I’m Back…and Ready
After taking the summer off from blogging I’m officially back. What an incredible summer we have had at EPIC Church. We have exceeded our 10 Week Challenge goals. We have grown numerically and financially during the summer. Most importantly, the spiritual climate of EPIC has never been stronger. The summer was great, but this fall will be epic at EPIC.
Here’s a quick overview of the next few months of ministry:
- We have several big announcements over the next few weeks of September. Don’t miss the EPIC Experience.
- We are kicking off the You Asked For It sermon series on September 12th to answer some of your questions.
- We are planning on making the transition to two experiences (services) on October 3rd (9:00 & 10:30am).
- In October I will be teaching a sermon series entitled The Winning Hand – Don’t gamble with your life.
- We are also kicking off a huge church planting initiative on 10-10-10 in partnership with the Synergy Church Network. Stay tuned for more details.
- Then in November we are sending out our first missionary. Our Executive Pastor Dustin McClellan will be heading to Pontiac, Michigan to work with the Power Company Kids Club as an inner city missionary.
I’m so excited to see what God has in store for this fall season of ministry. Join me in prayer for the future of EPIC Church. As a leadership team we know the vision that God has called us to and we are committed now more than ever to see it accomplished in Kansas City. We exist to reach the pre-churched and de-churched people in our city…so let’s continue to make Jesus famous, one life at a time!
-bobby-
State of the Church
On Sunday, June 6th I will share our semi-annual State of the Church Address at the EPIC Experience. Here’s an excerpt from the upcoming message:
We have several big challenges in front of us for the remainder of 2010 but an even bigger God to see us through. All of these challenges become opportunities for God to come through for us again. We can choose to focus on the overwhelming needs or we can fix our eyes on the One who meets our needs according to His glorious riches.
Fear or Faith? Let’s choose to see with eyes of faith!
Obstacle or Opportunity? Let’s consider this an opportunity for God to provide!
Impossible or Possible? Let’s believe God that all things are possible!
Mark your calendars now for Sunday, June 6th @ 10am. This will be a pivotal day for the EPIC Church family. Don’t miss the EPIC State of the Church Address!
Not the sermon…just a thought!
The HEROES series continued at EPIC Church this past Sunday with The Unusual Hero. This next Sunday we will conclude the series with a real life HEROES as missionaries Sam and Joyce Johnson join us at EPIC. Now back to the Unusual Hero.
According to 1 Samuel 3:1-21 Eli was lying down in his usual place and the Word of the Lord was rare. However, God raised up Samuel to be unusual and extraordinary. The Word of the Lord returned to Israel through young Samuel. Samuel chose to be different. He chose to be unusual.
Since this was my last week preaching on HEROES I concluded the message with four questions from the Hebrews 12:1-3. Here are the four final questions from the series:
- What about our SIN? – We are challenged to throw off the sin that entangles us. (vs. 1)
- What about our STRENGTH? – We are challenged to run the race with perseverance. (vs. 1)
- What about our SIGHT? – We are challenged to fix our eyes on Jesus. (vs. 2)
- What about our SAVIOR? – We are challenged to consider Jesus’ example. (vs. 3)
Ask yourself these questions. Answer them honestly. And with God’s help go be a HERO!
27 Tough Questions Pastors Ask
My friend Dick Hardy from The Hardy Group sent me a copy of his recently released book 27 Tough Questions Pastors Ask. I’ve known Dick for almost a decade now and I know he doesn’t pull any punches. He’s always a straight shooter when it comes to ministry so I thought I would give his rookie release a chance. I’m glad I did.
The first thing I can say about 27 Tough Questions Pastors Ask is it doesn’t read like most authors’ first books. Dick seems like a veteran author in his presentation style. Most importantly, Dick talks to pastors all of the time. He is not speaking from his own theories or frustrations, he is listening to the questions of pastors all over the country.
I highly recommend this quick read as a top shelf practical ministry resource. As a pastor I have asked many of the questions in this book. Dick has taken the time to collect and now communicate many of the answers and options to the tough issues of pastoral ministry. Pick up your own copy of 27 Tough Questions Pastors Ask at Amazon or directly from The Hardy Group website.
Great job Dick Hardy!
Not the sermon…just a thought!
The HEROES series continued at EPIC Church this past Sunday with The Undignified Hero. According to 2 Samuel 6:1-23 David became undignified in his worship before the Lord. Here’s an excerpt from this past Sunday’s message:
“Worship is an intense passion. It’s a response to who or what we value most. The question is not ‘Will you worship?’ The question is ‘Who will you worship?’ Worship is a lifestyle choice and sometimes worshiping God appears foolish to those around you. For example:
- It seemed foolish for Noah to build a boat in the middle of the desert…but it pleased God!
- It seemed foolish for a 90 year old woman named Sarah to make maternity clothes…but it pleased God!
- It seemed foolish for an army of Israelites to shout at walls expecting them to crumble…but it pleased God.
- It seemed foolish for a young boy named David to take a slingshot to fight a giant…but it pleased God!
- It seemed foolish for a group of wise men to follow a star to a manger…but it pleased God!
