EdYoungBlog

Flashback, Fast Forward

Go with me back to two weeks ago ... Easter. I didn't expect it to be as powerful or as impactful as it was. Why? It was right in the middle of Spring Break. And then, to pile it on, the Sweet Sixteen was on!

Yet, I was shocked at what God did at Fellowship Church! I had the opportunity to speak at all of our campuses live and see each campus thriving. Talk about a whirlwind tour!

But looking back, I can't help but look forward.

Easter is an important weekend. That's obvious. But I don't think we can really measure the impact of Easter until the next several weekends after Easter. So often we concentrate too much on Easter and miss what's happening after Easter.

This past weekend we saw some of that impact. I hope you did too. And I'm looking forward with great anticipation over the next several weeks to see what God does, to see the turf we've all taken for the kingdom. I'm praying for you and can't wait to hear what you're doing as well.

Openin' Up a Can

Just finished the first service of the weekend. Check this out from earlier today. This is what I should have done on my day off...

Preaching to Myself

What do you do on your day off? Now that is a great question. Maybe a better one is do you actually take a day off? Yeah, we talk about it. But do we actually do it?

When I have the opportunity to speak to leaders I talk about the importance of living in the rhythm that God has given us; working six days and taking a day off. And I talk about backing off from technology and disengaging. But today, I'm finding myself doing this blog...on my day off! Here I am, at the office. Why am I here?

Again, talk is cheap. And after 18 years of preaching, I still struggle with working on my day off. Recently, I've fallen into a habit on Friday (my day off) of waking up early and looking over my message for several hours, which I really shouldn't do. But for me, it's like I can't get away from it. Every idle thought is about the talk and the responsibility and accountability of saying something on behalf of God. Yes, God uses my vocal chords. But the emotional buildup and stress of that weekend wave is hard to explain.

Do you struggle with this? I would love to hear from you. What do you do on your day off? Do you find yourself talking about taking a day off more than doing it? Do you find yourself working on your day off?

I guess I'm preaching to myself ...

From the island...

I showed you a few pictures of my trip to Anguilla, but you didn't get to really get the vibe. What an amazing place! So here's some footage of that trip and the radio interview I did while I was there. I can't wait to go back!

Fellowship Church - Fort Worth Grand Opening

Another God thing!

Chloe

If you saw the first video, you've met my two Dobermans...but you didn't meet my English mastiff.
Here she is...she's a whole lot of woman!

Numbers That Count

Easter. The second most attended weekend on any church's calendar. But it's not all about the numbers. Of course, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to look at our numbers from this weekend. Any pastor who doesn't look at them isn't really leading in my opinion. But it's not just about the numbers. It's more about the numbers within the numbers.

This weekend we again experienced something at Fellowship that we strive for every weekend, something that goes far beyond stats and figures. Something that is found deep within the numbers. Oneness.

One church. Five locations. At each of our campuses, we saw people we had never seen before. We welcomed families who hadn't been to church in years. From our newest location in Fort Worth to our Miami Good Friday service, the excitement and impact of this weekend far exceded our expectations. In the 18 years at Fellowship, God has always blown our forecasts and expectations out of the water. He did it again this year.

Are the overall numbers important? Sure. But for me, it's the numbers within the numbers that really matter.

We are one church.

We have one vision.

We strive to reach one life at a time with the message of the one true Savior of the world.

Did the numbers meet our expectations? If one person stepped over the line of faith, then the answer is yes. Because that's the only number that really counts.

"Blogumentary" Stop 2 - Anguilla

Just a quick post today...here are some shots of the youth rally on the island of Anguilla this week. I also did a radio interview on their local station, 99.3 NRB. God is doing some amazing things there, and I was honored that they asked me to be a part of this. Some phenomenal people!

The day...

It's just a few days away...Easter. One of the biggest...no. Scratch that. The biggest day of celebration for any Christian, for any church. It's the time of the year when pretty much anyone will give church a chance. If you're part of a church, don't let this opportunity pass by. There's someone in your life that needs to hear about Jesus. And you are the one they'll hear it from. Invite them to church.

If you aren't part of a  church, I encourage you to check it out. You may have doubts. We all do. But do what you need to do to put those doubts to rest.

And if you are a pastor, know that people everywhere are praying for you. We're praying for you. This is going to be a difficult week. I know. You'll fight with your spouse, your kids will act up and traffic will be horrible. (Did they really need to start the construction project this week?!)

Recognize those things for what they are. Attacks. But don't let those things keep you from what God has called you to do this week. Because remember, this Sunday is the day....

Somethin' a little silly

I always like to start off my blog with somethin' a little silly...