I just heard one of the most important messages ever made by Andy Stanley.

He did a one part sermon on gratitude called “I. O. Who?”

Andy discussed how important gratitude really is in our relationships with God and with others. He made the simple but effective point that “Unexpressed gratitude is ingratitude”. So many people, including myself, are very grateful towards someone, yet they tell everyone they know except for that person. It doesn’t matter if you tell everyone, if you don’t tell that person. Because that person sees that as rejection.

To refuse to pay my debts of gratitude is to live with an inflated view of myself.

By refusing to show your gratitude to those who have served you is to say that what they did was expected and shouldn’t be thanked.

Gratitude closes the loop in our relationship with God and others.

Andy used the great example of a mother reminding her child to say thank you. That thank you closes the loop. Without an expression of gratitude, that person feels rejected.

This is something that I need to embrace and live out. Expressing gratitude to everyone who has helped me. I need to be a returner.

A returner is someone who is willing to go back to those who enabled them to go forward.

The first thing that really hit me when I heard this message from andy was that I am rejecting God. I take my forgiveness and I run. I am ungrateful to Him.

That hit me. I am rejecting the only One who can save me. I have rejected He who died on the cross for me. I need to accept his gift of forgiveness with more gratitude than ever before.

For He died to save me.

How humbling.

-Travis Fish

Check out the full message Here.

Yesterday at the end of each service held at a North Point Campus, Andy Stanley announced that Jeff Henderson will be leaving Buckhead Church staff at the end of this year so that he can start the Gwinnett campus in the fall of next year. Billy Phenix will be taking over as the campus pastor here at Buckhead Church come the first of this next year.

Since the beginning of this past summer, I have had the incredible blessing of getting to work with the SPD team and the staff as a whole at Buckhead Church. It has been absolutely wonderful. I have met so many people that reflect Christ in their everyday lives and who run passionately after Him. I get to film the baptism videos with a friend of mine, Brandon Montgomery. Getting to hear so many incredible stories and be a small part in their baptism is so exciting.

Through all of this, I have loved every minute that I have spent with Buckhead Church. I am sad, but so excited for Jeff, as he moves on to impact Gwinnett. I am also looking forward to seeing how Buckhead Church changes as Billy becomes the campus pastor. He is an incredible person and I have no doubt he will be just as effective and transparent as Jeff was.

Below is a video with Jeff and Billy that helps to explain the details:

Hillsong officially launched Hillsong NYC Church on October 17th.

Even with 3 services, they were beyond the buildings capacity.

What a blessing it is to see such a need being fulfilled.

Two things hit me really hard when I watched their NYC launch video.

First, Carl Lentz [Co-Lead Pastor] tells of a conversation he had with an older lady who had tears in her eyes:

[Carl] How did you end up here? Mam, its great to have you.
[Lady] Well I was headed somewhere else, but where I was headed didn’t have no line. Any place thats got a line like that, I want to see what’s inside. So I came inside and I think I found my home.
[Carl] Mam, I think you did too.

This brings joy to my heart, hearing of stories of love and community through Christ.

Secondly, Carl talks about how cool it was to see people bring friends. He tells of two conversations he had:

[Carl] I had a guy say to me, “I brought my taxi cab driver, He got saved.” Another guy said, “I went to a coffee shop before I came, invited 5 people, and all 5 of them gave their lives to the Lord. Is this always going to happen?” I pray that it does man. I pray that it does.

This is what the Church is about. Community through His Love. I love seeing Churches reach people like the way Hillsong NYC has already.

vvv Check out the launch video below. vvv

Hillsong NYC Launch from Hillsong Church on Vimeo.

-Travis Fish