Mentors - Part 3

In the last week I have had mentoring conversations with Greg Surratt, Mark Batterson, Larry Osborne, Andy Stanley, & Rick Warren.  Actually there were several more, but I don't want to brag!  Here's how it went down... they were speaking, I was listening and being mentored.  Some happened through my iPod, others were actually in person at a conference I attended last week.  Others came through a CD Player.  One actually happened over a table at TGI Fridays.  But all were conversations.  They spoke, I listened and responded in my heart.  I was being mentored by them.

Listening to messages that leaders teach is a form of mentorship.  When we listen with a mentorship lens, we grow as a leader and person.

1.  We hear their passion.  One of the great things about listening to a message from someone we want to be mentored by is we get to hear what they're passionate about.  Nothing takes the place of hearing the passion in another's voice.

2.  We hear their heart.  When we listen with a mentoring lens we are challenged to see their heart on a subject.  And hearing someone else's heart, forces us to examine ours.

3.  We hear their wisdom.  The Bible says that if we want to grow wise, we must walk with the wise.  Being intentional about listening to messages spoken by great men and women allows us to grow in wisdom.  And that's mentoring at it's best!

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt

Mentors - Part 2

Over the last 15 years, I have had the wonderful privilege of being mentored by some of the greatest minds alive in the areas of faith, leadership, business, and finance. Men like John Maxwell, Oswald Chambers, Robert Kiyosaki, Dave Ramsey, Andy Stanley, Jim Collins, just to name a few. And here's the great thing... I didn't have to spend thousands to travel where they were, or attend big weekends with them.

They actually came right to me... in the form of books. One of the greatest forms of mentoring exists in book form! Learning to read through the eyes of mentoring can yield huge results in our lives! Here's why:

1. We can spend hours with someone when we read a book! I have literally spent hundreds of hours sitting at the feet of John Maxwell over the past 13 years. In 1995, I got to hear John speak at a small gathering of a few hundred people in Indiana. I immediately bought his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and the mentoring began! There aren't too many books that John Maxwell has written since, that I have not bought & devoured. Why? Because I get to be mentored by him for hours a time, simply by reading his books.

2. We have access to the author's head & heart. When we read with a mentoring lens on, we get to see inside their head and heart. We learn how they think about issues and face realities similar to ours.

3. We get to take them wherever we go. I love having coffee with John Maxwell, or sitting on a plane for 2 hours with Andy Stanley. Some of the greatest mentoring we'll ever receive exists in book form. It's up to us to read with a mentoring lens in mind. When we do. Our world will come alive!

Just a bloggish thought,

matt

Mentoring Pastors - A Half a World Away

So I just had the greatest experience! Through the miracle of the Internet, I was able to speak at a pastor's conference in the Philippines! I just spent an hour with 14 pastors in the Philippines teaching them what it means to be a Life-Giving Church!

They are exactly a half a world away, the time difference is 12 hours!!! It was 10 am, Tuesday morning there, and 10 pm Monday night here. But the truth of God's Word made it through and they were uplifted and encouraged! Amazing!

We intend to begin doing a monthly teaching with them to train and impart other ministry lessons we're learning at Next Level Church! Now that's Next Level Missions at it's best!

What a privilege and honor to be entrusted with technology that makes the world small!

Wow!

Pastor Matt

Mentors - Part 1

I want to spend this week talking about Mentors. In the last few weeks, I'm learning alot about the power, presence & necessity of mentors in our lives. However, often when we think of mentors, we have a narrow definition that keeps us from learning the lessons necessary to become the person we have the potential to become.

1. What is a Mentor? Quite simply, Mentors are Voices. Voices we give permission to speak into our lives. Voices we allow to touch our heart. Voices we invite into challenge the way we think, act, talk, & live.

2. Who qualifies as a Mentor? Anyone we give permission to speak into our lives. In short, a mentor is anyone we think we can learn from. And... if they turn out to be someone we don't want to learn from, then they've actually taught us something about who we don't want to learn from.

3. Where do I find Mentors? They're everywhere. Waiting for us to invite them into our lives. I heard Andy Stanley say once, "Ask someone to be your mentor & they'll give you a funny look. Ask them if you can ask them some questions, and they'll say 'Sure anytime.'"

We'll spend the remainder of the week, looking at many of the Mentors that have impacted my life and where they came from.

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt Keller

NLC Baptisms & Another Oswald Chambers Quote

I mentioned late last week that I've been reading "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, which is a classic daily devotional. So in the April 7th writing he says, "The evidence that we do (know anything about the indwelling of the life of Jesus) is that His Word is becoming understandable to us." On Sunday afternoon, we had a chance to baptize almost a dozen people at the warehouse space. It was just incredible! From kids to adults, it was amazing to hear the stories of how God is making Himself real to people. I couldn't help but get choked up a bit when one 20-something young lady who now works in our kids department shared that she was raised in a religious environment, but it wasn't until she came to Next Level that it really began to make sense for her!

That's what we're all about! Life-Change! She now works in our kid's ministry because as she said yesterday, "Hopefully I can help them "get it" sooner than I did!" That's it! That's a home run for NLC!

Another life changed that is now apart of changing lives!

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt

Oswald Chambers "My Utmost for His Highest"

When it comes to my devotional life, I struggle to find consistency. In fact, I have this on-going theory that just about the time I get into a routine or rhythm with my prayer life/Bible reading life/devotional life, God makes me change it up.

