Sunday Snapshot

Week 2 of the SUmmer Concert Series brought guest speaker Bishop Dale Bronner.

He preached on Acts 1:4

Revolution leads to revelations

God creates the PLACE before the PERSON.

WHen you're in the right place, you'll bloom where planted

Power to the people-you can't export what isn't homegrown. YOur JErusalem is the place where you are

ONE word from God can change your life forever.

Judge your day by the seeds you sow not the harvest that you reap.

Faith is seeking as God sees.

Heard-->Saw-->Felt-->Did

The real ear is in the heart because God speaks to your heart

You don't get what you want, you get what you prepare for

Road map to heaven: turn right and keep straight

Sunday Snapshot

It's summertime! And with the blazing hot temperatures and afternoons spent at the pool comes the Summer Concert Series at Elevation! I'm pumped for the month of June!

This weekend Pastor Steven preached from a boat onstage. It was pretty awesome! His sermon was based on Acts 27:9-44.

Gods way is always the wise way even when it seems foolish to some people

Acts 27:23-The ship might go down but God is able to preserve you! Every person matters and we are all His

Jonah 1

boat =family, work,, relationships, church

Is the boat you're on better off because you're on board?

If you're a believer in Jesus every boat you're on is better off because God is in you and you have a purpose!

Bring life to the boat not death.

Make the boat God put you in better! When you make the boat better, look to the Lord

Some people are life savers

Some people are boat sinkers

Sunday Snapshot

This weekend was the final weekend for the Mr. and Mrs. Betterhalf Series.

While it's sad when awesome sermon series come to an end, it really just means the best is yet to come! This weekend we were privileged to hear from Pastor Craig Groeschel. He delivered a sermon titled "Once Upon A Marriage" and was about Hosea and Gomer

Hosea 2:5

What I'm missing is better than what I have.

80 vs 20

don't give up on 80 for 20.

80 is what you have and 20 is what you want. as in, 80 is your family and what you have and 20 is what's out there

Righteous Anger Hosea 2:9-10

Unfailing Love Hosea 2:14-15 Achor=trouble

Forgive and love as you've been forgiven and loved

Sunday Snapshot

Week 4 of Mr. & Mrs. Betterhalf - "Wrong Well"

John 4:1-26

Jesus moves from religious rhetoric towards the needs of hurting people

1. When you're small people ignore you
2. When you're growing people criticize you
3. When you're big people resent you

The people you want to avoid are the people you need to touch. Jesus did and would.

3 Wrong Wells
1. Well, I'm not worthy
2. Well, it's too hard
3. Well, not now

Use pain to platform good

Holiness is not what God wants from us, it's what he wants for us!

Sunday Snapshot

Week 3 of Mr. and Mrs. Betterhalf was about "The Right One".

Finding them and being them.

Based on Genesis 24:1-67 (yes, Pastor Steven read all 67 verses :)) it was awesome!

Preach biblical principles not personal experiences.

-so true! the Bible is the guidebook for life. forget what the media says/what you did/what everyone else is doing, just listen to God.

hard times are not worth mentioning on the great journey. the hard times are a comparison to how good God is.

Pray first, position second.

Come to the well! You can't find the right person in the wrong place.

-you're not going to find the love of your life at a bar if you don't want to drink. essentially, pray and position. don't go out and get crazy looking for the one, seek them in areas where you already excel and feel comfortable.

Walk by faith, not sight (also a great song by Jeremy Camp)

Happiness isn't finding, it's being

God has promised me

Sunday Snapshots

Week 2 of Mr. and Mrs. Betterhalf

happens to not only be Mother's Day Weekend but Holly Furtick, Pastor Steven's wife, delivered a great sermon!

Based on Philippians 2:1-13, Proverbs 15:33 and Proverbs 19:11, Holly was on fire! I just love how I attend a church that is so awesome from the top down. It's great to hear about every ones trials and tribulations and walk in and hear an awesome band put together an amazing worship set list and listen to a sermon by the pastor's wife.

Anyway, Holly hit the nail on the head with "anything worth having is work". How true is that! If you want to be successful, you can't just stay on the couch all day watching tv...you have to work to fix things/make them better.

humility is seeing the situation from the other persons perspective

you have to be able to understand both sides in order to achieve the end result.

humility is speaking to the heart, not the actions

marriage (or relationships) isn't 50/50, it's 100/100

this may be my favorite point. a partnership isn't splitting the chores down the middle, it's being equal and helping each other along the way. it's being accountable for the entire being, not just what's on your individual to do list.

