Brad Wilkerson // COC Metro

It's GAME TIME

Well, we all celebrate that College Football is finally in full swing and the NFL kicks off this Thursday night and then of course continues with the onslaught of game after game finally wrapping up with Monday Night Football on Sept. 12th.  So for many, the question this week is, "Are you ready for some football?"  Ladies, "Are you ready to do some shopping while your man becomes a Sunday couch potato?"

Now don't get me wrong, I love me some football and I love my Longhorns and Cowboys.  I'm not a bandwagon guy.  I've loved these teams since I was a kid and for those of you out there who are haters....that's fine.  You can can do your hating but I do root for the only NCAA team with their own Network and oh yea the other one has 5 Superbowl rings.  So as you can see I'm pretty passionate about my teams...BUT....I am a lot more passionate about my GOD.

 I will proudly wear HIS jersey any day before I'll wear a burnt orange or silver & blue one.

That's what this coming Sunday is all about at COC Metro!

We are CELEBRATING many things this September 11, 2011:

1.  First, God is still on the throne!  The enemy, SATAN, (not muslims) tried to bring our nation (A Nation Under God) down on that dreadful day, Sept 11, 2001.....But hey devil....we're still standing and God has not been moved!  He has never feared / worried / trembled....HE IS GOD...OUR GOD IS GREATER...OUR GOD IS STRONGER....GOD YOU ARE HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER!  

2.  We celebrate all those who are the fearless protectors who are on the fields of battle right now protecting my right to write my opinion....FREELY....in what we take for granted everyday...a BLOG! Thank you Lord for the faithfulness of these men and women who daily put themselves in harms way miles away from their home and their families.

3.  We celebrate every Fireman / Policeman / Boarder Patrol Officer / FEMA workers / Civil Servants in this nation who protect us each and everyday.  It's so common, that we almost forget to notice they are there (except of course when we see those red blinking lights in the rear view mirror).  Those of you men and women who are serving us through your sacrifice and putting your lives in harms way for me....thank you.

4. Finally, we celebrate 3 years of being a crash for the Lord.  Yep, that's right, I said, CRASH.  I know most of you think we are a CHURCH that is celebrating our 3rd birthday on Sunday but we are actually a CRASH.  You'll have to come on Sunday at 10 a.m. (be on time because I'll reveal this early in the worship time) why we are not just a church but a CRASH for God.  Thank you to all those who have made COC Metro a church that in 3 years has seen over 175 decisions for Christ and over 150 baptized in the name of the Lord.  It is because of the sacrifice and the goodness of our great Savior, Jesus Christ, that this has all happened.  It is not because of us....who are we?  We are nothing but clay in the hands of the creator of the Universe who said, "Hey, I choose to use you!"  May we continue to CELEBRATE being used by the King of kings and Lord of lords.

You miss Sunday at COC Metro.....You just simply miss it.....So don't miss!

If you live out of the immediate North Texas area and you are reading this....get on a plane, get in your car....walk if you have to but get to COC Metro on Sunday....I promise you, it is a day that will not soon be forgotten.

Have a great week....and CELEBRATE JESUS! 

Destroying the Big "MO"

The last three months at COC Metro have been absolutely incredible.  We have seen over 45 decisions for Christ, baptizing over 20 and seeing our weekly attendance rise above 500 on Sunday.  The summer of 2011 created a WAVE of MOMENTUM that is giving us the RIDE of our lives into the fall season.  However....WE WILL NOT COAST. WE WILL NOT STOP.....Hell is still too hot and too real.  

As we ride this incredible wave of momentum we must not only ride the wave but look for the next one that is coming.  As we search for the next wave we must be careful to not let the current pull us under.  "The Current" while it is very important to the creation of the wave can also be a dangerous thing.  You must stay on top of the wave and above the current to keep from finding yourself at the bottom of the ocean (life's) floor.  

