ou are going to hear from Kevin Malone, the former General Manager of the Dodgers and his son Shawn in addition to having Francis Chan narrate their story! Kevin and Shawn will be with us live and you are going to be blessed to hear what they have to say. 

Have you ever taken the time to realize how your personal weapons of self-destruction wreak havoc on your personal life? I am talking about the debilitating negative emotions of shame, uncontrolled thoughts, compulsions, fear, hopelessness, and insecurity that make your life a mess.

God always calls you someone different than who you call yourself. God always has better thoughts than you could think about for yourself. God has a better plan than you could plan for yourself. God paints a better picture of who you are than you can paint for yourself. And it all starts with an understanding of “who you are in Christ”—what you’re new and true identity in Christ is. 

The best thing Encounter can do for newcomers checking us out is for all of us to be there to greet them and connect with them! We need to go out of our way and make our newcomers feel warm, loved, welcomed, safe, and connected. This Friday is all about our newcomers, and we need all of Encounter to show up in full force with open arms! 

Stay in close communication with your Encounter family this week. Think of ways you can help. Think of people you can invite to help you. Reach out and ask how you can get plugged in if you don’t have a specific role. 

What would you think of a person who always wanted things from you but never offered a word of thanks in return? We can be that way with God, can't we? Let's remember to thank Him.

Victorious Christians fix their eyes on Jesus and keep walking by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit. They don’t pay attention to deceiving spirits and will not be distracted by them. At first the battle for the mind is intense, but as they continue walking by faith, the narrow path gets broader and broader and the mental assault becomes less as they draw closer to Christ. 

Your Encounter Family has not quit on you and we eagerly await your return with open arms. We look forward to seeing you come back and removing the quit option in your life! 

I am so excited to reveal to you today the 12 Anchors of Hope exclusively for the Encounter ministry and curriculum. When God revealed these to me through His word, I knew He inspired them! I hope you will take the time to memorize them, but more importantly, live them out.

If you ever prayed when life is hard, then Encounter this Friday is going to be perfect for you. We are kicking off a prayer series that will transform your life. We are going to learn how to overcome some of the “Broom Tree” experiences of our lives.