You be Jesus and left God be God

Sunday Snapshots

This weekend started a new sermon series titled

"Mr. and Mrs. Betterhalf"

it's all about relationships and I am SO excited to hear what Pastor Steven has to preach these next 5 weeks! I'm also excited because this was the first Elevation Experience for my Mom as she came to visit and didn't leave until early this morning so she was able to attend last nights service!

Just for the purpose of documentation, Prince William & Kate displayed a lovely Royal Wedding on Friday, April 29, 2011 and this new sermon series began Saturday, April 30.

Keeping with the times, the sermon was aptly titled The Royal Marriage.

Based on 1 Samuel 25:1b-42 and a lovely quote of "you are surely and mean in your dealings" as well as a bit of a preview into Proverbs 18:21, I could already tell that this sermon series is going to be epic! Pastor Steven did a great job of informing everyone that we are not going to have a royal wedding, but we can have a royal marriage.

Eat the salmon!

basically, this boils down to the fact that so many people in a relationship think that engagement/marriage is the next step. everyone wants the wedding (the planning & preparation, the dress, the reception, the cake) but not many really think about the marriage itself. it's like a great salmon dish at a restaurant, you love all of the side items and garnish but if you don't like salmon, you're not going to be ordering the dish.

Where life is spoken, humility must be present

The tongue has the power of life of death, speak life.

i think this is true for many occasions. words can be hurtful, so always speak life into your significant other, into your career, into your family.

Don't wait for the prince, crown the king!

this was a great one too! don't wait for the dashing prince charming and his white horse to find you, crown the king that's inside your significant other. speak life into them and they will be king!

What you fail to celebrate will eventually leave your life.

Sunday Snapshot

Our God is so good.

Everything happens for a reason and this weekend was the perfect example of that! Let me give you a little bit of my weekend before I dive into my notes for the final sermon in the

Grapes & Giants series.

Saturday night, I did not attend service, I filled in for a greeter that was out of town and distributed Easter tickets, so I did not get the full sermon experience.

This morning, I assisted with First Experience and had to go to work after that so I missed both the 9:30 & 11:15 services.

Tonight, I was supposed to lead a greeter team, but some things happened and I ended up experiencing one of the worst days of my life, received devastating news and walked through the doors a crying, sobbing, snotty mess. I was quite the site for eyes to see :) After explaining everything to one of the Associate Campus Pastors, I decided I would help where I could and then go into service. BEST DECISION EVER!

Y'all, I LOVE my church but man oh man. Everything happens for a reason! I missed Saturday night and this morning because God knew i needed to her Pastor Steven's sermon at 6:00 Sunday night. He knew i needed to watch those baptisms and cry my eyes out while watching/singing and cry through that sermon. I've said it before that "this sermon is my favorite" or "that sermon hit the nail on the head" but nothing compares to tonight's experience!

So, Grapes & Giants, week 4 of 4!

Deuteronomy 7:12-24 and Ephesians 6:10-20 were the verses the sermon was based off of and they are AWESOME!

The Promise of God's Protection

Get Dressed! Put on the full armor of God!

God made provisions for your protection

You can't defeat your enemy if you don't discern your enemy.

Thieves don't break into empty houses

The enemy wants me because there's something awesome there that he wants. (hello!)

STAND YOUR GROUND. When all else fails, just STAND! (side note, I LOVE the Superchic(k) song about stand your ground)

Guardian angel-can't protect you if you're not entering the fire. Live your life so your guardian angel slaps you and says "Do you have any idea what you put me through?" :)

God can only give you strength for your struggle, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood.

He gives strength for those willing to struggle

I'm not STRUGGLING, I'm getting STRONGER!

The enemy hates me but God will protect me, I'm his investment.

Never underestimate what a father will do to get back to His child.

Sunday Snapshot

Today was the 3rd week of 4 for the Grapes and Giants Sermon Series. We had Pastor James Macdonald as the guest speaker. The cool thing is, he delivered 3 different sermons for each service. That's awesome! Though I do feel sad that I missed out on 2 sermons but they are available online so I'll take it! Instead of preaching from Ephesians, the sermon I attended was based on James 1:1-8 and "Why Trials?" Consider your trials joy-joy is a supernatural power What happened to me? Why am I here on Earth? How can this advance that purpose? Do you believe that God is in control? Do you believe that God is good? Will you wait by faith until you see it? hupo-mene=under remain when the pressures on, remain under complain-bail-criticise-fold the longer you remain under the harder it gets

even the donkey knows the palm and blankets he's carrying aren't for him

Sunday Snapshot

Have I mentioned how much I am LOVING the Grapes and Giants Sermon Series????

