A Successful Life

We are wrapping up our two week series on Sunday! My prayer is that you will have a blessed and successful 2010! 2010 is going to be awesome for you in Jesus’ name!

The Beatles’ Song Happy Christmas At People's Church

Our Worship Team performed The Beatles’ song Happy Christmas on December 20! They did a great job! Revolution Christmas was a powerful series in our church! 535 adults and kids gave their lives to Christ during the Revolution Christmas series!

Happy Christmas from People's Church on Vimeo.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra And Light Show

On December 20, our Worship and Production Teams gave us an unforgettable experience with this performance! I was blown away! Jesus is the light of the world!

Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Christmas/Sarajevo" from People's Church on Vimeo.

Steve Harvey Introducing Jesus

Weekend Highlights

1. Another superb Sunday at People's Church!

2. Taking Communion as a church family was awesome! Jesus paid the price for our sins! Amazing!

3. The Christmas songs were great! The Worship Team helped to create a powerful worship experience!

4. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra music was simply stunning! Our band tore it up!

5. The light show was unreal! I mean unreal!!

6. Sharing the Christmas story with our church with music in the background was fun!

7. The Beatles song Happy Christmas was an unbelievable touch from our band to set up the altar response time.

8. Seeing 101 adults make a decision to follow Christ brought tears to my eyes! Amazing grace, how sweet the sound!

9. Yesterday, my wife and I celebrated 12 years of marriage! I love her so much! God picked the perfect woman for me! Tiffany, I love you more than words can express! You make me complete! I thank God for you!

10. We are beginning a new series on Sunday that is going to be awesome! Success 2010! Don't you miss this Sunday! Come learn how to have a successful 2010!

11. My Dallas Cowboys won and are still in the playoff hunt! Tony Romo looks good in December!

12. I'm taking the rest of the week off from blogging! Have a Merry Christmas! Remember Jesus is the reason for the season!

Thursday's Download

1. Revolution Christmas this Sunday! This is the last Sunday, and we saved the best for last! Don't you dare miss all of the special elements this Sunday! You will be blown away!

2. Invite your friends and family who don't have a church home this Sunday. Many people are open to going to church during the Christmas season, so start inviting today.

3. One great way to invite somebody to church is by going to www.peopleschurch.tv and sending an email invite. Click on invite, write your friends a personal note, enter their email addresses and then send them the Revolution e-vite card!

4. I'm pumped up about our two week mini-series starting December 27. I've called it Success 2010! You are going to learn some great insight on how to have a successful 2010! You don't want to miss out on this insightful, helpful and encouraging series! Success is going to be yours in 2010!

5. Beginning January 10, we are kicking off an exciting series called The Game Of Life! I'm super excited about this series! You are going to learn how to win in the crucial areas of your life in 2010: spiritual life, relational life, physical life and work life! This is going to be a great series!

6. We have our staff Christmas party tomorrow night. I'm looking forward to hanging out with my team and having a blast.

7. We have our board dinner tonight. I'm looking forward to hanging out with my board tonight.

8. I am so blessed with a great staff and a great board! Thank you, Jesus!

9. Because my team has worked so hard this year and God has blessed our church in such an incredible way, I've decided to close the office during Christmas week from Tuesday thru Friday. I'm glad I can honor my team in this way this year and allow them to get some rest and spend extra quality time with their families before they hit the new year sprinting!

10. I'm out of the playoff race in two leagues! I have four leagues left to bring home at least one Fantasy Football championship! Come on teams!

11. Revolution Christmas wraps up this Sunday! I can't wait for Sunday!

More Revolution Christmas

We have never had a choir at People's Church, so you have to check out our first ever special Christmas choir. They did a superb job. Also, there is a clip of our Worship Team performing The Beatles song Revolution before I taught a message titled Revolution. Revolution Christmas wraps up this week! You better be there!

Joy to the World from People's Church on Vimeo.

Revolution from People's Church on Vimeo.

Entire Video Of The Nutcracker

Our band tore it up with a Nutcracker performance two weeks in a row, but you haven't seen anything yet! This Sunday, December 20, will be the best yet! We have some awesome stuff planned. Be there at least 20 minutes early for the special musical surprise in the auditorium!

Nutcracker Drumline from People's Church on Vimeo.

Weekend Highlights

1. Wow, another super, great Sunday at PC!

2. The special Christmas choir was awesome! Way to go, PC! Thanks to Andre for directing our first ever special Christmas choir.

3. The Nutcracker drum performance was amazing again! Way to go, musicians. You guys are fabulous!

4. Brian Rush, our Programming Director, and the Worship Team tore up The Beatles song Revolution. This song was a perfect introduction to my message titled Revolution. Jesus came to earth and started a revolution!

5. The videos during the Nutcracker performance and Beatles song were great!

6. I'm very proud of our Media, Worship, Programming and Creative Teams! What they've done during this series has been top shelf!

7. We had three Beatles Rock Band games set up in the lobby! One of them was projected on a huge wall. People loved this. It went with our Beatles Revolution theme.

8. Our facilities guy, Terry, fell off the stage in between the 2nd and 3rd services while he was cleaning. The ambulance came and got him. I have great news to report. Terry is doing fine. There are no broken bones or fractures. Thank you, God!

9. We saved the best for the last Sunday! Don't you dare miss this next Sunday at PC as we wrap up Revolution Christmas! It is going to be phenomenal! Be sure to show up 15 to 20 minutes early for a special musical surprise!

10. We had a really fun family day on Friday. We went downtown to the Bass Pro Shop. They had a special Christmas play area set up for kids. The kids loved it! Santa Claus also showed up at Bass Pro Shop, and the kids got to take pictures with Santa. Afterwards, we went to eat at Zio's. I really had a blast with my family.

11. My wife made chili on Saturday. Yummy!

12. Thank you, PC, for volunteering every week and making such a difference in people's lives.

13. PC, I am so proud of you! We are giving over $56,000 to make a great impact in our city and nation during this holiday season. We are partnering with our local City Rescue Mission to feed 600 homeless/needy families. We are partnering with Britton Elementary School and Hope Crossing Habitat for Humanity homes to provide Christmas gifts and a Christmas meal for 23 families. We are also providing all 450 kids at Britton Elementary School with socks, stocking hats and t-shirts for Christmas. We are giving a car away to a single mom in our church. We are doing much more than this during this holiday season because of your generosity!

14. This coming up Sunday is our special Christmas offering. Join Tiffany and me, and start praying about the best gift you can give over and above your tithe this coming up Sunday. Because of our giving, more lives will be changed and impacted for Christ!

15. My Dallas Cowboys lost again in December!

16. Four of my six fantasy football teams were on a bye with the playoffs. I'm in the playoffs in one league this week, and I need Larry Fitzgerald to show up with about 20 points to win. I put up over 200 points in the other league. The playoffs in that league start next week.

17. REVOLUTION CHRISTMAS wraps up this Sunday! Don't you dare miss it! Invite everybody you know!

Videos: Revolution Christmas

Check out the short video of the UCO Orchestra performing at People's Church this past Sunday. Also, check out a very short video of our musicians performing a Nutcracker drum performance on Sunday. Be there this Sunday for an encore of the Nutcracker drum performance, the special choir that is rocking, The Beatles song Revolution, and I will be teaching a message titled Revolution! I can't wait for Sunday!

Eleanor Rigby from People's Church on Vimeo.

Nutcracker Drumline Sneak Peek from People's Church on Vimeo.

