ScottyNeal.com

Sunday Night Notables

• Andy Stanley spoke today at Origins and it was awesome.
• I spoke in OC Kids today and I loved every minute of it. 
• We were called by Mason to serve at their 4th of July festival this weekend and I am so grateful that Origins has gotten a reputation for being a Church that you want being a part of your events in and around our area. 
• We had two babies born today into the Origins family, OC kids is racing us adults for growth. 
• The band was rocking today, even though we were miss my BassDog, Aaron, Justin, and Peter rocked my face off anyway. 
• Joel shadowed me today because I had to be in 3 theaters at certain times, he probably felt nerdy, but I liked it. :) 
• This series has been sweet but I am more than ready to speak this coming week as we celebrate our Independence. 
• I am super excited about our Missional Living Week we have coming up where we have a whole week scheduled of serving our local communities and the City. 
• We had our 1st Annual OC Global Influence Golf Outing and we raised some good money and had a great time. 
• George and Sandy did an amazing job running the entire thing, they are awesome. 
• Tina was there serving as she always is everywhere Origins is serving because she is amazing, I think she may be omnipresent. :)
• Some friends of Stacy and I are looking for a Church and we are praying Origins is where God has them land......pray with us about it! 
• If you wanna come hang with us at the Festival this weekend email joel@originschurch.tv we are going to be passing out Frisbees and working the kids games tent and then all hanging out and watching the fireworks together. 
• I wore my Toms today and they were a little tight, its been a couple years, I think I may need a new pair. 
• Being mobile sure does have it's fair share of challenges, our growth puts us in some difficult binds and getting this bigger theater that God has given us (that the theater said they would never give us by the way) has us praying hard about what God wants us to do as we take care of those we have, while continuing to have open seats at optimal times.....the challenges keep me up at night, but they are so worth it! 
• You don't want to miss next weekend at Origins, I'm hoping the band does a little Johnny Cash for me, there is nothing that says America like a little Johnny for sure. :)
• I went to a great Church last weekend, but being away does nothing but make me appreciate Origins even more, the guys I was with felt the same way to, we have something really special at Origins and I am so grateful for it. 
• Don't forget to pick up vitamins when you are shopping and bring them to the missional living table on Sundays, we are collecting them to take to Peru. 
• I met a couple this morning that has been attending for about 5 weeks now and they were saying how excited they are they found Origins because it was so practical for everyday life.
• A Pastor asked me today if I still liked what I was doing and when I answered energetically and quickly, "without a doubt I do, I love it and if I wanted to do something else I would" he acted as though he was surprised.  I feel so bad for Pastors that feel trapped, I love Origins and the Greater Cincinnati Area with all my heart and I am planning on seeing God transform this entire Tri-state area within the next 40 years, and we are going to see it happen together all you OCers!

Time Apart

This morning I left my family at 4:00am and headed out of town with a few fellas for an long vacation weekend. A couple times a year my family splits up, sometimes it's me heading to a conference, sometimes it's Stacy heading to see her family in Chicago, sometimes it's both.
Regardless of who is leaving and who is staying I always lead our family in the same basic prayer before departure. The prayer is never limited to this, but always consists of at least these couple phrases. "God please help us to miss each other, think of each other often, and not do anything that would compromise our relationship with Jesus or each other while we are apart.". I then will personalize it depending on what the purpose of the trip is.
I started doing this years ago so that we all keep in mind that while we might be away from each other the decisions we make still affect each other. As I prayed with the boys and Shaye last night and Stacy this morning it allowed God the opportunity to keep fresh in our minds that we are still unified in our collective efforts to cultivate our relationship with Him and each other even when divided by geography.
If you don't do this already I encourage you to give it a try, in my opinion it makes our time apart much better than it would be otherwise.

