EPIC’s on the front page!
EPIC Church is advertising on the front page of the Independence and Blue Springs Examiners today! The picture above is the sticker that you will see at the top of 13,000 newspapers throughout our city. I picked up my copy at the gas station this morning. As a church we are hoping and praying that many people will be exposed to EPIC, and ultimately Jesus, as a result of this type of advertising.
So why George Westlake?
Dr. Westlake was my pastor growing up. I attended Sheffield Family Life Center where he served as Senior Pastor for 34 years. I’ve learned more about the Bible from him than any of the teachers I had in Bible college. He is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to God’s Word, and he is one of the best preachers in the world. I know I’m not the only person in Kansas City that has been impacted by his thorough knowledge of the Bible communicated through his teaching and preaching.
During his time on television as host of Sunday Night Alive and Living Answers for Today he had the largest viewing audience of any program in KC with the same time slot. We have several people in our church who listened to Dr. Westlake on television and have recently committed their lives to Christ at EPIC Church. The seeds were planted through a live Bible Q&A program and we watered them at EPIC Church. Praise God for the increase!
Personally I can’t wait to host my Pastor as he preaches on Sunday morning and answers live questions on Sunday night. If you live in the KC area you won’t want to miss this great opportunity. Dr. Westlake is still recognized by many in the area who are not part of a Bible believing church. Invite them to join you at this special event and let’s believe God will change people’s lives! After all, in the words of my Pastor, “God is still in the people changing business!”
Once again, Dr. Westlake will be preaching at EPIC Church on Sunday morning March 28th at 10am. Then he will answer live questions about the Bible from 6:30-8:00pm that evening. We will be giving away several copies of his books and others will be available for purchase after the live Q&A. Childcare will be provided both times. For more information click here. Hope to see you there!
Not the sermon…just a thought!
This past Sunday at EPIC Church I shared the second message of a four-part series from the book of Jonah entitled I Am Jonah. You can listen to The Response of Jonah by clicking here. The theme of the series comes from a quote by G. Campbell Morgan. Morgan once said, “Men have been looking so hard at the great fish that they have failed to see the great God.”
Here’s a thought from this past week’s sermon:
The story of Jonah is not primarily about a whale or big fish. The fish is only mentioned in three verses of the forty-eight. The fish is a secondary character. So what is the story of Jonah about? It’s primarily about the relentless love of God. The story starts with God’s relentless love for Nineveh and ends with God’s relentless love for Jonah.
Then it is a story secondarily about me. I am Jonah when I run from the mission of God because I don’t like the people he loves. I am Jonah when I resent the love and forgiveness God gives to my enemies. I am Jonah when I refuse to do what God wants me to do.
In my opinion, the most surprising thing about the story is not God’s relentless love for Nineveh, but His relentless love for Jonah. And I am Jonah!
Not the sermon…just a thought!
EPIC in the Press
The Independence/Blue Springs Examiner has an article in today’s paper about EPIC Church. The article is located in the special progress section on page E8 and EPIC has a featured ad on page C5. Here’s the text from the article written by Sandy Turner:
Bobby Hawk recently said that life’s challenges could be compared to “trying to put a round peg into a square hole.” With an EPIC idea, he’s ready to share the “solution” with as many as he can.
EPIC, for Hawk, means something different than its’ usual definition of being big and impressive — although his philosophy for life and his new church is exciting and extraordinary.
EPIC Church, located in Independence, began with a dream in the fall of 2007 and in just a years’ time the journey for Bobby and his wife Vanessa, began of planting a new church with a new way of worship.
Meeting for the first year in the Pharaoh Theater on the Independence Square, EPIC began holding service in their new location in January.
“Vanessa and I love the entire process of beginning a new church,” Hawk said, who will be a first time father in March. “Our goal is to reach the pre-churched and de-churched in the community.”
As a multi-cultural and multi-generational church, EPIC is giving their members and guests help for living in today’s society and hope for the future.