Revolution Christmas

Below are some pictures of this past Sunday's experiences. One is during worship, one is the Nutcracker performance, and one is before church started of the orchestra performing Christmas music. If you missed Sunday, I have good news for you. We are having an encore performance of the Nutcracker drum performance, plus a special Christmas choir and more! Invite everybody you know!

Weekend Highlights

1. What a fun Sunday at PC! This was one of the best Sundays ever at PC!

2. Tons of lives were changed by the power of Christ!

3. The Nutcracker drum performance was more than unbelievable. If you missed it, we are doing an encore performance this Sunday. Be at PC and invite everybody you know to come experience an amazing performance.

4. The University of Central Oklahoma's orchestra did an incredible job. Before church started, they played four Christmas songs. During the experiences, they performed The Beatles’ song Eleanor Rigby (All The Lonely People).

5. Brian Rush, our Programming Director at PC, did a super great job singing The Beatles’ song!

6. I thought the message went really well. I know God deeply ministered to many people on the subject of loneliness. I'm so grateful for the work of the Holy Spirit.

7. We handed out candy canes to everybody who showed up early to church. People got to eat candy canes and enjoy the orchestra’s Christmas music before church started.

8. We were over 1470 people more than the same Sunday last year.

9. This Sunday we have another special surprise for those who show up early to PC! Be there and enjoy the fun!

10. My wife and I went to see the movie New Moon. It was average at best. Blind Side is a much better movie.

11. I had a lot of fun with my family this weekend. My kids are so much fun. Tiffany and I enjoy those little rascals so much.

12. My kids like eggnog! Yea! Now my goal is to get them to like chitterlings!

13. Way to go Creative Team, Musicians and Production Team. It was an amazing Sunday. You people inspire me.

14. Nebraska should have beat Texas.

15. The Dallas Cowboys have to win in December at some point. The sooner the better.

16. It looks like I'm going to win in all 6 fantasy football leagues again. I won one game without a kicker because the Saints made a kicking change.

17. REVOLUTION CHRISTMAS! Invite everybody you know to church this Sunday!

Thursday's Download

1. I have a huge announcement to make! I mean it is really big! Here it goes: I won all 6 of my fantasy football league games this past week. That usually only happens once or twice a year. It is hard to win in all six leagues in the same week, so I'm proud of myself.

2. My wife isn't pregnant!

3. My wife's favorite words to say are, "Oh my word." My wife is so funny to me. She keeps me laughing.

4. Cale's favorite words to pray are, "Let us all have fun tomorrow." He usually begins his bedtime prayers with that. Love it!

5. Revolution Christmas is going to be awesome! This Sunday will be one of the best experiences ever at People's Church.

6. Be sure to get to church 15 minutes early on Sunday because we have a special surprise for you. This is the first time I've ever told you to get to church before the experience starts. Don't you miss out on the fun and excitement!

7. This Sunday, there will be a Nutcracker performance, a 12-piece orchestra will be performing a Beatle's song before I speak and there will be snow in the building! All I'm saying is you better be there!

8. PC'ers, who are you bringing to church with you this Sunday? Go for it! Ask somebody to come to church with you! Better yet, bring somebody to church with you! Jesus is in the life-changing business!

9. Still interviewing! God is helping us!

10. I love the team I get to serve with at PC!

11. My office at church is always cold. I have had bad office luck with this new building. Oh well, God is good, and they are trying to fix the problem!

12. The stage set design for Revolution Christmas is the best we've ever had!

13. The Production Team is amazing!

14. My oldest son's birthday is today! Cale is 6 years old today! I can't believe it! How time flies! Happy birthday, buddy!

15. Cale has started to really like football and basketball. I love having a sports buddy!

16. REVOLUTION CHRISTMAS BABY!

You Reap What You Sow

1. You can't sow hate and reap love

2. You can't sow judgment and reap compassion

3. You can't sow lying and reap honesty

4. You can't sow gossip and reap peace

5. You can't sow adultery and reap trust

6. You can't sow stinginess and reap blessings

7. You can't sow greed and reap generosity

8. You can't sow cruelty and reap kindness

9. You can't sow pessimism and reap optimism

10. You can't sow bitterness and reap healing

11. You can't sow pride and reap humility

12. You can't sow unforgiveness and reap forgiveness

It Only Took 30 Minutes

My wife cooked an incredible Thanksgiving meal. She made ham and tons of side dishes. She also made cheesecake, pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake. It took her around 10 hours over two days to cook the meal. After we ate Thanksgiving dinner, my wife said that it's so weird because it takes hours to cook Thanksgiving dinner and only 30 minutes to eat. We both laughed about that, but my wife's humor got me to thinking. Putting together a church service can take hours and hours of preparation every week, and only an hour to an hour and a half to actually have the service. So much goes into every Sunday service. Hours of prayer, worship practices, studying, typing the bulletin, proofing the bulletin, printing the bulletin, PowerPoint slides, stage set design, lighting, scheduling volunteers, preparing classrooms, preparing kids' curriculum and the list goes on and on. A great worship service is a lot like a great Thanksgiving meal. It takes hours of preparation.

Thanksgiving Week Highlights

1. I took last week off and had a blast with my family!

2. We went to IHOP and Jimmy's Egg in the same week. I really like breakfast!

3. Cale, my oldest son, said IHOP's pancakes are better than Jimmy's Egg's. I would have to agree, but Jimmy's Egg's biscuits and gravy and hash browns are better than IHOP.

4. My dad and his family came to our home for Thanksgiving. We had a good time eating and watching football.

5. My wife and I saw the movie Blind Side. It was a great movie. I started to cry two times. You have to go see this movie!

6. I was surprised that my Oklahoma Sooners smashed Oklahoma State. It was a long season for my Sooners, but I'm glad we got the win.

7. The Dallas Cowboys looked a lot better on Thursday, but it was just the Oakland Raiders. So I'm not that impressed.

8. My good friend, Lynn Wheeler, preached at People's Church on Sunday. Pastors, I would encourage you to have Lynn at your church. He is one of the best evangelists on the field. He is easy to work with and has a heart for God and the local church. www.lynnwheelerministries.com

9. We kicked off Revolution Christmas on Sunday. The stage set is incredible. I heard The Beatles' song All You Need Is Love was awesome.

10. Don't you dare miss this Sunday. There will be a Nutcracker drum performance, a 12-piece orchestra performance and snow, and I will be teaching a message titled All The Lonely People!

11. Start inviting everybody you know to church to experience the love of God.

12. I went to the Oklahoma City Thunder game last night with Lynn Wheeler. The Rockets killed us on the boards, and we lost the game.

13. It goes without saying, but I ate too much food this past week.

14. On Wednesday, I took my two oldest boys with me for some daddy time. We made six different stops, and they loved spending hours with their daddy, and their daddy enjoyed it more than they did!

15. On Friday, I took Caris, my little 3 year-old daughter, on a date. We went to Starbucks and then to Wal-Mart. My little princess loves going on a date with her daddy, and of course, her daddy loves it more than she does. My kids are precious!

16. I'm ready to hit the ground running. I have a lot to get accomplished this week. It's ON!

THANKFUL, Very Thankful

1. I'm so thankful that I know Christ! It's an indescribable feeling knowing that I've been forgiven of my sins! It's an awesome feeling knowing that I get to have a daily intimate relationship with the God of the universe through His Son, Jesus Christ!

