Together We Build

Good Friday and Easter weekend was amazing – we saw lives changed and got to reach more people on one weekend than ever before! It was our biggest weekend (yet). Last weekend (April 6/7) we launched “Awaken All Weekend” as we added a Saturday night service to our 3 Sunday services, making for another huge weekend for our church. We saw almost as many people at Awaken in our 4 weekend services as we did at our huge Easter service at Austin Peay! And if that wasn’t a cool enough weekend, we also baptized 18 people on Sunday afternoon. God is moving in big ways among us, and we’re honored to be a part of it!

But He’s not done…

After a lot of hurdles and negotiation, God has also provided some additional space for Awaken Church to grow into. It’s a Band-Aid, not a permanent solution, but it will help immensely. We’ve finally been given the go-ahead to begin buildout in the adjacent 1200 sq ft next to our current building. This will improve the flow of Awaken Kids and provide some extra work/office space as well, which is much needed.

We’ve had MANY people ask how they can be involved, so I wanted to give a quick update. There are 2 main ways you can help…

Physically

Pastor Nate will be leading our first Together We Build meeting this coming Saturday at Awaken. We’re asking anyone who wants to help us build, lay carpet, put in ceilings, paint, etc. to come. Pastor Nate will be casting the vision for the new space, giving a brief overview of what it will look like, and seeing who can help with what. However you’d like to be involved, come out this Saturday at 11am to find out more!

Financially

As with any building project, it will not only take work, but also money. This is where anyone (in Clarksville or anywhere else around the world) can be involved. You can donate a gift of any size securely online HERE. Make sure to include “Together We Build” in the comment section. Any excess that we bring in will go to our current building fund as we continue to seek God’s provision and guidance for a new building (which is a big need as well!).

I think it goes without saying that we also ask for your prayers. Please thank God with us for providing this new space, and pray for provision and safety as we build.

However you’re involved, remember: we’re in this together! TOGETHER WE BUILD.

This means war!

Last night kicked off the Easter weekend party with our Good Friday service. It was an amazing night – full house, heartfelt worship, Communion, and even salvation! After service, a whole group of us headed over to the Austin Peay campus, where we’ll be holding our Easter service, to pray. We spent about 30 minutes in the dark cold parking lot crying out to the Lord and asking Him to move powerfully this weekend across the city.

Tonight continues the fun as we gather together with the team of servants who are making Awaken Easter happen. Many visitors will show up on Easter at APSU and not even think about the countless hours and team members that it has taken to get to that point. With that  team of servants, tonight, we’re going to worship loud, pray big, and get stoked. This is our version of a tailgate party before the big game. The difference is, we’re not going into it wondering if our team is going to win - He already won!

I’m honored to go into battle with the people of Awaken Church who selflessly serve week in and week out. One thing I love about them is that they’ve caught the vision – they know this is war, and they know that it is won through prayer. One of the items of our CODE at Awaken says…

The Battle Is Super And Natural. God has promised the victory, but that doesn’t negate our responsibility. We will do everything we can within our natural abilities and trust God for the supernatural.

We believe that with all of our hearts. We’ve given our all to this event, but we know that our resources are very limited. Anyone can put on a show and draw a crowd, but only God can change hearts. We’re going into this weekend with prayer and expectation as we give it our all to see God move.

The Easter Team Rally will also get us stoked and warmed up for the kick-off of Awaken All Weekend beginning next Saturday & Sunday. Whereas most churches get a break after Easter is over, we launch into our fourth weekend service and baptisms next weekend! I’m telling you, the people of Awaken Church are nothing short of amazing. They are a gift to me, to the church, and to this city.

This means war. Let’s go into battle in prayer, Awakeners. BIG things ahead!

Fasting: Replacing Good with Better

Easter is less than 3 weeks away and it’s all hands on deck! We’re believing God for big things, and tomorrow, we’re going to pray for big things. We often take time to pray as a church, but tomorrow is an extra special day as we also fast while we pray. Since fasting is new to a lot of people, I figured I’d post a quick blog with a few guidelines for fasting…

WHY FAST?

