Bobby Lepinay

Things That Make Me Sad....Things That Make Me Glad

Over the past few weeks, I have been reading "The Fourth Turning"Amazon.com: The Fourth Turning: William Strauss,Neil Howe: Books, a book Sy Rogers highly recommended. 

It is FANTASTIC!!

The basic premise of the book is that just as there are 'cycles' in nature, there are cycles in history.  We in America are in the start of what they call 'The Fourth Turning'.  I won't spoil it beyond that, but all I can say is that if I had read this in high school, I would have LOVED American History! :)

Anyway.....I firmly believe in 'cycles'.  Personally, we have up and down cycles as well.  We go from happy, to sad.....sometimes within a DAY!  Just like the tide goes in, the tide goes out, we have ebb and flow in our lives.

Make sense???

Some things I am happy/sad about today:

• I am VERY happy that this week, my bride and I celebrate 24 years of marriage!! We are heading for Chicago for 3 days later this week, and I cant wait!!  She is seriously HOTTTTT!!!!!!! :)
• I am very sad that Cory and Natasha Doerkson are leaving us. :(  We prayed them out last night, but are believing they will return, as their hearts are here at Harvest.  They are from Canada and were here on a work visa that expired and now are being forced to return.  Dont get me started on the immigration laws in the US.....These guys are told to immediately leave, while illegals are given drivers liscences, benefits.......I will stop here. :(
• I am very happy about what God did yesterday at Harvest!  I had great feedback on my message at the RAVE on "When Relationships Go Sour".  I felt I rushed it some, but could sense it connecting.  Click here and go to media to listen:  www.harvestpensacola.com
• ....Sad??? I GAINED 3 pounds rather than LOSE the 5 I had set my goal for in March!!!! :(
• ...Happy???  I have the best wife, the best kids, the best friends, the best church in the world!!  I am one BLESSED man.....!

Hope you have some things you are thanking God for today.  To focusing on the good, not the bad.....to being 'glass half full' rather than 'glass half empty' kind of people..!

PB

Harvest Television

It's Thursday and I am READY FOR SUNDAY to come!!!! :)

Seriously, we are on a roll at Harvest, folks!  People are coming, coming back, inviting their friends and family, and THOSE are inviting friends and family!!!

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!!!!!! :)  Things get real fun when you get to the 'multiplication stage'! 

That is how the church in Acts grew so quickly:  It multiplied.  We have so much fresh blood at Harvest right now, so many new faces........

.....God is honoring our efforts and our prayers to INFLUENCE OUR CITY FOR THE FAME OF CHRIST!!

With that, many of you have been asking about the TV show we are running.  Lots of these new people checked off that they saw us on TV.  It is working!  As you guys have heard me say (not original), "The best message deserves the best marketing!"

We have just posted the show on our website and youtube.  I am posting it here if you want to watch it.  If you want to tell your friends or family about it, here are the times (ALL on Ch 6 in Pcola, BLABTV):

Sunday 10pm; Wednesday 10pm; Friday 10:30pm; Saturday 11:00 pm.

Click here to watch it:  www.harvestpensacola.com/tvshow.htm

BE THERE SUNDAY WHATEVER YOU DO!!!! :)

PB

Taking Ourselves Too Seriously

Last week, I posted on "thin-skinned-ness'.  I have been doing alot of thinking about that lately. 

We all are WAY too thin of skin....IMO, at least. 

I woke up Sunday with a verse running thru my heart: "May the LORD make your love for one another and ALL PEOPLE grow and overflow...."  See, when we are too 'thin of skin', it just shows our lack. 

We are lacking in our "'love tank'".....the love-level has gotten low. We need to grow ......and then OVERFLOW with love!!

One of my favorite preachers to listen to is Joel Osteen.  Many people think he is fake, shallow, etc... that he is the "smiley preacher".

Joel is just being true to who he is.  If you knew his daddy, if you knew his story, Joel really IS what you see. 

He is authentic to himself.

Ed Young, Jr, Pastor of Fellowship Church in Dallas, a mega baptist church, did this HILARIOUS piece at Lakewood Church, Joels Osteen's megachurch in Houston.  What is cool is that Ed is Southern Baptist, Joel, pure Pentecostal/Charismatic background.  These guys are united in heart, just having FUN!