Sunday Night Notables

• The second week of One Prayer was awesome.
• We had another great crew in the LIfe @the OC class, I'm grateful that God is continuing to draw so many people to Himself and then to Origins. 
• Since I wasn't preaching today, I checked in on OC Kids; I am so excited to be teaching in there in a couple weeks. 
• I got an email this week from the theater telling us that they reversed policy and approved us to start using the largest theater they have.....that opens up 100 more seats...which mean OPEN seats at OPTIMAL times which is one of our priorities, God really showed His strength on this one cause they said it would never happen.
• I went to Church early this morning and joined the set up team since I wasn't preaching, and I will say hands down that we most definitely have the greatest set-up and tear down team in the world.
• We had several people out this morning because it is vacation season, but our attendance was still super strong all you OCers are amazing at inviting people and God is amazing at showing them they belong.
• Dan ran sound on his own today with the absence of Jason and was on top of his game for sure, its amazing to see how far our team has come in regards to lights and sound it showed today with some key players out and us still not missing a beat. 
• The music was high energy today, so much so that I was out of breath during the welcome, I was super proud of Bobby of the bass, he has a hard act to follow with Wes being out but he showed up big these last two weekends for sure. 
• Speaking of Wes being out, I know they probably got in super late but Wesley still showed up for set up and to man his position on the video camera....is anyone else impressed with how amazing our singles and teenagers are.... I'm so grateful that they love and serve the local Church as their own instead of just the place that their parents go. 
• I had several people comment to me today about how excellent everything that we do is, and how from the moment you walk in you can feel the joy and love that everyone has. 
• My man Christopher and all the Centerpoint Church peeps showed our One Prayer message today, and I'm hoping it will get me knighted. (inside joke) 
• Dallas and Brandon joined me on stage today and I shared the story of how two years ago Brandon wrote Dallas's name down and placed it in our time capsule and began praying for his salvation, we opened the time capsule for the first time last night and this morning I showed everyone Dalla's name, it was a few months ago when Dallas finally accepted the invitation to come to Origins and two weeks after that He asked Jesus into his life.....WOW
• We all wrote more names down at the end of the service and we put them all back in the time capsule and we are praying for God to reveal Himself to these friends and family.
• As I was driving away from the theater today I was a bit overwhelmed with gratitude that God allows me to be part of such and amazing Church, it has been an amazing 2 years but everything in my knows that the greatest days and miracles are ahead of us. 
• I love Origins with every bit of my being! 

Leaving it all on The Field

I hope this isn't getting old to you guys, because receiving these emails sure doesn't get old to me, I keep telling you Origins is the greatest Church in the world, but you expect that from me huh, isn't it nice to know people every week are seconding my notion.  Every last one of you who has had the courage to follow God and come to Origins every week and serve, give, grow, and bring guests with you are a huge part of every one of these stories.

Dear Scotty,

 

I hope you're having a great day and a fantastic week so far, I've been wanting to send you an email for a couple of weeks now.  I wanted to say "Thank You",

 

I've been coming to Origins now since Easter, I was invited by xxxxxxxx to come on Easter, I even quickly introduced myself to you the week after.

 

I grew up in the Catholic Church and pretty much stopped going after High School, it wasn't that I didn't love or believe in God, I just didn't understand anything, I didn't feel like I fit in...well that was a long time ago and a lot has happen in my family and with me and I've lost faith...

 

I couldn't understand why everything happening to my family and how God could let it happen, that's to  long to get in to now so maybe another time.

 

But 3 years ago I lost my job, a career I've been in my whole adult life it was the only thing I knew...I really lost it then, I had to find another path to follow, I found a new job career but it was hard...I liked most of the people I worked with but I really hated some...and they gave me a very hard time...

I had so much anger towards them, I'd get off of work and bitch and bitch to all my friends, I've had just hard days that when I got home I was pouring a drink before I got my uniform off...

 

I had so much weighing on my heart, my mind and I didn't like the person I was becoming inside...on the outside I didn't let many people see that side of me, but for me I thought I was going to explode...

 

In February I found a friend of mine that I had lost touch with and he is a pastor in Indiana...to far for me to go to...but they were online so I could listen to the service on my computer...I did that almost every night, trying to catch up with the most currant service...

 

I remember coming home from work one day filled with rage and anger inside from letting my co-workers comments and actions get the best of me...I didn't even take off my coat, uniform, nothing just turned on the computer and listened to two services of my friends church, before I knew it I was sitting in the dark...feeling calm and trying to understand what I just listened too...

