New Blog Post

Please note - that beginning next week my blog will move to www.mikelinch.wordpress.com

I am working to have it forwarded to my www.mikelinch.com account.  Working on getting that done!

See you at the new spot!!

Thanks.......Giving

When I look back on this past year, I have so much to be thankful for.  The funny thing it all revolves around someone else "giving" to be bless my family & my life!  I have so much to be thankful for.....in fact, I feel sort of guilty for being so blessed!  An incredible family - an unreal church - the best friends in the world.......a relationship with with God that is like a spring "of living water".........Thanks to all that "give" to my life - I am truly blessed!!

Rearview Mirror

• Incredible Sunday wrapping up "Still Standing"
• Expected low crowds due to holiday....was I ever wrong!! Place was packed - standing room at the late hour!!
• Left after service and went to a "cabin" in Topton, NC on Lake Nantahala. No cell service, no tv, no computer access......it was just what we needed!
• Maybe the most beautiful place I have ever been!! It was NOT quite a cabin - more like a castle nestled in the woods on the lake and it was absolutely incredible!
  
• It has been so long since I rested and just enjoyed the family....just what I needed! We played games - fished - and basically just chilled!! I ate way to much - but it was so good!!
• Came back today and sort of hated to leave! Hated to see how many e-mails & phone calls I had missed and guess what I learned........Life had moved on just fine without me for a few days.
• Got home to watch some good TV that we had DVR'd
• The return of 24 was SOLID and it was good to have Jack back!! Should be a great season!! Good stuff - new story line but same Jack!! Welcome back 24!
• The Unit once again did not disappoint - what a great show!
  

Last week of Still Standing

Tomorrow we will wrap up our "Still Standing" series!  It has been super timely in my life and I think in the lives of a lot of others!  

My prayer for today is that my faith will be in "who God is" not "what God does"......The easiest time to quit and get out of the race we are in is when God does not come through like we thought He would.....or He should!

I pray that I will trust Him no matter what and seek His best not just mine!!

Hard....you bet

Worth it.....no doubt!!

Can't wait for Sunday!!

I am off to watch my favorite little girl, Mary-Michal, cheer in her 6th grade football superbowl!!!  It is going to be COLD but totally worth it!!

Crazy week

I can't even describe what a crazy week this has been!  I am so behind on my post....Here are a few highlights:

• Great management team meeting on Monday.....It is always great to meet with sharp leaders who help me in guiding NStar.  Their servant hearts but great business & leadership minds are a blessing to be around!
• Spent the rest of the day of Monday planning our next 8 months of sermons with Steve Roach.  It is always a blast to hang with Roach and plan!!  We have been best friends since 2nd grade and it is incredible that we get to do life together now!!
• Tuesday AM - We had our early morning executive bible study - room was totally full!!  Some of these guys are really hurting - it is so cool to see them be there for each other. 
• Spent the next few hours planning the next 2 weekends and going over what we did from the week before!
• Every year our team at NStar helps the City of Acworth sort canned goods....It is a ton of work but a ton of fun!!  Watching everyone pitch in and work together is great!!
• Came home to find the house completely decorated for Christmas!!!  Annie is amazing!!
• Tomorrow is my last day in the office before taking some time off next week.....I sure need it!  Can't wait to get away & chill for a little while!

Rearview Mirror

• May be one of the greatest days we have ever had at NorthStar.......We were in part 3 of Still Standing....talking about "Knowing" God personally
• We had Rev. Clarence Jett there live - it was pretty powerful!  I brought him out about 10 minutes into my message and he received a standing ovation in both services!  Nothing like seeing a young cutting edge church embrace a 94 year old man!
• I interviewed Rev. Jett and it was beyond incredible....His wisdom was so on the money and the way he could recall scripture blew me away!  I interviewed him for over 25 minutes in both services and it was totally unscripted and he nailed every answer!
• Check out our some of the video footage that we had shot previously with Rev. Jett...
• I would never encourage to listen to our podcast but I would REALLY encourage you to hear this one!!!  Check our site to dive in to the great AM!
• Steph & our band nailed the last song - a remix of the Old Hymn "Give me Jesus"....it said it all!
• It was an incredible AM all the way around!  Major packed house both hours and big crowds in True North!  My son (who thinks his old man) came down and said, "Dad, you would have loved it upstairs in the Student Area - it was packed"......Love that boy!!
• Lindsay Arnold did the welcome in the Compass and was "spot on".....Lindsay used to be in the college group that met in my house.  She is now a wife & mom and I was SO proud of her this AM!  She will be one of the host of our new "In the Know" Sunday video segment that is coming in December!
• I got to take Rev. Jett & my mom and dad to lunch - it was so fun to spend time with them!
• The Falcons battled so hard today - I love pulling for that team!  It was so close to being another Falcon win!
• Tonight was "The Gathering" - Daniel & the band introduced their 2nd CD "Things Unseen"....It was slammed and a ton of fun to watch NStar people engage with God!  The team did an amazing job putting on the night and it was a blast to just sit in the crowd & enjoy!!  I got to sit with my little girl and watch her worship.......watching her was worth the whole night!!
• Now I am settling in for "The Unit"!!!  Love that show!!
• Short night sleep - early morning Management Team meeting.  I love meeting with these wise men who help stand beside me and lead NorthStar into the future!