A church we must not only ride the wave but protect "it" from the sucking under currents.  The following is a list from Perry Noble, Pastor of Newspring Church in Anderson, SC, of Big MO killers.  I find it very true and right on:

#1 – Pray really small prayers…seriously, don’t ask God for ANYTHING big.  He DID put an interstate highway through a sea, demolished the walls of Jericho and brought the dead back to life…but I’m sure He doesn’t do things like that anymore!

#2 – Celebrate the past WAY more than you anticipate the future, thus becoming a museum and not a movement!

#3 – Allow those who have never actually done anything for Jesus dictate to you what they believe you can and can’t do for Him!

#4 – Listen and repond to every critic.

#5 – Wait until everything makes perfect sense before you make a decision.

#6 – Spend more time on blogs than you do in your Bible.

#7 – Become more agenda driven than GOSPEL driven!

#8 – Actually believe that EVERYONE must be 100% happy with every detail.

#9 – Vote!

#10 – Become angry/jealous over what God is doing at other places and become hyper focused on all of their problems, thus overlooking your own!

To keep the WAVES of Momentum coming we have tried our best as a church to guard against such things.  It is not always possible to defeat all 10 but it's worth our best effort.  

MOMENTUM...there's nothing like it!

G2 LIFE

So what is G2 Life?

G2 groups consist of people who meet regularly to talk, support, study and pray for each other….and hey, maybe make some NEW friends!

How does G2 Life work?

At the start of each school semester we will have an open enrollment period for G2 groups.  ANYONE who would like to sign up — CAN! G2 groups will meet on either a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

Question: What if you miss out at the start of the year — NO WORRIES! 

Even though new G2 classes start up only in January & September we offer G2 groups that you can join at any time during the semesters. 

What will we do at G2 Life?

You will go on the

R.

I.

D.

E.

of your life! 

 You will do at G2 Life just what they did in the first church in Acts 2:46

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their HOMES and ATE together with glad and sincere hearts.”

1.Relationships...“Everyday they continued to meet together…..”

This one is so SIMPLE even a CAVEMAN gets it!

You and I need / we were created for relationships….

Right relationships with God & others who would hold us accountable in our walk with HIM.

Remember you are what you READ and who you RUN around with!

2.  Inspiration….The continued to meet…..

 One of the greatest complements I get as the Pastor of COC is that people are inspired by what they get here (worship / WORD) they can’t wait to get back the next SUNDAY.

That’s INSPIRATION…..Continuing to meet or even want to meet.

INSPIRATION also challenges us to, Finish what we start...

I’m glad the early church members / attendees were committed to finish what they started.

We have the message of Jesus because they were INSPIRED to keep on keeping on….No matter what distraction was thrown their way.

Let’s get INSPIRED…lets let INSPIRATION drive us for GOD!

3.  Doctrine….. “Broke bread & had sincere hearts…..”

They just didn’t eat BREAD (food)….they broke the BREAD of LIFE….They were also sincere with no hidden agendas!

We need spiritual food…..DOCTRINE.

DOCTRINE….it’s what makes us what / who we are.

Yes….Yes….Yes….Yes….IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS….but there’s some crazy teaching going on out there….we need DOCTRINE!

COC must have the correct study and feeding on the bread of life to stand against the enemy….CAUSE he’s coming….don’t kid yourself.

1 Timothy 4:16

 “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

 2 Timothy 4:3

 "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."

4. Experiences…. “They ate together…..”

The absolute best experiences I’ve had in life have been with family / friends and they have all included EATING.

G2 Life includes FOOD…..Now that’s something all church people can get into….Especially if you were raised BAPTIST.

John 13….The hour of Christ's arrest / crucifixion is at hand…..Jesus has a meal with his Disciples

John 21….Jesus in His resurrected body…Ate with his Disciples on the sea shore.

JESUS liked to eat…And some of His greatest experiences and teaching moments with HIS 12 Disciples happened while a meal or food was being shared.

R…Relationships

I…Inspiration

D…Doctrine

E…Experiences

This fall we have the most incredible line up of classes and leaders we have ever had in the history of this church.

I am so excited and encouraged at what God is doing and going to do through G2 LIFE this fall semester.

