Don't limit God with your limited understanding of His unlimited power.

You have no idea what God will produce through a single seed planted in faith.  

If God always meets your expectations, He would never exceed them.  

We think in addition, but God thinks in multiplication.  

Just because you don't see it.  Doesn't mean that it is not happening.  (Craig Groeschel)

Cut and paste to watch...  https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/seeds-of-faith

For the first time in my life, I felt clean.

I was raised up in Church.  

Church on Sunday Morning.  

Sunday Night.  

Sunday School.  

Training Union.  

Wednesday Night Prayer, Royal Ambassadors .  

Morning devotions before school.  On and on it goes.  

Church to me was spending a lot of time hating Church and waiting for it to be finally over.  

On Sunday evening, I was exhausted.   

No matter how many times that I asked God to save me.  

I still felt lost.  

Growing up in Church, I did have one bright spot which was attending 1^st Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas with Pastor W. A. Criswell for one year.  

It was fun, and I could feel the presence and awe of God.  

Then, we moved to Tupelo, Mississippi to another boring church. 

While I was at 1^st Baptist Dallas, I had picked up the habit of reading the Bible daily; however, I didn’t understand it much, and I was frustrated.  

One day I told God.  

I’ve had enough.  You either show yourself to me or I’m Done!  

No more reading the Bible, Prayer, Church, or believing.    

I decided to go home after school on March 4^th, 1974, and pray to God for 1 hour.  I thought to myself.  

Surely, by doing this, I’ll break thru.  I started by praying the best King James Bible Prayer that I could muster.  

Then, I looked at my watch and just 5 minutes had past.  There I sat in frustration.

While I sat there, I decided to tell God about my day.  In my mind’s imagination, I reviewed my day.   

To my amazement, I saw me!  As I walked through my day in my mind, I confessed my selfishness and tabulated each sin.  

When I was finished, I had counted 33 of them.  

There I sat in shock realizing my plight.  

I was going to hell!  

As I cried, in my mind’s imagination, I saw Jesus on the Cross.     

I don’t know how he came to be there, but there he was.  

As I cried looking on Him, I began to talk to myself.  I said that Jesus being God, would have surely known my plight beforehand.  

33 sins times by 365 days times 15 years of life.  I had committed 180,675 sins.   

No wonder I was frustrated.  

Then, I said to myself.  If Jesus knowing my sins died for me anyway as an act of His will.

Surely, He would save me if I’d but ask as an act of my own will.  That thought save me.

I mustered up the best apology I could think of.  I said God you know that I’m a sinner; however, I know that you sent your Son Jesus to die for me if I but ask.  

Here I am asking.   

It would be illogical to think that you would send your Son to die for me, and then tell me I won’t forgive you if I but ask.   

For the first time in my life, I believed that He forgave me, and I was saved.

For the first time in my life, I felt clean.  

It was amazing.  

First was the fact that Jesus died for me.  

Second, it was my faith that He saved me by me believing that He would keep His word (1 John 1:9).  

Lastly, was the feeling of cleanliness and forgiveness.  

Then I thought about future sins.  I said to Jesus I need help!  

I can’t do this by myself.   

Then, I remember someone saying “ask Jesus to come into your life”. (Revelation 3:20)  

I said Jesus I can’t live this Christian life without you.  

Will you come in, and do it for me?  

I don’t know why you would not come into me because I am now clean and then, I said thanks.  Here I am 44 years later.  

Loving Church.   

Prayer.  

The Bible.   

Not frustration.  

It comes as natural as breathing.          

10 Secrets of Church of the Highlands

95,000 professions of Faith within 4 years

I have been attending Church of the Highlands from the beginning of its Huntsville campus launch in 2014.  

From 2014 to 2017, Highlands has had 95,000 documented professions of Faith.  2014 had 18,000. 2015 had 23,000, 2016 had 26,000, and 2017 had 28,000.  

When I first started attending, Highlands was averaging 26,000 each weekend.  

In 2017, they averaged 52,000 or a 100% increase of attendance within 4 years.

In the Spring of 2014, Church of the Highlands launched a Campus in Huntsville, Alabama about 15 minutes from my house.     

I’d had become aware of Highlands in 2009 when I first  read in Outreach Magazine that they were America’s fastest growing church in 2008.  

What attracted Highlands to me is that they were located in Birmingham, Alabama less than 2 hours from Huntsville.  

In 2009, I walked on a treadmill for 30 to 45 minutes a day.  