 

I knew then I needed somewhere to go, I needed to have God, Jesus in my life, but I just didn't understand and what I mean by that is the Bible, I know the stories, but I don't  understand them...I don't know how to get the feeling that everyone else does when they read it...

 

Then I got the invite to come to Origins...I can't tell you how my life has changed....you changed my life....

 

Since going I don't let the people at work get to me anymore, I don't fall into their foolishness...

I know that God, Jesus is with me...and every Sunday I listen to you and you put everything in to words I can understand...

 

I feel like I fit in and I feel good, even though I have run off to work after the service (xxxxx), my job has allowed me to come in late so I can attend...

 

This past Sunday's service what you said, hit me so hard...I couldn't stop my tears...it was like you were talking straight to me...I had a great day at work that day, I really have good days now because I know Jesus is with me...

 

And I have you to thank for that...I know this is a long email so I won't go on anymore

 

Scotty I just wanted to reach out and say Thank You!!!!!

 

I know I still have a LONG!!! way to go but I am stepping in the right direction so thank you!!!

 

 

Thank you so much for you time today,

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Sunday Night Notables

• We joined over 17,000 churches worldwide today with ONE PRAYER. 
• Stacy has been really sick the past few days, so please keep her in your prayers. 
• The One Prayer message that God gave me felt very personal to me and with Stacy being sick I was a little emotional during the first service to. 
• I heard that HOW TO NOT BE AN IDIOT went good today, I think tons more of you need to come to the first service next week and jump in on week two. 
• Each month leading up to the Peru trip we are bringing in things to take with us on the trip and this month it is vitamins, so everyone grab some vitamins when you are at the store this week and drop them off at the Missional Living table.
• The music went with the message so good today, and the band was on their game to.  
• We missed Wes our Bass Dog today but Bobby did an awesome job covering for sure. 
• Joel and I had a great time in North Carolina at the Advance Conference, I think Conferences are so beneficial for me because it allows me to look at Origins from a 40,000 ft view while God impresses on my heart personally. 
• I'm pretty sure today was pretty much Vacation Week at Origins, tons of people were out, but thats why I love technology because they all have the opportunity to view the message anyway. 
• We had another great attendance in Life @the OC today. I am so grateful for the people that God continues to call to Origins. 
• My girls Cindy and Tina had another friend with them today and they were already talking about who they were bringing next, I love how missional those girls are. 
• A lady told me today that the message was great for someone like her who had been beat up by the Church and Religious type people.....I love Origins for engaging people who have been hurt and showing them Jesus. 
• I am going to be speaking in OC Kids in a couple weeks and I am so excited to be able to invest in our Children. 
• I am praying pretty hard through a few things, so please pray for me a little more than you normally do. :) 
• It was awesome to spend a little bit of time with Jeff and his team last week.  Jeff is not only one of my best friends in ministry and also serves on the Origins Overseer Board, so it was really great to get to see the area God has called him to and hang with leadership that I have heard so much about.
• We have some really exciting and special things coming up in July so make sure you are stopping by the missional living table and receiving the eNEWS. 
• I love Origins with everything and am so grateful that God is using her to spread His great gospel to this entire city and world! 

Sunday Night Notables

• We had someone accept Christ today!
• The past two weeks I have spent some extra time praying for our amazing volunteers and their families.....its amazing to me the way they serve Jesus and Origins every week.
• I am really excited about ONE Prayer which starts next week.
• I thought it was so awesome doing the Origins Home Invasions, I hope you all thought they were as great as I did, It feels so good to Pastor a Church where you truly feel as though you are family.
• Our Marriage Conference this week was amazing, our attendance was down from last year, but I'm pretty sure everyone would agree that it was just as good, if not better than last year....we will for sure be doing it annually. 
• Our tear down time the past two weeks has been outstanding, everyone has really picked up the pace...they are second to none.
• We got to dedicate Baylor a few weeks ago and Bridgette took a great picture of me Stacy and Baylor, she is an amazing photographer.....here it is.