Purpose: The Prequel to Power

Ephesians 1:3-14

God has made the promise and given the blessing but I must take possession. 1. Before God made the world He made a plan for me. Ephesians 1:4 It's not fake, it's fixed. The outcome is decided and we won! 2. Before God called me to do something special He chose me to be something special. Ephesians 1:4 Ephesians 1:5 We obsess over direction but neglect character. When you know who you are, you will know what to do. 3. Before I can find my purpose I must lose myself in Gods passion. Ephesians 1:6 Ephesians 1:12 4. Before it all fell apart God has a plan to put ot back together Ephesians 1:7-10 5. Before I chose to live for God He chose to live in me. Ephesians 1:11 6. Before God can give you the land as your possession you've got to give Him your LIFE as His possession. Ephesians 1:14

You have every spiritual blessing if you believe!

Sunday Snapshot

Today's sermon was the first in the "Grapes & Giants" series.

Today was by far, one of my absolute favorite worship experiences. Between the music and the sermon it was just awesome! Grapes and Giants is A Walk through of Ephesians and I just love it! Numbers 13:17-33 was compared Ephesians 1:17-

Thoughts to Ponder:

It is possible for God to have all the power but for his people to live in total weakness.

Don't fear the giants more than you fear the grapes.

Most of us visit the land and look around, but we never occupy the land and take possession.

Your strength in life isn't determined by your ability, it's determined by Gods authority.

Saying:

Powerful device being used far beneath it's potential.

Don't be a powerful force that doesn't perform to it's potential. Claim it, bring it, change it! Make a difference and use the good that you have to help others.

Sunday Snapshot

Today's sermon was the first in the "The Resistance" sermon series. It has excerpts from 1 Peter 5:8-9 Thoughts to ponder: In Christ, the Resistance is ultimately defeated. There are three things that tempt us: the world, the flesh and the devil. Engaged, don't isolate. Stand firm, don't fear. Don't let your desires derail your destiny. Instead subject your flesh to the Spirit. You need to prune that sucker before you starve out your potential. The Devil wants to undermine your faith. The Devil is a spoiler. Thoughts: We're so protected we can't navigate the dark. We can't hide from the world when God calls us to change it.

Sunday Snapshot

Honorology Today's sermon was the final for the 2 part sermon series about HONOR. It's important to remember that *The devil is in the details of dishonor *Honor is a language AND a lifestyle Honor Elevates! *True honor is never mechanical or manipulative *We don't have to wait until someone is dead to honor them I have a confession. I greeted people Saturday and Sunday night and missed the Sunday morning services due to Small Group so when I was done greeting Sunday night I sat in the hallway and half listened. I didn't get the full experience but I'm pumped that I can watch the service online or on tv. Hope everyone has a great week!

Sunday Snapshot

Today's sermon was a two part sermon titled "Honorology".

Part 1 was today, Part 2, next week.

It was based off of honor and Malachi 1:6-

Honor- to value, worth, weight
Dishonor-to treat something as common or ordinary.

Honor elevates. Dishonor decimates.

Where is the Honor?
Ephesians 6:1-4
1 Peter 3:7
1 Timothy 6:1
Romans 12:12

3 Truths about Honor
1. The level of honor you give is determined by the amount of value you perceive.
When you honor, you protect, praise and prioritize

2. The level of value you receive is determined by the amount of honor you give
Matthew 13:53-58

3. Honor is about what you decide, not what they deserve
Romans 5:7-8 1 Samuel 2:30

Speaking of Honor, I enjoy posting Sunday Snapshots because it keeps me accountable and I find it to be a great recap of each weeks sermons and offer reflection. However, I know I do NOT do Pastor Steven's sermons justice with my brief recap. There's just something about being there and sensing the energy and excitement. It's kind of like regardless of where you sit, it feels like a major sporting event every time I sit down but the cool thing is, my team always wins because God always wins! :) I a beyond blessed to have found this church!

Sunday Snapshot

Pastor Perry Noble was in town and that man is something else!

His sermon was based off of Acts 26 and he spoke of vision.

Vision:
1. Vision begins with an accurate view of Jesus
"Who are you Lord?" ->the bigger our vision, the more we ask this question. When we understand who He is, the better we are. It's better to ask Jesus than to tell Jesus.

2. Vision calls us to action
When the alarm goes off--take action! Acts 26:16 If you're not doing something, somethings not getting done.

3. Vision will impact me personally
What would you be willing to attempt for God if you knew you wouldn't fail? If you push through the pain, you'll see unbelievable gain.

4. Vision will lead to the supernatural
God puts his super on your natural

Never give up on the God that hasn't given up on you!

Red Carpet!

I'm feeling very behind with life and the blog world these days! What can I say....we have 24 hours in a day but sometimes I think we need more. Or maybe we just need shorter work days, or we don't need phones and computers for awhile and life would be a little easier? Laid back? Relaxed? A lot of people say we have the same amount of hours in a day as Einstein but really, he didn't have e-mail or voicemail or other social media outlets that require updating.