During that time, I would download the audio messages, and would listen to their messages as I walked.   I must have listened to over 200 messages before I ever bothered to watch one.   

Before they launched in Huntsville, they sent me an e-mail inviting me to come.   

I have been blessed to have attended several amazing churches over the years.  

In 1971 while in the 7^th grade, I attended 1^st Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas who was pastored by the legendary W.A. Criswell.  

At the time, 1^st Baptist Dallas was running 8,000 each weekend.  

In 1976, I attended Columbus Avenue Baptist Church in Waco, Texas pastored by Marshall Edwards while I was a student at Baylor University.    

Columbus Avenue averaged 3,500 each weekend with 1,500 college students.  

While at Mercer University in Atlanta in the late 1970s, I attended First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia with Charles Stanley.  

While there, we grew from 2,000 to 5,500 each weekend.  

In addition, Dr. Stanley’s T.V. ministry "In Touch" grew from a local station to a program which is watched around the world while I attended. 

I have to admit that I’ve been a church hopper and have attended a lot of churches over the years.   

I want to share with you some of my observations.   Most of these observations were of other churches and not the ones just mentioned above. 

1.       The worship music at some of the other churches was singing about God and not to God.  I always wanted to be able to sing to God to worship Him.  Highlands spends a lot of time to create a worship experience where I can meet with God by singing to Him. 

2.       The backfill pastor did not teach like the senior pastor at some churches.  If the primary pastor was a conversational teacher, the backfill pastor might be a screamer.   Highlands’ pastor Chris Hodges spends a lot of time with his backfill pastors to ensure a consistent message and preaching style with his own while he is out. 

3.       I have struggled to find an effective strategy to share my faith.  To me, it is rather bold to ask someone where they are going to spend eternity.    To me, it’s like asking how is your relationship with your spouse?   For me, it’s more effective to ask “we’re having a special Christmas or Easter Service.  Would you meet me there?”  While at Church of the Highlands, I can be sure that whoever is speaking on any Sunday will be top notch with a clear presentation of the gospel. 

4.       I think that there is a false teaching which has been in some of the churches that I’ve attended.   It is the belief that we are to set up people in Christ’s place to disciple new believers.  (Read Matthew 23:8-12, John 14: 16-17, and I John 2:26)  From my reading of these Scriptures, I believe that the Holy Spirit’s role is to disciple the new believer while we only assist Him.  I think Church of the Highlands reinforces the work of the Holy Spirit by having 21 days of prayer twice a year while teaching followers how to more effectively communicate with Him.  I think some churches were reluctant to lead someone to God for they had assumed the work of the Holy Spirit for themselves, and felt the task of discipling new believers is too daunting.

   

5.       In some of the churches that I’ve attended,  they were willing to turn people away when they ran out of seating space after offering two morning Sunday services.   Highlands offers an 8:00 am, 9:45 am, 11:30 am, 1:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 5:30 pm on Sundays and 7:00 pm on Mondays while adding 17 campuses to handle all the crowds. 

6.       In some of the churches that I’ve attended I think that the attenders have never dealt with their past sins.  We were told to repent of sins, but never taught how to identify them, so we could repent.    At Highlands, they offer a two day Freedom conference where we confess pride, anger, unforgiveness, abuse, shame with counselors. 

7.       In some of the churches that I’ve attended, some of the people who wanted to serve were not allowed to serve for some reason or other.  At Highlands, anyone who wants to serve is coached in how to be successful in the area that they have their passion, and are given an opportunity to do so.  Highlands has a class on how to discover your purpose, and how to plug into service to God. 

8.       I think that some churches are scared of leading massive numbers of people to Christ  and repeat those numbers each year.  At the beginning of the year, Highlands has 21 days of prayer and fasting.   During that time, we acknowledge that without Him we can do nothing, and ask to witness His glory again in the upcoming year. 

9.       I think that a lot of churches would have a problem that Church of the Highlands has only grown by 26,000 over this 4 year period instead of the 95,000 who have had a documented profession of faith.  At Highlands, we don’t require church membership or attendance to acknowledge Jesus as Lord.  We do encourage new believers to find a Bible Believing Church and become active there.   We not only trust the Lord to save them, but also to conform them to His will through the work of the Holy Spirit.  

  

10.   Lastly, I think because Church of the Highlands shuns debt. It has enabled them to have the resources to build campuses, dream centers, and plant churches.  (I saw this also with Charles Stanley at 1^st Baptist of Atlanta who built an international ministry debt free while expanding In Touch Ministries).   

These are the 10 Secrets.  Do you know more???