2. I'm thankful for my wife. My wife is my best friend. She knows me better than anybody in the whole world. She loves me, nurtures me, encourages me and laughs with me. God knew what He was doing when He brought Tiffany into my life! She is so fun, loving, caring, tender, genuine, sexy and loves God with all of her heart. I'm so thankful for my wife!

3. I'm thankful for my kids. I love those little people so much. They bring so much joy to Tiffany and me. They are so much fun. I am thankful that God entrusted these precious gifts to Tiffany and me to raise in the fear of the Lord. Cale, Cade, Caris and Case, your daddy loves you so much. I am so thankful that I get to be your daddy!

4. I'm thankful for my friends. I have some really close friends who have been there for me. They tell me like IT IS! They love me through the good and the bad. They help me be a better follower of Christ, husband, daddy and friend. To all of my friends, I'm very thankful for your friendship.

5. I'm thankful for my mentors. I have many mentors that have invested and continue to invest in my life. Today, I want to honor and thank Craig Groeschel. Craig, thanks for investing in me when our church was really small and I lacked confidence in myself. Thanks for taking time to coach me on decisions that probably seemed small to you but were huge for me. Thanks for pushing my voice on a national level. All I can say is that you'll always be the Bishop and I'll be the Apostle :)! I'm thankful for your mentorship.

6. I'm thankful for my staff. I thank God for all you do. You work countless hours and sacrifice more than most people will ever know. You believe in this vision of connecting people to God and to others. You support me and each other in a God-honoring way. I'm very thankful for your integrity, your extreme talent, your incredible work ethic, your unwavering loyalty to the vision and team and your superb passion for Christ! Team, this has been a grueling but very rewarding year. I want each of you to know that I'm thankful for all you do!

7. I'm thankful for my People's Church family. Thank you for your passion for Christ. Thank you for volunteering hours of your time to make the dream continue to become reality. Some of you work 40 to 50 hours a week on your job and then volunteer your talents to PC 5 to 15 hours a week. THANK YOU! Thank you for tithing and giving offerings above your tithe. Because you continue to be faithful to God with your giving, we are seeing tons of lives changed by the power of Christ. Thank you for inviting your friends and family to church. Every week people give their lives to Christ because of your passion to invite those you care about to PC! Thank you for the incredible unity that we have. We are truly diversified and unified at the same time. I am very thankful to be your pastor!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Revolution Christmas

Revolution Christmas

We are kicking off one of the most exciting series ever at People's Church beginning this Sunday. You don't want to miss one week of it. There will be Beatles music, Trans-Siberian Orchestra music, a light show, a special choir, a 12-piece orchestra, a Nutcracker drum performance, snow in the building and much, much more. Check out the short promotional video for the hottest series of the year at PC!

Revolution Christmas from People's Church on Vimeo.

Weekend Highlights

1. It was another great weekend with my family.

2. We hung around the house a lot.

3. I'm a very boring person. My favorite thing to do is hang around the house with my family. Good times and lots of noise with 4 little kids.

4. My Oklahoma Sooners football and basketball teams got blown out on Saturday. What is up with my Sooners?

5. Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys don't look good at all.

6. People's Church was rockin' again on Sunday.

7. Many people gave their lives to Christ.

8. I got to meet a mom and her son in the hallway in between experiences, and her son had just given his heart to Christ! The mom and her son were very excited. The mom was almost in tears. I was very moved to see God's grace at work.

9. God did an incredible work during the Green Peace series. People are putting God first, getting out of debt, living within their means and finding financial peace. People are kicking greed, envy and the monster of more in the teeth!

10. Pay God first, pay yourself second and pay your bills third. This is a recipe for financial peace!

11. When you put God first in an area of your life, He blesses it.

12. Don't go into debt during this Christmas season. If you can't pay cash for it, don't buy it.

13. Revolution Christmas begins this Sunday. This is going to be an incredible series. Every weekend there is awesome stuff: Beatles music, a light show, a special choir, a 12-piece orchestra, a Nutcracker drum performance, snow in the building and much, much more. Get ready for some unforgettable experiences.

14. Many people are open to coming to church during the Christmas season, so get busy inviting everybody you know.

15. I'm very excited to see many people come to know Christ through the Revolution Christmas series.

16. The Green Peace Workshop is Wednesday, December 9 and December 16, at 7PM at People's Church. This workshop is absolutely free, and it will help you establish a budget, get out of debt and find financial peace.

17. I'm so excited for Thanksgiving at the Cooper house!

Thursday's Download

1. I'm very excited about what God is doing in my life.

2. I'm very excited about what God is doing in my family.

3. I'm very excited about what God is doing at PC.

4. I am learning to trust God at a greater level.

5. God has been so good to me.

6. I can't believe the way God has blessed me. Wow, I'm so humbled by his blessings.

7. I can't believe my wife loves me so much. I am so grateful for our relationship.

8. I am so blessed to work with a team who loves me, serves the vision of PC and honors me in spite of my faults. I'm humbled by the team that I get to serve with.

9. I'm hungry for God. I so want to know Him in a greater way.

10. I'm excited for the week of fasting at PC in January. It will be life-changing.

11. This Sunday, we are wrapping up our Green Peace series. I am going to share some of the best advice that I've ever received. This could change your life and destiny.

12. Get ready, get ready, get ready PC. Revolution Christmas begins next Sunday. Throughout this series we will have special Beatles music, a Nutcracker drum performance, Trans-Siberian Orchestra music, a light show, 12-piece orchestra, a choir and much, much more. The Gospel will be preached in a clear way. This is a series that you have to invite your friends, family and co-workers to. GET READY!

13. Our staff is interviewing tons of people to find the right fit at PC. It's exciting and hectic.

14. PC, I am so honored to be your pastor. It's been a great seven years, but our best days are still ahead of us!

15. See you folks on Sunday! God is going to help you get Green Peace!

Raise The Bar High

1. Expect people to perform at a high level

2. Stretch people to be all they can be

3. Pull out of people what they never thought was in them

4. Tell people they are awesome and can do great things

5. Help people discover the greatness that's inside of them

6. Don't let people settle for second best

7. Expect people to win and win big

8. Don't let people make excuses

9. Create a culture of excellence and not of meritocracy

10. Help people to work harder than they've ever worked before and love it

11. Recruit winners onto your team

How To Make The Right Decision

Life is a series of decisions. Some decisions are big, and some are small. Some decisions have a huge impact on our quality of life, and some don't. Some decisions can make us, and some decisions can break us. Some decisions are right, and some decisions are wrong. Decisions are an important part of life. Here are some things I do to try to make the right decisions on a daily basis.

1. Stay in God's Word on a daily basis.

2. Spend quality time praying and seeking God's face.

3. Keeping my heart uncluttered from bitterness and unforgiveness.

4. Go with my gut.

5. First impressions of others when choosing friends, staff members, etc. are huge.

6. I've learned that a red flag is a red flag. Don't overlook the flag.

7. If I have to make myself like a person, there isn't a divine connection.

8. Proceed slowly with big decisions.

9. Get godly counsel often.

10. Listen for the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.

11. Check references and double-check them if needed.

12. I have to have peace. If I don't have peace about a decision, it's usually not the right decision.

13. Be a God-pleaser. Make the decision that I believe pleases God even if it doesn't please people.

Weekend Highlights

1. Cale's football team won the championship and had their end of the season football party at CiCi's Pizza on Thursday night. All the boys were super excited. They did a great job in their first season.

