Sun Stand Still

Few preachers impress me.  I have been in ministry over 18 years and I have been through the Rick Warren and Bill Hybel craze.  I was there when Erwin McManus first got barbaric and Andy Stanley created environments.  I remember when Steve Hill yelled his way through the Brownsville Revival.  Today, I love me some Perry, Groschel and Young.  However, one guy does impress me.  Not only because I serve in his former stomping grounds, Moncks Corner.  Not because I consider his parents great friends of mine…but because he really pushes hard and lives an audacious faith.  That is Steven Furtick.  Now, some will say I am kissing up or courting favor but to those of youI will say I have a pretty good ministry myself and I get my favor from Jesus.

Steven’s parents were in my small group when he planted Elevation and I remember us praying for this little start up church.  I remember being impressed by him as we prayed for God to give him strength because he fasted for 40 days leading up to the launch.  I remember being impressed by a preacher that spoke truth and spoke with passion despite his youth.  I remember being impressed.

After reading Furtick’s book Sun Stand Still a second time I am reminded by some of the things I love about this guy.  I know he is a bit flash and dash.  He has a flare for the dramatic and no grown man should ever wear a white suit but other than that he has some great things going for him.

A few years ago Elevation led a campaign to go Audacious.  That spirit and boldness inspired me to the point of tears.  I remember sitting in my living room wondering where have all the bold leaders gone?  Why weren’t the churches going boldly after their communities?  Why had we grown complacent?  I prayed for that spirit to be planted into me and that led me to our HALF campaign.  HALF was a campaign to after 5 years get half of the students in Moncks Corner into our youth ministry.  We began with less than 50 students 3 years ago we are up to 350 now.  We have 1650 to go.

Too many leaders, pastors, churches take what is given to them and work with it, not even bothering to believe that God can stop the sun if that is what it will take to see his will done in your community.  Elevation is the vision and prayer of a team that believed God for something huge.  You can roll your eyes if you don’t like the methods but take some time and catch the spirit of God communicated by Furtick and see what can happen when you ask God for the impossible.