Fall 2011 G2 Life Leadership & Classes

Crazy Love ~  Keith & Shanna Mika

Defenders of the Faith ~ Jon & Amy Abbott

Elevation Next Steps ~  Jeff & Kim Camino (Sunday Mornings)

End Times Prophecy ~ Jeff Camino

Life Apps ~ Aaron & Ashley Allen

Man vs. Wife ~ Brian & Amy Holt

Revolutionary Parenting ~ Jason & Ashley Boyd

Up Yours ~ Dane Blankenship / David & Tamara Seivert

His Needs…Her Needs ~ Jerry & Rhonda Brawner / Peter & Tasha Chave

The Me I Want To Be ~ James & Carla Dalrymple / Kurt & Jennifer Moore

Iron Men Ministries ~ Brad Wilkerson

It’s a Girl Thing Ladies’ Ministries ~ Sarah Wilkerson

For more information on how to get plugged into G2 LIFE visit the G2 LIFE link at cocmetro.com

 

This is Why I Love My Church!

Please take time to read the following email I received this week from one of our dear church members:  Danielle Edmonds.  Her words express why I love my church!

 

I want to thank you for an amazing service this past week. My daughter, Brooklynn, and I were both baptized this past Sunday. Both of us had been baptized previously at separate times. However with all the ups and downs and hard times in the past few years we have both lost our way, more so mom than daughter. This Sunday, when I asked her if she wanted to get baptized again with me now or wait for family to be there her immediate response was NOW! I couldn't stop crying Sunday to know that my daughter had not been lost but only misdirected.
 
Last week's service was 100% a God thing and not only moved me but changed me on how to view life and my life with Christ. To know that it is possible to be restored not in the ways that we want but in the ways that God wants. The old adage, "thank God for unanswered prayers". 
 
Since May I have struggled with the ending of a highly volatile and "toxic" relationship. In June I started attending COC in hopes of finding "the old me" again. Instead I found a better one. I have struggled along the way with the loss of a home, moving my daughter into a new neighborhood, finding a new financial ground, and even a birthday next Saturday with a new way of life. I have learned who my true friends are vs. the people who were out for themselves. Nothing will truly test relationships like hard times. 
 
Through all this, I've maintained a reasonably positive outlook on where things are going. I'm still scared but I'm not shaken like I once was. Being raised in a Catholic vs. Methodist home, I have never doubted the "facts" of Christ. I have always believed that Christ is the son of God, died on a cross and rose again 3 days later. However it was how this applied to me that was lost. I was taught that once you knew that Christ was the son of God, you were to act like Christ and be the "good little boy or girl" as so perfectly put by Kelso. When I fell so far from this description, I thought all hope was lost. That where I knew Jesus as a fact of history, I did not know that I could still make mistakes and still be forgiven again. 
 
God was the person I turned to in times of need, the person I said "Well God has a plan" or even more so, the one we blamed for things we did not know or understand. The last few weeks have not only been moving, but they have been life changing. Where I know I'll still fall along the way, I no longer feel lost along the way. 
 
The words "I love my church" barely scrape the surface on what you are doing each Sunday and truly every day between. Please know that if nothing else matters, you have changed the life of one person. I could not be more grateful to have found COC, the staff, the support and above all else the truth that I am not forgotten and God is bigger than my anxiety, fears and doubt. But above all else, I can be restored. 
 
So please continue to "preach the paint of the walls", have the welcome mat there and black chairs ready. Thank you again, it truly makes the world of a difference. 

 

Now that's what it's all about folks.

Students Took Over

One word....IMPRESSED.

I was completely blown away by the incredible job / ministry that was done by our Fusion & Transformed Student Ministries this past Sunday.

The worship was so awesome...including the BEACH BALLS!!!!

The videos were so well done and KELSO...you brought the GOSPEL bro.  

When it was all said and done....over 15 people stood and said they gave their lives to Christ!

I set in my chair completely blessed & overwhelmed.  The students of COC Metro have taken over and I LOVE IT.