Anyway, about a week ago, I bought a copy of Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest." It's a true classic daily devotional in the Christian world. I'm not sure when he originally wrote it but his language sounds like 1940's England. None the less, if you don't rush through it, the duffer's got amazing insights into life. I can't believe how each day it's like he's talking to me.

I want to share a few quotes with you, and throw in some personal insights from me.

Here's one: April 1st: "Beware of getting ahead of God by your desire to do His Will." He goes on to say that it's possible to run ahead of God Wow. What n eye opening statement! Running ahead of God. Yeah... I probably do that way more than I'd like to admit. Ready, fire, aim. That's me.

One more: April 1st: "If a burden or pressure came upon while not in an attitude of worship, it will produce a hardness in our heart." Come on Oswald, that's just sick! When we don't amintain an attitude of worship, the pressures of life cause our heart to get hard. Stop it already man!

Chew on that for a while. Feel free to comment back if you want,

Just a bloggish thought,

Keller

Encouragement to Church Planters

So I found a new spot to connect with God. Honestly, I hesitate to share it with all of you b/c some of you who are Next Levelites are likely to go and find it and then be there and bother me and that will just make it not a hiding place anymore. (Just kiddin') Suffice it to say, I can see the entire Midpoint Bridge from where I'm sitting right now. AND... (and this is a big AND) Apparently, there is free wireless internet so... (I'm not sure how that works, but I'll take it!)

Here's an illustration for all the church planters who read this blog...

From where I sit I can see the cars heading onto the bridge. A few minutes ago, a guy comes riding by above me on a bike. From his vantage point, all he can see is the huge hill ahead and how far he has to go. After all, he's riding his bike to Cape Coral, so obviously, he's focused on the enormity of the task ahead.

From my vantage point, all I can see is how fast he's moving. As he rides by I'm thinking, "Wow, that guy is going fast for an ole guy." (Or something like that) He's making great time. The wind is at his back, he's going with the flow of traffic. That guy is doing a great job on his journey.

As one who has the privilege of coaching several church planters and pastors across the country, I see the same thing happen all the time. They are so focused on their road and have their eyes so fixed on the challenges ahead and can't stop thinking about the Big Vision that awaits on the other side, that they don't realize they're winning!

So, from one church planter to another, let me just tell you, I see you moving on your road! You're doing a great job! You're making the right time. God is with you, the wind is at your back. You're being successful at seeing lives changed in your community. Keep pedaling. Don't worry about the hills ahead. Oh yeah, and put your head up long enough to realize that there is an amazing view all around you! After all, you're on the bridge of God's Journey for your life! And the view from there is breath-taking.

I'm praying for you church planters today! I love you guys!

Matt Keller

A Lesson in Margin from my 2 Boys!

This morning on the way to school, I had the opportunity to teach my 7 year old and 4 year old about Margin. I was attempting to help them understand why we want our mornings to be Peaceful and not Stressful. Here's a synopsis.

• We live crazy lives. Which is okay, in fact we prefer it this way, most of the time. Once we get to school, or work, our life is full of details, homework, friends, teachers, lessons, responsibilities, etc.


• We want our mornings to be peaceful. The more relaxed our mornings can be, the better we'll be for the rest of the day.


• The way to have peace is through Margin. Put another way, Peace lives in the Margins of our lives. Show me someone with no peace, & I'll show you someone with no margin. No peace in your finances? I bet you don't have margin. No peace in your calendar? I bet you don't have margin. No peace in your personal life? I bet you don't have margin.


• Margin is the distance between where you live and your limits. Foolish is the person who resides on the side of a cliff. We wouldn't think to build a home within 6 inches of a cliff, but we do it all the time in other areas of our lives.


• Margin is everywhere. I pointed out to the boys that roads are built with margin. Books have margin. Papers have margin. 7-Eleven signs have margin. It's everywhere.  And it was God's idea. My 4 year old asked me if trees have margin.  I said, "yep, it's called bark.  Without, the wood is exposed to the elements and the tree won't survive."


• Blessing live in the margins. We got to school 10 minutes early and rather than drop them off in the car line, I walked them in. I told them, "because we have margin in our time today, daddy got to walk you in." Then my 7 year old asked me, "Can we stop at the drinking fountain before class?" I answered yes. Then he said to me, "Because we have Margin, right?"

I just smiled.

Want to live a blessed life?

Want to have peace?

Examine your margins. That's where they live.

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt Keller

A Few Resource Links

Yesterday was an amazing God-filled day at NLC! In the morning, we were challenged to FORGIVE others in our lives. I am already hearing the stories of how God used that time. At the end of service, Pastor Scott mentioned a book for those who want to continue the journey of forgiveness of others. Here's a link:

Total Forgiveness by R.T. Kendall

Last night was Night of Worship at the Warehouse and it was incredible! We spent an hour just enjoying the presence of God and soaking Him up! It was awesome. If you want to keep worshipping in your personal life, the music our worship teams are doing comes from the following cd's. You can download it on the iTunes website, I'm sure.

Northpoint: Louder than Creation

God of the City

Hope that helps you connect with God this week,

Pastor Matt

Playing Keep Away!

I was reading 1 John 5 today in my devotional time and couldn't help but be captured by the last verse. In the New LIving Translation (NLT) it says:

"Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts."