2. On Friday, we did a lot of hanging out around the house. I changed some outdoor light bulbs by the garage, on the porch and in our landscaping.

3. The Cooper family broke out the Christmas trees this weekend. My wife is a great decorator. We have trees and lights all around our house. I love the Christmas season.

4. On Friday night, we made a trip to Braum's for ice cream, and I got an eggnog shake. Those things are awesome. You eggnog lovers need to try one.

5. I taught the PC folks what the Bible says about Dumping Debt.

6. Many people made a commitment to get out of debt and to honor God with their finances. I can't wait to hear the testimonies of what God does in people's financial lives. GREEN PEACE!

7. Many people committed their lives to Christ.

8. We launched a new 4 year-old class in our Kids Ministry on Sunday. The 3 and 4 year-old kids have been worshipping together, but the Kids Ministry is growing a bunch. Now the 3 year-olds have their own room, and the 4 year-olds have their own room. The volunteers loved this change, and I know the kids did as well.

9. Our junior high students moved into a new worship area on Sunday. We renovated our only multi-purpose room plus some of our office space and turned it into a new junior high room. I hated to lose the office space, but our Kids and Youth Ministry is more important than office space. Our kids and teenagers deserve the best!

10. Our Starting Point class for new believers and our Next class for those who are new to People's Church and want to learn more about PC and/or get plugged into PC have moved from the old multi-purpose room to the coffee shop. I'm glad our coffee shop is big!

11. It's amazing how quick we can fill up a 61,000 square foot building. Just a few months ago we only had 17,500 square feet.

12. Thanks, PC and the PC staff, for your flexibility and passion to reach more people.

13. Be a part of the first ever special Christmas choir. Go to choir practice this Tuesday night at 7PM.

14. Our Christmas series is going to be SUPER GOOD! It begins Thanksgiving weekend.

15. Where was my Oklahoma Sooners offense last week against Nebraska? Oh well, at least we beat A&M.

16. My Dallas Cowboys looked awful yesterday. Come on BOYS!

17. What in the world was Bill Belichick thinking on the 4th down call? You have to be kidding! I was going for the Colts, but I thought that was a horrible play call.

18. Have a super Monday everybody! Run to win!

Thursday's Download

1. Where in the world is the time going? The year is almost over!

2. I love seeing all of the Christmas decorations coming out everywhere.

3. Week 3 of Green Peace is Sunday. People are finding financial peace during these difficult days.

4. I am teaching a message on Sunday titled Dumping Debt. I'm very excited to teach this message.

5. I went 4-2 in my fantasy football leagues this past week. I have a winning record in 4 leagues, and I'm 4-5 in two leagues.

6. My staff and I have been interviewing a bunch of people. With the growth that God has blessed us with, there are several key staff positions that we need to add. These are exciting and very busy days.

7. I am very grateful to all of the volunteers at People's Church. You folks provide such great ministry to so many people every week. Thank you for all you do.

8. If I don't connect with a person, I don't hire them. There is something about divine chemistry.

9. Cale's flag football team won the championship. All of the kids got their own trophies. Cale was super excited!

10. Revolution Christmas is going to be awesome. PC, get ready for some unforgettable experiences during the Christmas series. It all begins the Sunday after Thanksgiving!

11. I'm going to have a laid back weekend with my family.

12. Invite a friend, and I'll see you on Sunday!

Making My Family A Priority

Here are some things that I do to make my family a priority:

1. I go on a date night with my wife at least twice a month.

2. My wife and I go on overnight trips without the kids around once a quarter.

3. I take my family on a family date night once a week.

4. I take my off day and spend it with my family.

5. We eat dinner as a family around the dining room table around 4 to 5 nights a week.

6. I have 95 percent of my meetings during the day. Our board even moved our bi-monthly board meetings to the daytime so that we can all be at home with our families during the evening. All three board members are lay leaders. I am rarely away from home in the evenings.

7. I say no to a lot of speaking engagements so that I can be home with my kids while they are little. Plus, I like to sleep next to my wife every night! :)

8. When I do go on ministry trips, I try to take my family with me.

9. We canceled our two Saturday night services almost two years ago for several reasons. One of the reasons was because of the long-term impact it would have on our staffs' families over the long haul.

10. We limit the activities our kids can be in so that we can spend time together as a family.

11. When I get home from work, my wife and I limit our internet activity while the kids are awake. Our goal is not to use the internet at all when I get home from work until the kids go to bed. We are not totally there yet, but we will get there.

12. I release ministry to our staff and volunteers so that I can keep my family a priority. I don't personally do most weddings, funerals, hospital visits, home visits or counseling at our church. It gets done through our staff and volunteers so that I can focus on studying God's Word, prayer, leadership development, the vision and direction of our church and leading my family well. I firmly believe the greatest ministry that I provide to our church is me leading my family well. I don't have much of a ministry without my family being healthy and strong.

Family Is A Priority

Occupational ministry can be tough to balance with family life. There are sermon preparations, weddings, funerals, counseling, budgets, bills, building to build, building to maintain, people going through crises, board meetings, preaching, hiring, firing, leadership, ministries to launch, programs to stop, missions, outreach, the poor and the list goes on and on. Occupational ministry can be a 24 hour job if you let it. There is always something to do. There are always people going through problems or a crisis. There are always decisions that need to be made. It can be a challenge not to put the ministry ahead of your family.

When it comes to this issue, there are some pastors who are lazy and use family as an excuse not to work hard. This bugs me big time. I think pastors and church leaders should work super hard. We don't hire lazy people at People's Church. There are other pastors who are workaholics and neglect their families for the church. This also bugs me big time. I don't think someone is a spiritual giant because they are always at the church doing ministry and neglecting their family. I'm the first to admit that it can be tough to find the happy medium, but it can be achieved. There have been seasons that I've really struggled to find the balance, but I think I do fairly well with this overall. More importantly, my wife says I do a good job in this area, and that's what really counts.

Tomorrow I'm going to share some things that I do to make my family a priority.

Weekend Highlights

1. Some of my family had an early Thanksgiving meal on Saturday because one of our family members will be gone for Thanksgiving. Man, did I eat. I sinned! I was a glutton. Lord, forgive me. I did do 25 minutes of cardio and only ate a pear for lunch before I ate that good food.

2. I ate the best dressing and gravy. I mean it was the best I've ever eaten. I mean it would make you slap somebody it was so good. Man, did I eat good!

3. Enough about food! We had a great Sunday at PC!

4. We had tons of people give their lives to Christ. Thank you, God!

5. We had a bigger attendance this Sunday than we did on “fall back” Sunday.

6. People are finding financial peace through this series Green Peace.

7. I really enjoy teaching our people what the Bible says about getting financial peace. How we handle money is such a heart issue.

8. We are kicking greed in its teeth! We are going to praise God for what He has blessed us with!

9. What you live for is so much more important than what you live on.

10. My Oklahoma Sooners are making me mad. I can't believe we lost to Nebraska. Oh, well!

11. My Dallas Cowboys got it done against the Eagles!

12. We are having a special Christmas choir the second Sunday of December. Everyone at PC who is interested in singing, be sure to be at practice on Tuesday night. Our Christmas series is going to be super awesome. It's going to be a Christmas to remember at PC!

13. My wife's dad made a quick visit to our home on Friday night. He was headed to a Cowboy Church Conference in the Dallas area and spent the night with us. I love the fact that my wife's parents are sold out to God.