- It seemed foolish for Peter to get out of a boat and expect to walk on water…but it pleased God!
- It seemed foolish for Jesus to hang stark naked on the edge of a public highway…but it pleased God!
Are you more concerned about looking foolish in the eyes of men or pleasing the heart of God?
Not the sermon…just a thought!
Not the sermon…just a thought!
The HEROES series continued at EPIC Church this past Sunday with The Unselfish Hero. Jephthah demonstrates unselfishness in Judges 10. Here’s the four contrasts from this past Sunday’s message followed by a quote:
Remorse vs. Repentance
Rejection vs. Redemption
Savior vs. Lord
Selfish vs. Selfless
“God demonstrated the most selfless act when he gave His son Jesus. I’m not going to heaven just because God loves me. I’m going to heaven because God loved me enough to give His one and only son to die for me. That’s unselfish love at its best!”
Not the sermon…just a thought!
Not the sermon…just a thought!
I continued the HEROES series at EPIC Church this past Sunday with The Unsung Heroes. Barak, Deborah and Jael are unsung heroes from Judges 4. Here’s an excerpt from this past Sunday’s message:
Barak is mentioned as a hero in Hebrews 11, but he doesn’t receive the glory from the battle in Judges 4. Deborah is the leader over Israel in Judges 4, but she is not mentioned as a hero in Hebrews 11. Jael is the hero of the story in Judges 4, but after this story she is not mentioned again in the Bible.
These are heroes who didn’t receive the credit they deserved. Each of these heroes seems overlooked for their exploits of faith. Barak, Deborah and Jael were all unsung heroes.
Are you willing to be a hero even if you go unnoticed? Are you willing to be an unsung hero?
Not the sermon…just a thought!
Not the sermon…just a thought!
I continued the HEROES series at EPIC Church this past Sunday with The Unlikely Hero. Gideon is an unlikely hero who’s story starts in Judges 6. Now when you think of Gideon you may think of the guy who places bibles in hotel rooms with his name on the front. However, the Gideon from the book of Judges is a fearful farmer turned into a mighty warrior. Gideon was definitely an Unlikely Hero!
Here’s an excerpt from this past Sunday’s message:
Gideon started out as a coward hiding from his enemy. But God saw hero potential in Gideon. Gideon may have been the least in his family. He may have been poor in material wealth. He may have lacked leadership experience. But God created Gideon to be a hero.
In the same way, you may not look like a hero, or feel like a hero, or have hero experience, but God created you with great potential to be a hero. God created you just the way you are. Stop trying to be somebody else and start being you. After all, if you won’t be you then who will? God needs you! God needs another hero! Will you accept the challenge?
Not the sermon…just a thought!
Not the sermon…just a thought!
This past Sunday was incredible at EPIC Church as we celebrated Resurrection Sunday and kicked off our Heroes series. I wore a Jack Bauer t-shirt and preached on Jesus: The Ultimate Hero. We had our highest single attended Sunday since our grand opening in our new facility. Most importantly, many people responded to God’s grace. If you missed out then listen to the podcast of The Ultimate Hero and join us next Sunday for The Unlikely Hero.
Here’s a thought from The Ultimate Hero:
“Do you know God created a hero when he created you…you may not look like a hero, you may not seem like a hero, you may not have the history of a hero, but Jesus didn’t either…
Jesus was poor. He was so poor he…
…was born in a borrowed manger…
…preached from a borrowed boat…
…fed over 5000 with a borrowed lunch…
…rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey…
…ate his last meal in a borrowed room…
…was even buried in a borrowed tomb…
…and He’s the unfailing, unmatched, undisputed, undefeated champion over death, hell and the grave…
Jesus is the ultimate hero…and when you accept Jesus into your heart you have Hero potential inside of you!”
Not the sermon…just a thought!
The Simplified Gospel
I remember attending a leadership retreat in October 2001 while I was attending Bible college. The guest speaker was Dr. Dick Foth. Dick is a former pastor and college president who now serves as minister-at-large in the congressional and diplomatic communities of Washington DC. Dick’s calling is to share the Gospel in our nation’s capital, and he is brilliant to say the least.
However, Dick didn’t try to impress the group of future ministers with his intelligence. Instead, Dr. Foth, who ministers to the political elite of our nation, encapsulated the essence of the Gospel in thirty words. He said, “Jesus left his place in heaven to come to your place on earth. He took your place on a cross so you could go back to his place in heaven.”
That’s the simplicity of the Gospel. Sometimes as Christians we try to complicate the message of the Gospel when the Creator of the universe really made it simple. Incarnation+Perfection+Crucifixion+Resurrection+Ascension=Gospel. God even gave us a simple formula for salvation. Admit+Believe+Confess=Salvation.
The Gospel. Not easy but simple. As Resurrection Sunday approaches let’s make sure not to complicate the simple message of the Gospel. To further simplify Dr. Foth…His place, Your place, Your place, His place! That’s the message of the Gospel!
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 and father, a gifted communicator and a church planting pastor. Bobby has been preaching for the last fifteen 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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