In launching Captivate Church on October 4th we were stepping out in faith that God would act on our behalf. It has been an amazing first two months in the birth of this church.
We have been privileged to have a front row seat to a move of God every single week since we've been open. It truly has been remarkable.
In our first 8 services we have seen 26 people receive Christ as Savior (we do an old-fashioned alter call every week for those who want to receive Christ). Additionally we've seen 12 of those people baptized! Every week at Captivate we have seen in living color how God is working in the lives of people.
We started the church determined to be a life-giving church. We exist to give people life in Jesus Christ. To those far from God that life comes firs through receiving Christ as Savior. For those who know Christ that life comes from living out God's word through discipleship and spiritual maturity. No matter who people are when they come through the door we as a team desire God to move on their behalf and for them to find life in Christ by the time they walk back out into the parking lot.
The weekend before we opened we were honored to have with us Mr. Larry Brey of Elevation Church. Larry had been kind enough last year to spend some time with me and pour into my life in preparing for the opening of this church. We invited Larry to come and speak life into us as we launched. (He informed us that he was simply reteaching truths his pastor, Pastor Steven Furtick taught him.) Through all of the discussion with Mr. Brey we sensed that one ingredient would be vital to our ability to give life to people far from God. Expectancy.
The principle of expectation flows throughout our ministry. I'm expected to bring a message from God each and every week. Our team each are expected to do their jobs with excellence and without a punch-list from me and without daily supervision. Our members are expected to partner with the church through their time, talent and treasure. We expect guests to have questions so we answer them before a guest even has to asked. Its a way we can honor them. We expect these things because we expect people who do not yet know God to walk through our doors and be given life.
We've been blessed by God with a spirit of expectancy. We've taught our crowd to cheer like crazy when anyone steps into the aisle to make that walk to the front and pray with one of our leaders. When this happens (as it has nearly every week) the roof comes off because our people have been ready to burst since they woke up and got in their cars. Captivate is a church where the people come expecting to see the miracle of salvation. It's pretty phenomenal.
So let me urge you to live with a sense of expectation. If you are a Pastor and you do not expect God to move and draw people to Himself right before your eyes, please repent and get before your face to pray for God to move.
Make no mistake, the principle of expectation is never on the sidelines. Every moment you wake up you are either expecting today to be either 'another day' or the 'one day' when God would do something incredible in your midst.