“Some people have been turned off by church for many reasons,” he said. “We want to have the chance to introduce them to God’s word in a different way as well as giving those who have never been to church the opportunity to come, feel welcome and accepted for who they are.”
With Sunday morning services at 10 a.m., the EPIC experience is creative, casual and contemporary with live music and a message that is applicable to today’s lives.
Graduating in the top of his class from the Central Bible College in Springfield, Hawk’s passion to plant new churches began at the young age of 22, when he began his first church in Michigan and continued to preach nationally and internationally.
“We were sad to leave the inner-city church that we had planted,” he said. “But it was time to come back home,” as Hawk grew up and went to school in Blue Springs.
The naming of the church came from the foundation of the church’s principles: Experience God in an exciting, creative and practical way. Participate, meaning going from simply observation to participation. Invest as being good stewards of God and investing in our own lives as well as others. Commit to the EPIC and your own personal mission.
“There are times that people come to visit a church not even realizing that they are actually looking for a personal relationship with God. EPIC exists more for the people outside of the church, than the people inside.”
Affiliated with the Assemblies of God, EPIC Church is also backed by the Sheffield Family Life Center with pastor George Westlake scheduled to make a guest appearance in March.
“EPIC is a church for anyone, but not for everyone,” Hawk explains. “We are less concerned about what people are wearing. It’s about being comfortable and learning God’s word.”
EPIC offers nursery care as well as a children’s service.
On bobbyhawk.com his food for thought is this: Do you spend more time building walls with religion or bridges through relationships?
Visit www.bobbyhawk.com or www.epickc.com for more information or call 896-3742. Find EPIC Church off of 40 Highway heading East, turning right onto Little Blue Parkway and turn right onto E. 50 Terrace.
A big thanks to Sandy and the Examiner for writing such a great article about EPIC Church!
Not the sermon…just a thought!
Valentine’s Day was all about love at EPIC Church. The Black Eyed Peas made a vocal appearance as we played Where is the Love before and after the service. I also preached a sermon entitled Where is the Love from John 3:16 (to listen to the full sermon click here).
Here’s a short poem from an unknown author that I shared at the end of the message.
For God – the Lord of earth and Heaven,
So loved – and longed to see forgiven,
The world – in sin and pleasure mad,
That He gave – the only Son he had,
His only Son – to take our place,
That whosoever – oh, what grace,
Believes – placing simple trust,
In Him – the righteous and the just,
Should not perish – lost in sin,
But have eternal life – in Him.
Not the sermon…just a thought (or a poem)!
Not the sermon…just a thought!
This past Sunday I was back in the saddle preaching at EPIC Church. I concluded the Identity Theft series with a message entitled Robbed by Relationships. The following is a short thought from the sermon.
A lie believed as truth will affect you as if it were true. Deep inside of our hearts there is a God sized shape that only He can fill. When we try to fill the void with other relationships it’s like trying to cram a square peg into a round hole. Other relationships (like marriage) may compliment you as a person…but these relationships will never complete you. Only God can fill the void He created!
Not the sermon…just a thought!
Friday’s Food for Thought
Here’s some food for thought: Do you spend more time building walls with religion or bridges through relationships? As Christians we should spend more time building bridges rather than walls. Religion is comprised of bricks and mortar that create walls of separation between people. Relationships are more like bridges that connect us to each other. Let me share a bridge building example from earlier this week.
This past Wednesday I spent a few hours with a group of pastors from the KC area. We all come from different tribes (probably better known as denominations). We had large church pastors, small church pastors, and church planters that haven’t even started yet. Some of us were pre-trib and pre-millennial and others were not (don’t worry about what that means because most of us aren’t quite sure). We had Calvinists and Armenians together in one room along with a few caught in the middle (and TULIP wasn’t even brought up).
I say all of that to say this: We didn’t focus on RELIGION! We were all there for the RELATIONSHIPS. Don’t get me wrong. We are all Bible believing pastors that preach and teach Jesus is the only way to heaven. We all agree on our core creed of beliefs. We just choose not to build walls based on our doctrinal differences. We celebrate our differences and focus on building our relationships.