• I got to meet a few people this morning that have been coming to Origins for just a few weeks with their teenage girls and they were telling how grateful they were that God had brought them to Origins.
• I had a few of the ladies waiting on a friend this morning that they had been inviting for a long time, seeing people excited about bringing their friends never gets old to me.
• I also read Christy's blog (visit it on the left side of this blog) last night and felt the same way, it's great to have a Church where people are so confident in what God is doing that they regularly are inviting people.
• I love Origins and am so grateful that God has called me to Paster her!

Sunday Notables

Joel, Brock, Luke and I are on the road headin to Lynchburg, Virginia for the innovate church conference.

Aaron and the band rocked today, espescially that sick guitar part on the last song.

Trystan's teacher came today and has a special needs child who went to our 3 and 4 year olds theater. He communicates through writing and today wrote "I like church" on the board he carries. That was the coolest thing I heard today.

We had quite a few teachers show up for Teacher Appreciation. So glad we could take a moment to honor them in our services.

You may hear some more country soon, no promises though :)

I think I need Temple to fix my hair between services, it's been looking pretty flat oduring the second service.

If you haven't made plans for our golf tournament next month get your foursome together and join us to raise some money for Peru

Speaking of Peru, we're approaching the June 1 deadline to sign up. The excitement this trip has generated with our people gas been inspiring

We celebrated Shaye's 3rd birthday with a party at the park today. She got a ton of princess stuff.

We've had a great community groups season. I'm really excited about some events we're planning for our groups this summer.

We don't take a summer break from groups, we just change it up a bit.

I think I drank about 12 waters today.

A lady met me with tears after the service today. I'm so proud that the OC is a place where everyone feels accepted no matter where they're at.

I'm pumped about teaching in OC Kids one Sunday this June during our One Prayer series.

Keep checking the missional living table for some local serving opportunites this summer. We're planning a full week of events in July

It was great seeing my previous pastor and his wife at the OC today.

Our next series Unstoppable starts next week. We did some filming for it today and it is going to be off the hook.

Did I mention Justin's guitar solo melted my face off today.

What a great day, I love my church and am so honored to serve here.

Sunday Night Notables

• We had one lady accept Jesus as her Savior!
• Tons of children got dedicated and it was so great to see all those parents making that commitment to Jesus and Origins. 
• I bought Stacy a shirt that said "The bomb mom" and she looked sweet in it! 
• We had a special appearance by Mr. T once again, he is quickly becoming a tradition at the OC. 
• The music was sick, those guys have really gotten into their sweet spot lately. 
• We opened the service with some Coldplay, and when you nail an opener to a service with Coldplay I think it's almost a guarantee that it's gonna be a great service.
• My siblings and I along with our families took my mom to Outback for mothers day, alice springs chicken is so good. 
• The mothers day video was great, Joel has been taking our video game up a notch for sure.
• The first service is starting to gain some traction it was pretty full and the second was still packed, so for anyone still interested in moving to the 9 come on down. :) 
• I didn't sleep at all on Saturday Night which always makes for a pretty tiring Sunday Afternoon. 
• I've been getting alot of emails lately with people telling me about how Origins is impacting them for Jesus and I have to tell you, it never gets old.  
• I'm excited about our Marriage Gathering that is coming up, if you want some info email events@originschurch.tv.   Last year was awesome and this year is going to be as well. 
• Bridgett took pictures for all the parents and children that were part of the dedication, we are so blessed at Origins to have so much talent.
• I mispronounced my good friends Jon and Rachel's little girl because I'm an idiot, I know her name and have said it a million times but something about reading names off of a paper that gets in my head.
• I'm praying through some intense stuff right now, and I love how God continues to assure me that He isn't only listening but is working as well. 
• Wes, my bass dog has been sport-en an Origins sticker on his bass and it looks sweet. 
• I thank God every week when I leave the theater for Origins....it is truly the greatest Church on the planet!

