Awaken's New Location

Awaken started in a house with a good core group. After just a few weeks of meeting together we grew out of it and God opened up a door through pastor Mitchel Reaves at North Side Community Church. We have enjoyed our last few months worshiping together there. We have been praying that something would open up in our target area, and now it has.

Starting today, June 7, 2009 we will be meeting at Middle Valley Baptist Church from 6:00-7:15. The address is 7901 Middle Valley Road - Hixson, TN 37343.

Over the next few months we hope to meet new people that are not plugged into church. We will meet at Middle Valley until the end of August, then we move into our new location and launch Awaken Community Church to the community.

New Meeting Space

God is continuing to do amazing things in and through our church. We have gone from 12-18-24-27 people in our four meetings. Our last meeting we were out of seats and many were sitting on the floor. God has provided us a new location.

Mitchell Reaves, lead Pastor of Northside Community Church, has opened up their church basement to us. It has everything we need: meeting spot, kitchen, nursery and more. The address is Northside Community Church 819 Mississippi Avenue Chattanooga, TN 37405

God is continuing to be faithful to our church as we seek to be faithful to the work and person of Jesus Christ. We look forward to our new location as our core group continues to meet.

We were adopted

I love how the Bible tells us that we were adopted. God chose us because He loves us. That is a great reality.

The next few months will be trying for our family financially. The church plant takes a lot of time, yet not very rewarding financially. We pray that many individuals and churches would come along side us as we seek to reach a lost generation.

There were two families that decided to adopt our family for Christmas. They new we wanted to honor God with our church plant, so they blessed us with a ton of diapers, lots of formula, a good amount of cash a a couple of toys. We were so blessed. It was so overwhelming to receive such a gift from two families that we do not even know.

We thank God for His faithfulness during times of faith and risk. We also thank the two families that came together to bless us.

Hey little pimp, you need Jesus

I work at the hopeline many nights as I raise support to start Awaken.

So I get this thirteen year old kid that calls in and tells me that he is trying to decide which girl to date; he's got three to choose from. After I reminded him that he was thirteen, I asked him if he had standards and then asked him what it meant to be a Christian. He said an something that I had never heard before "you believe in God and only date one girl". Interesting thought. I told him that he cannot know God because he is separated from him because of his sin. I told him about the love of Jesus and how he could have hope in him. He said he wanted to put faith in Jesus. So he did.

After he accepted Christ, I encouraged him not to have a "pimp style" dating life, but to honor God and honor the girls he dates. cool kid. great salvation.

From Death to Life

I love speaking to youth and seeing life change. I was able to speak at Dallas Bay and taught from Romans 11 and 12:1-2. Great passage. To really understand 12:1-2 you need to know what chapter 11 is about. Actually to get the full context need to read Romans 1-11. Nine students gave their lives to Christ. From Death to Life.

Story behind "God of this City"

The story behind "God of this City"

In Pattaya Tailand, there are over 30,000 female prostitutes over the age of 18! (That is not counting the ones under 18, or even the male prostitutes there) While they were walking around the town, a band walked into a local bar there called...."The Climax Club", which was looking for bands to play. They agreed to give it a try and asked how long the owner how long he wanted them to play. The owner said, "As long as your friends continues to buy cokes." So they ended up buying cokes for 2-3 hours.

So for over 2 hours this band sang Jesus over these prostitutes who had no idea what they were singing! All of the sudden this song "came down from heaven," as one of the band members recalls. Then spontaneously they started singing:

You're the God of this city
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are

You're the light in this darkness
You're the hope to the hopeless
You're the peace to the restless
You are

For there is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

Greater things have yet to come
Greater things are still to be done in this city
Greater things have yet to come
Greater things are still to be done here

check out video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d61LamkXfwkIn

12 to 200 to 80 = lives changed

We took a group of 12 people that were willing to serve God in a foreign land; Honduras. We developed a youth ministry service for youth who were not interested in church. The first Sunday morning 5 adults and a few kids met in the church. After adding a relevant message, drama's and testimonies the church went from under 20 on Sunday to 120 on Monday night. Then 200 on Tuesday. God did some incredible things through our team. Through the week we saw 80 people trust in Christ. We give him all of the glory.