The future of COC Metro is so bright....I've gotta wear shades.

I love my church because it puts a premium on the kids / teens of our communities.  

When I hear about people talk about what is wrong with the kids in our culture my answer is simply, "Not the kids of COC Metro."  They are legit / epic / off the chain / clean / tight and all the other lingo they use in their vocabulary.

Blessed to be a part of such a great team of leaders in this area of ministry.  

Please continue to pray for our kids / teens & their leaders.

Devastation Investigation

On a recent trip to Springfield, MO, I drove through Joplin to do a little investigation of the devastation left behind by the massive F5 tornado that hit the heart of that city this spring.  Needless to say, I was speechless to see the power of mother nature as well as the strength and faith of the people of that city.

I was also amazed to see the amount of American Flags that were flying as if to say, "You can take everything away, but you cannot take our freedom away."  It was very special and moving to see the American Spirit in that city.

However, the most emotional, tearful moment came when I took this picture of where a church once stood.  The church being totally destroyed wasn't what blew my mind.  The fact that in the midst of the rubble the cross that stood in front of what used to be a building had not moved.  This was incredible to see that no matter what, the CROSS, still stands.  Just a simple reminder that God is still on HIS throne and is in control of it all.

I pray for the people of Joplin and the surrounding areas as they strive to recover from such a day of devastation.  May God bless these families and this city.

 

Thought You Could Use This Too!

I have been dealing with discouragement like everyday for about two and a half months now. Discouragement of my own as well as the discouragement of God's children.  As a Pastor it seems that you don't only have to deal with your personal struggles but many times with others as well.

Today I was reading a blog from one of my favorite pastors, Steven Furtick, and it so ministered to me and I though you could use it too.  Steven writes it in regard to his current sermon series he is teaching through.  I hope it blesses you as it has me.

Steven writes:

I was recently studying for this past weekend’s message out of Lamentations 3:1-26 while watching the NBA playoffs in the background. Even if you’re not the biggest basketball fan, you’re probably familiar with the idea of a shot clock. Every time you have possession of the ball, there’s a timer counting down from 24 seconds. When the timer runs out, if you haven’t shot the ball and hit the rim or rebounded it, you turn the ball over to the other team.

Well I was watching and at one point the Mavericks took a shot at the last second of one of their possessions. They missed, but they rebounded the ball. And when they did, the announcer said something that clearly tied into what I was studying in Lamentations:
They get a new 24. The shot clock is reset. They get a new 24.

As soon as I heard that, it immediately made me think of Lamentations 3:22-24:
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Every day, you get a brand new 24. A fresh 24 hours to come at life again. Whatever failures or mistakes, whatever mishaps or missteps that happenedyesterday don’t have to determine the course of today. Today is a brand new opportunity for you. A fresh start. You might have missed some shots yesterday. But today you get the ball back, and you can choose to do whatever you want with it.

That’s really good news, because if you’re like me, you don’t get it perfect every day. Life doesn’t happen perfectly to you every day, either. And it can be really easy to beat up on yourself. To freeze-frame your failure or your circumstances.

But God doesn’t look at it that way. For God, his mercy is enough to cover over what you did yesterday, and empower you to live a brand new life today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life. For God, and for you, every day is another chance to live the life God has dreamed for you.

You’ve got a new 24 today. Give it your best shot. But even if you miss, know that a fresh 24 is waiting on you tomorrow.

 

O.M.G.....I am so thankful for a fresh 24!!!

Have a great week.

In The End....What Really Matters?

Since Easter things have been crazy for me, my family and COC.  We have seen all hell unleashed on us personally and ministry wise.  To say the least, I have questioned God a time or two only to be reminded that I am not in charge of anything at all.  God has such a unique way of reminding me of that from time to time.  Through it all, there have been highs & lows, energizing & burnout moments and of course a lot of emotion.  However, this week God let me in on something that I have always known but needed to be reminded of.

So here it is and I hope it helps some of you out there who might be going through some strange stage in your life as well.