Do you remember playing keep away in elementary school? There would be 1 kid who everyone else was trying to keep the ball away from. We could spend entire recesses just running around the playground trying not to let the 1 kid touch the ball. I remember the creative things we used to do to keep the ball away from him.

This verse tells us that we need to play "Keep Away" from anything that might take God's place in our hearts.

I love the word "MIGHT". This is that conditional phrase that eludes to: "If you think there is ANY chance of something taking the place of God in your heart, RUN!"

This requires creativity and discernment on our part. I continue to be amazed at how subtly things can creep in and take the place of God.

A great way to start this week is by pausing for a moment, and reflecting on the question:

"Have I let anything take the place of God in my heart?"

If the answer is "yes" then confess it, ask God to forgive you, rearrange your life to remove it, and get God back to His rightful place of #1 in your heart.

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt

Easter Sunday @ NLC

Hey everyone,

On Sunday afternoon, I couldn't help but reflect on how far God has brought our church in the last 6 years. We went to my parent's house in Cape Coral for Easter Lunch. That's the house that Sarah and I lived in for 5 1/2 years before mom and dad retired last fall. As we sat around the table, I couldn't help but think that just 6 years ago, there were 6 adults and 2 kids (taking naps) during "Easter Sunday Service!" in the living room of that house!

Easter services at NLC yesterday were absolutely mind-blowing. We had over 1000 people in church and saw hundreds of people respond to the first of our 3 part series we started called, "CAGED."

A Few High Points for me for the Day were:

• Seeing one of our worship leaders, Elizabeth, (I call her Bethy), who is 17, absolutely set the stage for the presence of God to move in our church in an unprecedented way! I believe our people responded to God's presence like they never have before b/c of the words Bethy shared!!! I'm so proud of her! She's an amazing worship leader... and only 17, that's just crazy!


• Seeing our staff giving ministry away! I loved watching our staff at their best yesterday! They were impowering others to "do the work of the ministry" and were rising above it all day long! The staff of NLC truly has the DNA of this thing and are doing the work of reproducing that DNA into hundreds of Team Members!


• Seeing Mike and Scott lead, cast vision, and truly pastor our people like they were created to do! Those two guys are an absolute riot! I can't believe I get to do this with them!


• Seeing South Fort Myers High School transformed into a house of worship every Sunday is just a cool thing! What a gift from God that we don't have to build a $40 million facility to have church in! The state of Florida did that for us! Wow!


• Seeing it all come together. I heard John Siebling, an ARC pastor from Memphis, TN, say, "Our goal is to try and put 3 good Sundays in a row!" anyone in the church world knows just how hard that is to do. Yesterday was truly a good Sunday! I feel like we keep stringing "Good Sundays" together, I think we may even be able to get to "3" by the end of the year!!! :)

To all who are apart of making NLC happen on a weekly basis, this is BIG WIN for you too! Do something today to celebrate! Take your spouse to dinner, play with your kids, give your pet a treat, get the mail, yell out the window in traffic, drink an energy drink, go off your diet, take a day off!

Personally, I'm opting for the last one,

Matt

I'm excited about Easter

Hey all,

I just wanted to post a quick note to tell you how excited I am about Easter Sunday at NLC this year!

It's hard to believe that 6 years ago there were 6 of us in my living room! I just got finished practicing my message for Sunday Morning & I can't wait to deliver it. It's going to hit home for all of us that's for sure!

2 things:

1. If you have people who don't go to church anywhere, this Sunday would be a great day to invite them. We're laying it out in a really cool, creative and relevant way this weekend!

2. Pray for me & my family. We're feeling the pressure and stresses of Easter and all that goes along with it.

I love you guys,

I can't wait for Sunday Morning! Happy Easter ya'll!

Pastor Matt

"The Greater the Suffering, The Greater the Anointing."

I am preparing for our Upcoming Series called, "CAGED" that premieres this weekend at NLC. It's all about the subject of forgiveness. It's going to be incredible. First Trust, now Forgiveness. There is a real sense that God is taking us into the deep places of our hearts right now as a church. If you missed any of the "Pete's Blog" series on Trust, you gotta listen to them. Just click the link on the side of this blog to listen.

Anyway, RT Kendall, a pastor, author and speaker, has much to say on the subject of Forgiveness. So this morning I'm listening to one of his messages and he made a statement that I think is so appropriate for us during this time of "Trust" and "Forgiveness." He said...

"The greater the Suffering, the Greater the Anointing."

Now Anointing is a Big Bible Word that basically means, "God's power on us for service." In other words, what RT is saying is, "For those of us who have suffered greatly, God desires to use us greatly." He went on to say that, "Some of us have suffered so much, we are literally sitting on a Gold Mine of opportunity to be used by God."

The key factor is being willing to not let the suffering defeat us, but teach us. Here are a few questions for us to consider on this idea:

1. What are you learning in your suffering?

2. Who can you learn from that has experienced what you're experiencing?

3. Who needs to learn from your experiences?

Even if you're not on the other side of this thing yet, God wants to use your story to impact someone else. Your greatest anointing lies in your greatest pain.

Change your perspective on suffering and you change your world!

Just a Bloggish Thought,

Matt

What I'm Listening To Right Now!