In Matthew 6, as Jesus begins talking about fasting, He says, “When you fast…” assuming that His followers will fast. In Mark 9, a demon-possessed boy is brought to Jesus because the disciples couldn’t cast the demon out. Jesus casts the demon out (none stand a chance against Him), and the disciples ask why. He replies, “These can only come by prayer and fasting.” It seems that there are certain victories that can only be won through extra time dedicated to prayer and fasting. Although we’re not casting demons out tomorrow, we are waging war on the spiritual realm, and fasting is a tool that God has given us to sharpen and deepen the power of prayer.

Prayer doesn’t always have to be accompanied by fasting, but fasting should always be accompanied by prayer. Fasting without praying is just starving yourself, and Jesus wasn’t laying out a hyper-spiritual dieting plan. Instead, fasting is replacing something good (food) with something better (prayer & worship). Fasting disconnects us with earthly things and connects us with the things of God. Instead of feasting on a meal, you have extra time to feast on God’s faithfulness (Psalm 37:3).

What if I can’t skip meals?

Fasting in Scripture is almost always from food, but there are lots of ways to fast, especially for those who medically can’t skip meals. You can substitute time that you would normally spend watching TV, sleeping, on social media, or just 1 meal instead of all 3. The goal is not punishing yourself – it’s clearing your schedule to devote more time to prayer.

The practical side of fasting…

Wean yourself off of food. Don’t shove an entire tub of ice cream down your throat at 11:57 as your “last meal before the fast.” That will set you up to fail.

Stay hydrated. When I’m fasting, I drink way more water than typical. Since your body isn’t taking in nutrients through food, make sure you stay extra-hydrated.

Watch out for coffee. I’m a big coffee drinker, except for when I’m fasting. I’ve found (for me) that coffee on an empty stomach is a bad combo, so I lay off for the day.

Work out spiritually, not physically. Doing lots of hard labor while not eating can be dangerous, so be careful. I go to the gym often, but not typically when I’m fasting. And if I do, I’ll eat a small meal afterwards, just to replace what I just burned.

Ease back in. Don’t slam 7 bowls of cereal the next morning after a fast. Ease your body back into a normal routine of eating by eating fruits and vegetables and drinking plenty of water.

Don’t flaunt it. Jesus says that if you use fasting (or prayer) to be seen by men instead of heard by God, you’d better listen up for everyone’s applause…because that’s all the reward you get. Instead, take good care of yourself and smile! The joy of the Lord is your strength.

PRAY MORE. That’s the whole point of fasting. During the time when you would have normally been preparing a meal, eating, or doing whatever activity you’re giving up, spend that time in prayer.

Fasting is a great tool that’s highly underused. Let’s bring it back. And remember: God is big. Pray like it!

If you’re joining us in praying and fasting tomorrow, make sure to follow Awaken on Twitter and Instragram (@AwakenChurch) and like our page on Facebook for updates on the hour every hour from 8am-5pm!

Teach me to pray

Over the last 2 weeks that I spent in California, I asked God for something simple: teach me to pray. I love those simple words that the disciples asked Jesus in person in Luke 11. I find it amazing that to the future preachers of His Church, Jesus spent more time teaching them to pray than to preach!

God answered that simple prayer while I was away. He answered it in part through a great book by E.M. Bounds called The Weapon of Prayer. Bounds has a whole collection of books about prayer, and each that I have read are amazing. In my opinion, there’s probably no need for any more authors to write about prayer. Bounds pretty much nailed it.

God also taught me about prayer through prayer itself. Although almost every waking moment in California was spent studying for my next class, I made sure that I took some time to pray. Although I didn’t do it as much as I would have liked, the time I had with God was deep. He spoke to me in ways I haven’t experienced in a while, and that I won’t try to explain in a blog post. 

Tomorrow at Awaken, I’ll be speaking on the topic of prayer as we continue the Framework series, and I can’t wait to share what God has laid on my heart!