My Father calls me last week and informs me that my Grandma (I call her Granny Bobbie, don't ask me why, because I don't know why, just always have) is not doing very good.  In fact he tells me she has been in and out of the hospital a couple of times in the last month and this time she is pretty sick.  He tells me that her mind is not always the best and that with her age and being a widow her years on this earth could slowly be fading away.  Now, let me tell you this, my Granny Bobbie is by no way close to perfect but she is pretty close to it.  Sweet lover of her Lord, lover of her kids and crazy about her grandkids and great-grandkids.  She just simply cannot stop talking about them.  Granny Bobbie has always been so proud of me and anything I have ever done for the Lord.  She has supported me and my family in any ministry endeavor we have taken on.  I remember when we started COC Metro, she reminded me so much of the Widow's Mite as she sent us $150.00 to help us get the church started.  I think God must have smiled really big that day.  So, you get the picture.  She's a pretty important person in my life.

So, taking my Father's words seriously, I headed to Missouri on Monday of this week to spend some time with her there in the hospital.  When I got there yesterday we had the most incredible visit.  It's a visit I have needed since April.  It was a visit that brought it all into perspective.  All the hell on earth that has been unleashed on us and COC Metro the last three months seemed a bit less important as she began to share with me.  She used a phrase like this, "Brad, when the ole body begins to break down and it seems that your days on this earth are coming to an end, everything you thought was SO important wasn't that important at all.  What really matters.....CHRIST & FAMILY.  Are you going to see Jesus when you close your eyes in death and is your family going to meet you there someday.  WOW....perspective.  For a brief moment yesterday, Room 424...Bed 1 at Cox Medical Center in Springfield, MO became a classroom for me.  Bottom line, through it all, I have not lost my God or my Family (biological & spiritual).  That is what really matters.

She shared with me a lot of her life's mistakes....Her OOPS moments.  Moments in her memory that she has dealt with all her life.  And at the end of it all she shares this one thought, "I'm so glad God loves me enough to have given me forgiveness in Christ and is waiting for me with your Grandpa when it's my time to go!"  WOW....there it is.  The meaning of life.  You'd think I'd know that being a pastor and all, right? But it is amazing how quickly, even a follower of Christ, can miss the whole thing.  

So, in the end....what really matters?  CHRIST AND YOU.  What you say about HIM and what He has to say about YOU.  Let that sink in a bit.  

Not just do you know JESUS but does JESUS know you?  

So my desire, my goal and hopefully my life has changed yet again from my divine appointment with my Granny Bobbie.  I pray I am a better person, husband, dad and pastor because I live each day realizing in the end what really matters.

Have a great week!

Guest Blogger on Topic of Discipleship & the Local Church

One of the greatest struggles we have as a new ministry is to recognize the difference between a Sunday Pep Rally and a Deep / Spiritually strong church.  Lets face it:  it's hard to keep from growing a mile wide while only growing an inch deep.  So, I have been reading a lot about this topic and studying where we are as a ministry.  With that said, I think Steven Furtick, Elevation Church, North Carolina says it best.  Please read his thoughts on this topic and their approach to it at Elevation.

Steven writes:

I get asked all the time how we do discipleship at Elevation. Related to this question, I also get asked how we follow up with new believers.

Do we relentlessly call people until they’re in a small group?
Do we offer 57 Bible studies for people to grow in their faith?
Do we provide a yearlong systematic theology course for new believers?

We do have specific and practical things that we do. But when it comes down to it, our philosophy is pretty straightforward and simple:
1) We point the way and 2) we clear the path.

1) We point the way. Like I said yesterday, there’s ultimately nothing we can do to force people to grow in Christ. Nothing. So whether we offer a 26-option discipleship program or a 4-option one really doesn’t matter. If someone really doesn’t want to grow, they’re either going to say no 4 times or 26.

For that reason, we keep it pretty simple.
We give new believers material to help them grow in the initial stages of their faith and we call and encourage them to get plugged in. We constantly stress the importance of small groups. We faithfully proclaim the Word and encourage people to read it for themselves. In short, we point the way to what it looks like to have a relationship with Jesus for themselves.

