Desperation 2009: Light Up The World

This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending the Desperation Conference at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. This is a conference I attended for the first time last year and fell absolutely in love with. It focuses a lot on passionate prayer and worship. This year, we rounded up a crew of eight and headed back. The theme this year was "Light Up The World." Pretty SWEET conference if I do say so myself, I would recommend it to anyone! The Spirit was moving and so alive, it was absolutely amazing.

Here are some highlights from the trip...

• First and foremost, I have to say I love, love, love this conference so much because of the spiritual preparation that goes into it. New Life's staff is absolutely amazing, they are so open to the Spirit. They put a lot into what they do! They put A LOT into Desperation each year and the conference itself thrives because of it.
• Friday night, during worship, everyone completely let go. It was probably one of the most amazing worship services I've ever been a part of...the sanctuary was going nuts. It was amazing. I honestly never wanted to leave. Tiny taste of Heaven!
• Kari Jobe = Amazing worship leader! She led with Desperation Band friday night and just radiated Jesus. It was so inspiring to watch her lead and worship. Such a beautiful woman of God.
• Saturday, during evening worship with Desperation band, we had a very similar experience to friday. It was worship full of complete surrender. D-Band ended up straying off of their original playlist somewhat and Jared Anderson started leading "I Surrender All." After that song, it was then that Jon Egan, the head worship leader, spoke. He said "You know I really believe what Jared Anderson just did was a form of prophetic worship. There are some people that need to surrender tonight." He started calling out certian situations and certain things people needed to surrender. People were literally just falling on the ground being renewed and accepting Jesus. It was so amazing. The Spirit was so heavy and fresh in the room.
• The Desperation June Conference of 2009 ended up raising $16,000 dollars in an offering that went towards building an orphanage in Uganda.
• Our group of 8 had an hour long prayer meeting Sunday morning before service. It was such a great way to end our conference time together. We were in a prayer huddle, with our arms around each other praying for one another. It was such a powerful time.

Here are also some key quote from the speakers! I love to recap these! Such powerful messages.

• The Following quotes are by David Perkins
• There is a level of joy that no human being can rob you of--fullness of joy is available.
• Joy in Jesus doesn't change or depend on outward circumstances
• When you're sucking joy out of the world, it's ashes
• We will be going back to a culture that mocks. If you're lighting up the world and looking anything like Jesus, they will treat you like they treated him.
• Surely as they laughed at our Savior, they'll laugh at you
• When you come in with a gospel that cuts pride, arrogance, dishonesty, etc. people are gonna be ticked
• There will be uncomfortable moments for the Christ Follower. Jesus was Mr. Awkward.
• Holiness is lonely for most. You start to set a standard and people are bugged by it.
• Don't crucify the guy you're trying to be like. Conversations of mockery are coming. Just saying. You must be ready to face the onset of mockery.
• Blessed are you, in your lifetime, when people laugh, insult and persecute you
• Brady Boyd (Lead Pastor of New Life)
• God doesn't just love, he is love
• You have to know what is true about God or you can't be free, you can't enter into worship
• As humans we fall into three categories: We are either orphans, slaves, or sons
• The church needs moms and dads, but we cannot be moms and dads until we are sons and daughters
• Sonship doesn't change in Jesus' freedom
• God isn't always interested in what we're doing, but rather, who we're becoming
• If who I am is what I do, then I am a slave. Slaves are convinced that they can be demoted at anytime.
• Sons are free to love dad. When we're sons and daughters, we are motivated because we want to please God because He's been a good father. Why would you want to disappoint someone you love? Sons aren't afraid of being replaced.
• Dan Perkins (Internship Director)
• I like the idea of flipping the world upside down
• There is depth in God to be had for those who truly want it
• There's something about others experiencing God that is inspiring
• Depth in God is cultivated, it's relationship
• Relationships diminish when you don't pay attention to them, but when you get to know someone, everything else comes alive
• Sometimes, we "football smile" our way through our relationship with Jesus
• We've heard the phrase "God loves you" so often that it's kind of unbelievable anymore.
• We know the words "God loves you." but we don't understand the reality of them
• Loved people are powerful and dangerous people. Loved people are dangerous to the kingdom of darkness
• Love is passion for someone's highest good
• God lavishes his love on us in ways we don't even realize. We turn blind eyes to blessings a lot of the time.
• It's exciting when you realize that God loves you.
• Brent Parsley (Youth Pastor for New Life Church)
• We're not going to do the things God wants us to do until we're changed. You don't have to have the best ideas you just need to be changed
• Don't argue with the blind that can see and the lame that can walk
• We try so hard and wrestle with God because we want him to love us. He already wants to give us the good things of life. WE are the ones with the issues.
• You don't have to bend God's arm, just let him love you. It starts and ends with his love.
• You don't have to impress God, he's already impressed, he made you.
• Live a life that is self-forgetful and outward looking
• Let your self-sacrifice come out of God's love for you, then pass that onto others
• A self-sacrificed lifestyle is birthed out of love
• The goal of the gospel has never been to get, but to give
• Amy Perkins
• You're heart matters, and someday, it will be rewarded
• Don't become victim to your own circumstances--don't let your circumstances immobolize you
• Jesus often says to us, "You feel dark, but you're lovely to me because you want this."
• When you say "yes" to God, it matters
• Seizing small moments can do wonders for your heart
• Live a disciplined life. Discplined people are world changers.
• Take your heart and set it before God's heart. God will come. He will start to melt and tenderize your heart if you're willing to give it to Him.
• Pete Greig (Started 24/7 Prayer Movement in England and is starting CampusAmerica)
• God's will for us is that we would pray, play, and obey
• Prayer is a lot like sex. Out of intimacy with God can come a miracle and a mess
• You learn to pray by praying
• All good youth work is a work of horomones and Holy Spirit (lol)
• It's easy to have things in life that give us second hand spiritual experiences. Cut the middle man out and get together and talk with God.
• Pray like it all depends on God and play like it all depends on you
• Prayer propels us out to speak for Jesus and be his hands and feet
• Glenn Packiam (Author of Secondhand Jesus)
• We often rely on people to walk our walk for us and we expect people to tell us who God is insteand of figuring it out for ourselves.
• Our view of God often becomes a patch-work of second hand information
• Ask yourself, "Do you know Jesus more this year than you did last?"
• Anytime we trade an active, living relationship with God for something second-hand, death enters in
• For love I will set myself apart to know God
• "BRING IT"
• We can't be lights if we've never been on the journey ourselves
• John McDonald (Youth Pastor from Illinois)
• The more you gaze on the face of Jesus with the eyes of your heart, the more you're able to fully be alive; the more you attract Heaven's attention
• We have power and authority as sons and daughters that can shake the foundations of hell
• If you're going to be filled fully, you must yield to God first
• Replace everything that is of you, with everything that is of God
• Beth Diehl (3rd year DLA intern for New Life)
• God knows our hearts need more
• We often see life through our own eyes. Looking at the world through God's eyes can be a very different experience
• Through God's lens things are exciting. There is joy in life.
• Leeland Mooring (Lead singer of the band Leeland)
• God, you love us and you like us