Thursday's Download

1. It has been a very busy and productive week.

2. I am behind on my sleep and feel it. I will get caught up over the next couple of nights.

3. This is going to be an intense season of networking and interviewing for me and our Executive Team.

4. I'm very grateful that our Executive Team does a lot of the interviewing.

5. I've become a lot more patient when it comes to hiring.

6. I'm very excited about the future and direction of People's Church.

7. I can't believe Thanksgiving is right around the corner.

8. I'm very excited about our series Green Peace: Peace For Your Finances. God is going to bring peace to so many people's finances through this series.

9. I'm psyched up for our Christmas series. It's going to be a Christmas to remember!

10. Cale's flag football team is playing for the championship next week. He is very excited.

11. I watched some of the World Series last night.

12. My kids are growing up too fast.

13. Some of my family members are making an early Thanksgiving dinner celebration meal on Saturday. I can't wait to eat. :)

14. My wife's parents, brother, sister and her husband and kids live in Nebraska. My Oklahoma Sooners will pounce their Nebraska Cornhuskers!

15. I'm going to enjoy a relaxing weekend with my family. They are my favorite people in the whole wide world!

People's Church Calendar

I am a big planner. I believe the Lord can speak to us months out and not just at the spur of the moment. God tends to speak to me through prayer, planning and preparation. Here is a list of things that have been nailed down for 2010, or that will be nailed down by the end of the year.

1. Our 2010 sermon series are 90 percent nailed down. This really gives our Creative and Media Teams time to produce high quality work.

2. My time off from speaking has been nailed down.

3. Our advertising strategy. The times throughout the year that we want to do heavy marketing.

4. The speakers who will be speaking at PC when I'm not are 90 percent nailed down.

5. The events to help people grow spiritually and develop Kingdom friendships through our Community Groups.

6. We are working on nailing down our baptismal dates.

7. We are working on what events we want our kids and youth ministry involved in during the summer.

8. We have nailed down our Next class dates.

9. We are working on nailing down our Starting Point dates.

10. Our Volunteer Celebration Banquet has been nailed down. Volunteers, this will happen on January 29. It's going to be blast! Thank you for volunteering faithfully every week.

This list is not exhaustive, but gives you an idea of what we are working on at PC! I enjoy planning ahead!

CALENDAR PLANNING

It's not a lot of fun, but today we're doing calendar planning at church for 2010 as we try and get the important things on the calendar first. Important things like outreach events, all church events, Kingdom Builders, church picnic, additional services, Christmas Eve services, global trips, camps, conventions, leadership training etc. All of that has to be balanced with the school calendar, and other cultural events that dominate life in the United States! (See why I said it's not exactly a lot of fun!)

The hardest thing to do is keep the calendar from loading up and overwhelming the staff and the congregation and making the Kingdom of God the priority it needs to be. We have to keep reminding ourselves that our DNA is to have weekend services, small groups and global projects and not get distracted from that vision. It's a real challenge and there are a lot of things that won't make the cut, but its all part of the strategy for the future.

Thanks www.robketterling.com for this post. Rob pastors a great church in Minneapolis. Our team is currently planning our calendar, so this post struck a chord with me.

Weekend Update

1. Wow, wow, wow, what a great Sunday at PC!

2. We baptized tons of people! I love seeing people go public for Jesus!

3. Many people gave their lives to Christ! We are seeing people come to Christ in record numbers. It's so exciting!

4. Our people are pumped up about Green Peace! I know many people are going to experience financial peace like never before because of this series. It's going to be a very practical series that will help everybody gain peace during these difficult times.

5. We were once again over 1000 people bigger than the same Sunday last year. Actually, we were 1034 people bigger. I am blown away and humbled by what God is doing at PC!

6. Lives are being changed every week at PC! That pumps me up!

7. I flew to Philadelphia on Thursday morning. Due to the rain, my flight was delayed out of OKC. I missed my connection in Cincinnati. I had to sit around the airport for a few hours because I missed my flight! Bummer!

8. I got to hang out with one of my pastor friends on Thursday evening. David Crosby is a great pastor on the east coast. He pastors www.poconocc.com. This is a great church with a great leader. I didn't get to sleep until after 12:30AM.

9. On Friday morning, I spoke at a college about church planting. It's always a great honor to invest in students.

10. I caught a late afternoon flight home on Friday. Once again, my flight left late. Long story, but the airline made me check my bag, and my bag didn't make it to OKC with me. I had to report my bag missing to the airline. I didn't get home until around 10PM.

11. Early Saturday afternoon, my bag was delivered to my home. I was very glad because I had my hair clippers and edgers in the bag.

12. Late Saturday afternoon, my wife and I went to dinner with some of our friends, and then we went to the Oklahoma Sooners game with them.

13. My wife and I got home late from the OU game.

14. The Sooners offense looked great, but the defense didn't look so good.

15. I'm tired from a long weekend, but I'm also very excited about what God is doing in my life, family and PC!

16. My Dallas Cowboys are looking good! Miles Austin is the real deal. I'm glad I added him in my dynasty FF league.

17. My fantasy football teams did average. I think I will go 4-2 this week, which isn't bad, but I was hoping for better.

18. Cale lost his first two teeth this weekend. He looks funny, but thinks he is cool. I love my kids so much!

19. Financially, if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten. Break your patterns and habits, and do something different starting today.

20. I can't wait for this Sunday at PC! GREEN PEACE BABY!

Green Peace

We are kicking off a new series this coming up Sunday called Green Peace: Peace For Your Finances. I’m so excited for God to help people experience financial peace during these difficult times! Check out this short promo video that our Media Team put together.

Green Peace from People's Church on Vimeo.

Pastor Appreciation Month

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Today, I want to appreciate the pastors (directors) who serve on the People's Church staff. I want each of you to know that I greatly appreciate you. Your love for God and passion for the local church is unbelievable. Thank you so much for your hard work, faithfulness, friendship, loyalty and love. You all are so gifted, and I'm so grateful to serve alongside of you. I want you to know that you are appreciated! I love each of you and pray God's continued blessings upon your life and your family!

Senior pastors, be sure to let the pastors who serve with you know how much you appreciate them. A kind word of thanks or a small gift of appreciation is fuel for the soul!

Finding the Main Thing

Do you ever feel like you are putting in long hours, but seeing very little positive results? If your answer is yes, I can relate. Let me share with you something called the 80/20 principle.

80 percent of traffic jams occur on 20 percent of the roads.

80 percent of beer is consumed by 20 percent of drinkers.

80 percent of classroom participation comes from 20 percent of students.

80 percent of the time you wear 20 percent of your clothes.

80 percent of the profits come from only 20 percent of the customers.

80 percent of problems are generated by 20 percent of the employees.

80 percent of sales are generated by 20 percent of the salespeople.

80 percent of all decisions can be made on 20 percent of the information.

What this means is that the best 20 percent of your activities are sixteen times more productive than the remaining 80 percent. If you want to decrease the complexity of your life and increase your productivity, you need to focus on your top 20 percent. There is a good chance that you are (1) doing too many things, and (2) the things you are doing are often the wrong things. And this, my friend, is a recipe for an ineffective life! Find the main thing and invest your time there and watch your effectiveness increase. It is not enough to work hard! You have to work smart.

Thank you, www.tommysparger.com, for posting this on your blog last week.

