New Original Song

This weekend we decided to try something different. We are singing a new song that ties directly into the teaching, all about new life in Jesus, and we wanted to let you hear the song EARLY so that you'll know it when we sing it together!

So check out this video for a sneak peek of a BRAND new original song!

God is Here

V1:

There’s a love… That covers all

Our sinfulness… And shameful hearts

Oh rejoice, my soul rejoice, The Savior’s come

V2:

Your holiness… Is like the dawn

Casting light… On hopeless hearts

Oh rejoice, my soul rejoice, The day has come

Pre:

The old is gone... The new has come

Ch:

In the name of Jesus there is life and freedom

When creation starts again, the old is gone, our God is here

V3:

For the glory of Your name, You took our cross, You bore our shame

Oh rejoice, our hearts rejoice, Your love is true

Br:

The old is gone, the new has come, Lord You have come

Nothing to lose, nothing to fear, our God is here

WinterCamp Thank You's!

Just wanted do a quick post celebrating what God did at WinterCampTwenty12, and the people He used to make it happen!  Major kudos to ALL the volunteers who gave up time, and energy to make this incredible event possible.

We had nearly 100 ppl take over Black Mountain for a few days.  And when I say take over, I mean TAKE OVER!

Special thanks to Kevin Kennedy and Samuel Donahue who literally pulled off an incredible weekend at the Blakeney Campus all while leading an entire crew of band members, setup team, and tech crew for WinterCampTwenty12.  These guys absolutely freed me up to prepare to teach all 4 sessions and connect with our kids and small group leaders.  THEY MADE THIS THING HAPPEN!  The sessions ROCKED.  They were a ton of fun with some insane games.  Special thanks to Kirsten Kennedy for making things very engaging.  The staff at Blue Ridge literally said "we've never seen a production like this here before!"  

Also, special shout out to my wife, and her team of student volunteers who COMPLETELY handled all of registration, and those guys had the system down to a science. I have already heard from 2 different parents that said they really appreciated the organization when they dropped their kids off, made them feel much more secure.

We had Ron Alexander over all of transportation and had literally NO issues!  Thanks man.  Kay Pearn and a couple others completely took care of all the food for the ENTIRE weekend.  She did a great job and the meal times went great.

Because so many volunteers were willing to go, we were able to have a 5 to 1 student to leader ratio which was perfect.  Could not have been better.  

We did a lot more this year than before as well.  We not only had incredible sessions, but we also had a campfire and prayer time by the lake on the last night, plus we took the entire group to Linville Caverns!

Finally, and most important.  We had 9 students come forward and make decisions for Christ for the very first time, we had 39 students recommit their lives to the Lord, and we even had 1 girl who absolutely was not leaving until she was baptized.  No negotiations :)  I'm a pastor, so obviously, I wasnt going to try and talk her out of it.  So, in 36 degree pond water, we had a first time camp baptism on the final morning.  She was crying, I was freezing, and God was glorified.

Other than the kids spending all their money on junk food and monster energy drinks and having little to none left for the ride back for a meal, the camp was a complete success.   

Lives were forever changed for three reasons...

1.)  God showed up and did His thing!

2.)  Volunteers like these invested their time and energy into the work God was doing.

3.)  Faithful people of NLC give generously on a regular basis to ensure camps like these are possible and affordable for every student who wants to go!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Video Blog Post From Pastor Todd

Song Story: Set Me Free

This weekend, we'll be playing one of the songs from our Next Level Worship CD. We showed this video the night of the release concert, but for those who missed it, here is the story behind the song "Set Me Free". Enjoy!

Set Lists For This Weekend (Sneak Peek!)

So we thought it would be cool to give you guys a sneak peek at what's coming this weekend at both campuses. Sometimes our set lists are identical, sometimes they differ a good deal, but no matter what campus you are at, I think the music is gonna rock this weekend!

Blakeney:

Let God Arise (Chris Tomlin)

Alive in Us (Hillsong)

God is Able (Hillsong)

No One Higher/The Stand (Steve Fee)

Waiting On The World To Change (John Mayer)

Matthews:

You Are Good (Next Level Worship)

The First and The Last (Hillsong)

Marvelous Light (Charlie Hall)

The Lost Are Found (Hillsong)

Waiting On The World To Change (John Mayer)

This weekend is all about having a new impact. We are doing the John Mayer song to prove an interesting point: that many of us can be lulled into complacency, not worrying about trying to make an impact on the world around us and simply hoping and waiting for things to change on their own.

But God isn't content to let us sit back and wait on the world to change. He wants to use us to change the world around us, and we hope you can figure out where you fit into it all this weekend.

Enjoy the music!

Worth the Risk?

It's WAY too risky...isn't it?  Sharing our faith.  Actually opening up about the love Jesus shows us...with a friend, family member, coworker, or neighbor...Sharing that could mess things up way too much...right?  

Or even inviting someone you know to come to church with you, to HEAR the life-changing message of Jesus from a pastor, a professional religious person.  Is it really worth the risk, or the ramifications that could possibly ensue, to bring up your faith to those in your sphere of influence?  