Worship Music is one of the greatest tools of encouragement in my life. There are so many times when worship songs say exactly what I'm feeling in my life. As a leader and influencer in many of your lives I wanted to give you a run down of what I'm listening to right now.

I think it's all available in iTunes & I highly recommend downloading as much of this as you can and then integrating it into your daily life somewhere. (In the car, during your workout, etc.)

Yesterday's Worship Set @ NLC:

• Faithful - Steve Fee


• Your Name - Ross Parsley


• Jesus Paid it All - Kristian Stanfill


• Oh Praise Him - David Crowder

My Personal Top 6 Worship Songs Right Now:

• Mighty to Save - Kristian Stanill


• God of this City - Chris Tomlin


• Happy Day - Kristian Stanfill


• Let Me Sing - Todd Fields


• Beautiful Jesus - Kristian Stanfill


• We Shine - Steve Fee

If You Only Buy 1 Worship CD this Year Buy:

Northpoint Live: Louder Than Creation

It's got everyone of those songs on it except for Your Name which is a Ross Parsley one.

A Few Other Notables that Are Ministering to My Heart Right Now:

• Healer - Planetshakers


• Here in Your Presence - Ross Parsley


• You are the Light - Steve Fee

Seriously, download these songs... it could be the best thing you do for your spiritual life all week! You'll drop 4 bucks on a coffee, download 4 songs instead and feed your spirit.

Just a Worshipful Bloggish Thought,

Matt

Good Advice from a Great Friend

This morning I ran across a motivational thought written by Max Lucado, a Christian author. Since we're in a series on Trust, I thought this was so amazingly appropriate. If you've been struggling with trust, then this is for you.

The same God that gave us commandments such as "Do not commit adultery, do not murder" said, "Do not worry." It's a violation of our relationship to God to question his authority by worrying.

Has any good ever come out of any worrying that you've ever done? Worry only compartmentalizes us and makes us unable to do what we set out to do. If you are worried about a problem, what you need to do is simply trust the Lord and do good.

The word worry comes from a word taht means "to divide." When you worry, you divide your energy.

Amazing insight isn't it? A few things that jumped out at me:

• "Do not worry" is a commandment of Jesus. It's not just a nice suggestion. That means Jesus thinks we can actually do it... not worry, that is.


• To worry is a violation of our relationship with God. As a command of Jesus, then to not do it is... a violation.


• No good comes from worrying.


• Worrying compartmentalizes us. In other words, it breaks us down instead of builds us up. Worry really does divide us.


• Worry keeps us from doing what we know we need to do... Trust Him and Do Good.

Great advice on a Thursday,

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt

The Thing about Being a Pastor

One of the craziest things about being a Pastor is that you have to live what you're preaching! So we're in this series called Pete's Blog... a journal of trust. For 4 weeks, we're talking about Trusting God. In the Storm, in the face of Unconventional Thinking, etc.

Well, trust me when I say I've had to live this whole trust deal! Wow. Let me just go on record and say that Pastors don't live in a bubble. We face the same challenges and real-life issues as everyone else.

I'm excited about the new places in God that "Trust Tests" are taking me.

If you haven't heard the messages, I highly recommend downloading them asap. Especially if you're going through a "Testing Time." 4 ways to do that:

1. Order a CD at the Resource Table on Sundays at NLC.

2. Go to www.NextLevelChurch.com and click resources, then listen to messages. You can listen through live streaming or.

3. Right click and then save target as to download the mp3 to your desktop. At that point you can make your own cd's if you want!!!

4. Go to iTunes, click on podcasts, then search Next Level Church. Click on us, and all of our messages are available to automatically sinc with your iPod.

5. You can also subscribe through iTunes as well. Simply click subscribe and you'll start getting each and every week's message automatically in your iTunes library and on your iPod. (I highly recommend this option by the way!) What a great way to make sure you are feeding your spirit every week.

I'm so excited about Part 3 of Pete's Blog.

See you Sunday at 9 am and 10:45 am.

Matt

Fort Myers/Cape Coral rated #1 in Foreclosures Nationwide!

Hey everyone,

I just had to share what I heard on the Today Show this morning. We actually had to rewind our DVR and listen to it again because it shocked us. They were doing a piece on the economy and real estate, and in the middle of talking the girl from CNBC says: "Fort Myers/Cape Coral has the highest Foreclosure rate in the entire nation!" Wow. An accountant I talked to today said, "I thought it was bad but not that bad!"

Here's my take: There are alot of hurting people around us every single day. Very few of us are NOT being effected by this crazy economic time. Last Sunday we started our series "Pete's Blog... a journal of trust." Let me encourage you to do 3 things:

1. Go to www.Petesblog.org and listen to last Sunday's message as well as begin reading the testimonies of others who are going through a storm.


2. Forward the Petesblog.org website to someone you know who needs to hear what we're talking about.


3. Do whatever it takes to attend and bring someone else this Sunday to 1 of our 2 Sunday morning services: 9 am or 10:45 am.

We've been given a unique opportunity to reach out to those in our spheres of influence who are going through a stormy season. All they need is an invitation. God will do the rest.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Matt

Wow, what a Week!!!

