What A Weekend

I went home to visit my family...it was so good seeing my wife and children...I love and miss them a lot. But the great thing is that the time is growing shorter and shorter and they will be over here forever with me.

Friday I played in a golf tournament. It was fun even though it was the fourth time ever I have played. I am improving dramatically. If only I would get out and practice a little. My practice is actually game. My team shot 2 under par. For those that don't know what that means...it was ok but not good enough to win. We were playing in about 35 mph winds...it was a tough day to play.

Our Sunday morning service here at Church of Hope seems to be getting better and better. This morning was awesome. The praise and worship was great and Pastor Rod's message was slammin'. He is so funny and breaks the word down awesomely....I love it. We did Let the Worshippers Arise as a special and it rocked. That songs just for me..

Well, I am going to start prepping for Wednesday night...my new series Hero - This World Needs a Hero...I am really starting to feel it...the teens are slowly warming up to me and the leaders are jumping on board. I will be talking to a choreographer this week who is in our chruch about starting a hip-hop dance team for our youth group...and to top it all off...this month we will be launching the new name for the youth group.

Rise to the Challenge (Wed. Night Service)

Last night was my fourth Wednesday as the Pastor of Youth Ministries. I completed my first series that I have taught them. It was entitled Mission Possible. It was a great night all around. Joey, the guy who has been leading the praise and worship team really stepped up during the fast songs and encouraged all the teens to enter in to the service. I was glad he did that. Leading worship is about just that....leading.

When I played football, I was the leader of the team. That meant that sometimes I had to step up and tell the other guys that they had to bring it on the field. It meant that I had to always be at the top of my game. The same is true about whatever you are leading, whether it is your company, a ministry, or whatever... My wife was reminding me of that this morning on the phone. She was telling me that this youth group is riding on my shoulders now and I have to be ready and prayed up.

Our service ended last night with two rededications and with a challenge for the teens to take a step further than they have ever gone before. They all rose to the challenge.

Today, you rise to the challenge in whatever it is you are leading or doing. Remember God will prosper all the work of your hand.

Teen Challenge

Tonight I had the awesome pleasure of attending a teen challenge chapel service. It rocked....If you don't know what it is...it is the number one program in the nation for rehab and rehibilitation. You can read about it at http://www.teenchallengeusa.com/

I got to share my testimony with the guys that were there and got to pray for some of them as well. I felt my testimony and prayer really helped with a breakthrough for one guy. His testimony was similar to mine. I prayed a prayer to set him free and the Veil would be torn away that he would be free to praise with uninhibited praise. And that the calling he has on him has never left...it is without repentance.

It was really exciting to be part of what they are doing. It is real rubber meets the road stuff.

Tomorrow night is the last of my first series here at Church of Hope. Mission Possible...The Battle Plans. I am so glad for my wife and I to be back to doing what God has called us to do. I can't wait till she gets here to help me. I miss here and the girls.

Careful what you Think

Today is the first day of a great work week...It is a great week to be alive...It is a great day to be saved...

I don't know if I have told everyone this...but I have a great family...my wife is totally awesome...I have the best children anyone could ever ask for...

Life is just great...I know, I know...some people just don't what to hear that...but you know what...as a man (or woman) thinks so they are.

I have resolved that my life is going to be great and I am going to reach to the heights God has for me. It is so awesome to be doing what God has called my family to...It is so awesome to be in a Church that is on the rise...

What are you thinking about today? You just might get it.

My Weekend and Why Worry

I feel as if I have been all over the state of Texas....well maybe not that far but I was in Victoria...then up to Houston...then to the Woodlands...back to Victoria....then back to Corpus...whew...lots of miles....My daugther Shelby was in a touranment in Houston in the Willowbrock area....so we were in Houston.

Service this Sunday morning was great. I sat in on the Youth Bible study and it was excellent. It was about worrying....and you know what...it was on point...there is nothing you can add by worrying. I have not seen anything change due to worrying. So why worry.

Matthew 6:27 - You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. (NCV)

Powerful...Worrying is not having faith. And faith is what pleases God.
Everyone have an awesome week...Know that you are blessed and highly favored.

Speed the Light

Monday Night I went to a Speed the Light Banquet. Speed the Light exists to assist Assemblies of God missionaries with vital evangelism equipment. It was a great banquet that showed how much churches in the district have given over the past year. It also highlighted the need for missions around the world.

The whole time I am there though all I could think about is teenagers around America. It is a huge mission field. Based on statistics only 4% of teenagers in America are Bible-based believers. That is enormous. That means 96 teenagers in 100 are potentially dying and going to hell.

Go to my "My Space" website at http://www.myspace.com/pastorjcurl and watch the video on Casualties of War. The next five years are crucial. The future of this country hinges on the next five to seven years. My whole thoughts since coming to Corpus have just been feeled with how we need to be reaching this current generation. Churches, parents, christian teens....everyone should be reaching out to this generation.

It's Gonna Be....

....A great week. I hope everyone's Easter was fantastic. Let me tell you ours here was a little scary. We had a young man fall from a rock climbing wall we had at an event here at Church of Hope. Praise God his angels were here protecting. Even though the young man broke his arm and leg it is only by God's grace and protection that he didn't land in a way that could have ultimately been worse.

