Nothing Like Being in the Center of God's Plans

One of the biggest takeaways from this weekend 10th Annual National Community Church's Leadership Retreat "ALL IN", wasn't merely one idea, one principle or a key phrase that Pastor Mark, Pastor Heather or Pastor Joel said. It was more a quickening in my heart and spirit---that there is nothing like being in the center God's plan.

Yes, before you can be in the center of God's plan and on a greater scale, His wonderful favor---you must be willing to go ALL IN! What a great challenge and theme for all of us as leaders---to go ALL IN with everything. Not to leave it on the field.

From the time we stepped into the opening service on Friday, National Community Church leaders were challenged and pushed to put it ALL IN! We were asked what are we holding back from God...what are we keeping our back pocket. Here is the thing, as a church, we will not rest on the past blessings (we will give God thanks and praise for those amazing things.) But we are going to step up our game and point our spear towards where God is going to take us next, we will also continue to lay ourselves down before God and confess those things that stand in our way.

I think to many people quit too soon, they give up on what God has called them to, I also there has become sense of laziness and apathy in the Church. I also think too people go back to the familiar, the comfortable, and the past..and they don't want to embrace the mess of life and community. I am not pointing any fingers to anyone, please trust me on this. I am looking at a mirror first.

The most amazing moment for me is when the amazing Kingstowne leadership team of Ministry and Small Group leaders gathered around me to pray for me. For me it was a very intense time. It was also a time where, I was supposed to pray over NCC leaders and commission them to step in and go ALL IN to their roles as leaders.

The prayers of the amazing leaders I get to serve with, the leader where we get to pour out our blood, sweat and spit with at the Kingstowne location reminded me that I am right smack dab in the center of God's plans for my life. Despite the fact, I gotten emails or people have communicate in other fashion that there were either leaving NCC, going to head to another location or moving out of the area, It seems like a mass exodus, that it would make the most secure pastor, insecure...it would make the pastor who is certain in his calling to question whether he wants to continue on or quit all together. But it was those poignant prayers from the amazing leaders at Kingstowne, that confirmed to me that there is NOTHING LIKE BEING IN THE CENTER OF GOD'S PLANS and GOING ALL IN!

This was the theme worship song from this weekend...This song is resonated within my heart even as I reflect on this past weekend.



Are you willing to GO ALL IN? Are you willing to give EVERYTHING? What are you holding back from God? Are you running back to the safe places, the familiar or the comfortable? Or are you allowing God to challenge you to be a part of a community that is messy, moving forward, and willing to push everything in the center and GO ALL IN?

National Community Church is not a perfect church, if you are looking for a perfect church---GOOD LUCK---there is NOT ONE! But National Community Church is a great church filled with gifted communicators, awesome leaders, people who give their all each and every weekend. A church that isn't lazy but always moving forward and pushing ourselves.