As a little precursor, here is my favorite quote from E.M. Bounds’ book, The Weapon of Prayer…

“Every movement for the advancement of the Gospel must be created by and inspired by prayer. In all these movements of God, prayer precedes and attends as an invariable and necessary condition. In this relation, God makes prayer identical in force and power with Himself, and says to those on earth who pray: “You are on the earth to carry on My cause. I am in heaven, the Lord of all, the Maker of all, the Holy One of all. Now whatever you need for My cause, ask Me and I will do it. Shape the future by your prayers, and all that you need for present supplies, command Me. I made heaven and earth, and all things in them. Ask largely. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. It is MY work which you are doing. It concerns My cause. Be prompt and full in praying. Do not abate your asking, and I will not wince nor abate in My giving.”

Church Planting Day 8: Churches Around the World

That’s a wrap! Yes, I did eat a chicken wrap for lunch today, but that’s also a wrap on my two-week Church Planting block class. I believe that God used these last two weeks to do things that we may not see for years…but the ground is swelling and hearts are stirring!

On Wednesday before class, some of the students from my class organized a prayer meeting. 14 students took their lunch break to gather together to seek God’s will for church planting and ministry in general. What a joy to walk up and see that and get to listen in on their prayers.

And as if that wasn’t great enough, today gave even more proof that God is stirring their hearts. We spent the entire 4 hours today hearing from each student as they presented their Church Planting Project. The goal was to help them pray about, think through, and plan for a future potential church plant in the city of their choice.

I was blown away as one by one, they began to talk about cities around the world that God has been laying on their hearts over the last two weeks. From Acapulco to London and Haiti, from New York and Michigan to New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas, 25 cities were prayed for, researched, and discussed as potential sites for new ministries! If there were doubts in any of their hearts as they were talking about it, you couldn’t tell – there was passion and genuine heartfelt desire to reach these cities for Jesus!

At the end of class, a couple of the guys asked me if they could treat me to dinner. Word got out and it turned out to be 9 of us that went out to eat. BJ’s Restaurant is always great (because of the pizzookie), but the best part was how the night ended. 8 of the students that I’ve spent the last 2 weeks pouring into gathered around me outside of the restaurant and poured back into me. They laid hands on me and prayed for me, Awaken, and the ministry that lies ahead.

These two weeks have been extremely exhausting – mentally and physically, but they’ve been amazing. I’m teaching on prayer this Sunday at Awaken, and I’ve been asking God to teach me about prayer while I’m here. He definitely has! I’ve heard from Him, seen Him answer prayers, and been stirred in ways that I haven’t experienced in quite some time.

To the army of people praying for me here and back home, THANK YOU! God has answered our prayers not only in me, but through me, and in the lives of 25 students you may never meet! He is building His Church. To GOD be the glory!

Super AND Natural

Sunday was a HUGE day for us at Awaken. We had more people in our building during the 10:15 service than ever before, and the other 2 are getting close to capacity as well! Praise God! On the other hand, we had to turn quite a few people away for Awaken Kids because we just didn’t have the room to accommodate them. This certainly isn’t a new issue for us, however – we’ve gotten used to it over the last 3 years…and we love it! It’s not a problem – it’s an opportunity! We need more room for the many people who are coming and bringing friends to hear the Gospel, give their lives to Jesus, and grow deeper. I pray that’s always the case!

One of our core beliefs at Awaken is:

The battle is super and natural.

God has promised the victory, but that doesn’t negate our responsibility. We will do everything we can within our natural ability and trust God for the supernatural.

We’re doing everything within our natural ability right now – we’re thinking, planning, and (this week especially) meeting with landlords, building owners, and contractors. Although those things are important, we can’t forget the most important step: ASKING God for the supernatural – what only He can do.

If you believe in the vision and mission of Awaken Church, and especially if you attend Awaken, I’m asking you to join us this Friday for a day of prayer and fasting. Fasting gives us a tangible reminder throughout the day of how dependent we are. So for 1 day, instead of depending on food for your strength, depend on the Lord. Every time your stomach growls, let it remind you to pray. During the time you would have normally spent preparing and eating a meal, devote that time to prayer.

Most of us can handle a day without food, but if for health reasons, you can’t, give up something else for the day (social media, TV, etc.) and devote that time to prayer this Friday!

