I’m a terrible celebrator.  As soon as something is over, I move on to the next thing.  Maybe I look back every once in a while, scroll through some old photos, draw on lessons learned, or enjoy a memory.  But, in general, the whole celebrating thing is something I need to work on as a husband, a father, and a pastor.

So, before I tell you about the new series we’re starting this coming Sunday, let’s take a minute to thank God for everything He did this past Sunday.  It was both our largest gathering yet as a church and the first time we had over 300 with us on a Sunday morning.  That all by itself is worth celebrating – it felt great to see so many people streaming into church, to have so many kids running around afterwards, and to feel the energy in the theater.  Honestly, I want every Sunday to feel that way!  But what means even more to me is the roughly 35 people who served in some way to make Sunday morning happen (Kids, Production, Worship, and Connect teams).  You all did an amazing job, served people so well, and honored Jesus greatly.  And God used you in a powerful way – to welcome first time guests, to tell the story of Jesus to the next generation, and to enable others to hear the gospel.  We’re still hearing the stories of all God did on Sunday but can say for sure that at least four people came to faith in Jesus!  So, when you add it all up, Easter was a pretty special day for us at Restoration City.  We have a lot to celebrate.

And we have a lot to look forward to as we start a new series, Shadow Me, this coming Sunday.  This series of messages will be anchored in Scripture but is born out of the work God has been doing in my life over the last five plus years.  It will be, by far, the most personal series of messages I’ve ever shared – exploring my battle with guilt, shame, rejection and the freedom I’ve found in Christ to be the person God has created me to be, to do the work He has called me to do, and to enjoy the people He has placed in my life.  The truths I’ve discovered from God’s Word, loving friends, and wise mentors has changed my life.  Of, maybe more accurately, has freed me to live my life.

For years I lived a fake life.  I was desperate to figure out who I needed to become in order for people to like me, to accept me, to love me.  But it was all an act.  I was working on creating a shadow version of myself, not working on the core of who I am.  I was busy creating an image, hiding my struggles, and polishing the shadow version that I let everyone else see.  But I was crumbling on the inside.  It’s a terrible and dangerous way to live.  It will crush your soul, damage your relationships, and kill your passion for God.  And I’m convinced we all do it way more than we think.

I want to fight back over the next six weeks.  I want to fight to uncover the real you; the one created by God, loved by God and redeemed by God.  The one Jesus went to the cross for, the one the world longs to know.

I would love to ask you for three things as we head into this season:

1.  Pray for me.  Talking about things you’d prefer to ignore is never easy.  Doing it in a room full of people takes it to a whole new level!
2. Commit to all six weeks.  I’m really unpacking one theme over six weeks, so catching one or two talks won’t be anywhere near as beneficial as catching all six.  Yes, we’ll keep the podcast running but being there in person is so much better!
3. Invite friends.  This is a fantastic series for you to invite non-Christian friends, so don’t be shy.  They’ll be grateful you took the risk!

I’m excited for these next few weeks.  I think they’re going to help a lot of us find freedom and I pray they have a ripple effect on our culture as a church.  We want to be the kind of place where it’s safe to be yourself!