An Ode to the Dads!

Crazy days in the life of church planting, crazy days, my friends! All last week we spent A LOT of time gearing up for Dad Fest, a celebration to honor all the dad's in the Andover/Wichita area. Trista and I ended up printing and canvasing around 1,700 flyers! Crazy! Office This (where we do printing) probably wasn't too excited about all of our flyers. We ran their black ink completely out of stock. Haha. Anyways, we had a lot planned for Dad Fest, including free hot dogs, root beer floats, prizes, and a moon bounce for the kids. We partnered with a local restaurant called Stooges, and planned on using their parking lot and stuff for our event...

Then, Saturday came. And Saturday came with RAIN. Woot, woot for weather. We ended up doing our event under an awning at Stooges and weren't able to use the moon bounce. However, everything else went pretty well, and despite the weather we had an awesome turn out. The launch team kids decided pretty early on that moon bounces were overrated anyway,and just went out and played in the rain. They had a puddle-jumping ministry of their own and most of the kids at Dad Fest ended up going out to play with them anyway. It was so fun to watch them. They were having a blast! Dad Fest wasn't exactly like we planned, but it was great to meet new people, and honor all of the dads in the area!

So, as Father's Day is upon us, and before I close, I wanted to take a minute to honor MY dad. My dad is Russell Leroy Komlofske. He's, hands down, the best dad around. He's an awesome provider, in every way, and is just a really big goof! He also makes the best pancakes and french toast in the whole world. Did I mention that he's an excellent griller? He's also a dreamer...he likes to make things happen, and he always has a positive attitude. What can I say, I just love my dad!

So here's to today, love on those dads!

Work Worth Doing

Psalm 40. Read it. Last night, in the middle of prayer during my devo time, I was completely overwhelmed by the Spirit. I was praying for the community of Andover and I was overcome with a sense of urgency and passion. I was somewhat bothered by a comment that had been made to me earlier that day about having a job in ministry for the summer and how it's not a "real job." It made me really stop and think. Which is where Pslam 40 comes in. Psalm 40 is probably one of my favorite pieces of scripture. It was never one that stuck out to me until last year when I was at a prayer meeting at a conference in Colorado Springs. I was in a room of about 45 people and they were praying, participating in intercession and praying scripture all over the place. There was one specific moment when a woman in the room started reading Pslam 40 and my ears were just drawn to her voice as she read. Every time I read it or quote it now, I can only hear her. She read it and prayed after with such passion. As I was reading last night the Lord just kept speaking "trust" to me. That Psalm is all about trust. It's about being a sinner saved by grace who trusts in someone higher and greater.