Leaving it all on The Field

I think I might make this a regular Wednesday Post because the emails I keep getting are really for all of us who work so hard at Origins leaving it all on the field instead of just me.  Sweet decor in the bathrooms proving that every part of what we do is important, incredible music, quality video, being friendly, being non-judgmental, incredible environments for children, quality lighting to enhance worshipping in song, priority on Jesus & the Bible, bringing in a baptistry and heating (well, heating it the best we could), welcoming people from all backgrounds, yummy OC cookies, great donuts and coffee, and a Pastor who has a very pastoral wardrobe & hairstyle. :)

Hey Scotty,  just wanted to say congrats on the 2 year anniversary. I'm sorry we are going to miss this week, xxxxxxxx and I are flying to Las Vegas tomorrow for a long weekend. I would also like to tell you how much we have enjoyed coming to Origins . I never thought after coming that first time in November that I would like it that much and become a regular. Some of the messages have really hit home for me ,like a few weeks ago when you were talking to the daughters about their parents not liking there choice in boyfriends and we are looking out for their future, xxxxxx and I had just recently had an argument about that very subject and it was like you were talking right to us. That just one of a few messages that have really hit home for me. Anyway just wanted to say congrats and thanks, now I gotta go pack see ya next Sunday.

Today was my 3rd Sunday with Origins and even though I haven't officially met you yet, I feel like I know you already!! A little background on me - I grew up Baptist always attending with my parents. It was never an option but man, am I thankful they stayed faithful to that! When I left for a private catholic college, I stopped attending church. I went through a period of time where I questioned churches - not my personal belief in God, not my Salvation - but I questioned if God was still "alive" in churches anymore. I went through classes in college to become Catholic but by the Grace of God, I never went through with it. I was searching so desperately to find that a place I could call home in a church. Once I graduated and came back to Cincy, I went with my parents to their new church. I attended for about a year with them, helping with the youth and playing music on Sunday mornings. I felt like I was just going through the motions though. I was doing it to please my parents but I still had that desperate longing to keep searching on my own. I had a long heart to heart with my parents and just told them I felt God was moving in me to find another church. They have been so supportive through this and have told me numerous times to follow the Will of God in my life.

I started my search earlier this year. I visited a few churches but never felt a real connection and never felt God pulling at my heart. I came across Origins doing an online search of churches in the area and then found the group on facebook. I sent xxxxxxxxxxxx a few messages asking about Origins and later met to chat in person. I ended up coming that Sunday (Easter Sunday) and I have NEVER felt more welcomed. From the moment I walked through the doors - it was incredible. The service was just what I needed (and by the way, the Coldplay cover that day was AMAZING!!!!!)

Since that day, I have prayed and fasted - asking God to move in me and take me where He wills. Today after the service, I was talking with my parents over lunch. We were having a talk about Origins and the sermon this morning. I was so moved by taking that leap of faith and trusting God. At that moment, I had this absolute peace come over me and I KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that Origins is the place I have been praying for. I am so thrilled that Origins believes so strong in serving others. A life theme for me is to show the love of God to others through serving them. It's such a simple concept but yet it can do so much. Everyone has been such a blessing and I just feel so blessed God has brought me to you.

Thank you for being that light to me. You guys are amazing and I am looking forward to starting this journey with you!! Can't wait to officially meet you!!

Hey, I just wanted to take a second to just let you know how thankful I am to be at Origins. I can not even begin to let you know how much you and the people there have helped me in the last year. I spent so long running from where I knew that I should be, and it is so great to find a church that does not judge you for that. I spent years dreading Sunday mornings cause I didn't want to "have to" go to church. Now its not a have to, its a want to. I want to be in church on Sunday mornings. Easter Sunday I was out of town with family and I truly missed Origins!! Each week I leave thinking that it cant get any better and the next week I am proven wrong. It is very clear that God is doing wonderful things each and every week, and I am so thankful to be a part of that. 


I was in the first service Sunday morning, but I wanted to watch the videos from the baptisms during the second service. So, I was able to today, and I have decided that I just might have to be in both services during special occasions so I don't miss all the good stuff lol :) I am truly amazed at what God is doing in peoples lives!! 

Thank you so much!

Proud Ministry Moment

I got to baptize my 3 oldest boys this past Sunday and it was a proud ministry moment for me.  Thanks mostly to Stacy being the amazing Mom that she is all 3 of them have come to a clear understanding of who Jesus is and how important the Bible is.  Here are some pics of each of them.