If you’re in the Clarksville area, you’re also invited to join us for prayer at Awaken on Friday from 9-10am. I’d love to see the sanctuary full of people believing in God’s direction and provision. Bring your kids if you need to, and let’s PRAY!

God has never let us down and we believe this is simply another way for Him to provide.

Specific ways to pray:

1) financial provision for a new building (you can give online HERE)

2) favor with banks and building owners

3) God’s direction in leading us to the place He wants us to be

If you’re joining us in prayer, would you let me know by leaving a comment below? If you’re outside of Clarksville, let us know where you’re from!

9 Years of God’s Faithfulness

This is a guest post by my wife of 9 years, Jenn. Enjoy!

November 7, 2003 was one of the most exciting days of my whole life! This was the day I had dreamed about my whole life. It was no longer a dream — it was my reality. The whole day was picture perfect. I had no desire to be a “bridezilla;” I wanted to enjoy every moment and not allow anything to hinder the fact that by the end of the day I would be “Mrs. Kevin Miller.” After breakfast with all my bridesmaids, getting our hair and make-up done and getting into our fancy wedding attire, it was time to walk down the aisle and say “I do”!

Not only was November 7, 2003 the most exciting day of my life because I got to marry Kevin Miller, but it was an answer to prayer and proof of God’s faithfulness. You see, when I was 12 years old, I began praying that I would be a pastor’s wife some day.  I also began praying that I would date only my husband. Our wedding day proved God’s faithfulness to hear my prayers. Kevin Miller was the only guy I ever dated. Three months after our wedding, Kevin became a Youth Pastor at Calvary Albuqueruqe. Again, God had answered my prayer to be a pastor’s wife!

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” The journey to see God’s faithfulness will not always be easy, but it will always be worth it. When you delight in Him, He promises to give you the desires of your heart. Kevin Miller was a direct answer to some very specific prayer requests I had. Don’t be afraid to pray for specific things! He hears! He responds. He is faithful!

(I promise I didn’t force her to write this. Although I did suggest adding words like “handsome,” “muscular,” and “romantic,” but I decided to be honest and forthright instead!)

Saved in the nick of time

3 weeks ago at Awaken, God had some pretty sweet moves up His sleeve.

The text was Joshua 3 and the message was clear: if you want to see God do amazing things, you have to step out of your tent and face the raging river ahead, trusting God to get you across. We had a packed house that morning and at the end, I gave an invitation for people to come forward to give their life to Jesus.

It’s always a bit easier to walk forward when you’re not the only one, but Alan wasn’t scared. It was his first time at Awaken. He saw our sign one day as he was driving by and figured he’d give it a shot. With tears in his eyes, he walked forward at the end of my message, and I prayed with him to receive Jesus!

Then something out of the ordinary happened…

Instead of walking back to his seat, he turned to me and asked me to pray for his grandfather, Amador, who was suffering in a hospital in California. I seized the moment, and as many people extended their hands toward him, we prayed as a church for physical and spiritual healing for Alan’s grandfather, 3,000 miles away in California.

Immediately after service, a man from Awaken who just moved here from California got in touch with his pastor back home who was able to go visit Alan’s grandfather. We were thrilled to find out that he visited him at home because he had been released from the hospital! That’s not even the best part though. When he showed up to the man’s home, he was able to share the Gospel with him and Amador accepted Jesus! The pastor was also able to read Scripture with the whole family and share the Gospel with them.

Unfortunately, I received the sad news on Tuesday that Amador had taken a turn for the worst once he went home and he didn’t make it. He passed away in his home in Calfornia, surrounded by his family. Although we mourn for the family, we rejoice now for Amador who is better off than he ever has been – hanging out with Jesus! Alan flew out there yesterday to be with the family…and God kept working. As Alan talked with the family and the pastor was there to pray with them, Alan’s mother also gave her life to the Lord!

The pastor’s church was made available for the funeral, so join with me in praying that God saves the rest of the family as they feel and see the tangible love of Christ.

