I remember telling Chuck Laney, our builder, that I would only go to the building site once a month. It seems like I’m going daily not even weekly to the building site. I love going out there, I stand in awe of what HE is doing. This week we are kicking off a New Series called, “The Journey”. You will not want to miss where we have come from and where we are going.

To think that a handful of people have emerged to become a great force in the KINGDOM, it blows my mind that God would use us. (Bunch of HICKS)

Don’t miss this weekend!!

gene

• Long Day
• Finance Meeting and Management Meeting for four hours after Church.
• Thank God for the men that help me make so many great decisions.
• The Break Ground date for the Lodge is September 1st. (BIG WOW)
• Great Small Group tonight, my high school buddy Randy Huffaker makes my group.
• Five Services are tough please help us by coming out of the 10:30 service.
• We have to free up seats for future growth for the fall.
• Check out the God Encounter Bill Board downtown Sevierville.
• Get in a Small Group, you will not regret it.
• Some might think I’m being a little tough about the Cell Phones but please leave them in the car.
• We had no less than 6 to 10 different Cell Phones go off this weekend.
• Please stay faithful to the fast and the corporate prayer and your individual request.
• Bring a friend to church.

Love ya

pastor gene

Our Back to School Event this week has been a very humbling as well as exciting event this year. One of our volunteers shared this story with me and I had to pass it along.

A mother with two children had signed up a couple of months ago to get much needed shoes and clothing for her children. Today the grandmother came with the two children to pick up the items. She was wearing the mother’s name tag so naturally the volunteer addressed  her by the name on her tag. The grandmother said, “No, my name is not…that is my daughter’s name. She died last Monday!” Well you can only imagine how the volunteer felt. She broke down and cried right their with the grandmother. They prayed together and gave some extra food items to them since the grandparents were in their 70s and having a hard time financially. What a tragedy to lose your daughter of 46 years and then to raise her two young children ages 9 and 11 at the age of those two grandparents!

 Our County is full of stories like that. May we always remember, we don’t have to serve the poor, we get to! It is an honor to reach out and help them by demonstrating God’s love in a practical way….with no strings attached!

Gene

There is revival in the air! It is so true that all we need is God and the Word of God. Let me encourage all of you to be in one of the 5 Weekend services this week.  Please help us with the Saturday Night Services. (Sunday’s are Packed) Let me warn you the Lord has given me a very unusual message it is burning real hot already in my spirit. Also make sure you check out the blog tomorrow and we will have some new video of the church building and new video of the Lord’s Child Event. We are headed for an unbelievable fall, please dive in with your whole heart.

Love Ya check out the video tomorrow!!

gene

I am asking our entire congregation to be in prayer for the Entire Church Family in Knoxville that suffered this recent shooting. While watching the six-o’clock news my heart just broke for this congregation.

• Please be in prayer for those that lost their loved ones today.
• Please be in Prayer for the Senior Pastor that God would give Him Divine Wisdom and Grace.
• Please be in Prayer for those that are in critical condition still at UT Hospital.
• Please be in Prayer for those children that experienced this Awful Event, that the Lord would heal their memory.
• Please pray that the Entire Church across the World would wake up to the fact that we are at WAR.

The church is not a social club, may we recognize that our real enemy is Alive and Well.

I want to personally thank Don Kowalski, head of our Security, for all that He and His Team does to keep the Gathering safe every single weekend. If I had the name of all these men I would list every one of you and say, A Big THANKS!!

WHO SAID VOLUNTEERS DON’T MATTER????

May God Continue to Protect All of Our Churches as we Worship the ONLY TRUE and LIVING GOD!!

gene

PS. See you next week, I am full of a truckload of Old Time Preaching!! (Have not spoke in 4 weeks)

When is the last time you spent ALL NIGHT in Prayer? The Very first time I did I was In East Texas doing a youth camp and several of us stayed up all night and prayed. On Several occasions since then I have enjoyed so many long nights with the Lord. If you have never tried it, I highly recommend it. Take a very Long Extended Nap during the day time. This will prepare you for the toughest part of the night. (12-3) Brew a big POT of Gourmet Coffee and find you a quite place and  some great Christan music and just sit in HIS PRESENCE. I love to write my prayers and to look back on the past year of my life. (For those of you that do not know today is one of the Holiest Days of the Year, July 21, My Birthday)

1. Just to Thank God for all His Goodness this past year.
2. To spend some quite time thinking about the coming year.
3. To Spend some time in Deep Intercession for some of my Dearest Friends and Especially my Family Members.
4. To Spend some time praying for my team. (Church Staff, they have a Tough Job)
5. To Pray for Karen and Corey and Seth in the year to come. (Better Dad, Greater Husband)
6. Tonight Psalms 27 personally minister to me. Some great promises for the coming year!!
7. Lord showed me some great things about worship. (True Worship Coupled with Fasting)
8. The Lord has made it clear to me that I am right in the middle of a WAR.
9. He has let me know there is, “No Retreat Gene Absolutely  NO RETREAT Gene”
10. He has made it clear to me that Spiritual War also has Casualties. (A Spiritual Death is VERY Sad)

I am really praying that are church, The Gathering, would see some true SPIRITUAL Breakthrough  THIS FALL. ONE Week from today I’m calling our entire church to a Daniel Fast. I am asking everybody to be in the Lords House the first week of August. It so break my heart when I hear about so many of our people not making the Lords Day a priority in there life. If you put God 2nd that is no way to live your life.

Let me encourage you to be a Good Steward of the YEARS that the Lord has so graciously given to you. Your birthday is a good day to reminisces and evaluate your life. I remember last year in Costa Rica on my birthday really examining my life, not for minutes but for hours, remember only one life will soon pass and only what is done for Christ will last.

gene

I’m tired

I wish I could share with you everything going on BEHIND the scenes, but I can’t.  However, I will say this, ” I absolutely stand in awe of the LORD and what He is doing through The Gathering and The Lord’s Child.  Tomorrow David May and I are taking a private jet to Branson, MO to discuss potential business with some very influential men in our country.  Needless to say this business concerns The Gathering and The Lord’s Child.  This turn of events could not have surprised me more.  I have no idea where it will lead and what is in store for us.  Pray for me tomorrow as I try to learn more about this situation.

It is a privilege to be on this ride with all of you at The Gathering.  I just hung up the phone with one of our faithful members, Jim Bookstaff.    I asked Jim to pray tomorrow and ask God to protect me, and give unusual wisdom and understanding.  Also, at this time I need to hear from the Lord like never before.

I heard the president say one time that He felt the prayers of the American people.

I, too, can feel the prayers of so many of you.  I can’t stay in the battle without them.   Thank you in advance for praying and have a great weekend!  See you at church.

gene