Hey everyone, I'm so excited to be back in SW FL.  Sarah and I just finished an amazing / whirlwind week of ministry consulting, downtime, edification, and networking!  The last 8 days have been incredible!  It's amazing to see how God is using all that we are learning through Next Level Church to impact so many!  AND... we just keep learning more!  Here's the last week in a nutshell:

• Friday, Feb. 8th - Flew to Orange County, CA.  Made it to Dallas.  Then flight cancelled.  Rerouted to Las Vegas.  Ran to catch the plane.  Realized we were on Pacific time, not Mountain time.  Actually had an extra hour.  Felt like Idiots.  Caught our breath.  Arrived in OC, CA @ 7 pm PST (10 pm EST).  Had dinner with Church Planters.  Told our story.  Went to bed at 2 am EST.
• Saturday, Feb. 9th - Had breakfast at the hotel.  Ate too much.  Slept for 2 hours.  Met up with Scott & Mary Turner, incredible church planters in Irvine, CA.  Shopped.  Ate at PF Changs.  Heard their story.  Went back to their house.  Talked til 10 pm PST (1 am EST).  Slept at hotel. 
• Sunday, Feb. 10th - Arrived at theSummit Church which at 8:30 PST (Do I need to keep doing the EST reference?) Watched set up.  Took notes.  Preached at 11 am PST.  Grabbed a sandwich.  Debriefed at their house for 3 hours.  At 6 pm, a dozen of their leaders arrived.  Taught Church planting leadership & philosophy til 9:30 pm.  Drove to our new hotel on Laguna Beach, CA at 10:30 pm (1:30 am EST).  Slept.
• Monday, Feb. 11th - Had 9 am PST Video Conference Call with Pastor Scott and Quigs about the upcoming week at NLC.  (I love iChat by the way...) Drove to Saddleback Church, founded by Rick Warren.  Toured Saddleback.  Was blown away.  Had lunch.  Did some Geocaching. (Ask me later).  Back to hotel.  Slept.  Went to a movie.  Had Pizza at BJ's Italian Restaurant on Laguna Beach at 10:30 PST (1:30 am EST).  
• Tuesday, Feb. 12th -  Had breakfast overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  Walked on the beach.  Slept. Listen to a couple of LifeChurch.tv podcasts.  Read by the pool.  Ate Mexican.  Saw another movie.  Slept.
• Wednesday, Feb. 13th - Woke up at 8 am PST.  Drove to Scott & Mary Turner's house to return their car.  (Thanks by the way...)  Drove to Airport.  Talked with Scott for another hour.  Flew to Dallas.  Flew to Ft. Myers, FL.  Arrived home at 9:30 pm EST (6:30 pm PST).  Did some laundry. (Okay, Sarah did.)  Watch American Idol.  Still on West Coast time.  Bed by midnight.
• Thursday, Feb. 14th - Valentine's Day.  Woke up 6:30 am.  Checked e-mail, (1st time all week.)  Repacked.  9 am drove to Fort Lauderdale.  Arrived 11:30 am.  Got Starbucks.  Checked into hotel.  Attended lunch at the Book of Hope Missions Roundtable Event.  (Talk about a great ministry... oh my goodness, they're incredible.  More on that later too.)  Last afternoon session at 4:30 pm.  Took a cat nap.  Dinner at 6 pm.   Watched the sunset over Fort Lauderdale skyline with my wife. (Come on Somebody!!!)  Attended night session.  9:30 pm had dessert at Cheesecake Factory with Peter and Carolyn Haas (Substance Church in Minneapolis, MN).  Incredible couple that we totally hit it off with.  Back to hotel at  12:30 am.  Asleep by 1 am.
• Friday, Feb. 15th - Woke up at 8:30 am.  Went to the Red Door Spa at The Galleria in Fort Lauderdale.  (yeah, I did.  So what???  It was awesome!)  10:30 am - watched SportsCenter in the Men's Dressing Room. (Hey I wasn't about to go out there with a bunch of women and pretend I was actually comfortable!!!  I do have boundaries, you know.)  11 am - 80 minute hot rock massage.  1 pm - Lunch with my wife.  2 - 5 pm - shopping at the Galleria with Peter and Carolyn Haas.  Back to hotel.  Cat nap.  6 pm - Dinner with RoundTable Pastors.  9:30 pm - Last Session ends.  10 pm - Dessert at the Cheesecake Factory with Chris and Jan Beard, Pastors in DownTown Cincinnati.  Incredible story. 1:30 am - back to hotel.  2 am - sleep.
• Saturday - Feb. 16th - 8 am - Wake up.  Check out of hotel.  Get boys a present.  Get Starbucks.  Get Krispy Kremes. (yeah, I did!)  Drive across Alligator Alley.  Home at 12:15 pm.  2 pm Birthday Party at Gator Lanes for Will's friend.  5:30 pm ate something. (I can't remember)  8 pm - Boys in bed.  8:10 pm - practice message for tomorrow.  8:57 pm - finish writing this blog.  9:05 pm - Probably will pass out.

Man, what an amazing & refreshing time we had.  It was just great to relax and do nothing, you know???Seriously, we love that!  It's God's calling for us, and there's nothing we'd rather do together! Can't wait for God to move tomorrow at NLC! Pastor Matt

Vision Night Message now available

Hey everyone,

If you weren't able to be apart of Vision Night, you've got to make sure you hear the message from that night. The vision we cast that night will become the foundation for the next year of ministry at NLC and beyond. God has positioned us and given us a strategy to impact Southwest Florida & the United States in a big way!

