Mark Batterson

When people think of “church” they don’t often think of “party” but that’s a recurring theme in the gospels, a recurring theme in the parables of Jesus. From day one, our dream for NCC has been that when people miss church they actually miss church. Why? Because that’s where the party is at. Throwing better parties is part and parcel of following Jesus.

The first four letters of every testimony is “test”. Once you pass the test, you get a testimony. And once you get it, you need to use it. Why? Because it’s not “your” testimony. God is writing His story through your life! Your testimony is your gift to the world.

Most of us get stuck spiritually because we’re waiting for God to make a move while God is waiting for us to make a move. Quit watching the clouds and start seeding them. Delayed obedience is disobedience!

Don’t box God in. Don’t box people out.

In the beginning, God created humankind in His image. We have been creating God in our image ever since. But what you end up with is a god who looks a lot like us! That’s the God we’re dismantling in this series so we can discover the true God, the God of the Bible. And that God might surprise you.

The key to changing the way we think, the way we feel, and the way we behave is NOT changing the way we think, the way we feel, and the way we behave. The key? Changing the stories we tell ourselves!

Prayer is a two-sided coin. You can’t just pray like it depends on God, you also have to work like it depends on you. Pray. Then pray some more. But at some point, you need to stop praying about it and starting doing something about it. The best prayer is a well-lived life. The best prayer is doing what Jesus did. And God will help you do it beyond your ability. It’s called the anointing, and it’s the difference between the best you can do and the best God can do.

It takes seventeen seconds to recite the Lord’s prayer, but it takes a lifetime to live it and learn it. The turning point in the prayer, the tipping point, is this: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” This prayer is the difference between bitter and better. If you’re stuck emotionally or spiritually, maybe it’s because you’ve prayed the first half of this prayer but not the second half. If you want to be whole, you have to pray the whole thing.

When you put what is in your hands into the hands of God, 5 + 2 no longer equals 7. When you add God to the equation, 5 + 2 = 5000 R12. It’s Kingdom Calculus. By definition, a God-sized dream is beyond your ability and beyond your resources. In other words, you cannot do it. But God can. And that’s how God gets the glory! He does things we can’t take credit for.

The way we reboot spiritually is God’s mercy and grace. Mercy is NOT GETTING what we deserve. Grace is getting what we DO NOT deserve. The good news? The Mercy Shop is never closed.