WholeHeartedLife

A Slammin' Steak Dinner!!!!

You Gotta Check this Out!!!

Last year I had the priviledge for leading worship at the 2008 Men's Conference at Arran Lake Church. I was so impressed with the quality of the conference that I told Pastor Jeff, "next year, I want hyde park to be a part of this!!! I want our men to experience this excellent conference!".

So here's the deal:

• Friday Nite March 20th at 6:30pm:

this thing starts with a SSSS-LAMMIN' Steak Dinner (mikey likey da steaky ). Seriously, these men know how to cook a great steak.

• I'll be leading worship on this event: we're gonna turn Arran Lake Baptist Church OUT!!!
• Continues on Saturday Morning at 8:30 with a breakfast almost as great as Friday Nite's Supper.
• The teaching for the conference is done by Pastor Jeff Isenhour. I gotta tell ya... Pastor Jeff has a heart for men's ministry. As a Pastor in a transient military town for 20 years, Jeff has had to learn how to bring it in a way that connects with these men. As I said earlier, I was very, VERY impressed last year.
• All teens are FREE!!! Men... dads... Pastor Jeff wants young men to be a part of this. Much of what he'll teach will be "preventive medicine" for some. If you have friends with teen boys make sure that they sign up as well.
• It's in Hope Mills: which means no hotels, very inexpensive. You can travel back and forth with the fellas.

I know all you men have really busy lives - and it's really easy to make excuses "why" you won't attend. But let me ask you: when is the last time that you made a serious effort to do something spiritual for YOU? I don't mean serve at church... I mean taking the time to go and sit and allow God to speak. I challenge you to get a group of 5 or so guys together and make it a weekend. 

(And WholeHearted ladies: convince your men to DO this - you got "the power" - have them do it for your marriage and for your family).

Best part? All this and you're on the road by noon.   You can register here. (let me know if you register).

5 Questions with Larry Grays

Larry Grays, from Atlanta, is one of the featured speakers at GuyFest this Sunday. He was kind enough to give me a few minutes of his time to talk about his passion, life and GuyFest.

Tell us a little about Larry Grays:

"I have been married to my wife Kathy for 5 years.  We have two kids Lauren Kate 2 ½ and Gibson 15 months.  I grew up in Orange Park, FL.  Have never found any barbeque that I did not like.  I enjoy playing racquetball and I am a Florida State Seminole football fan."

Describe the passion behind your ministry:

"I love great preaching.  I love to see people saved.  I have a burden to see the church on Sunday mornings look a little more like heaven."

Most unbelievable ministry experience:

"Preaching the gospel in a Russian village that had never had a public proclamation of the gospel and seeing over 140 trust Christ.  We then joined hands and made a giant circle and claimed a piece of ground for a church building.  Today there is a church building on that land."

What's in your iPod?

"Kirk Franklin, Charles Billingsley, Israel and New Breed, Norah Jones, Passion, Donny McClurkin, Clint Brown"

What do you pray happens at GuyFest?

"I pray that men accept the challenge to be spiritual leaders in their homes and I pray that men who are lost get saved."

Table Packers?

"A table-packer is a pro-actor" (this is for those of you who need catch-phrases to help you remember * i know, it's lame, but it rhymes )

Sunday I challenged all of our men present to "pack a table" for GuyFest. I told them, "and if you can't fill 7 seats, team up with somebody - surely 2 people can get 7 friends to come to this thing together." I know you can - question is: will ya?

This Father's Day hyde park will do something that you will be hard-pressed to find a better event at any church, regardless of size (go ahead, google it and tell me what you find!) Guys, do you have a friend who:

• just doesn't get the God thing? He "believes in God", he just doesn't know why you think God is so great?
• has a family (especially kidz) who are basically unchurched? (attend a church less than 6 times per year).
• you know their family situation would be improved if they loved JESUS and became a spiritual leader in their home?
• you've invited and invited, but they still haven't come?

GuyFest is it, fellas. Put that ticket in their hand - tell them we have something for their whole family on that day - that you wanna feed them a full breakfast - that you need them because your worship pastor said he's coming after ya if you don't pack-out your table *WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET THEM TO GuyFest - IT MAY CHANGE THEIR LIFE AND THEIR FRIENDSHIP FOR ALL ETERNITY*

And ladies, help your fellas out (you're better at this thing than we are anyway). Those friends of your husbands, they have wives and girlfriends don't they? Invite them to come with you so their husbands won't miss GuyFest. (You can register for GuyFest RIGHT HERE * give us your name, friends' name, phone number, mobile phone and how many will attend with you)