January 16, 2012

Elevate’s 3-Year Anniversary

It was an incredible day at Elevate! We celebrated year 3 and there was truly so much to celebrate. Some of the highlights were: 33 salvations, 13 baptisms, over $60,000 given to missions and church planting. AND we sent out our first missionaries to Honduras this summer.

We had a birthday cake to celebrate our milestone. It is a common statistic that more than 85% of church plants do not survive beyond their third year. We are so grateful that we are not only surviving, but THRIVING! Just this morning, TWO more people gave their lives to Jesus! The birthday cake was pretty fitting for those two souls who stepped from death to life and were reborn into the family of God.

2012 is going to be an incredible year full of God’s favor and blessing. We are praying for more changed lives and more incredible milestones to come. Join us as continue to pray through this Revolution series that God would truly start a Revolution in this city!

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December 23, 2011

UPDATE: Elevate Church worship leader has a GERM CELL TUMOR.

Updated on December 23rd:
Jeremy’s diagnosis has changed. He has a GERM CELL TUMOR. His prognosis is greatly improved, however he still has a long and dangerous road ahead. I believe that God has heard our prayers on his behalf. Keep praying!!! For more information about his official diagnosis please visit his site below.

Posted on December 20th:
Sunday December 18th turned out much differently than any of us expected. Jeremy Hicks, our worship leader here at Elevate was experiencing a lot of pain that he thought was coming from wisdom teeth that were coming in. After two trips to the emergency room and several tests, he found out that it was much more than that. By the Sunday evening he was coming to grips with the fact that he had a large mass in his chest that was causing a lot of pain and swelling in his neck and head. The doctors were telling him that it was most likely cancer.

Now, 48 hours later, we know that is true. Jeremy will begin chemo therapy sometime tomorrow. Jeremy’s mom and dad are here in San Diego with him now and more family will be arriving in the next few days. He will undergo three weeks of intense aggressive treatment. The doctors are optimistic but honest with Jeremy and his family that “this is a life-threatening illness with a life-threatening treatment.”

Please pray for Jeremy and his family. I have gotten to know Jeremy over the past year and he is a very close friend of mine and such an incredible man of God. I know that the lord has plans for Jeremy and we believe that he will experience healing and restoration. God is able to heal, God is able to restore, and God is able to use all of this for Jeremy’s benefit in the future.

Please find the latest on Jeremy’s condition and treatment, and find opportunities to help here http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jeremyhicks

Prayer is the arena where God’s abilities and our faith meet. Please join us in asking God to bring Jeremy through this and back to full health.

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November 22, 2011

Use what you got


Tim Tebow talks on ESPN’s First Take

I tweeted this video today but I wanted to give a few comments about it. I love Tim Tebow. Not because he’s a winner (Which he is!) but because I haven’t seen a public figure use his platform quite like Tim Tebow. He never hesitates to give God glory. He is constantly criticized for it but he never changes his tune. I love that. He is using every moment he has for the Glory of God! I hope this guy has an incredible career and God might just let him have it. What an awesome example for young players and older players too. I would follow this guy just because he has incredible heart and guts. This is the kind of stuff I want to celebrate and root for. I love football and I love Tim Tebow.

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August 25, 2011

Seeing the Kingdom

But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” Numbers 20:12

I know many of you may know this story. But I think it is more real to me now than ever. I have seen how the Lord has blessed us here in San Diego and he asks only that we trust him. If we will trust him and carefully do everything he is asking us to do, I believe that we will see his kingdom come here on earth. I believe he has given us a vision for Elevate and what is to come. This story is telling me that if I have the faith to believe what he is going to do, I will see it come to pass. If I do not, then someone else will and God’s purposes will be done in this city with or without me. An encouraging thought and a sobering one. I want to be the one to carefully follow all of the things that God has asked of me. May we be the church to rise up and be the church that he desires.

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July 18, 2011

Hearts Moved to Give

Exodus 25:1-2
The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the people of Israel to bring me their sacred offerings. Accept the contributions from all whose hearts are moved to offer them.

I read this and it really struck me. This is the passage just before God commissions the construction of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle. God is about to pour out his great power and presence to Israel through these things. What struck me about this passage is that God didn’t command them to give their offerings. He could have. He could’ve said, ‘have everyone bring their offering to the Lord’. But he said only accept those offerings from hearts who are moved to offer them.

I believe that God wants us to experience his power and presence. I believe he wants us to experience the freedom that is found in obedience to his spirit. But we cannot experience this great blessing from God unless we have hearts moved to offer what we have. Last Sunday, our pastor Kevin Campbell, spoke a message called “The Story of  Multiplication” at Elevate. It was such a powerful message and in it he made this statement; We cannot see the multiplication in our lives until we give what we have, and it passes through the hands of Jesus. Then we can receive the blessings from God.

