We have lots of reason to celebrate, and we are expectant of what’s to come – I want to paint a picture of next 5 years, but hesitate to get too detailed, because if you would’ve asked me 5 years ago to envision the first 5, it would’ve paled in comparison to what we have been able to accomplish

 

In moving forward, I want to take a step back and look at the #1 engine for growth and then attach it to our mission and vision for the next season – John 15:1-8

 

V1 – Jesus is humbling himself here – while fully God, fully man, He places himself under the Father’s authority – WHY? Because he is our PERFECT EXAMPLE

 

V2 – We find out in a couple of verses that we are branches on the vine – unfruitful branches get cut off, while fruitful branches get pruned back – Brian talked about this concept at MA this weekend – what do we all have in common? Whether it’s a dead branch or a fruitful one, BOTH GET CUT ON – and the purpose centers around FRUITFULNESS

 

V4 – REMAIN (ABIDE) – Stay, don’t quit – You can’t do it on your own – Jesus is saying here, “Fruit is only produced through me” This is a picture of INTIMACY – We “remain” by being daily submitted to Jesus – “Prune me, grow me, I’M IN”

 

V5 – REMAIN and you WILL BEAR FRUIT – when you remain, the fullness of your identity and purpose is on display – what do you offer on your own? Nada, zip, zero, NOTHING

V6 – If you don’t remain, if there’s no fruit, you wither and are cut off and are thrown into the fire – USELESS

 

V7 – Remain and receive-  God’s plan is revealed through intimacy over time – Jesus is the giver of good gifts – “Ask whatever you want” – this is not name it and claim it – remember, it begins with REMAINING – the picture here is that you are SO connected and being nourished by Jesus, that you begin to think His thoughts – His plan becomes your plan.

 

V8 – The litmus test for abiding is who gets the glory for your life – when God is getting the glory for your life, when it’s not about you, you are on the continuum of becoming his, and Jesus calls you His disciple

 

I have been on both sides of this coin – I have lived to make my name great, to build my own kingdom, and I have lived to make God great and build His kingdom – one is exhausting, and one is fulfilling – one has a ceiling and one has unlimited potential.

 

SO, intimacy is the engine that fuels all that we do – What is the result?

 

MISSION – to create WORLD CHANGERs, by releasing people into their full potential in the Kingdom of God.

 

The fruit is uncovering Identity and purpose in your life and living in obedience to what God calls you to (Ephesians 2:10)

 

– We are a church that wants to foster intimate relationship with Jesus that leads to fruit – people living in their identity and purpose, and collectively, we CHANGE THE WORLD

 

And YOU COMPLETE US – You, living in your FULL POTENTIAL is what we need, and our mission is to help you foster intimacy with Jesus, uncover your giftedness and release you into the world – this is our aircraft carrier

 

Next 5 Years:

1. EVERY PERSON discovers and pursues living in their identity and purpose – this includes the entrepreneurs, and those in supportive roles – everyone matters, and everyone is needed to accomplish all that God has called us to.

 

2. UNIFY the CHURCH – church partnerships, like Northgate 2020 – 20 churches worship praying together for transformation in our community, Good Friday with Stonebridge, Winter Wonderland with Church at Woodforest, One Church Christmas with Collective, D-Now with FOM, Peak Week Pre-Teen Camp with Magnolia Cowboy Church, Collective and Transformation, Men’s Advance with WoodsEgde, Women’s Retreat with Collective, Monthly serving with Under Over Fellowship.

 

3. Campus Completion – Develop more worship space, parking, education space, outdoor gathering space – lots to do to complete the vision God has placed on our hearts for this acreage.

 

4. Church Planting – While we are finishing out our campus here, we also envision planting at least 2 churches in the next 5 years – by end of 2020, we want to have identified location for our first plant.

 

5. Serving Outside the Walls, Locally and Globally – God’s Garage, Under Over Fellowship, HandUp Global Goods, Love Fosters Hope, Coreluv, IAA, CP in Kenya, potential partnership with GEM in Greece.

 

This year:

1. Pay Off Building – we owe $2.5M on our building, and we are currently accumulating cash to pay it off – some of you have the gift of giving, and you living in your full potential is writing big checks – for all of us, we are called to give as a part of being follower of Jesus – would love to pay this off today on our 5^th anniversary – LET’S DO THIS!

 

2. Improve Life Groups – We need more leaders and host hoes to accommodate all the people that want to be in groups, as well as develop our current leaders.

 

3. Identify Church Plant location – currently looking at North lake, Huntsville and Navasota.

 

4. Deepen and Develop New One Church Partnerships – we’ve made great strides, but we have just scratched the surface!

 

Best is yet to come – You are Restoration