See why this weekend is going to be amazing...

Three weeks ago, I stood before our church and shared that I felt this could be the most important series I would teach all year ~ Monopoly, Live Rich Outside the Box.  I believe this weekend could be the defining moment of this entire series!  Our worship and creative arts teams have been working very hard (as we do for all services) to create an environment where each one will experience the profound presence of the Living God and have the opportunity to choose to respond to Him with a life of worship. 

FYI…

1.     Do everything you can to be on time this week; otherwise, you might miss the celebration of communion.

2.     I am teaching two final Principles of God’s System to Win…in all areas of our life and living.

3.     HUGE THANK YOU to SO MANY OF YOU who are partnering with us to make room at our 11:15am service!  We are still having record attendance, but since several hundred of you have given Saturday night and first service on Sunday a try, we can easily make more room.  THANK YOU!!

4.     Just yesterday, I heard the property purchase for the orphanage in Peru is in the final stages! Praise God and thank you to all who supported the orphan project on Christmas Eve.  Pictures will be coming soon.

5.     Come praying, believing, and expecting…I believe people will make commitments this weekend that will change their life (thinking & pattern of living) forever.

See you soon,

Pastor Ken

Top Ten List of Thanks from last weekend

Dear Cypress,

Let me give you a short “Top Ten” list, of the things I’m still praising God for from last weekend at Cypress.

I’m thankful and praising God because…

10.  We had people pray to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior this weekend at Cypress!  Four that I personally know of = HUGE PARTY IN HEAVEN

9.    We have a student ministry that connects with teenagers!  Both of my older two boys said United Student Ministry was really really good last weekend.  As a parent I cannot express how that makes me feel.

8.    I’ve heard from a few families who have said this series was a “last ditch effort to save a marriage & family / a new start for their marriage & family”  … and God is using it to speak, connect and encourage changed living in people.

7.    A good friend brought his friend up to introduce them last weekend … it was their ( single parent and kids ) first time … my friend has been inviting his friend for FIVE YEARS!!!  I’m glad he never gave up on his friend, just like God will never give up on us!  His friend liked it and will be back.

6.    Our Children’s ministry creates an environment where my seven year old WANTS TO BE on the weekend.  Again, forget the whole Senior Pastor thing… as a dad, to have your elementary age son think and speak about our children’s ministry the way he does… GREATEFUL!

5.    I got to hold up and celebrate the “stack” of signed Lordship checks. PROUD OF YOU

4.    People came up for prayer after ever service.  There were a variety of needs and opportunities to “partner in prayer” with friends of Cypress.  I’m thankful we created this opportunity and people are responding.

3.    People of all ages and backgrounds  are connecting with Christ and one another at Cypress!  I love the diversity.

2.    We are a church that doesn’t merely talk a good game, we actually do stuff…  coat drive, orphanage in Peru, our current project El Salvador, and upcoming project you will hear more about in the future… Pregnancy Decision Center

1.    We all got the opportunity to answer the question, “WHO’S YOUR DADDY & WHO’S TEAM IS THIS… YOUR TEAM OR YOUR DADDY’S TEAM!”

Remember, the rest of today is a blank canvas of opportunity to HONOR our Savior and LORD, Jesus the Christ.

Have a great rest of your week,

Pastor Ken

SNEAK PEEK at what you'll miss if you aren't @Cypress this weekend...

This weekend, we continue the most important series I will teach all year,

Monopoly…Live Rich Outside the Box…

So what do clips from American Idol, along with one of my all time top ten favorite movies, Remember the Titans, have to do with our current series?  You will need to be here this weekend to find outJ  Did I mention we are doing another one of my current favorite worship songs, “All My Fountains?”  If you are even just five minutes late, you will miss the one and only Mark Wilson doing our version of “Man in the Mirror.”  I’ve also heard about very cool stuff being planned for our kids and students; they will not want to miss out! 

My family recently met a family who is coming to Cypress for the first time this weekend.  They’ve heard great stuff about Cypress from a number of you and, via an email, they are giving “church and Cypress” a shot this weekend.  As always, please be on the lookout for those you can smile at and welcome, not simply so they may someday call Cypress home but, so that one day they can truly know The Way and The Truth and find their way HOME.

See you soon,

Pastor Ken

Do you remember who said, "Do you believe in miracles?" plus 6 reasons not to miss Cypress this weekend...

Al Michaels uttered the now famous words, “Do you believe in miracles?” as the USA hockey team pulled off the…well…the miraculous upset of USSR at the Olympic Games held in Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22, 1980. That was a very special, miraculous day.

As my three boys walked out the door for school today, I found my mind wandering to the day they were born. What amazing, special days…the miracle of life.  At 15, 12, and 7, we are definitely out of the infancy stage of life at our house. Now I relive those days through the stories of our newest Team Member, Dave Bever, as he and his wife, Jamie, celebrate “sleepless nights in Columbus” with their three-week-old son, Urijah. I love kids but, to be honest, I’m glad it’s them and not me at this pointJ 

So what do these stories have to do with this weekend? Let me share six reasons why you should be in church this weekend:

1.     This weekend, I believe we will witness the miracle of LIFE ~ spiritual birth. It is something far greater than any earthly accomplishment.

2.     Just as there are different stages of life, there are also different stages of spiritual life. I believe we will witness people making decisions to take steps to walk toward that next chapter of LIFE.

3.     Our volunteers, through Children’s and Student Ministries, will love your children/grandchildren and connect with them in such a way that the awesome truth of how great Christ is, and how incredible His plan is for their lives, will be seen…seeds will be planted and nurtured.

4.     When you’re not here, you are missed. You matter to God and you matter to us!

5.     We need you here to encourage the people who sit around you and those who serve alongside you. I had a guy come up to me at a restaurant this morning, after my Bible study group, and introduce himself. He said he’d been coming to Cypress for several weeks and do you know what he bragged about? YOU! He said how welcoming, friendly, and inviting everyone is (I told him we keep the mean people hidden the first couple weeks ~ joke ~ insert smile and laughter here). He talked about how prevalent the spirit of the Lord is in the people! We need you!

6.     As if we needed another reason, here it is…Jesus Christ the Lord is worthy to be praised! I’d like to do that with 4,000 of you!

This weekend will shape eternity, and many decades before that, for several individuals and families.

See you soon,

Pastor Ken

MONOPOLY ... live rich outside the box

According to Dictionary.com, a Monopoly is defined as “exclusive or complete control.”  Often times in business markets, a monopoly causes consumers to suffer as a result of unfair price gouging.  God’s desire and promise for those of us who love and follow after Him is that we will be blessed and prosper…BUT (isn’t there always a “but” in lifeJ) it requires a different type of Monopoly. 

I am convinced the next four weeks hold the potential to unlock the doors and barriers many of us face from living and experiencing God’s best in our daily lives and futures.  I believe Christ has been waiting for this moment in time, as we learn together what it means to LIVE RICH OUTSIDE THE BOX!

See you soon,

Pastor Ken

If you missed the Monopoly promo video ... CLICK HERE

If you missed Pastor Ken's live radio interview...

click the link below

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/20148674/highlight/237902#utm_campaign=www.facebook.com&utm_source=237902&utm_medium=social