There are incredible plans that the Lord has for us, just as he did for the Israelites. But we will be delayed in our experiencing them if our hearts are unwilling to give what we have. God isn’t asking for extravagant gifts, just honest gifts. With hearts full of joy, expectant, ready to see our lives full of the power and presence of God.

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July 8, 2011

Nothing is Impossible

We have to give God glory for the amazing things he continues to do in our lives. Just a quick update for our family here in San Diego. Mary had her first day of work on Tuesday and the incredible thing is that by the end of the day, they offered her a semi-permanent job for the next two months! They were so impressed with her that they requested she stay until their full-time person returns from maternity leave. There is no doubt that God is in the middle of this as we have prayed from the beginning. The process should’ve taken two months and instead it took three weeks. Everyone was telling us that the job market was terrible and their were no jobs, but God holds everything in his hands. God owns everything and nothing is impossible with him. We are gloriously and totally dependent on his provision and it is an amazing feeling. Scary at times but so freeing and such a blessing to share with everyone how awesome it is that he has chosen to use us here. It is all for his glory, to see lives changed. We are excited to share more amazing news in the near future. The best is yet to come!

Thomas and Mary

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June 22, 2011

A Brand New Day

I am so excited to share this news with you! Mary has been issued her California Dental Hygiene license! We received her approval letter and her license number today. She can now begin the hunt for a job.

We are so incredibly blessed and we know that God’s timing is perfect. He doesn’t wait too long and he doesn’t jump too far ahead. We know that this is happening at just the right time. We also know that God has been so faithful to us while we have been making this transition. I want to personally thank the staff and leadership at Midway Church in Villa Rica Georgia for being so generous and supportive to us. I also want to thank many of you who have given to us to support the vision here at Elevate Church. We hope you continue to support this ministry and what God is doing here. It is incredible to see how he is moving and working in our lives.

On another note, God has answered an ongoing prayer in our lives with my health. Some of you know that about 3 years ago at Midway, I had a kidney stone that put me in the ER and caused some major pain for me. Ever since, symtoms of that pain would still linger and I could not figure out what the problem could be. I went back to the doctor and he told me that he found nothing on any x-rays that would indicate a problem. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and I was in terrible pain again and it was obvious that something was wrong. This time however, I was able to go to a member here at Elevate, Dr. Roger Sur. It “just so happens” that Dr. Sur leads the center for treatment of kidney stones at UCSD. The treatment and prevention of kidney stones are his specialization. There is no doubt in my mind that God put Dr. Sur in my path. I have been dealing with stones for over three years and I truly believe that with Dr. Sur’s help, I will be able to get rid of them permanently. Here is a quote from Dr. Sur:

“Fortunately, more than 95 percent of kidney stones can be prevented. This new center is dedicated to not only treating stones with minimally-invasive techniques but to preventing future stones. Distinguishing our program, our innovative approach is to remove the stones and determine why they form, potentially eliminating the need for future surgery.” Full story here

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June 14, 2011

The Deception of Misery

Exodus 14:12 “Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”

Sometimes in my life I accept the misery of sin and brokenness as “my cup to bear” never accepting the freedom that God has offered me. Christ paid the price and led us out of our bondage to sin and death just like the Israelites. We often miss the blessings of freedom because of the difficult road and uncertainty that lies ahead of us. In the unknown. We are content to accept the “norm” and we would rather suffer in bondage than have the courage to embrace freedom. The greatest opportunities and blessings of God often lie on the other side of the greatest risks that we will ever take. May we be a church and a people that embraces the unknown with faith and see God part the red sea in our lives today.

We must wait for the next verse…

Exodus 14:13-14 “But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

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June 8, 2011

Couple from Elevate are entering the mission field

This is an amazing story from a couple at Elevate. These guys are getting married in July and heading to Honduras for a year of mission work. Amazing how God is working in their lives. Check out their story.

BTW this the same Kellan and Kari that were baptized on April 17th! Awesome stuff.

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June 1, 2011

A Milestone in View


For many of you it seems like forever since we have mentioned how the process for Mary’s dental hygiene license is going. It has been forever! We have been waiting and hoping and praying and the day is approaching for this milestone to come. Mary has jumped through the final hoop and paid the last dollar. It is now a matter of time for the state of California to stamp it and issue the license. Mary then has the ability to go out and get a job, something that she desires to do and will be a huge help to our family.

Mary has called and emailed and searched and flown and stayed on people’s couches and taken time away from her kids and from Elevate to complete this process. It has been so difficult for her and I am so proud of the hard work she has put in to realize this dream and to see God do the impossible in our lives here in San Diego. We believe he has brought us here for a purpose and we are going to give our very lives to see his name and fame explode in this city. The best is yet to come for the Davis Family! We love all of you and please be praying for a quick response from the state of California and a job to open up for Mary soon.

You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.
Jhn 14:13

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