“After all, we need thousands of different kinds of churches to reach millions of different kinds of people.” This quote came from one of my non A/G pastor friends leading our discussion. I couldn’t agree with him more. Let me encourage you to focus on building relationships with other Christians. As long as you can agree upon the core creed of Christianity then why argue about the rest? Focus on what really matters: your relationship with Jesus! Start tearing down your walls and building out your bridges!
Not the sermon…just a thought!
This past Sunday I continued preaching part two of a four part series at EPIC Church entitled Identity Theft. The second message Mugged by the Mirror continues to expose the lies of the enemy. The following is a short thought from the sermon.
A lie believed as truth will affect you as if it were true. Society tells you that your body image determines your worth and value in life. That’s a lie! However most of us spend more time flipping through magazines to see how we can look better on the outside than we spend looking through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to see how we should look on the inside…and what’s on the inside is what really counts!
Not the sermon…just a thought!
(click here to listen to the full message Mugged by the Mirror)
Not the sermon…just a thought
This past Sunday I started a new four part series at EPIC Church entitled Identity Theft. The first message Looted by a Lie is from Genesis 2-3 and Matthew 4. The following is a short thought from the sermon.
A lie believed as truth will affect you as if it were true. Most of the time Satan doesn’t try to convince us that God doesn’t exist, but that God doesn’t mean what He says. Satan asked Eve, “Did God really say?” He still asks us the same question. So do you know what God really said in His Word?
Not the sermon…just a thought!
(click here to listen to the full message Looted by a Lie)
Haiti Relief Offering
This Sunday at EPIC Church we will be taking a special offering to help with the Haiti Relief Effort. The Assemblies of God is partnering with Convoy of Hope to help raise money to send supplies and personnel to help the people of Haiti. This is not the time to condemn people for their beliefs. It’s time to reach out with compassion as we allow the love of Jesus to be demonstrated through our prayers and missions giving. Click here to learn more about Convoy of Hope’s relief plan and please come prepared to give this Sunday. Thanks!
Get in SHAPE in 2010
Every year I set goals to get in SHAPE. I use the word SHAPE as an acronym to focus on the following five areas of my life:
S – Spiritual Growth
- Spiritual growth is at the top of the list because it’s the most important. I set Bible reading goals and focus on areas of my devotional life that need improvement.
H – Health & Fitness
- The older I get the more I realize how much I need to take care of my physical body. This year I have set some weight loss goals as well as workout goals.
A – Activities & Relaxation
- I am a very driven person (with a type A personality) that thrives on the challenges of a busy schedule. However, I realize I need to set some goals to relax and refresh doing things I enjoy.
P – Personal Growth
- I think it’s extremely important as a leader to focus on personal growth in addition to spiritual growth. One of my personal growth goals is to read 52 books this year.
E – Expenses & Giving
- Creating financial goals through a budgeting process is important for everyone. However, I like to take it a step further and set giving goals above and beyond my tithe.
What goals have you set for this new year? If you haven’t set any goals yet then try this pattern and get in SHAPE in 2010!
Bobby’s Bio
Bobby grew up in Independence, Missouri, which is located just outside of Kansas City. He graduated from Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri with a BA in Bible/Theology. After graduating from college he married Vanessa and moved to Metro Detroit to plant a church. Bobby and Vanessa spent five years establishing Pontiac Family Worship Center before moving back to Kansas City to start another new church. Bobby launched the Synergy Church Network in 2008. He and Vanessa also started EPIC Church in 2009. In addition to serving as Lead Pastor at EPIC, Bobby’s desire is to plant churches and develop leaders.
Bobby is a passionate Christ follower, a loving husband, a future father, a gifted communicator and a church planting pastor. Bobby has been preaching for the last fourteen years both nationally and internationally. His primary passion is to see people come to Christ. To contact Bobby regarding a speaking engagement or to find out more about EPIC Church or the Synergy Church Network click email me on the right side of the page.
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