Everyone please pray for this young man...Dezy...and his family...and be in prayer for our church through this time.

Have a great week....This week my sermon is on Battle Plans....it is going to be awesome. Keep's getting better and better.

Happy Easter

Hope everyone has a happy and wonderful Easter weekend. I will be out of touch from posting this weekend but will back in action sometime on Wednesday. Next week is week number 3 here and I am expecting it to be better and better each week.

I have several young adults who have jumped on and started volunteering for next week and that will be a huge load. Next key is to begin building the dream-team......

Have a great Easter everyone.

Service Last Night

It was so awesome. Last nights service went great. We have to tighten up a few loose ends but as a whole it was great. The song set was good especially when we went in to worship. The message hit perfect. Then the best thing of the night happened. Last week I challenged the teens to bring their friends and that we would be doing an altar call every week. Well was I did the salvation calls hands went up everywhere. We had 8 rededications and 1 first time salvation. It rocked. I was so pumped. The first time salvation was a first time visitor. Oh Yeah!!!! Heaven was doing flip-flops and so was I...(not literally). I know there will be some bumps along the way and it will get tighter with excellence. Also I need lots of people to come and lead this ministry with me. Yesterday I ran around trying to get everything done that is needed. Right now the only adult help I have is my praise team. Everyone else just comes. And then there is no parent help at the moment. I got my work cut out for me....but....I am up to the task. PRAISE GOD.

Night #2

Tonight will be the second night for our youth service. The sermon is continuing my series on Mission Possible. Tonight I will be talking about IS IT POSSIBLE.... I will be using the story about the Tower of Babel and how what they were able to accomplish with a vision, a plan and with unity. I know that if the teens in this church will get on board and run with the vision then nothing will be impossible for us.

The statistics really scare me about the future of our church and country if they remain true. Only 4% of teenagers are bible-believing Christians. That is 4 out of 100. In the Corpus area there are over 40,000 teenagers. Well with God all things are possible. We are going to create a youth ministry and a network of youth groups that are going to take this area for Christ. Those out there reading this pray in agreement with me that God is going to us the youth ministry of Church of Hope to bring freedom to today's teenagers.

Worship in Spirit and Truth

Tonight starts a big key to what will play a huge part in our services on Wednesday nights. Tonight is the praise and worship practice for the youth service. To me this is one of the key parts of the service. It is what brings teens to the throne of God. It is intergral in releasing the anointing. And praise plows the heart. God is seeking people who will worship Him. And when He finds some His presence will flow there.

My goal today is to begin teaching them not just how to play instruments, but how to go and chase God. How to worship Him. John 4:23 says, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."(NIV) God is seeking worshipers and I want this youth group to be one who goes after God.

Start to a Great Day

When I was in Kingsville, I always used to go up to the church at 6:00 am to pray. I had a couple of partners who would go up there with me and we would crank up some worship music and just go after God. For a long time after I moved over to Victoria that stopped until me and Mark Longoria started praying this January.

It is the most awesome time of the day for me. It starts me out fresh and gets me ready for what is in store. It helps me to stay focused. I have a lot of people who tell me how do you pray for an hour. They think they will run out of things to pray about. Well if you get a system to follow it is rather simple and can lead to a healthy prayer time.

For example you could pray through the Lord's Prayer using each line as subject areas. Also the Prayer of Jabez is another prayer to follow and pray through. Whatever and however, starting out the day with God is the start to a GREAT DAY!!!!

An interesting day.

It has been so interesting being back here in an area I was in for almost 14 years. I have purposed to not call back and invite friends to come to my new church. I figured that if they wanted to they would and if they didn't they wouldn't. I really wanted to keep a high level of integrity since I would be only about 30 miles from my the church I first worked at. Well not really to my surprise one of my friends is praying about coming to church here. He visited with his family today and told my first pastor that he was going to start looking for a new church.

Today's message was an awesome one by Pastor Rod. He preached on the last seven statements Christ made. We created a dvd of still shots from the Passion that showed those statements. Pretty powerful. God was really moving in service. AWESOME!!!!!!!

What A Week

This has been an awesome week but very busy one. I haven't even had time to post here. Sorry for all those who have been checking and not seeing any updates. I have been organizing my office and computer and getting everything set up to roll.

The first youth service was great. A little rough around the edges but it went well. The message kicked. I really came out and challenged the teenagers to get involved and create the most awesome youth gathering on the planet. I challenged them to reach out to their friends to get involved in helping create all the ministries that make the night awesome. I had a great response from them. It went EXCELLENT.

Well I am off today and home visiting the family. I missed them a lot this week. Peace and God Bless to you all.

The First Day

Today is my first day. I am so excited. Most of it I have spent organizing. I am the type that has to have everything in order before I can start. And I mean everything; bookshelves, desk, computer. Tonight I am going to try to find someone to watch the Final Four with and probably work on my sermon for Wednesday night, my first youth service. My series is Mission Possible. I am going to look start at the Great Commision and go through Acts with some scriptures to lay down a foundation this first month. I am going to use a clip from Mission Impossible. Don't know which one just yet.

Everyone who reads this be praying. Post a comment or two to let me know you are out there. Be blessed and know that you are highly favored.