You know, there should be so many reasons why planting this church should not work. Kent, Trista and I were in prayer this morning and we all three just kept saying, we don't have enough money, we don't have enough people, we don't have enough this, we don't have enough that, BUT what we do have is Jesus. That's enough. That seals the deal. He is someone that can't ever be taken away. To me, God has been preparing my heart for this summer and this opportunity for a very long time. It's not about money, or resources, or having it all together to me because God has never failed me before. He's always provided. He's a good dad. That makes this as "real" to me as ever.

As I was at the throne of God in prayer last night I just kept asking for God to pour out his love on the people of Andover who don't know Him. I've honestly never been so passionate about anything in my life. This stuff is real. Because of Christ's love, I can freely run to God's throne where I belong everyday, but other people cannot. People are lost. If I may blog bluntly, this world is asleep. It's asleep and the bridegroom is coming. This is the most real job I've ever had. I may not be paid a fortune, but I hope, one day, I get to see people in Heaven who otherwise might not have been there if it wasn't for Epic Church. The work that God is doing around here is real. It's important. Therefore, I trust in the one who has no limits-- my deliverer, and above all, my provider. This is work, to me, that is worth doing.

P.S. Jory said YES to the worship position! Guess what that means beautiful people? We have a worship pastor! WEEEEEEEEEEE!!

Service, burning for Jesus, Date night with Peter!

Another great weekend has come and gone! Yesterday Epic volunteered at the new YMCA in Andover. The Y just recently opened, and their outdoor water park's grand opening was yesterday. We helped grill free hot dogs, hand out free pop, baseball tickets, and sign people up for door prize drawings! It was pretty awesome to get out and serve in the community. We met tons of cool people and had the chance to chat it up with them. I also got a ridiculous sunburn on the back of my leg...burning for Jesus. The things we do...:) just kidding. But really, if you ever get the chance to check out the Andover water park...NIKE (just do it)!!!! It's pretty sweet. I wanted to trade in my epic shirt for a swim suit yesterday and take a ride on the lazy river. So fresh.

Also, last night, Kent and Jenni went out to dinner and a movie with a couple that we met at the Marble Slab one Tuesday night so Trista and I got to have a date night with our favorite 9 month-old stud, Peter Wagner! Great times at the Wagner household. Then, this morning, we headed over to attend church at Gracepoint, a 6 year-old church plant in Wichita. They meet at Northwest High School, and are gearing up and getting ready to head into a permanent facitility sometime in 2010. It was awesome to be a part of their family for a Sunday. The atmosphere was so real. People were themselves. That's what I really appreciated about Gracepoint. My favorite part of the service came when the pastor called for people who needed prayer to stand up. Then, people around them just went and laid hands on those who needed prayer. I loved that. There's such a bond in praying together.

Tonight we have a launch team meeting at the Y, and we are spending the rest of the afternoon relaxing and gearing up for another week.

Weekend, Worship and the Warren!

Greetings from our office at Panera :). This past weekend was a great time of fun and fellowship for all of us at Epic. Our potential worship candidate, Jory, came to visit from Kentucky. We got to hang with him for the weekend, so that was pretty sweeeeeeeeeeet! He was an all around awesome guy and seemed to fit in well with Epic. Please be praying for Jory and for Epic during this time. A lot of decisions will be made in the next couple of weeks concerning the worship position.

Trista and I were also able to chill with her family this weekend. They all came up for a wedding reception, so that was a blessing and a great time as well. Then, on Sunday morning, we went to Aviator Church in Derby. Aviator is a church plant that launched last August with the vision of reaching out to the Derby/Mulvane area. It was so inspiring to see God's provision in Aviator's progress. The church is headed by Joe and Michelle Boyd, Jenni's sister and brother-in-law. They are just moving right along. They meet in Derby High school and in the past few months have hired on a youth pastor and graphic designer to their team of a worship pastor and a few interns! Pretty awesome!

Also, we have been looking and trying to nail down a location for Epic to meet for services after the launch in September. Kent just informed us a few minutes ago that the location has been set. Anyone want to take a guess where Epic will be meeting? Warren Theatre!!!! Now THAT'S pretty sweet. Ha. It's been an answer to prayer for us! I believe we will have a main theatre for worship and two theatres for the children's ministry.

Please be praying for:

• Aviator Church - They are doing awesome things in Derby


• Epic, of course, and all of us here on the launch team


• That God would send His Spirit ahead of us in all that we do so that we may find and meet the people that He brought us here to reach!


• Jory and the worship position


• PRAISE: location in Warren Theatre!

SWEET!