Weekend Highlights

1. There was a great move of God at People's Church!

2. I taught a message on miracles.

3. We switched up the order of service, and I taught after two songs of worship.

4. After I taught, we did two more worship songs, and our Prayer Team and staff prayed for the needs of people. It was a powerful time.

5. We sang the song Healer yesterday. That is a great song.

6. As I prayed with our people and heard their requests, I was reminded of how much people are going through. I had requests for cancer, job loss, drug addiction, alcohol addiction and much more. I was moved, broken and stirred as I prayed for the requests of our people.

7. I know God did many miracles!

8. Thank you, church family, for praying and fasting for our miracle experiences.

9. In our first experience, everything technically that could go wrong went wrong. Those moments are very frustrating for this pastor. AUGHHHHHHHHHH!

10. Things went much smoother in the second and third experiences.

11. I had a great time with my family this weekend. We went on a family date on Friday. My wife and I rented a Red Box movie and had a great time hanging out.

12. On Saturday, I had a nice, relaxing day.

13. My OU Sooners beat Kansas! Yea!

14. My Dallas Cowboys won again. Miles Austin might be the real deal!

15. The most important thing in my fantasy football leagues is I got a win in the league that I was 1-5. So now, I'm 2-5 and on my way to making the playoffs. There is no quit in the Coopster. I'm fighting till the very end, and I'm going to make the playoffs.

16. I'm very excited about our new series kicking off this Sunday called Green Peace: Peace For Your Finances!

17. I'm excited for our baptismal experience coming up Sunday. Get baptized in water if you haven't. God will bless you for it.

18. Be sure to turn your clock back one hour on Saturday night. The other option is you can get to church an hour early and pray!

19. Have a super Monday!

Thursday's Download

1. Be sure to get to church on time this Sunday (really every Sunday, because worship is always great). We are switching up the experience order, and I will be teaching towards the beginning of the experience.

2. After I teach a message on miracles, we will have more worship, and we will be praying for God to do miracles in people’s lives. It's going to be a Sunday of miracles!

3. Invite everybody you know that needs a miracle. God does the impossible!

4. Don't forget to pray and fast this week for God to move in a powerful way on Sunday.

5. We had around 350 people in Epic this week! God is doing something awesome in our youth ministry! Teenagers, stay hungry for God and keep inviting your friends to experience the life-changing power of Christ!

6. This Sunday we are launching a second junior high experience. Our junior high experiences on Sunday are now at 10:30AM and 12PM.

7. We are kicking off a new series on November 1st called Green Peace: Peace For Your Finances. I will be teaching you very practical things to help bring peace to your finances during these difficult times. This is going to be a great series. Your friends and family will find these practical tools very helpful.

8. Our Christmas series is going to be unbelievable! In the seven year history of the church, we have never done anything like this. During the month of December, we are going to have an orchestra perform, a special Christmas choir comprised of our church people, a Nutcracker performance, snow falling in the auditorium, a light show with cool music, possibly a children's choir and much, much more. This will be a Christmas season to remember at People's Church! It all begins Thanksgiving Sunday!

9. I am still undefeated in one fantasy league.

10. I am excited about what God is doing at People's Church!

11. I took my wife on a date last night. I always enjoy alone time with my bride.

12. It's going to be a great Thursday and weekend! See you on Sunday!

Church Growth Lessons

I am humbled by the way the Lord is blessing People's Church. We are growing at a staggering rate. This is the fastest rate our church has ever grown. Lives are being changed. Here are some lessons I'm learning during this season.

1. There is a price that is paid before growth occurs.

2. Many people don't see the price that was paid; they just see the growth that follows.

3. Growth exposes all of the weaknesses of your church and your leadership.

4. There are some people who can get you to one level but can't take you to the next level.

5. Managers are plentiful, and leaders are few.

6. God is the one who makes the church grow. One plants, one waters, but God brings the increase.

7. The planting and watering season is a lot of work.

8. Even when we are experiencing phenomenal growth, I'm still not satisfied, but I've learned to enjoy the journey.

9. Taking time off is critical. I can't teach every Sunday and lead at a high level. Most of our church will never know the leadership energy I spend on our church because they only see me on Sundays when I'm in my teaching mode.

10. There are tough decisions that have to be made to sustain what God is doing. These decisions can be painful.

11. I can't do ministry alone. I need my team more than ever before. I'm very blessed with some gifted and godly leaders that believe in the vision of PC as much as I do.

12. The larger we get, the more specialized the hires. We used to hire generalists (they needed to be good at a few things), but now we hire specialists (they need to be great at one thing).

13. I am learning like never before. I have people speaking into my life constantly. I can't learn enough.

How To Get A Promotion

1. Get your work done in a timely fashion without your boss having to look over your shoulder.

2. Don't make your boss have to tell you to do something twice.

3. Don't make your supervisor have to follow up with you to make sure your assignments are getting done.

4. Don't just do what's expected of you; go the extra mile. Do more than is expected of you.

5. Be the person your supervisor can count on and depend on to produce high quality results.

6. Occasionally ask your boss how you can be a better asset to them and the company.

7. Work with a great attitude.

8. Get along with your boss and the other employees.

9. Lighten your supervisor’s load instead of increasing their load. Don't add extra stress to your supervisor by being an under-performer.

10. Make the company money with your great ideas and production.

11. Make yourself irreplaceable by making yourself replaceable. Train others to do your job well.

12. Make the goal more important than the role. Be willing to do whatever it takes to make the company a success.

13. Be a person of integrity. Be honest, humble, trustworthy and a team player.

Weekend Update

1. It was another fun weekend at the Cooper house.

2. Even though my Sooners lost, we had a blast watching the game.

3. We hung out with Josh Brown's family. Josh is our Director of Operations at PC. His father-in-law made some awesome ribs! They were cooked so well that the meat fell off the bone! Thanks, Blows and Browns, for a great time.

4. We had a great day at PC! Our church is fired up to impact the next generation!

5. We are going to fight for this generation! We are not going to let the enemy have this talented generation. If you missed Sunday, please listen to the message. I spent time casting vision, and I shared my heart about reaching this generation for Christ.

6. Many people gave their hearts to Christ! GO GOD! Thank you, Jesus, for paying the price for our sins!

7. Many people signed up to invest, mentor and serve this generation! Thank you, PC, for your passion to impact this generation. We aren't going to just talk about it, we are going to do something about it.

8. This generation needs us! It's on!

9. This coming up Sunday I am teaching about miracles, and we are going to have a special time of prayer. It's going to be a day of miracles!

10. PC, don't forget to fast and pray extra for God to do miracles this Sunday, October 25. It's going to be a day of miracles!

11. My wife is an all-star follower of Christ, wife, mother and PC Kids teacher. Every Sunday, she teaches our 3 and 4 year-old kids. She is passionate about investing in this generation. I love that woman!

12. I love to hear my wife's stories about the kids she teaches every week. They are too funny.

13. Bring your teenager and all of their friends to PC on Wednesday night. Epic Student Ministries is going to rock! God is doing something special in Epic, and you don't want your teen to miss it!

14. Next Wednesday night, October 28, is Cram Night at Epic! You better not miss it for anything!

15. Teenage Love was a great miniseries for our church. I am passionate about this God-given vision!

16. We have to wake up, toughen up, dream up and sign up! They need us! Listen to the message!

17. One of my fantasy teams needs prayer. I'm 1-5. I started Hasselbeck over Schaub, and it lost me another game. I have a good team and can't get a win. I will win this week in all my other 5 leagues. I'm having a good season in all my other leagues. I will make the playoffs in the league I'm 1-5. I'm determined. There is no quit in me!