I think of Paul and how he adapted his life around the lives of the people he was ministering to. He said that he wanted to become all things to all people. Meaning he would do whatever it took to bring people to Christ.

A good application for the church in Honduras along with our churches in North America is to change things up from time to time. Continue to evaluate what is working and what is not. Throw tradition to the curb if the lost are not being rescued. Do what you can to reach your community even if is against the flow of what "church people" want. Think. Follow Jesus in reaching people.

The best day of ministry happened tonight!

Tonight was one of the best days of my life in ministry. I met two girls who knew that they needed God and did not deserve Him. I have shared the gospel hundreds of times and have seen thousands of students come to know Jesus, but something seemed different tonight.

As they were dressed in black and had their chains wrapped around their scarred marked wrist, the girls listened to the last message of a five day conference at our church. The message was entitled, "Engaged in Relationships". I spoke on 1. Our relationship with Christ, but primarily focused on 2. Our relationship with friends.

In our small groups at the end of the night, the girls shared how they felt "unwanted" and "worthless". One shared how she was raped and molested and likes to cut herself to feel something and to escape the reality of the world. The other agreed with cutting as she shared her parents referred to her as a mistake. They both said that they were a bad influence on their friends and wanted to be better.

These are the kids that I want in my youth group. They are real. These are the kids any youth pastor should want. Although they were not ready to trust Christ, I believe God is doing something in their hearts. I pray that He draws them to Himself soon.

Back from speaking at camp.

I had a blast speaking at a Middle School camp for Dallas Bay in Panama City Beach. It was fun speaking into their lives every morning and evening. I was also able to hang out with them and play games throughout the day. Overall 9 students trusted Christ. Praise God for His salvation that He sends to us. Two parents on the trip said that they left changed as well.

May we never forget the truth of God's Word and how it changes lives forever!

Great day... free laptop.

I have always seen people running around with their bags with their laptops in them. I always thought the idea of carrying a computer around with you was a good idea, but could not come up with $1,000+/-. Well today all of that has changed. My mom called me out of nowhere and asked if I wanted a laptop. A brand new one at that. Obviously I said yes. Praise God! New, free laptop.

New baby and new Deck

Some new stuff happening around my house. We have family staying for a week, a new baby girl and a new porch. My family started building us a back deck when we went to the hospital. I got to join in and put a days work in today and a little last night. God has totally blessed us with family and friends.

I just finished eating some chicken casserole, green beans and some freaking awesome pastry stuff. I ate a twinkie looking thing probably filled with 1200 calories. It was great though. A family from our church brought dinner tonight. I love church and I love food.

Well now I am daddy squared. That's right a daddy of 2 girls. I love it. Kylie says, "Hey baby" a lot and is saying "Abigale" a lot, but sometimes it sounds like "Abidale". I will give her a break, she's not even one and a half yet.

Salvation is here!

Ian put faith and trust in Christ tonight. As I continue in my role as a Student Pastor, God is doing some cool stuff. Ian is a street kid. He comes with his neighbors, when he comes to church. That was exactly where I was in my life. I hate to say it, but it has been awhile since I have lead someone to Christ. It feels amazing to be used by God. God was amazing tonight, as he came in the youth room and redeemed Ian. Praise God!

The Body of Christ isn't dead!

I am excited because I have huge decisions to make in life and I do have the body of Christ to back me up! I am praying and thinking through church planting. I really think that is what I have been called to do. So I guess I need to just step out on faith and say ok God lets roll. Along this journey I have had mentors (Hung and Wayne) to turn to. I also have brothers around my age encourage me. My partner in crime Charlie has been a huge help and encouragement. JR and Paul, other church planters, are helping and encouraging me on my way. Thank you God that your body is not dead. It is alive and active! I pray that people from cities all over would be awakened to the power of God and what He wants to do in our lives and that the body of Christ would come together to change a dying and hurting world.