His voice

Today we are in part 3 of "Still Standing" and talking about knowing God personally!  I am praying today for 2 things:

• Those that do not know Him at all....to meet Him for the first time and give over their lives to Him
• Those that do know Him but for what ever reason have not followed Him passionately - to "Hear His voice" and follow Him with all they have!

In the craziness of our times - if we have a relationship with God and we follow Him and not just what we want to chase.........We will Stand!!

Can't wait!!

I cannot even tell you how excited I am about this coming Sunday!  Week 3 of "Still Standing" is going to be one of the most unforgettable services we have ever had at NorthStar!!  I hope that you are making plans to be with us!

On another front, I have an idea for something that if it comes through could be HUGE!  

I am off to spend a day with Annie.....I love our Fridays together!  We have had a crazy few months with one in high school & one in middle school and going different directions - we always enjoy our Fridays!!  Today we are going to catch a new movie.......!!!

Still Standing - week 3

I absolutely cannot wait until Sunday @ NorthStar! We are talking about a personal relationship with Jesus and how that will always keep us Still Standing! We have something so incredible planned.....if you are a regular at NStar, you absolutely have to make plans to be there & bring a friend with you!!! If you don't normally come & you are one of my, I guess, 5 readers......make plans to either come or listen in next week!!

Can't tell you any more - just know - you can't miss!!!

Rearview Mirror

• Great night Friday night for Allatoona Football, the team finished their first season by beating the Varsity Team from Murray County!  These guys came so far this year - I was so proud of them!!
• Tough day in the College Football World on Saturday with GT and WVU taking big losses.....Not a lot of smiles around the Linch house!!
• Incredible week 3 of Still Standing!!  Packed house at both hours in our Compass Room and at True North at 11am!!  I talked about "Truth" and God's word.  We gave out bibles to anyone that did not already own one.....WOW....we ran out!  Hard to believe in the world today there are still people who have never owned a bible!  Met a couple that just moved here from Cuba and it was their first time ever in church and they had never had a bible of their own!!  Pretty awesome!
• We did a video of Rev. Jett, the 94 year old pastor I interviewed, mixed in with "Word of God Speak".....it was strong!  Visit the NorthStar site to catch up on the video interviews....they are pretty awesome!
• Started talking about our 5pm service beginning in January - great feedback so far!!  We are praying for 500 people to make the move from Sunday AM!  I can't wait!!!
• Baptized after our last service - nothing like closing the morning seeing people take their faith public!!  One of our staff, was able to baptize his mom & dad......pretty special!!!
• Enjoyed being outside yesterday afternoon with some good friends....playing a little cornhole & football and going back inside to keep up with the Falcons who spanked the Saints!!!  How bout the Falcons!!!
• We had Newcomers last night and had a full crowd!!  Hearing the stories of how people got to us never gets old!!  Long night but a fun one!!!

Allen Hunt

Yesterday, Allen Hunt, from the Allen Hunt Radio Show led our staff meeting!!  He was incredible and right on the money for the challenge that we needed!  Allen was a super successful pastor at a great church in Atlanta when God laid on his heart to start a talk show on a secular station that deals with faith & life.  The show is going huge across the country right now and is currently on weekend (Saturday & Sunday) evenings!!  In Atlanta, you can catch on WSB 750-AM.....!!!  Allen eventually resigned his senior pastor position and left for the vision that God had laid on his heart!!

The challenge for me was the passion he has to reach "lost sheep" and to do whatever it takes to stay connected to that world!  The main strategy in putting it all together was....prayer.  Amazing when prayer takes front & center, how much power there is!!

Make sure & listen in and I promise, you will not be disappointed!

Happy Birthday!!

Today is the 1 year birthday for my little niece & nephew (John David & Lucy Linch)!!!  They are two little miracles!

Rearview Mirror

• Incredible AM at NorthStar.....HUGE crowds - great energy to start our Still Standing series!!  
• You could have heard a pin drop while we were talking about what it means to be "forgiven"
• Anne walked in the 9:30am service and said it was the wildest she had ever seen it trying to get on campus!
• I sat in a meeting a few years with Rick Warren and he said the 4 biggest attendance of the year are:  Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day & Time change Sunday in the fall!!  He is SO on the money!
• The band nailed "It's not my time" by Three Doors Down.....pretty rockin!!
• Went out and enjoyed the afternoon with Mary-Michal....she is SO fun!!  I love that girl - she has more energy than anyone I have ever met!
• Got home to watch the Falcons smack the Raiders!  It is a new day in ATL!  Way to go Birds!! 
• Matt Ryan is the Rookie of the Year and Mike Smith should be the Coach of the Year!
• New Polls are out in College Football and GT is at 22 and WVU is at 20....Anne is thrilled!
• Great day yesterday with GT surviving FSU and UGA getting slammed against UF!  LOVED IT!!
• Big week this week - have tons to get done getting things ready for our new Sunday night service in January.....It is going to be awesome!!!
• Watching the Amazing Race right now and getting psyched up for "The Unit".......after I pick Casey up from Satellite Groups at NStar!
• Great weekend - sad it is over already!

I am Forgiven!!

Today we begin our "Still Standing" series at NorthStar talking about what it means to be "forgiven".......this is true "debt-free" living!!  When we get what it means to be forgiven completely - it will give us a freedom we have never known!!!  

Heading out....can't wait for the morning!!!