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Happy New Year
This year has been one adventure after another.
- I did not know a year ago that this would be the year I follow my father as the senior pastor of ROCK Church.
- This year, David Pray became our worship and creative arts director.
- Matthew finally got married.
- I became the father of a teenager.
- I took my wife to Costa Rica for our anniversary. Man, she makes me smile every time I think about her.
- Noah (age 11) and I went to Washington, DC so he could be a part of an international leadership summit.
- I had the opportunity to have lunch with Perry Noble. I don’t think Perry will ever know how much that meeting impacted me. I have been brought back to his words to me several times this year.
- Dad and I traveled to Church Of The Highlands and saw a church that confirmed to me again that I was not abandoning my roots as we continue to transition our church. Thank you Pastor Chris Hodges and ARC!
- God crossed my path with Matt Fry from C3 in Clayton, NC. He has challenged me on some things recently as a leader that make me really nervous and that is very good. I’ve got to get him to come to ROCK Church this year.
- Jennifer and I had the privilege of going to the Catalyst Conference. God used that time to connect us to other leaders and remind us of what we are called to do.
- I had sinus surgery a few weeks ago. Yeah, that was definitely an adventure.
I have been privileged to make many fun, exciting announcements and I’ve had to make some of the most difficult decisions of my life. I had no idea how much God would stretch me this year. I am grateful for where He has brought us. This next year is going to be amazing. When I look forward to the next 365 days, I have to admit that it makes me nervous. Not scared. No, I’m talking about the kind of nervous that comes when you know you are a part of something super huge… something awesome.
I do know that I need God’s wisdom now more than ever. I need to hear His voice leading me. So, I’m going to pursue Him.
It’s going to be another great adventure. Are you ready?
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Happy Birthday Dad!
When I was very young, God spoke to my dad and told him I would be just like him when I grew up. This brought my dad to tears because he was not proud of who he was. He knew that, if true, what I grew up to be would bring him heartache. He asked God to not let that happen. Then he heard God speak to him again saying (paraphrase), “Bryan will be like you. If you do not want him to be like the man you are today, change who you are.”
My dad made a lot of changes in his life. He stopped being just a professional Christian and became a true follower of Christ. He became the husband and father that God wanted him to be. He became an example that anyone could follow.
Today, I am very much like my father and that brings me joy. My wife is honored because I learned how to be a Godly husband from my dad. My kids are blessed because my father taught me how to be a dad. My relationship with God is stronger, because I learned how to pray by listening to dad pray.
Dad, thank you for letting God direct you to become my foremost example of who I should be as a man. I am honored to have become just like you.
Happy Birthday
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21 Days Update
Our new adventure of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting is coming fast. Many ROCKERS have questions about what type of fast to commit to and how to begin. We are committing to a 21 day Daniel Fast and I want to invite you to join us.
We just posted a Daniel Fast Information Packet over at rockwilmington.com. But, you can just CLICK HERE to download it directly. I want to thank the guys at Elevation Church in Charlotte for posting their fasting info packet online. If you were to compare theirs and ours, you would see very little difference. From the beginning, Pastor Steven Furtick and his team presented the inner workings of how they do church and welcome churches to use their resources… for free! Thank you Elevation!
January 11th is coming fast. I believe we are all going to be very surprised what God will do when we give Him 21 days. I can’t wait…
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A new adventure is about to begin
I am getting excited about the “21 Days of Prayer” beginning on January 11th. Since telling our church family last Sunday about this time of prayer and fasting, I have gotten many questions about fasting. This has helped me realize the need to direct everyone to some fasting resources.
Let me start by letting you know up front that we are not asking everyone to go 21 days without any food. Especially, if you have never fasted for an extended period of time. We are asking everyone who calls ROCK Church home to fast something from January 11-31. You may fast one meal, one day, one week or the whole 21 days.
In order to have a successful time of prayer and fasting, I encourage everyone to begin your preparations now. There are several ways for you to start getting ready:
- Do some research on the different types of prayer and fasting. Here are a few resources I have found recently.
- Ask God what type of fast you should do.
- Clear time in your schedule for prayer. Fasting without prayer will only make you hungry and irritable. Fasting with prayer will supercharge your spirit.
- Prepare spiritually. We are not taking this time so that we will be physically hungry. We are setting aside these 21 days so that our spirit man will feast and grow strong. As we prepare our hearts and plan for times of focused prayer, we set ourselves up for success. I would encourage you to join us for prayer each Wednesday at 7:00pm in the auditorium during this season. Also, set aside time each day to read the Bible. We will post a daily devotional as we read through the Book of John.
- Prepare physically.The more intense the fast you will undertake, the more important it is to wean yourself from sugar, caffeine and as much salt as possible. Please consult with your physician before beginning a fast, especially if you take prescription medication or have a chronic ailment. Some persons should never fast without professional supervision.
I want to thank Pastor Matt Fry for inviting our church to be a part of this time of prayer and fasting. He has been a tremendous encourager to me personally over the last few months. I believe ROCK Church is better because of his input.
I must admit that this will be a new thing for me. I have taken times in the past and devoted them to prayer and fasting. But, I have never done an extended fast before. This year, I am committing to a Daniel Fast. I am nervous and excited all at the same time. More than anything else, I want my spirit to grow stronger and for Jesus to be glorified.
I’ll post more in the next few days. How are you getting ready?
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