Here's how you get it:

1. Go to the Resource Table and pick up a CD on Sunday.

2. Go to the NextLevelChurch.com website and download the MP3 from the Resources page.

3. Go to the NextLevelChurch page on iTunes and download the Podcast.

The feedback we are getting from across the NLC world is exciting! NLCers are starting to see a clearer picture of what God wants to use us to do for Him than ever before.

I can't wait to hear your feedback as well,

Thanks,

Matt

Wayne and Kim Hanson Visit

We had the privilege this weekend of hosting church planters from Castle Rock, CO at NLC. Wayne & Kim Hanson pastor Summit Church of Castle Rock, CO. They just celebrated their 1 year anniversary as a church and God is using them in a great way! God gave them a True Value Hardware Store to use as a church facility for the last year, however, they were just given news that they have to be out in like 25 days!

But... God has opened the door for them to go mobile and do church at a brand new high school, just like us! It was great for them to be at NLC and see all that we do to make church happen on a weekly basis. I think they were able to see and absorb alot from all of our NLC environments.

In other news, 2 services is going amazingly well. I think all NLCers are adjusting nicely to the change. It's been great for our worship and productions team as well! The unity that God has brought to those teams is blowing my mind right now! God is taking our worship to a whole new level. If you've been wandering in a few minutes late, let me encourage you to get there before things start.

Trust me, you don't want to miss how God is moving in our worship! I've never been more fired up to be apart of NLC then I am right now! God is truly turning up His Presence in our midst.

I love being your pastor,

Matt Keller

2 Services Launch was Amazing!!!

Yesterday was the Launch of 2 Services at NLC, and it went great! I am so amazed at how all of the people of NLC stepped up! It was great to see so many people who have caught the vision of "Attend One, Serve One." We were able to impact more people in one day then we ever have! All told, there were over 700 people in attendance yesterday. AND we had over 20 people raise their hand at the end of the message to recieve Christ as their personal Savior.

5 ways NLC made me smile yesterday:

1. The Set Up and Tear Down Teams were ON IT like Blue Bonnet! I can't even tell you how amazing it was to "set new records" in every area of NLC for set up yesterday! This is the result of Pastor Scott and a ton of other people working for the last 4 months to completely overhaul the Systems of NLC set up! They knocked it out of the park.

2. Worship Kicked it like a Ninja! The worship team yesterday brought it, big time! They were tight and took us to the presence of the Lord! I'm so glad I get to worship twice now every Sunday. I love NLC Worship! It was amazing to watch the Worship Team pray together, pray for me, and pray for God to move before the service! There is revival in our worship team and it humbles me as a pastor!
3. Our Ushers & Greeters & Parking Teams were workin' the Shiny Happy People thing. Somewhere R.E.M. was singing and smiling along, b/c our Frontline Ministries were amazing! AND it was cold outside (55 degrees)!

4. The Kids Zone was Off the Chain! After completely renovating the entire department in one week, we successfully relaunched our Kids Zone! The new set, sound, lighting and energy was amazing! Marci and David Hendrix are Rock Stars! Not to mention all of our Babies, Walkers, Nursery, & Pre-K environments that successsfully moved into a "Double Staffing" Reality! Come on, you guys make it look easy!

5. Coffee Bar & Foyer Teams set the Stage for the whole day! Our coffee bar team stepped up and kept the relational zone of our Sunday mornings runnin' like clockwork. It was cool to see them making it happen. Great job everybody!

What a great day, NLC! I am so proud to be your pastor,

I can't believe I get to do this!!! Thanks,

Pastor Matt

January 7th ... My Life and Death Story - Part 8

(continued)

I spent 9 days in the ICU at Lutheran Hospital. I did have another blood clot form but it was small and it dissolved on its own without needing another surgery. I went home on January 16th, 1995. I had no teeth and a partially shaved head. I had lost about 15 pounds and couldn't wear my contacts. I remember seeing myself in a mirror and thinking I looked like a dead man. On the contrary, I had escaped death, and I was thankful to God to be alive. Seldom a month goes by that I don't remember those days and how God was with me on January 7th.

A good friend of mine at the time, Scott Mills, told me that "I am a called man of God, and God's gonna use my life to do something great. There's no way he's done with you yet." I've never forgotten those words. They marked my life. That and the permanent scar on the left side of my head. Every so often I'll catch myself feeling the dent that remains from where they drilled in that day.

In those moments, I feel like Jacob of the Old Testament must have felt. He wrestled with God in Genesis 32 and at the end of it, God dislocated his hip socket. The Bible records that from that day on, Jacob walked with a limp and a cane. For the rest of Jacob's life, at various times he would stop and lean on his cane as an expression of worship to the Lord. No one else could worship like that. It was a special moment between he and his God.

That's the way I feel about my scar. When I touch it, it's as worship to the Lord. I am reminded of how my life was spared and I'm destined for great things. I'm reminded that God's not done with me yet and that I've been given a testimony to tell of the power of God in my life.

Touching my scar is as worship to the Lord for me. No one else can worship Him like that. It's our thing. It's something special that I'll always share with the God who put his hand between my head and a telephone pole.

January 7th is an anniversary for me. I'm alive, and I'll never be able to forget it.