Amador is a great reminder of how fragile life is and how important it is to make a decision to serve Christ today. Had Amador waited 2 weeks, it would have been too late. However, God used Alan’s bold steps of faith, our prayers, and the faithfulness of a pastor to reach out to Amador right where he was. Because of that, one day, I’ll get to meet the man we prayed for on July 3, 2011…and Alan’s mom…and maybe the rest of the family!

God is SO good!

LOVE Japan.

This Sunday, March 13, Awaken will be providing a few ways to meet the spiritual and practical needs of those devastated by the recent earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan.

PRAYING

Our normal Sunday time of prayer, The Refuge, will be dedicated to praying specifically for the needs of those impacted by the disaster in Japan. We will pray for individuals, families, churches, and the nation as a whole. The Refuge meets every Sunday at 9:15am in the prayer room at Awaken Church. Since you’re already losing an hour of sleep to Daylight Savings, what’s another half hour?! Come join us as we ask God to work in Japan!

GIVING

We’re a pretty new church and we do some things a little differently at Awaken. Instead of passing an offering plate, we have boxes around the building where you can give financially. This Sunday will be different though. When you arrive at Awaken on Sunday, you’ll find a “LOVE JAPAN” envelope in your bulletin. All cash or checks collected on Sunday in these envelopes will go directly to the disaster relief efforts of Samaritan’s Purse. If you’d like to make a donation by credit card, you can do so through our website. Make sure to put “JAPAN” in the comments section. This will be the first time at Awaken that we’ve ever specifically asked people to give financially, so I’m excited to see how God works through this!

If you’d like more info about Samaritan’s Purse, click here.

Many of us have already been praying for Japan, but these are two ways that we can come together to have an even greater impact.

WHY?

As a church, we know the devastation of a natural disaster first-hand. Thankfully, our disaster was nowhere close to the magnitude of the recent disasters in Japan. However, by coming together not only to pray, but also to give, we enable organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse to meet very practical needs in Japan, while also opening doors for them to share the Gospel! God is honored when His people unite and I believe this is a great way for us to unite and allow God to not only use our prayers, but also our finances.

Oh yeah – bring a friend on Sunday too. There will be some great worship and a message from 1 Peter 4. Hope to see you there!

PSALM 29:10 [NIV] – The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood, and the Lord sits as King forever.

The Awakening

It seems like every week I get to announce something new and exciting at Awaken! I love it!

Last night, right before our study began, I announced a day of prayer, fasting, and worship that we’re calling “The Awakening.” It will be an all-day even, but in a much different way than you may think.

From 6am-6pm, we’ll meet digitally – through Facebook and Twitter. Every hour on the hour, we’ll be posting new things to pray for. Throughout the day, all around the city, we’ll be fasting and praying together for these topics. The day will culminate with a night of prayer and worship at Awaken from 6:30-8pm.

Pillars

On Wednesday nights, we’re in the middle of a mini-series called “Pillars” where we’ve been discussing the “pillars” that supported and strengthened the early church – preaching, fellowship, and prayer. My vision for this series has been to not only provide somewhat of a report card for Awaken, but also treat it like a launch pad for some new things.

Repairing what’s been broken

In addition to wanting to implement more prayer into the church, I recently read through Nehemiah again and was struck by his brokenness for his city. When he learned of its devastation in Nehemiah 1, he immediately responded in prayer and fasting. He cried out to God to gather His people and restore what had been broken down. That’s our prayer for The Awakening.

We want to see God repair broken lives, marriages, and families.

We want to see a fresh move of the Holy Spirit sweep through Clarksville in a way we’ve never seen.

We want people to catch the vision that God has for them. It’s much bigger than most people realize.

So, like Nehemiah, we’ll spend the day fasting and praying (even if you don’t want to fast or can’t for some reason, you can still join us in prayer), then the evening worshiping and praying. If you live in Clarksville, whether you go to Awaken or not, you’re invited to join us. Everyone, regardless of where you live or where you go to church is invited to join us online on Friday, March 4 in prayer for our city and church!

If you haven’t already, “like” our page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

We want to see our city awakened for Christ. Fighting that battle begins through prayer.