, but Jesus is transforming. Our guests may be checking us out, but Jesus is softening their hearts. We do the work that is natural. Jesus does the work that is supernatural. We do the work that is physical. Jesus does the work that is spiritual. We do the work that is temporary. Jesus does the work that is eternal.

Does this devalue the work that we do? Absolutely not! By God’s grace, Jesus is doing his supernatural work, through our natural efforts! Jesus is doing his spiritual work through our physical contribution. Jesus is doing his eternal work through our temporary gifts.

At the end of the day, what I must remember is this: Jesus is the one doing all the heavy lifting, we’re just the ones handing him the boxes.

#345 - LAUNCH DAY REFLECTION

Yesterday was incredible.

There are so many things I could share about the emotion and experience of officially launching a church, but there were one set of experiences in particular that brought me a tremendous amount of joy — hearing the positive feedback about our service from our first-time guests from Oakland.

Responses like:

“Usually reading the Bible is hard for me, but you made it come alive!” “I haven’t been a part of a church in years, but I’m so glad I came today.” “We’ve been looking for a church that both us and our kids can grow in.” “We already texted our friends, who also live in Oakland and are looking for a church, to check you guys out!” “Thank you for doing this, will your messages be available online so I can listen to them when I’m out of town?”

And my favorite response of all,

“We loved it and we’ll be back next week!”

These responses mean so much to me because the mission statement of our church is “To overwhelm Oakland with love.”

Now, I understand that it is going to take a tremendous about of time, energy and resources before our community of faith actually overwhelms the city of Oakland with the love of Christ in such a way where the city feels it in practical ways, but I am so thankful and blessed that, yesterday, during our Grand Opening Service, we took a forward step in that direction!

Our church was started in the city of Oakland, for the city of Oakland therefore every time we make a positive impact and impression on the people actually living in Oakland, I am going to celebrate!

#343 - MY ONE LAUNCH SERVICE DESIRE

Though there are many things that I'd like to see take place during our church's Grand Opening Service, there is only one thing that I am intentionally praying for: the presence of God. 

Do I want to see a lot of people show up...of course.
Do I want people to enjoy the worship experience...absolutely.
Do I want the message to be impactful and memorable...for sure.
Do I want people to be touched by the testimony and baptism...no doubt!

But if those things all take place without the presence of God, in my mind, we have failed.

Only the presence of God can change a heart.
Only the presence of God can save a soul.
Only the presence of God renew a mind.

Only in the presence of God can one experience the power of God.

And it is my desire that everyone in attendance, from skeptic to saint, experiences the presence and power of God.

This past week, I came across a prayer that Moses prayed in the days leading up to the time when he was to lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land. It is this prayer that I am going to be intentionally and intensely praying this week and I would like to invite you to join me in praying the same prayer as we prepare to launch our church. Thank you in advance for your support!

"If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth? Exodus 33:15-16

#341 - THE SECRET I'M EXCITED TO SHARE!

I have never been more excited about giving a message in my life!

Today I began putting the slides together for the message I will be giving at our Grand Opening Service on September 15, and as the message began to come together in my head, I became overwhelmed with an excitement to preach like never before!

I'm excited because I feel like I have an incredible secret to share! 

In the teaching series we did through our Preview Service, Freed from Religion, I felt that I had an incredible secret to share about what the message of Christianity is. But for our next series, The Secret Heart of Christianity, I feel that I have an incredible secret to share about who the message of Jesus Christ is for!

For so long I felt that the message of Jesus Christ was for immoral and irreligious people who needed to get their act together! And though the message of Christianity is, to a certain extent, for those kind of people, the message of Jesus Christ is MORE for a whole other category of people who I'm convinced don't even know that the message is for them!

I'm so excited to share this incredible secret! 

I anticipate that it will be a pleasant surprise to people who don't believe in Christ and an even bigger surprise to those who do!