Catalyst Thoughts

I’m still holding off on posting my thoughts on Catalyst this year.  It was great, but a little overwhelming. I’m still processing much of what God spoke to my heart this week.  Sam, Todd, and I traveled together and had many challenging conversations about the future of Cornerstone.  I really think exciting things are in store for us as long as we keep preaching and teaching Jesus.

As for the conference, Craig Groeschel really spoke directly to me.  As always, I felt a connection to him and what he had to share.  I think Andy Stanley has a unique way of relating leadership principles to the church in practical Godly ways, and I could fill a notebook with all of the powerful quotes that he shared.  It was reassuring to hear directly from Dave Ramsey about the current financial crisis (although I’m still mad I didn’t win the free iMac he gave away to the girl three rows in front of me!)
And it was inspiring to look back at what Billy Graham has been able to do by simply being faithful to preach the Gospel.

But I was surprised and impressed by the two young guys, Matt Chandler and Steven Furtick.  I have listened to sermons from both of them over the past year and although they are different, they both share an incredible passion.  At Catalyst, both guys really preached passionately, and they preached from Scripture.  It’s not surprising that the messages I enjoy the most always come directly from the Bible.   I love learning leadership principles, but I am challenged, stretched, and encouraged when God’s Word is taught in passionate and compelling ways.  I’ll share some more of my thoughts as I unpack my conference notes.

Mike

I am a former design engineer who now pastors Cornerstone Community Church in Galax, Virginia. I'm passionate about following Jesus and I love technology. I've been married to Jennifer for 28 years, and we have three adult children.

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3 Responses

  1. Jenni says:

    I still think you should have jumped the seats and taken the girl and given the iMac to your wife who didn’t get to go to Catalyst – all in the name of Jesus of course.

  2. Anonymous says:

    No offense intended but Steven Furtick and Matt Chandler are worlds apart when it comes to theology. Steven walks pretty close to a line that may lead some astray…he is not evil by any means, I would just say sometimes he is closer to American Christianity rather than Biblical Christianity.

  3. Mike says:

    I considered deleting your comment because my blog is not a place to promote your opinions and attack other Christians. But I decided to leave it so I could respond. There is a growing trend in reformed church circles to disparage other pastors who are different and that really bothers me.

    You should be very cautious before passing judgments on other pastors. God is very clear about how we should judge others. Have you ever listened to Steven Furtick? Have you ever been to his church? While you may not agree with him, saying he is leading people astray is completely out of line. God can move and does move through people who are different. The fact is that the name of Jesus is being preached and taught, and people are responding.

    Furtick and Chandler are very different, and since Chandler tends to run in the reformed circle I’m assuming that’s where you stand theologically. I love listening to Driscoll, Piper, Keller, Darrin Patrick, and Matt Chandler and I agree with most of what they teach, but I abhor the way the young reformists attack other Christians who disagree with their theology.

    I would ask you to check your motives behind posting here. What were you seeking to accomplish? The church needs to quit tearing each other apart and start focusing on our mission to teach and preach Scripture faithfully, and to seek and save the lost.

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