this weekend @ VERVE

Let's be honest: Most of us live pretty dull lives. That's why we end up engrossed in the lives of others: celebrities, athletes, people on reality shows. So how do we go from living a life of watching others to living a life worth watching?

Find out this week as we bring back a popular Verve series, "A Life Worth Watching." Last year we looked at the life of a guy in the Bible named Abraham, this year we'll learn transforming principles from Elijah.

Don't miss a week of this 5 week series!

The Power of Inauthenticity

I watched an interview with a famous preacher recently. It was okay, but there were two answers he gave that caused my brain to hemorrhage just a little.

• Asked, "Do you ever have any doubts?" he responded, "No."
• Asked, "Has your marriage ever gone through difficult times?" the response was ... no.

You're telling me this guy has never had any doubts the existence of God, or God's care and provision, or the Bible? And he and his wife have never gone through a tough stage in their marriage?

I guess it may be true, and I hope it is true, buy my immediate gut level reaction was: You're lying. And if you'll lie about that, what else would you lie about?

I talk a lot about the power of authenticity, but this is the power of inauthenticity. My guess is that this guy comes from the perspective that leaders are supposed to be perfect, and for him to admit a fault would make people question his leadership. But the reality is just the opposite. We all assume that no one is perfect, and so if you act like you are, then we question your leadership.

Your Heart For...

A couple weeks ago I met with a future church planter. I do that all the time. A few days later he sent me an email thanking me for meeting with him. That happens all the time too. In his email he mentioned one thing in particular he was grateful for. That happens all the time too. Typically it's something like my thoughts on contextualizing church services to the people you're hoping to reach, or for providing a strategy for fundraising. But that's not what he said. He told me he really appreciated hearing my heart for Las Vegas.

I loved that. It's what I want to have. I blogged about this recently, but in the Bible, it's very obvious that God has a heart for cities. And he seems to have a special place in His heart for cities that have "fallen away" from him. (Think Jonah being sent to Ninevah.) And we see Jesus weeping over cities. What I want is to have a heart for Las Vegas.

And I appreciate other people who have it. Like I love working with Jake Keck, because he has a heart for Las Vegas. And I'm grateful for Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos) for what he's doing with his downtown project.

If for some reason you'd like to learn more about the history of Las Vegas, and maybe even develop a heart for this great city, here are some books and a website you may want to check out:

• Sun, Sin, and Suburbia: An Essential History of Modern Las Vegas, Geoff Schumacher
• Resort City in the Sunbelt, Eugene Moehring
• Sharks in the Desert, John L. Smith
• The People of Las Vegas: One City, Many Faces, Jerry L. Simich
• More People of Las Vegas: One City, Many Faces, Jerry L. Simich
• www.1st100.com

VERVE Happs

I was out of town Sunday, speaking at one of our supporting churches, but I was at Verve on Monday, and loved watching the guy in that video message.  Wow.

Our attendance was LOW this week.  Where were you missing Ververs?

This Friday is our Mike Rayburn concert, $10, with all proceeds going towards the school and church we're building in Ecuador.  If you haven't bought your tickets yet, get them TODAY.  You can do so at www.vivalaverve.org.

Verve's Super Bowl Party is 12 days away - happens to the day they're playing the Super Bowl this year - so it works out perfect!  Be there, bring some friends, and bring a lot of food to share.

Registration for the new semester of Verve University is underway.  The 6-week courses will be held on Sunday nights, 6:05 to 7:35, starting February 19th.

Vince Recommends...

Been suggesting some movies you may have missed. These fit into the "slow moving" movies (which means I loved them and my wife hated them).

1. There Will Be Blood
2. Fargo
3. No Country For Old Men
4. Rushmore
5. Witness
6. Signs

Some have violence and language, so if you're offended by that, skip 'em.  Other than that, you're welcome.

Sundance

Getting to spend a few days at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.  This is the second year in a row I was invited to come, but the first getting to bring my wife.

Park City may be the most gorgeous town in the United States, and the festival is cool. There's a unique buzz in a town hosting an event that draws artists and celebrities from around the world.

And going to a movie at Sundance is a different experience. It's a very different kind of crowd you're sitting in the midst of, typically the director or some of the actors are there to say something about the movie... It's just very unique.

this weekend @ VERVE

Back in the movie "The Blues Brothers" John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd told people, "We're on a mission from God."

It was kinda funny, but maybe it's what we all need.  Maybe what's missing from our lives is a sense of purpose.  And perhaps God is the only one who can give us a purpose big enough to capture our imagination and fill our lives.

And it that's true, you definitely don't want to miss this week at Verve as we talk about us being "A Missional Tribe."