Brad Wilkerson // COC Metro

Defending My Freedom

So over the past two years of Pastoring COC Metro, God has allowed me to meet a lot of really great people.  One of the families that I have gotten to not only meet but also have had the privilege of baptizing is Jerry and Twila Splawn.  In addition, I have met Twila's mom, Cathy and her brother Eric.  I have baptized Cathy and Eric as well.  As you can tell by the picture this blog is going to be about Eric.  Eric is in the Air Force and recently was deployed to the Middle East in efforts to defend our freedom as Americans.  The day Eric told me he was being deployed was a Sunday right before church.  The Spirit of God prompted me to publicly pray over Eric and for his protection while serving overseas.  What happened at the end of that service was really cool.  At the end of my message Eric prayed and received Christ as his personal Lord and Savior.  Pretty cool...isn't it?  So, Eric is now in his position overseas and doing his job each and everyday to protect my freedom to Pastor this wonderful church.  I want you all to meet my friend Eric and to lift him up daily in your prayers for protection and God's speed in his return home from his tour of duty.  Eric we love you bro., we thank you and look forward to seeing you again real soon back home and back at COC!!!!

STANDING OVATION!!!! 

A Little R&R

If you were at COC Sunday you noticed that our family was missing in action.  We took a weekend off to just rest, relax and spend some much needed time together.  To say the least our family has been burning the candle at both ends and even in the middle for quite sometime.  We spent the day together by hanging out at the mall in Frisco just doing lunch and not much of anything else.  I think we walked around the entire mall just window shopping and checking out all the crazy Cowboy fans in their team wear.  It was a great day for our family and one that was needed in a huge way.  Thanks to the wonderful Pastoral Team at COC and of course the wonderful lay leaders for making Sunday happen.  Once again, each of you prove that COC is not built on or around our family.  It is built on the true foundation, Jesus Christ, with the TEAM concept being used to the fullest.  We have been blessed with a great team and because of that team my job has been made one that is such a joy.  I love you all and look forward to being back in the saddle this weekend as we conclude our message series, "Identity."  Can't wait to see you all!!

Celebration

Wow, what a day we had on Sunday.  COC certainly had a great birthday party.  Birthdays have always been kind of strange to me. You wait all year long for it and then it goes by so quickly.  It is like you blink and it's over.  As I reflect on last Sunday and the Greater Things message I gave, I think that is what God wants us to do.  We anticipated the day, celebrated it in a huge way and now we must move on and anticipate the next one to come.  As we move into the days before birthday number two let us strive for Greater Things.  Let us reach forward towards the goal that God has set before us.  May we continue to make His name more famous on this 380 Corridor and around the world.  Check out our 1-year anniversary video below...God bless and see you all soon!

COC Metro 1 Year Anniversary from Dane Blankenship on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday COC Metro

One year ago we launched a vision that had been in the works for nearly two years.  After a lot of preparations, planning and prayer we stepped out in faith as we said, "Hello World" and COC became a church.  When we started this endeavor I knew that within the power of our living God we could be used of Him to build a great work on the 380 Corridor.  Well, one year later...it is happening.  We are literally seeing His name being made famous among the communities of this corridor.  What started as a small remnant of people in various homes has now evolved into a might force called COC Metro that is daily charging the gates of hell.  That small group of 20 adults has turned into a church that now over 275 people call their place of worship.  WOW...only God could have done this in such a short amount of time.  This weekend as we recognize COC's b-day we will celebrate the past but we will also proclaim that there are GREATER THINGS left to be done.  As we look at the potential in front of us it is only fitting that we realize that we cannot stop here.  We've come to far to turn back.  We've burned the ships and we are taking the land!!!!  The time is NOW!  We press forward towards the goal of our great calling in Christ Jesus.  As I reflect on these past 3 years I say to God, "thanks for the ride" but I also say to the COC team, "thanks to each of you for allowing me to lead you each and every week in this journey."  Yes, we have had some great days and some great victories but our greatest days and moments are ahead of us.  Let us build on our past and short history but let us never lose sight of our great potential in the moments to come.  Join us this Sunday as we celebrate not what we have done but rather what He has done.  It was Him that said, "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men, women, boys and girls unto me."  We'll keep exalting Him and He'll keep brining the increase.  Let us strive to not be bigger but to be better.  If we get better as a church, I guarantee He will make us bigger.  See you Sunday!  Philippians 3:14.

Speechless

Very seldom will you find me speechless but when I left church on Sunday that is the very state I found myself in.  Wow...what a day at COC.  265 in attendance and 8 people baptized making 21 total baptisms in August.  God stinkin ROCKS!  I simply didn't know what to say except to just be thankful for what GOD is doing at COC.  I guess it was Him that said, "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me."  That is what is happening at COC.  We are lifting HIM up and HE is doing exactly what HE said HE would do.  Speechless is exactly they way we should be.  It is not about us and will never be about us.  HE is doing it and it will always be HIM that does it.  One final thought, when we ask HIM to do something just as HE is doing at COC why are we so surprised when it happens.  We've been asking for it...what did we expect!!!