January 7th ... My Life and Death Story - Part 7

(continued)
I woke up Sunday morning, January 8th, 1995 to my head wrapped in white cloths and a tube sticking out the side. I remember a nurse telling me very loudly as I was coming to that, "Matthew, there is a tube coming out of your head to relieve the pressure from the blood clot on your brain." I just remember her yelling at me, and thinking "gall, that's horrible." She procede ever so loudly to ask me a serious of questions that at the time seemed elementary. "Matthew, do you know what day it is?" "Who's the president of the United States?" "What's your name?" All of which I answered immediately with no problem. Apparently, there was much concern about what I would remember, if there would be brain damage, and if I would even know who anyone was.

A short time later, Sarah and Alison came in. They had went to church that morning and then straight to the hospital. Before arriving in my room, they asked the nurse for an update on my situation and she had cautioned them to not be alarmed if I didn't remember who they were or their names. She gave them the heads up on the reality that I may have to learn to read and write again, etc.

They came in the room and I was lying there with my eyes closed, all bandaged up like a woman just getting out of the shower with wet hair. They said hello, or something, and then Alison began asking me questions. "Matt, what 2 + 2?" To which, I'm thinking, "Why the heck is she doing this? I just did this for the nurse." Thinking she was having fun, I decided to play along. I answered her without so much as opening my eyes, "5." She asked another question, "What day is it?" "Thursday." With that, the two of them left the room.

I just laid there. In a moment, the nurse returned with them and again began her loud question asking, "Matthew, who's the president of the United States?" Not having any idea what was going on and becoming a little annoyed at the game we seemed to be playing at my expense I replied, "Hillary!" Which is obviously Bill Clinton's wife. To which everyone in the room burst into laughter and some joyful tears.

It's an absolute miracle that I never had one bit of memory loss or brain damamge. Although my staff might tell you differently depending on the day. God was truly watching over me. What a miracle.

January 7th ... My Life and Death Story - Part 6

Upon hearing the news, mom and dad felt thankful they were still in Fort Wayne and thereby closer to Lutheran hospital where my surgery was being performed. When they arrived at the hospital I was already in surgery and so all they could do was wait. My mom has always been very private about her faith. Where I tend to be more outward in my display of faith, my mother tends to drift toward the opposite.

In conversations I had with my mom after the surgery, the only thing she really ever said to me was, "Matt, I met with Jesus that night in the chapel of that hospital." I can't imagine what it must feel like to have one of your children's life hanging on the edge. My mom is a strong women. My respect for her grew exponentially that night.

The next 24 to 36 hours would be critical to whether the blood clot would reappear or dissolve. They were monitoring my status in ICU.

Janaury 7th ... My Life and Death Story - Part 5

(continued)

Mom and dad had left in the afternoon to go shopping in Fort Wayne before they ended up at a birthday party for my cousin, Darcy. (I don't think my cousin has ever let me forget ruining her birthday that year.) My dad had just gotten his first cell phone the week before and didn't even so much as know the number yet. Once Sarah and her family arrived at the hospital in Angola, they took on the burden of trying to get in touch with my parents. Unfortuately no one knew how to get ahold of them. Alison, Sarah's mom, at one point asked Nick if he knew my aunt's telephone number where the birthday party was supposed to be held that evening.

With his eyes closed, and just drifting above consciousness Nick replied, "1251". To this day, we have no idea how Nick knew their phone number. It wasn't something my brother or I needed to call, until that day, January 7th. Alison was able to get in touch with my aunt Toni and told her what was happening. Should mom and dad call, have them call her cell phone immediately.

After a few hours of shopping, my dad was anxious to show off his new cell phone to mom and so he stopped around 4:30 pm in the parking lot and wanted to show her how it worked. His idea was to call my aunt Toni, just for illustration's sake on what this new fangled gadget could do. They never could have imagined the news they were about to receieve on the other end of that phone.

The only 2 sons were both in critical condition. 1 in a neck brace. The other in brain surgery.

"Hey Daddy, we have a Surprise for you!"

... were the words I heard when I walked in the door tonight. But I had to play the "Hot and Cold," game to find it. It was so cute watching my 2 boys in their "I don't do Mistletoe" pajamas leading me around our house all the while saying, "You're gettin' warmer..." or "You're gettin' colder..."

After a few minutes of downstairs rabbit trail chasing, they finally led me upstairs and into the laundry room. I opened the washer (to which Drew looked in and acted surprised to find a load of laundry). Then as I started to open the dryer door, both boys broke out in spontaneous shouting: "You're burnin' up!!!" (which I found ironic, since I was at the dryer...)

As I opened the door, I seriously had no idea what I was about to find... That's when I reached in to discover a brand new GPS! Perfect for my new found hobby... Geocaching!

I was so blown away. Apparently they had been planning all week to surprise me, and man they sure pulled it off.

I'm most excited to make some great memories with the boys in the days ahead. They'll love treasure hunting and I'll love being with them.

Thanks guys for my GPS. May the Geocaching begin!

Just a GPS bloggish thought,

Matt

January 7th ... My Life and Death Story - Part 4

(part 4, continued)

My brother was still being treated at the hospital in Angola. They discovered he had crushed the 3rd vertibrae in his neck 10%. He spent 8 weeks in a neck brace and missed a semester of college. Because of our accident, he had to stay through the next summer to finish his degree. It was during those summer months that he met his wife, Elizabeth. He would have never been there had it not been for our accident on January 7th.