If they decide not to walk that way, that’s their decision. And we’ve made the decision that we’re not going to chase all of them down if they don’t.

Some people might say to this: Is that what Jesus would do?

I don’t have to wrestle with that question because it’s exactly what Jesus did. Jesus didn’t hook his finger in people’s noses to make sure they were following him. When you read through the gospels, Jesus always cast His net extremely wide. Everyone was invited to follow. But He didn’t chase people down if they weren’t committed (as in the case of the rich young ruler).

The call was to follow Him. Not be dragged kicking and screaming behind Him.
All He did was point the way. To Himself.

2) We clear the path. This is where our greatest responsibility comes into play. If we’ve pointed the way clearly and people are responding, it’s our job to make sure the path is clear for them when they decide to walk on it. There’s no room to drop the ball when it comes to people’s spiritual development. If they’re taking a step towards Christ, we’ve got to make sure that step lands unobstructed.

In other words, we’ve got to make sure our systems and processes are running at full speed. And running efficiently. If someone wants to get in a small group, we’ve got to follow up with them quickly. If someone needs counseling, we need to get them into it right away, and into the best counseling available.

Whatever approach your church uses to pull the maximum God-given potential out of people, it really doesn’t matter. Whether you take people through a five-year development plan. Or you just put them into to small groups and let the growth happen more organically. Your responsibility is ultimately the same either way:

1) Point the way to Jesus clearly.
2) Clear the path to Him effectively.

Well said Steven and thanks for the insight.

What Constitutes "The Best"

This blog might be a little off the path of the norm for me but I think I need to address this issue.  First of all, I want every reader to understand, if you are preaching Jesus & Him crucified, buried and risen again and that salvation in found by putting your faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8-9) and his redemptive work then we are on the same team.  Yes, I know doctrine divides and doctrine is needed.  Without doctrine then false teachers can lead not only young believers but also long time followers of Christ astray.  I am all for doctrine only if it doesn't divide us in our message of Jesus and the joint work to reach our communities with His message.  At COC Metro, we have a saying, "We exist to make HIS name more famous."  Now to do that, we market our church not JESUS.  Jesus needs no marketing!  However, many times we must market HIS ministry to get folks in a post modern culture to show interest and walk into a worship service.  So, when you see the logo for COC on billboards, cars, newspaper ads or road signs, it is all a way to point people to a church that is preaching Jesus.

Now, most of you are probably on board with all of this but lets take it a bit farther.  If we are promoting HIM....making HIM famous (by the way that is our job: "If I be lifted up, I draw all men unto me.") then why are we promoting or marketing ourselves as THE BEST at anything.  The idea of marketing our church over other churches who are preaching the same message must make God look away.  None of us are THE BEST.  Even the mega church 20 miles or 100 miles away isn't THE BEST.  We should all just simply be followers of Christ who are doing OUR BEST to exalt Him and not us or our ministry.  

Key:  If you have to tell people you are THE BEST at anything, chances are, you're not!  

Now, here's the kicker.  I am guilty of this.  It's the competitive mindset when it comes to church planting or reaching a community.  Who are we doing it for.  US or HIM.  Are we trying to build a congregation of large numbers so people will look at us and say, "WOW, look what he / she / they did!" Or are we trying to impact a community in such a way that they would say, "WOW, look what HE did!"

So, God has rocked my world on this a bit in the past few weeks.  I am re-committed to move beyond our walls and understand, people don't have to come to COC or any other church on the 380 Corridor to be impacted by the love and message of Christ.  I can be Christ to people at Walgreens / 7-11 / Raphael's / Sonic and possibly never see those folks at COC on a Sunday.  

Bottom line:  Let us be THE BEST at promoting HIS KINGDOM....Not ours.  That's when His work will truly manifest itself.  Funny, that's exactly what He told us to do.

THE BEST.....Not me & not us.  Compared to HIM I / we have a long way to go!