LOVE IT!!!!  LOVE WHAT GOD IS DOING IN THE EARTH!!!!  This is a special day we live in.

To growing in love,

PB

Amazing Story

This past Sunday, we celebrated the fact of Jesus' resurrection from the dead.  Check out this news story that came out last week........wow!!

7 News on the Net |

Its 6 am and some of our staff are heading to Mobile for the day.  Have a great Tuesday!

PB

Weekend Review March 23, 2008

• Night of Worship Friday night was AWESOME!  I talked to a number of people who were new and they were literally BLOWN AWAY.  Going through the various points of Jesus' suffering and singing appropriate worship songs synched to powerful visuals was.......powerful.  I am big on rather than overpromising and underdelivering, underpromise and overdeliver.  This was indeed that!
• Our Harvest @ The RAVE service was our biggest attendance since we launched!  Our teams are all firing on all cylinders and Pastor Craig continued "The Big Letdown" series with one of his best messages yet!  It was cool saying good bye to folks at the back door and hearing them comment on how powerful the service was.  LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!
• Easter Communion @ Harvest @ 5 was a powerful time.  I spoke on "Getting Back to the Heart of Communion" and had people who have been Christians a long time say that they really got alot out of the message.  Cool......  The presence of the Lord was very sweet and people were impacted.  Again, LOVE IT!!!!!!!
• I keep a calender by my scale in the bathroom.  I always write my goals for the month concerning whatever I am feeling to work and believe for. Back March 1, I set my weight goal at ________ (no way am I telling!  I didnt come close to hitting it though...:(...), and an attendance goal of 500 people a weekend, combing both locations. We hit 485 yesterday.  GOD HONORS FAITH, and goals are a measurable way to stretch your faith!! We still have one more Sunday.......! :)

Pastor Craig's birthday is today, btw!  Wish him a happy bday if you get the chance.  I am treating him to Fish House The Fish House, Pensacola, FL : Reviews of The Fish House - Yahoo! Travel in a few hours, then off to "Meeting Day"...!

Enjoy your Monday!

PB

Easter Weekend @ Harvest

Without question, Easter is THE "Big Game Day" for us as Christians! 

Christmas, we celebrate Jesus' birth.  But Easter...??  It's RESURRECTION Sunday.....THE GRAVE WAS EMPTY!!!! 

Easter is the one big time a year that unchurched people seriously look at attending church.  This year, we went after them, rather than just waiting for them to come to us!  Today, 500,000 emails went out to our region, letting people know we WANT them and WELCOME them at Harvest!! 

This is THE "Big Weekend" of the year for us folks........Let's believe God for souls this Sunday!!

We start the celebration Friday night @ 7 pm at NTF with our "Good Friday Night of Worship".  This will last til about 8:30 and each time has been better, richer, more powerful than the last. Invite your friends as well!!  We are doing up the NTF auditorium and Will and the team are going to ROCK IT, Resurrection style!!! 

DO NOT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY!!!!! 

Then Sunday, 9am @ The RAVE, we continue our 'big push' with "The Big Letdown" series we started last Sunday.  Then Sunday night, at NTF @ 5, we will have a special "Easter Communion Service".  We are believing God to do physical healings, as there is a healing grace that is present when we partake of the Lord's Supper.

God is working in a special way.  Don't get left behind...!!!!

See you Friday night for Night of Worship!

PB

"Thin-Skinned-ness"

I know it is probably not a real word, but "thin-skinned-ness" is what comes to my mind whenever I talk to someone who seems to always be getting offended about something or the other. 

They are 'thin of skin', taking offense at small things, big things, all things. 

1 Corinthians 13, the 'love chapter', says plainly, ...."love is not easily offended."  When we are known for being thin-skinned, the problem is lack of growth in God's love within us.  We take ourselves too seriously.  We get irked easily. 

Hurt easily.

A person who is full of God's love is gracious, able to pass true offenses off to the Lord,.....and able to poke fun at themselves.  They are big-hearted, lovers of God, lovers of people.

One such person at Harvest is Betty Thronson.  "Sister Betty", as we all affectionately call her, is married to "Chaplain" Freddie.  They serve as Overseers to our flock.

Betty has had many traumatic experiences in her adult life, but is one of the most resilient people I know.  She is a 'southern gal', all heart, who warms up a room just by coming into it. 