I didn't do a Sunday Snapshot this week because not only did I have time, but it was a special week....there wasn't a sermon, but there was the viewing of the documentary featuring the first/past 5 years of the church, from the beginning, behind the scenes, raw footage, present day and a glimpse into the future.

Instead of a Sunday Snapshot, I want to recount the Red Carpet Movie Premiere Weekend because it was AWESOME! I felt like such a celebrity (which is funny because I was on a local news channel Fri night but that's another story!)

Last Friday, the church had a Red Carpet Movie Premiere and it was AWESOME! I felt like such a celebrity! I'm talking red carpet, photo backdrop, those "danger" poles with red ropes, Hollywood Stars on the floor and an Ice Sculpture.

The 5 year This Is How We Change The World documentary was equally amazing and made me so proud to have found an incredible church and it made me realize how blessed I am.

The man with the BEST Vision!

Stop...collaborate and listen! Ice is back.... :)

Hollywood Stars!

My Small Group friend Nichole

Overall, it was a pretty cool weekend! Hope everyone had a great week!

Sunday Snapshot

Today's sermon was the first in the

"THIS IS HOW WE CHANGE THE WORLD"

series.

Thoughts to Ponder:

**Can I just say this was quite possibly my FAVORITE sermon and hit on every aspect of my week.
God is good!***

The 5 Mistakes I Seem To Make Over And Over Again

1. Worrying about a battle that God has already won
He wins every time! Beat the odds, God's always right on time you just have to trust Him. When you seek God in your battles, know that He's got this one just like the last one. God always wins!

2. Thinking that when people left it meant that I had lost
It's like you failed. Everybody isn't meant to stay in our life forever. Your destiny isn't determined by anyone who leaves your life.

3. Waiting for the destination instead of celebrating the journey
Enjoy the journey. The destination is a mirages and you will never arrive. Don't wait-celebrate that it's getting better.

4. Letting swagger jackers steal my joy
Do what God called, listen to those that love you, ignore the mean people!

5. Thinking that I have to fully understand in order to completely obey
Just go...make the turn before you know what's ahead. God blesses obedience. If God leads, follow!

You are the core team. Now have an impact for Jesus!

Embrace your place and embrace Gods plan for your life.

Sunday Snapshot

Today's sermon was the final in the "GET BACK" series.

Thoughts to Ponder:
High class problems means momentum is flowing
*a high class problem would be....your tv in your bedroom won't turn on so you have to watch tv in the living room. 2 tvs...that's a high class problem.

It's not the events, but the everyday routine that makes us lose momentum.

You can lose your passion but you can't lose your first love.

God specializes in recovering what is lost.

Get in formation!!!! Ducks fly together...yea, I went Mighty Ducks with this one!
Don't be a gaggle, be a skein. Meaning, don't just hang around on the ground doing nothing....fly high! Make a difference!

Song to listen to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlA5IDnpGhc

Hope everyone has had a GREAT weekend!

Sunday Snapshot 3

Today's sermon was the third in the "GET BACK" series.

Thoughts to Ponder:
1. Go to God
-as long as you know where to go when in trouble, you're not far from help
2.Face your situation
-before God can give you a miracle, you must follow his instruction
3.Check your perspective
-all God needs is all you have. Even if you're poor, your Father is extremely rich!
4. Demonstrate your faith
-get some jars. God's not short on oil
5. Make your plan
-build a special room for God t move in your life

Phrases to enjoy:
I am an empty jar.

Get some jars!

Song to listen to:

sorry, I couldn't find a clip for my favorite song

So there it is. My third Sunday Snapshot. Completely random, but informative.
***Also, I posted last week but I dated it for 1/16***

Hope everyone has had a GREAT weekend!

Sunday Snapshot 2

Today's sermon was the second in the "GET BACK" series.

Thoughts to Ponder:
1. Sometimes you live in the midst of it and don't see it
-too often we have exactly what we are praying for, but we're too busy with our routine that we miss out on the new things
2. We can't all play the same part
-embrace your place! the arm is nothing without the hand which is nothing without fingers. We are all different but we can all work together for the greater good
3. The grass is greener where you water it
-don't run away from something, embrace it and change or adapt

Phrases to enjoy:
You have to go where you don't want to be to be where God wants you to be.

When you leave the place, your don't give God the change to work in you, for you.

Song to listen to:
http://www.elevation-worship.com/album/the-lord-is-my-rock/
So there it is. My second Sunday Snapshot. Completely random, but informative.

Hope everyone has had a GREAT weekend!