At the end of the day...GOD LOVES US, AND IT'S UP TO US TO TELL OTHERS THAT GOD LOVES THEM.  But at what cost?  Is sharing that message really worth the price.

Well let's take a second and look at the reasons why so many of us don't...why we feel it's too risky  Then maybe we can figure out if it's truly worth it...or not.

REASON #1:  WHAT WILL THEY THINK ABOUT ME IF I BRING IT UP?

Ok sure, this is a valid concern.  Who doesn't care about others opinions of themselves.  NOBODY!  Everyone wants to be thought highly of and nobody wants to be labeled negatively for any reason.  But let's think ahead for a moment.  What if one day, down the road, the person that God has placed in your life now discovers the truth of God's love.  What if one day, they come to realize that through Jesus, God gives us the life we were always meant to have.  And then one day, they think back on your relationship, and realize, you knew.  You knew the whole time, and you never told them.  You never gave them the chance.  You never went out on a limb on their behalf...

See, the real question is not what they will think about you if you do bring it up.  The real question is what will they think about you...if you don't.

REASON #2:  I DON'T KNOW THEM ALL THAT WELL. 

It's tough to bring up things of a serious nature with those you are nothing more than an acquaintance with.  Maybe it's that co-worker you see in the break room, or maybe the neighbor, you wave to while walking your dog.  Talking about "faith" with someone like this just seems a little awkward, doesn't it?

But let's consider this.  If we have accepted what Jesus did on the cross on our behalf, we are granted a life in an eternal relationship with God.  But we also know that those who don't, will be eternally separated from Him. What could be more terrible...

Now think about it, if you were standing on a street corner, and a stranger unknowingly starts to step out in front of a bus, would you honestly say "well, I would say something, but I don't know them all that well so..."  NO!  It doesn't matter how well you know a person, when they are headed down a road of destruction, you have a moral obligation to say or do something!

Now don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not advocating preaching the entirety of orthodoxy to someone you barely know, but as Christ followers, no one is too obscure to throw a simple invite their way.  NOBODY.

REASON #3:  IT MIGHT RUIN OUR FRIENDSHIP.

Some people get very concerned, especially when things are good, that bringing up a topic like faith might take a negative toll on a friendship.

But here's a life lesson on friendship to keep in mind:  A SELFISH friend is concerned about the well being of the friendship, a TRUE friend is concerned about the well being of the friend.  

Nothing could be better for your friend than for them to find the hope, and peace that knowing Christ can bring.  And honestly, if you care more about the friendship than you do about what's best for them, it it really a friendship worth having?

REASON #4:  BUT THEY ARE OF A DIFFERENT FAITH, SO THEY MAY NOT BE THE BEST CANDIDATE.

In western culture, we've become far too concerned with offenses regarding faith.  Look, here's something we have to keep in mind.  EVERYBODY who becomes a follower of Christ comes from a DIFFERENT faith, even if it's a faith in a non-faith, like science.  

Even the 12 guys who hung out with Jesus personally, and started THE CHURCH were from a different faith.  People who are of different faiths are the BEST candidates for the truth of the Gospel.  I mean, before I became a Christ-follower, I was a Baptist! (that was a joke...funny only for a small few I know.)

REASON #5:  I MIGHT GET REJECTED, AND I DON'T DEAL WITH THAT WELL.

This is understandable.  But we must keep things in perspective.  Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, the only perfect man to have ever lived...was rejected.  Rejected by his friends, his religious leaders, his family, even his own heavenly father...for OUR sake, so that we might have the life we were always meant to have. If Jesus himself was willing to be rejected on our behalf, surely we could be willing to face rejection, on behalf of those we know and love. 

So...it it really worth the risk?  Well, yeah, I guess it is.  I guess there's really nothing else on the planet more worth our risk, than furthering the Gospel of Jesus Christ, by sharing it with those God has brought closest to us.  

Is it risky?  YES.  Could we lose friends?  YES?  Could we get labeled?  YES?  It is worth it?  ABSOLUTELY YES...

God Is For God

There is a great church in our city called Elevation Church. They are our "partners in crime" in both Matthews and Blakeney and we are thrilled to see the impact they are having in our city.

We pray for them regularly and especially in this stretch of days as they are hosting an eleven night series of meetings featuring some amazing speakers.

Several nights ago, they hosted a pastor from Dallas named Matt Chandler. He preached a message that was nothing less than stellar, and you can (and should) watch it here.

His point was simple: God's goal in everything he does is for his glory, his fame, his renown.

It's not about us.

Which means it's not about me as an individual - my happiness (which is fleeting and dependent on circumstances), my wants, my desires, my car, my wardrobe, my preferences, my influence, even my needs.

Which means it's not about us as a church - our reputation, our resources, our size, our Pastor.

It's about God - knowing him, making him known, seeing HIS reputation enhanced and honored.

The only one who ultimately deserves honor is Him.

Take my eyes off that and my life becomes frivolous.

Take our eyes off that and church becomes a production.

Keep our eyes on that and we get the thing greater than happiness - joy.