Life-Giving Church

The last two weekends, I have had the wonderful opportunity of being a part of Healing Place Church expressed in different regions of the country. Rachel and I made a return trip to the west coast to serve at our Danville, CA campus under the direction of Rob and Brianna Read--who do a fantastic job! On Saturday night, we had an incredible men's meeting, fully equipped with choice-cut steak, grilled shrimp, baked potatoes the size of Idaho, and desserts to die for. After our feast, we enjoyed two surround-sound, full-screen, in-your-face episodes of The Band of Brothers, and I challenged the men to unite in Godly relationship so we could be ignited with spiritual power.

The Sunday morning service was teeming with new faces and families as Rachel led us in worship. We left California with a sense of satisfaction, knowing that men and women are catching the vision of being a healing place for a hurting world. The DNA that was birthed some 13 years ago on Highland Rd. in Baton Rouge is now being transferred 2500 miles away! HPC Danville is brewing with possibilities!!

This past Sunday, I took a road trip with Terry Olivier (the real T.O.) to north Louisiana to connect with a good friend of mine, Pastor Joel Dyke. He and his wife, Angel, pastor an exciting church called Life Church of West Monroe. The minute we walked in the front doors, we heard the praise team practicing a familiar song...it was an HPC original, and we felt right at home! We were blessed by their level of excellence and their heart for the community. Their videos are first-class, their music is alive and passionate, and their commitment to reach the lost is inspiring.

Sunday night, we spoke into the life of their leadership and experienced a unique move of God. It was refreshing to see their hunger for growth and their desire for God's very best. As we made our 4 hour drive home in the rain, all I could think about was how incredible it is to be right in the middle of what God is doing. It is such a humbling thing to witness God pouring out his goodness on people and seeing their lives change from the inside-out. I am convinced that my worst day in ministry is better than my best day doing anything else!