18. God is good, and life is a gift! I'm going to live this thing to the fullest for Christ!

Thursday's Download

1. Teenage Love is in full effect! This miniseries is crucial to the future of our church.

2. We must reach teenagers and partner with parents in helping them raise their students.

3. This Sunday, I am wrapping up Teenage Love with a powerful message. God has laid some things on my heart that I can't wait to share with you. Be there! You football fans, be sure you drive back home from Stillwater and Dallas after the football games so that you don't miss this critical message.

4. Parents, way to bring your teenagers to Epic! It is very important for the spiritual life of your teenager that you have them involved in the youth ministry. It can't be optional. They need to connect with God and other students in a worship experience. Positive peer pressure is a great thing. You can't ever go wrong exposing your teenager to Jesus!

5. Teenagers, way to bring your friends to Epic! I'm praying that all of your friends and your entire school would be on fire for Jesus! Keep inviting your friends to Epic and watch God change their lives.

6. I am very passionate about kids and youth ministry! PC will always put a great deal of attention, time, money and staff towards our kids and teenagers. They deserve the best.

7. We had over 300 people in Epic this week, and there were several students who made commitments to Christ!

8. Invite some teenagers and their parents to church this Sunday as I conclude Teenage Love!

9. For Sunday, October 25, we are moving the experience schedule around. I will be speaking very early in the experiences, and some of the worship will be after I speak. Please be on time to church so that you can hear this message and allow God to build your faith.

10. On Sunday, October 25, I am teaching a message on miracles, and we are going to pray for God to do a miracle in your life. I'm already praying for God to show up in a big way! Next week, our staff and church will be fasting at least one meal and praying and believing God to do great things in your life. Come expecting a miracle on October 25! It's going to be a day of miracles!

11. On Sunday, October 25, invite everybody you know who needs a miracle! God is a miracle-working God, and He still does the impossible!

12. On Sunday, November 1, we will be baptizing people in all three experiences! Get signed up on Sunday and be obedient to the command of Christ! God will richly bless you!

Haymon Alexander

Today is a sad and joyful day. Today is the funeral of Haymon Alexander. Last week, Haymon died after a battle with Leukemia. Haymon and his wife Lora have been at People's Church since the very beginning days. Haymon will always have a very special place in my heart. Let me share some things about Haymon that inspired me.

1. Haymon had been married to his wife Lora for over 40 years.

2. Haymon and Lora were with us seven years ago back in the AMC Movie Theaters when we were meeting in a theater that sat 120 people and were running 40 to 60 people in attendance.

3. Haymon was the best greeter our church has ever had. We have great greeters, but Haymon topped the cake. When our church was smaller, Haymon hugged and greeted everybody. As the church grew, he still greeted as many people as he could. He was truly a difference maker.

4. Haymon always took time to talk to people at church. He loved everybody.

5. Haymon went the extra mile. He was passionate about making a difference.

6. Haymon loved People's Church. He believed in the vision and mission of the church. As a pastor, this is priceless.

7. In this consumerist church world we live in, where people shop for a church like buying a car and then trade it in every two years, Haymon put down roots at PC to help make a God-given vision come to pass.

8. Haymon didn't always like the style of music and the rapid growth and change of People's Church, but he laid aside insignificant things to focus on what really mattered. Haymon was Kingdom-minded, passionate about reaching the un-churched and was super committed to one local church.

9. Haymon was always inviting people to church. There are many people who attend PC today because Haymon invited them. I'm sure that many people will be in heaven one day because of Haymon's enthusiasm to talk about what God was doing at PC.

10. Haymon, tears are in my eyes as I finish this post. Thank you for your commitment to God, your family and the local church. My prayer is that God would give PC more Haymons, and that we will continue to aggressively reach this city for Christ! We will all miss you, Haymon, and I can't wait to party with you in heaven one day!

Another Funny Teenage Love

Our Media Team did it again! They did a second version of teenage love, and it was super funny. We showed part two this past Sunday. Check out this short and funny video our team put together.

Teenage Love Pt. 2 from People's Church on Vimeo.

Weekend Highlights

1. It was a fun, but whirlwind, week and weekend.

2. Let me begin by backing up to Tuesday. On Tuesday evening, I flew to Atlanta and spoke at the Catalyst Conference on Wednesday afternoon. I always enjoy the opportunity to invest the things that God has taught me with other pastors and leaders.

3. On Tuesday night, I got to eat a late dinner with one of my old college buddies. We are still good friends today. Thanks, Matt, for your great friendship throughout the years.

4. On Thursday morning, I got to hear Andy Stanley speak at Catalyst. I then headed to the Atlanta airport and took a flight to Springfield, MO.

5. My wife and kids drove up from Oklahoma City and met me in Springfield, MO so that we could spend the weekend together.

6. On Friday morning, I was given an award from Evangel University, the university I graduated from in 1997. I am humbled that the university chose me to be the Outstanding Young Alumnus for 2009. The award is given to one former graduate who is under the age of 35. I'm 34, so I still qualified! :). Thank you again, Evangel, for selecting me.

7. On Friday night, my wife and I went out to eat dinner with some of our very close friends.

8. On Saturday afternoon, my family and I went to the Homecoming football game to see Evangel University play some ball. I did the invocation (a fancy word for opening prayer).

9. On Saturday night, Tiffany and I went to the Evangel Homecoming Banquet. It was a great banquet. We had a lot of fun and connected with some old friends.

10. On Sunday morning around 7:40AM we headed home from Springfield, MO. We only had to make one restroom stop on the trip home. That's super good with four kids age 5 and under. We arrived home around 12PM.

11. I watched football the rest of the day Sunday.

12. In one fantasy league I'm 1-4. I have a very good team but can't put it together. Actually, every week I play a team and they have their best week ever against me. In all my other leagues I'm doing OK. I am still going to make the playoffs in the league I'm 1-4. I'm a fighter. There is no quit in the Coopster.

13. Chris, our Student Ministries Director, did an outstanding job speaking at People's Church yesterday. Parents, bring your teens to Epic Student Ministries on Wednesday night.

14. I will be concluding our miniseries Teenage Love this Sunday. Bring a bunch of teenagers and their parents with you to church on Sunday!

15. Go OU Sooners and Dallas Cowboys. Miles Austin may be our new go to receiver.

Bring A Teen

This Sunday, be sure to bring a teen and their family to People’s Church as we begin our series Teenage Love.

Teenage Love Begins This Sunday

This is one of the funniest promo videos our church has ever done. The star of the video is our Student Ministries Director, Chris Smith. His co-star is Andy Wynn, our Media Director. The guy you see at the very end is our Director of Operations, Josh Brown. Get ready to laugh your head off!

Teenage Love Promo from People's Church on Vimeo.

When I Was A Teenager I Wish....

1. I would have paid attention to my relationship with God from 13 to 16 years of age

2. I would not have been sexually active

3. I would have had spiritual mentors when I was 13 to 16

4. I would have been consumed with God as much as I was with sports

5. I would have known that making the varsity team wasn't near as important in life as making good grades

6. I would have had more nurturing relationships with some of the adults in my life

7. I would have learned how to handle money. I can't believe I graduated high school and nobody taught me how to balance a checkbook or about how credit cards work

8. I would have known that trying to be cool and in the “in” crowd is goofy and a waste of time

9. I would have known that many of the decisions I made in high school would affect my future (some good and some bad)

I did this post in honor of our new series kicking off this Sunday called Teenage Love! This is going to be a very helpful and eye-opening series. Invite all the teens you know and their parents to People's Church this Sunday.