Meanwhile, Sarah and her parents were now 60 miles away. "I've never seen my dad drive so fast in my entire life," she told me later. Sarah actually had a journal that she recorded her thoughts in later that night. She wrote 8 pages of some of the most raw and gut wrenching emotions I have ever heard come out of her.

The helicopter landed at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, IN, and I was immediately rushed into the O.R. Dr. Isa Conavatti. I still remember the doctor's name. He's the only person on the entire planet who has ever seen my brain. That's crazy for me to think about.

They shaved the front left half of my head and then cut a moon shaped incision in my skin. They drilled in to my skull to relieve the pressure and when they pulled the drill out, they later told us the blood shot out and hit the wall of the O.R. 10 feet away. They put in a drainage tube and wrapped my head. I think the surgery took like 4 or 5 hours.

I can't imagine how my parents were feeling... how they got the news was another story entirely...

January 7th ... My Life and Death Story - Part 3

(part 3, continued from yesterday)

The EMS took us to the nearest hospital in Angola, IN, a small town just a few miles inside the Michigan boarder. Once at the hospital they ran a CT scan on my brain. They discovered I had a blood clot on my brain the size of a softball and it was getting bigger. If I didn't have emergency surgery to relieve the pressure, I would die.

In Northeast Indiana there was only 1 medical helicopter in the entire region at that time. And it was presently tending to another life or death situation miles away. The helicopter was called off of that emergency to come and pick me up and take me to a larger hospital 60 miles away.

At the time, Sarah and I were still just dating. She was only 17 and a senior in high school. We knew we were meant for one another, but that was still a dream for years to come. The guys had called Sarah and her family when the EMS had arrived at the campground, so she was able to come to the small hospital shortly after I had arrived. In those days I wore a gold chain with a cross on it. I guess during the entire ordeal, they took my cross and chain and handed it Sarah and said, "You may want this."

I can't imagine what it must have felt like for her to see the man she would one day marry and dreamed of spending her life with, loaded onto a helicopter with the hope that his life could be saved. She was 17. I was 19. And because this was in the time that cell phones were a luxury not a necessity, we had no way of getting ahold of my parents.

January 7th ... My Life and Death Story - Part 2

(continued from yesterday...)

After take off, we rounded a corner and the sled slid out wide to the left going down into the ditch next to the path we were on. (Picture a water skier going out wide behind a ski boat). Unfortuately what none of us saw was the row of telephone poles lining the ditch as well. We were headed straight for a pole at 35 mph. Faces buried in the sled, eyes blinded by the snow, an imminent collision ahead.

The ski rope hit the telephone pole first and then jerked the sled up into the telephone pole. Nick's neck curled up into the toboggan sled and I struck the pole literally "head on" at an estimated 50 mph. The sled shattered and the two of us were thrown 20 feet beyond the pole. The guys came running up to us yelling and cheering until they saw me face down in a pool of blood.

Taitem, who had been a lifeguard all summer the year before, reached me first and recognized what was happening. He stablized my neck and rolled me over all the while shouting, "Call 911!" Nick was moving around but was experiencing immense pain in his neck. After Taitem pulled my ski mask off of my face he couldn't figure out what the white powdery stuff was all over my mask. The powdery stuff was my 3 front teeth. They had been smashed into the back of my brother's head. and never mind the powdery stuff, I had a golf ball sized bump protruding from my left temple, and blood coming from my ears.

January 7th, 1995 ... My Life and Death Story - Part 1

I woke up this morning with the same words that come out of my mouth first every January 7th. "I'm Alive." I'll never be able to forget what happened 13 years ago. January 7th, 1995.

It was a typical winter Saturday in Indiana. We had gotten about 4 inches of snow on the ground through the night, so my buddies and I decided to go toboggan sledding, like we had the year before. For those of you who know what toboggan sledding is, what we were talking about wasn't your typical toboggan sledding deal, with a track and an hourly waged employee helping you on and off the sled while instructing you to "keep your hands, and arms tucked inside at all times." No, we were going Extreme Toboggan sledding.

We drove to a campground about 30 minutes north of where we lived and would spend the day riding on a toboggan sled tied behind a pick up truck with a ski rope. We used couch cushions to make the ride less bumpy. When we arrived at the campground, my brother and I opened the trunk and started to pull out 2 snowmobile helmets we had from our childhood. At once, all of our friends began immediately mocking. "Did your mom make you bring those?" "The 1970's called, they want their helmets back." "What are you 8 years old?" So without another thought, we replied with a "Just kiddin'" and threw them back in the trunk.

Extreme sledding is quite an exhilarating thing to do on a Saturday in Indiana. It's got all the elements of fun 6 late teen and early 20 something guys look for. Speed, risk, adrenaline, and danger. What we didn't realize, or perhaps more accurately had chosen to overlook was just how much danger it had.

It was late in the day (around 4 pm) and it was my brother and I's turn to ride. Sled, cushions, Nick, and myself. Stacked up one on top of the other like a cold meat sandwich on hoagie bread. Nick's head was tucked up under the curl of the toboggan sled to shield his face from the massive amounts of snow flying toward us. My face was situationed facing down into the back of my brother's head, to shield my face from the snow. Little did we know that snow would be the least of our concerns in about 30 seconds.