So fired up about the Next Generation.  I don’t get tired of blogging and talking about it.  This morning, I woke up bright and early to take my daughter and a friend to meet our Blue Sushi–Kids Leadership at the Homeless Breakfast that we do at our Baton Rouge Dream Center every Thursday Morning.  It was incredible to see 10-12 year old kids passionately serving the needs of the community!

Another incredible moment, Navigate and Saturate Graduation.  Jason Laird, Tyler Tullos and the team did such a great job celebrating the success of a valuable Summer Internship for our Jr. High and High School Students.  Over 100 students finished a commitment to spend thier summer seeking God, serving the poor, and growing in capacity.

Finishing out the week, our Jr. High and High School students rolled out this morning to head to Motion Conference.  I love the opportunities for our students and I am so proud of the team.

Next weekend August 8/9 join us for Back to School Blessing.  We will pray over our students and send them back to school in the power of the Holy Spirit to impact their worlds for Christ. What a great summer’s end!!

I’m excited about our current weekend series at HPC called “Counter Culture.” So many people are struggling to find God through the craziness of our current society.  So many voices-so many choices. Where do you go to find answers? We decided to take on the challenge of tackling some of the toughest issues of our day. What does the Bible say about sex, alcohol, partying, homosexuality, promiscuity, divorce?

The Church cannot afford to be passive on these topics. Avoiding controversy is a luxury we don’t have. Our mandate is to respond to the issues of our time. If we remain silent, the world will fill in the blanks with their own ideas. Our hope is for people to discover the heartbeat of God & the truth of His Word. It’s this truth that will set us free!

Come join us this weekend. Ask your questions online. Let’s learn & grow together as we do our best to be like Jesus.

I had the awesome privilege to speak at EPIC, the service for our junior high through high school students, last night.  I’m am so fired up to see how God is moving in the next generation. This has been an amazing summer so far with mission trips and our Navigate and Saturate Internship Programs.  Our students are more in love with Jesus and more passionate about the lost than I have ever seen them!!

There is just one more incredible opportunity for our young people this summer…Motion Conference is next week (July 30-August 2). 6-12 grade students are encouraged to be a part of this phenomenal experience in Birmingham, AL. If you’re not signed up yet, it’s not too late. Do it Today!

We have heard so many great reports from Rock the River this past Saturday at the LSU Levee Lots.  Over 10,000 people were in attendance to hear Christian Artists and Franklin Graham declare the timeless message of the Gospel.  What a huge success for our city and all of the partnering churches…a 5-star event to build the Kingdom!!

I found this article from the Advocate about the event.  Check it out…pretty cool as it speaks about personal experiences and words from our political leaders.  I love that we have a God-fearing Governor that supports such an amazing opportunity.  You can track along with the Rock the River Tour on Twitter [@RocktheRiver] as they journey up the Mississippi.  Blessed to see all that God is doing through the Billy Graham Association…what an amazing legacy!!

This has been one high energy week at HPC…today, is the last day of VBS for 2009.  Close to 1300 kids have invaded the Highland Campus participating in crazy games and crafts, passionate worship, and incredible Bible teachings.  Sometimes, I wish I were a kid again…to experience all of the joy and excitement that goes into a week like this.

Most of all, I love what VBS means for families.  It is such a wonderful way to reach so many families that aren’t a part of the local church.  We pray that through all of the snowballs, water games, face paint, and messy snacks kids connect with the love of Jesus and bring a powerful hope into their homes.  I can’t wait to hear about all that God has done through this week!