Weekend Highlights

1. On Sunday I preached an illustrative message titled Highway Out Of Hell.

2. This was one of the most moving and thought-provoking messages I've ever preached.

3. The beginning of my message was a funeral service. We had a casket, pallbearers and I wore a bishop’s robe. The auditorium was completely dark except for a spotlight on the pallbearers who walked the casket down the center aisle, and there was also a spotlight on me as I was standing on the stage.

4. As the pallbearers walked the casket from the back of the auditorium all the way to the front of the building, the Boys II Men song It's So Hard To Say Good-Bye To Yesterday was pumping throughout the auditorium.

5. We also had funeral flowers on the stage and pulpit.

6. I read an obituary, and the way that our Creative Team wrote it, made it seem like it was YOUR personal funeral. Instead of a name, it said YOU, and it made the obituary very personal. There were people crying uncontrollably as I read the obituary! It was a very moving and reflecting moment!

7. I wept uncontrollably because my Oklahoma Sooners lost again! Ok, not really, but I was mad!

8. I took 3 of my kids to Chuck-E-Cheese on Friday. My kids had a blast, and I had a fun time watching them have a blast.

9. Sunday morning was really rainy in Oklahoma City.

10. I love coming home after church and watching football. I ate a grilled cheese sandwich and chips and enjoyed some good football.

11. What's the deal with the Dallas Cowboys and Tony Romo!??

12. Brian, Andy, Hilary, Jessica and the entire Production Team, way to go! Because of your ideas, sermon research, stage set designs, videos, camera shots, lighting and hard work we are creating unforgettable experiences for people in the OKC metro area. I am very grateful for all of your talents and hard work. Jesus is changing lives through you all!

Thursday's Download

1. Sunday I am teaching an illustrated message to wrap up the Wicked series.

2. You better not miss Sunday. We have a surprise planned that will catch you off guard, and it will be thought-provoking and moving all at the same time.

3. All I'm going to tell you is the illustrated message involves the casket we used last week. We surprised you last week, and you better get ready for another surprise.

4. This is going to be a very evangelistic message, so invite all of your friends and family to church to experience the life-changing power of Christ.

5. Some weeks, blogging is a lot of work, and this is one of those weeks.

6. My fantasy football teams are doing average. In two leagues I'm 3-0. In two other leagues I'm 2-1, and in my last two leagues I'm 1-2.

7. BOOMER SOONER! Oklahoma, please spank Miami on Saturday.

8. I'm still not very impressed with my Dallas Cowboys even though we beat Carolina on Monday night.

9. I can't believe today is October 1st. Where has the year gone?

10. I had some great times of dreaming about the future of People's Church this week. Exciting days are ahead of us!

11. I'm going to spend a lot of time with my family on Friday and Saturday.

12. This Sunday is an illustrated message titled Highway Out Of Hell! Don't you dare miss it or come by yourself.

The Most Important Thing About Spiritual Leadership Is

You have to lead yourself well. You will not be an effective leader if you don't learn to lead yourself well. If you want people to follow you, first focus on leading yourself well. Leading yourself well requires:

1. Having a consistent prayer and Bible reading time

2. Being on time

3. Doing what you say you will do

4. Telling the truth

5. Having a great attitude

6. Tithing and giving offerings above the Lord's tithe

7. Spending less than you make a month

8. Living on a budget

9. Following through on your commitments

10. Working hard when no one is looking

11. Keeping your cool when the going gets tough

12. Fixing your own problems and not expecting everybody else to fix them

13. Taking responsibility and ownership for where you are in life and where you are going

14. Producing results

15. Living with integrity

16. Loving people

FIND Conference Update

1. Yesterday I got up at 4:15AM and headed to the Oklahoma City airport.

2. I met one of my Executive Directors, Josh Brown, at the airport at 5:40AM for a 6:40AM flight.

3. We went to Atlanta and then on to Charleston, South Carolina.

4. The FIND conference is a church planters’ conference.

5. I was one of the speakers at the conference and spoke at 4PM yesterday.

6. I spoke on 10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known (before I started PC).

7. My time with the church planters went well.

8. I really enjoy investing in church planters.

9. All of the speakers have been great.

10. The session that spoke to me the most was Chris Hodges’ talk on four P's. It was convicting!

11. Josh and I are flying home today. I can't wait to get home! It's been a busy season of traveling.

12. I can't wait to see my wife and kids. I love them so much!

Weekend Highlights

1. I had a great weekend with my family. The Oklahoma weather was great.

2. The little things mean the most to me: our Friday family date and then a good Red Box movie with my wife, priceless family time.

3. My good friends, Keith & Winnie Chandler, renewed their wedding vows on Saturday. It was very inspirational seeing this godly couple, who have been married for 25 years, reaffirm their commitment to God and to one another. One word describes this occasion: powerful!

4. I preached a message called Hells Bells. The message went well. God used it in a great way.

5. Bottom line, God doesn't want anybody to spend forever away from his presence.

6. I'm so excited about what God is doing at PC. The momentum we have is incredible.

7. Yesterday, we started promotion of our new series, Teenage Love. The promotional video for this series is one of the best, if not the best, we've ever done. Our Media Team is knocking it out of the park. I will post the video soon.

8. It's all about more changed lives. I love it!

9. I'm very grateful for the staff that I get to serve with week in and week out.

10. Thank you, volunteers, for serving faithfully every week. You are making a tremendous difference.

Thursday's Download

1. I didn't get home until almost 2AM last night. Shelby, our Care Director, and I went to Mount Pleasant, Texas, on Tuesday afternoon. I preached at a youth crusade Tuesday and Wednesday night, and then, we drove home after the service last night.

2. My old youth pastor from when I was in high school is a youth pastor in Mount Pleasant, and I spoke at the event for him.

3. I am tired this morning, but I am also ready to take on the day!

4. I almost have Sunday's message done. I should be able to finish it around 9:30AM today.

5. There is a dear man of God in our church who has an aggressive form of leukemia, and I am praying for God to heal him. Pray with me!

6. We are going to have a casket on the stage this Sunday. Go to http://bit.ly/5syGL to take the poll on what you think is going to be in the casket. You don't want to miss this special surprise as I teach on Hells Bells and a casket.

7. 500 MORE! Invite everybody you know to be at church this Sunday!

8. I really missed my wife and kids while I was gone on my short trip. I love them so much.

9. Our youth ministry had over 330 in attendance, and several students gave their lives to Christ! Go GOD! Chris and Jamie Smith are great youth pastors. Parents, get your teenagers plugged into our dynamic Student Ministry.

10. I won 4 out of 5 fantasy football leagues last week. The league I lost in I'm 0-2. I'm concerned about my team in that league. It could be a tough year.

11. I get to celebrate a special event with one of my board members and great friends on Saturday!

12. My Oklahoma Sooners have a bye week this Saturday. Sam Bradford, get healthy!

13. We have something special planned this Sunday! What is in the casket????

14. My wife is doing a live video chat with some other senior pastors’ wives. She is excited to connect with them today, and I'm excited for my baby. She loves stuff like this.

15. What's in the casket?? See you on Sunday at 9AM, 10:30AM & 12PM!