WesHolbrook.com

Worship In The Woods

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:07:50 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

Well, folks, it’s almost time!

This is your friendly reminder that this week’s West Campus gathering will NOT be at the USCA Convocation Center, as usual. We WILL, however, be meeting on the property at the YMCA / Cedar Creek West site on Trolley Line Road.

I am FIRED UP that we get to celebrate this partnership and all that God is doing in us and through us on the site where the building is going up! Sunday, March 7 at 11:00 a.m. we will gather in a HUGE white tent and worship together, kidz and adultz, all at once. Not to mention that our hospitality this week is being provided by Dunkin Donuts….coffee and donut holes. YES!

The weather is supposed to be GREAT. Please wear your “play” shoes because the site is still dirt and you don’t want to mess up your good stuff.

Come early, come ready to worship and come ready to celebrate our amazing God and this NEXT step for Cedar Creek Church and the West Campus.

In Him,

Wes

Questions?…Bring ‘Em!

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:21:42 +0000

Yesterday, our Senior Pastor Phillip Lee shared the vision for what’s NEXT at Cedar Creek Church and, specifically, for the West Campus and our potential partnership with the Aiken Family YMCA.

As you read through the information and think through all that Phillip talked about, surely questions come to your mind.

What are they?

Bring them here as “comments” and I will answer them.

Let ‘er rip!

One Month To Live

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:51:58 +0000

I am really fired up about our first series of 2010! This coming Sunday, we start “One Month To Live” which is based, in part, on the book by Chris and Kerry Shook.

Phillip will kick this series off with an overview talk of what it looks like to live a “No Regrets” life. Over the next several weeks we will walk through and dig into God’s word and discover four principles of intentional living. Our hope and prayer is that we will all learn what it means to:

Live Passionately

Love Completely

Learn Humbly and

Leave Boldly

Our “theme” verse for this series is “Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.” Psalms 90:12 (LB)

If you live in the Aiken County area you can join us Sunday mornings for this series at one of our three campuses of Cedar Creek Church. Click here for more information, service times or directions to a campus near you or to join us for the messages online.

One Month To Live Challenge

Ask everyday – What would I do if I had one month to live?
Get connected with a H.O.M.E. Group to fully experience this series!

The Law of Requisite Variety

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:12:32 +0000

This is the “Holbrook paraphrase:”

The Law of Requisite Variety states that for a system to thrive and sustain, it must generate and encourage variety within it’s internal structures. Clear?

Ok. A little more simplified and cliche’…routine is the enemy!

Basically, this is why your body plateaus every two weeks of doing the exact same exercise and you see no further improvement. Your body will find the most efficient way to do whatever you ask it to do and, without variety of exercises, you fail to experience increased strength or endurance. That’s why mixing up workouts, increasing load or duration always produces positive results.

Spiritually, we do the same thing without even realizing it. Sing the same song week in and week out, pray the same exact prayer everytime you eat a meal, structure a service the exact same way every week and, soon enough, it becomes routine…rote…ritual. Growth stops. Interaction ceases. You check out. The words no longer mean anything, you don’t actually think about what you’re thanking God for and you do not experience worship anymore. You plateau. You slump.

The sacred becomes routine.

What is the sacred or special in your life that has become routine?

Maybe it’s in your relationship with your spouse…

Maybe it’s in the way you interact with God’s word…

Maybe it’s you talking AT God and not listening TO God…

Maybe it’s in the way you serve…or don’t serve…

Most of the time, to break out of the slump, it requires just a simple change. Often a little variety helps break the stagnation.

Always do your quiet time in the same place? Move.

Always read the NIV translation? Try KJV or NLT or The Message paraphrase.

Always pray the exact same prayer? Talk to God and LISTEN. Don’t just demand whatever it is you think you need without ever spending time being still…and quiet.

Not connected in a HOME group and part of a Sunday morning team? Take a step. Visit a group (or two) and volunteer.

It’s a new year and time to get out of the rut!

Kids and Cows

admin — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 12:35:12 +0000

There is something about a cow. I’m not really sure what IT is but they are…cute…in an ugly sort of way. They are big, even the young ones, and they are curious. So are kids…curious, that is.

Outdoors, you can’t help but see God’s handiwork displayed in all of His creation. Even…in the face of a cow.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20(NIV)

What’s YOUR Plan?

admin — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:45:22 +0000

Alright…the question is, “What is your plan for reading through God’s word this year?”

Do you have a plan? If not, let me make a recommendation…YOUVERSION. The folks at Lifechurch.tv have put together a great, free resource.

www.youversion.com is an online Bible in different languages and different translations. They also have 20 suggested reading plans that you can personalize and use this coming year. It syncs up to Iphone and Blackberry or other “smart” phones and has an online journal to keep up with your writings and notes as you read.

I have picked mine and started reading. What say you? Do you have a plan? Comment back here and let me know which one you go with!

“To Read” List for 2010…

admin — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 03:10:21 +0000

Happy New Year everyone.

I have finally put together my list of books “to read” for this coming year. If you’re interested, you can check them out here. Not sure which one I’m most excited about getting to, however, I think “Last Child in the Woods” is high on my list. Given the theme, and my heart for the woods, I am very interested to see what the author has to say. I have long believed that much of our ills as a society stem from kids with nothing to do and a general lack of interest / opportunity to explore the great outdoors.

Peace to you and yours this year.

May 2010 be our best yet!

Merry Christmas From The Holbrooks!

admin — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 21:08:41 +0000

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family. This past year has been an incredible start to this new adventure that God has for our family. We are so thankful for all of you who are walking with us. Your love, prayers, friendship and partnership has encouraged and strengthened us more than you will ever know.

May God bless each of you and keep you growing closer to Him and closer to one another in 2010!

Much love from our house to yours,

Wes, Keli, Will and Hannah

Going Back The Way We Came…

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:47:58 +0000

Spend a little time around Cedar Creek Church and you will hear somebody say, “The bigger we get, the smaller we have to get.” It is a core value and the heart of all that we do. To maintain that intimacy and authentic sense of community, we must multiply our HOME groups and our campuses as we grow. This has never been more true than this past year. After seventeen years, Cedar Creek went from one church in one location to one church in three locations. Over this past year we’ve learned many new things and have been reminded of many things that we knew but had gotten away from.

One thing that came back to us was the need to appreciate our volunteers in smaller gatherings and throughout the year in simple, yet effective, ways.

Keli and I had the privilege of serving dinner, along side of our HOME group coaches, to our HOME group leaders at Jay and Anita Judy’s house. We gathered together to show our appreciation to our leaders for shepherding God’s people day in and day out. What a great time together! The evening was reminiscent of the days when the entire church staff could meet in one living room. Now, there will be many small group gatherings of this kind as God continues to bless the work He began at Cedar Creek in 1992.

As we constantly look for new and creative ways to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ, some things must not change. Life…happens in small groups, not in the large group gatherings. We continue to gather in the big settings to worship and celebrate all that He is doing in us and through us. We also must never give up meeting “from house to house.” Thank you Lord for the reminder to “go back the way we came.”

I Phone Blogging

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:12:11 +0000

So, I am woefully deficient when it comes to correspondence and communications. And everyone said, “Amen!”

Especially when it comes to this blog.

So…I am employing or deploying some systems, people and tools to help me do a better job.

This is just one step…my I phone. Yes, I know I am way behind on this technology but I am here. Better late than never!

We shall see if it works…