TAKE ANOTHER DRINK
OBEDIENCE & RISK LEAD TO AN UNDENIABLE SIGN GOD IS UP TO SOMETHING BIG
A BOMB OF JOY RELEASED IN C3 OVER THE STAFF, A SIGN OF A RENEWAL INTO THE COMING REVIVALHAPPY INVITES THE STAFF TO, “TAKE ANOTHER DRINK.”
July 11th, 2024 the staff gather at the Yoder’s to “discuss TT, but everyone only wants to talk about what happened at Staff Prayer. Repentance ‘out loud’ by our senior pastor Julie Yoder leads to electricity hitting the room as Happy goes to the middle again to give another invitation.
From Ethan Robeson’s account when asked, “What happened leading up to staff prayer July 9th?”
Monday July 1st, 2024:
I remember being hungry for more of God. For a few months I had felt dry like what I was doing wasn't enough and I was asking God to give me a deep desire for Him. I was helping Jon with worship at Summer Midsize on most Mondays. This particular night I was sitting in the tech booth in the chapel and I heard the Lord say "fast for three days and I'll give you more hunger." Oftentimes when the Lord asks me to do something, it comes very suddenly so I was confident that this was God. I remember thinking "I am definitely going to do this." It wasn't because I wanted anything but Him. Entering into this fast by myself was an act of obedience and an investment into my relationship with God.
Tuesday July 2nd-Thursday July 4th, 2024:
I fasted for nothing but more hunger for God and His presence in my life. Honestly, after the fast I didn't feel much of a difference, but I had no regrets because I knew that it was the Lord asking it of me. I had just finished a Jeanne Guyon book about prayer, and it was becoming very real to me that part of growing in prayer is being content and trusting that I was meeting with Almighty God no matter how I felt.
Monday July 8th, 2024:
Fast-forward to the next week at Midsize... I was scheduled to lead Staff Prayer the next day and I was feeling another level of anticipation coming off the fast. As I was asking the Lord what I was supposed to share, I just kept feeling like there was a fresh deposit of joy to be released over our staff. This was very intimidating for me because I felt like it went against the typical mood of the meeting. Not to mention that I had some insecurities of leading our staff, my bosses, friends and senior leaders. The desire to perform and please people was starting to creep in, but I'm so thankful for God's grace in my life to trust and obey. He works far beyond my weakness. It also helped that Christian was on worship for that day, and he is a joy machine. I was sharing some of my thoughts with Jon Hutch that night at Midsize and he was so encouraging with scripture, hyping me up, telling me what could go well and also giving me advice on how to approach it with wisdom. (I've attached my texts with Jon and Christian from the day before prayer. Not that you need proof, but it's cool to see our thoughts not knowing what was going to happen the next day). I'm so thankful for these two guys and their love for Jesus. Everything in me wanted to tell Christian to just sing something familiar, but I remember the Lord assuring me that I could trust Christian, he had something to release that we all needed, even if it felt like uncharted territory.
Tuesday July 9th, 2024:
I was still nervous going into this day, but the expectancy for what God was going to do was already snowballing. Christian and I prayed over the room, Review/Preview happened, then it was time to jump into prayer. I honestly don't remember much of what I said. Something about a deposit of joy, Isaiah 63, Nehemiah 8, etc., then I went to sit down on the cajon while Christian took us in to Take Another Drink. It felt very awkward from my vantage point. The whole time, I was thinking "I botched it, I missed it, I have no idea what I was thinking-- we look dumb." Happy was on my left, and he looked upset. He even walked over to me and said "How many songs does he have?! Are you almost done?" As the song began to settle, I saw Hap walk to the center of the circle where we all were worshiping. He had his hand over his mouth, fighting back tears, and was struggling to get words out. Right when I thought this whole thing was a failure, I realized that I misread Happy, and God was speaking to him that whole time. Through Hap's vulnerability and obedience, we know what happened :)
July 9th, 2025 to July 9th, 2026
Before baptisms Jon gave TVC this word, “We’ve experienced everything we can without changing a thing.” -Jon Hutchison He encouraged us that it’s time to look at what is going to change. Little did we know the entire way we do baptisms would change. Change is hard, we see in part, but we get to have peace in Jesus through every change. On July 9th the prophetic team discussed, “What healing words have we received? Healing and Miracles are coming.” How do you steward, pray about, have faith for, and wait on a prophetic word from the Lord?
What happens next rises and falls on how much we trust God and how much we trust one another. The focus is Spirit, Staff, Systems, & Structures.