She takes the Lord incredibly seriously, herself, not.  You by and large could insert her name in I Corinthians 13 and instead of saying "love is not _______", say "Betty is not _________" and be pretty accurate.

Anyway, our video team shot this promo for the next Ladies Meeting using the Geico commercial premise.  Betty Thronson is on the right, Michelle Stephens, acting as "Sis Betty", on the left. 

Thanks for being such a great sport, Betty.......you are dearly loved!! :)

PB

Another Good Reason To Keep Your Mouth Shut...

This past Sunday, one of the points I made is that when painful seasons come, the best thing we can do is SHUT UP!!!!

Isaiah 30:15 says, "...In quietness and confidence is your strength."

We have to get quiet.  Rest in God's strength.  Let His strength become our strength.

In browsing blogs, I came across this one on David Kerr's blog.  IMO, this is one more VERY good reason to keep our mouths shut....at least when looking up!!! :)

PB

Sunday Review 3/16/08

  I am posting this at 3pm on Sunday and I have to say....."It is BEAUTIFUL this sunny, balmy Sunday afternoon in the Panhandle!!!"

Just like life, it is amazing how quickly the weather can change.  Rainy, dreary, cold, windy for days on end......then at the blink of an eye, its over.  The front has passed.  The sky is blue again.  All is well.

As I said this morning, 'hours of darkness' can come upon us.  If you are in one, don't give up.  Get quiet.  Hunker down and wait on the sun to come out. 

It will.  It always does.

And you will sense God's lovingkindness once again!

On that note, here is a rundown of our 9am at the RAVE service:

• 276 attendance.  Our 500,000 emails did NOT go out, as the company we are working with thought we wanted it NEXT week.  So.......it goes out Thursday.  LOTS of new faces though!
• Krispy Kreme is back!! After a 2 month hiatus, we decided to bring them back and just BLESS the people.  So, FREE KKD's once again!  I am being good, though.  I only eat HALF of one at the evening service. :)
• Will and the team nailed the Coldplay song before the message.  I was a little concerned, as Coldplay isn't that easy, but they did a GREAT job!
• The video announcement for the Lady's Meeting coming up was HYSTERICAL!  I was laughing til I got up to speak.  It should run again next Sunday.  Seeing Michelle Stephens do Sis. Betty aka Geico commercial....priceless!! :)
• We are heading to the Harvest @ 5 service, catching the worship, then heading to Destin! Brit is there with 24/7 so we are spending tonight with her and coming home late Monday.  Pastor Craig is starting "The Incredibles" tonight and I know it will be packed!  It seems our 'regulars' (now that the weather is getting nice!) are gravitating to the 5 service.  It has been a full house the past few weeks.
• I will be back blogging Tuesday. Find a way to enjoy the weather while its here!!! 

Loving what God is doing....!!

PB

Big Push

Twice a year, we do what we call "Big Push" at Harvest.  This is a sermon series that we promote heavily, that is 'high interest'.  During these weeks, we focus all our energy and resources on 1 thing:  GROWTH!

Churches tend to plateau.  To break the plateau, you have to be INTENTIONAL:  You have to "PUSH"! Thus, the 'Big Push'! :)

Our Big Push series this time is called "The Big Letdown". Harvest Church Pensacola

For the next 4 Sundays, we will talk about facing disappointment:  Disappointment with God (Why doesnt He answer some prayers???), disappointment in relationships, ......disappointment in what you expected of your Christianity......and alot more. 

We started running our tv show on BLAB (ch 6 in Escambia) at 10pm on Wed, 10:30 pm on Friday, 11pm on Saturday, and 10pm on Sunday this past week.  We also sent out today 500,000 emails, inviting people to come to church. 

It is exciting to see our website visitors SKYROCKET!! ,......

......."God, please move them to come to church!!!!"

So dont miss this Sunday, folks!!  I feel exactly like the first Sunday we launched the RAVE:  BUTTERFLY CITY!! :) 

I cant wait to see the new people show up! 

Please, come ready to show them a smiling face that WANTS them there!!!  We need you.  We need you to be looking for new faces to make comfortable, to show Christ to them.  We cant do this alone!!

I CANT WAIT FOR SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

PB