Ignite 2010 Day 2

Saturday night wrapped up Day 2 of Ignite 2010 in Asheville.  Once again the powerful service was beyond words.  I have not heard the latest numbers, but know for sure that Saturday night exceeded the roughly 3000 in attendance on Friday night.  So many people came last night that the Civic center had to open up the upper balcony!

Leap of Faith came on stage at 6:45 and warmed up the crowd with an energy filled performance.  Dave and Adam, two members of the trio came down into the audience singing and dancing.  They had everyone jumping up and down and clapping to the beat.

Clayton King kicked things off at 7pm summarizing the night before and reading a portion of the article from The Citizen Times that made the front page.  He encouraged us all as Christians to thank the paper for such a wonderful article.

Carl Cartee and 3D performed next followed again by Clayton.  Just prior to Clayton preaching, my wife saw on Facebook that some teenagers had arrived from their Prom with Bibles in hand to attend Ignite!  I looked around, and sure enough there they were in the balcony.  What a wonderful testimony and statement of faith!  These teens put God first and took time out from one of the most special nights of their high schools lives to praise and worship God.  What a blessing!  I snapped a picture of them…not the greatest, but still wonderful to see.

Clayton King was next and shared with attendees that he was adopted.  He said he had known this from as far back as he could remember.  During show and tell one time, he shared with his classmates that he was adopted.  Unfortunately, Michael, the bully of the class laughed at him and said “your so bad even your own mother didn’t want you”.  He said it really hurt him, but when he told his mother later she replied by saying “You tell Michael tomorrow that you’re so special that his parents got stuck with him, but you were hand picked from lots of other kids by your Mom and Dad”.

His most powerful message last night was the story of the Samaritan women found in John 4.  Clayton shared a story of flying on a plane.  He boarded, sat down and immediately tried to go to sleep, praying that a “talker” wouldn’t sit next to him.  A lady arrived, and talked to him constantly for an hour.  Clayton shared that he was a minister, and quickly found out the women wasn’t what she seemed.  She was a “Samaritan women” broken, lost, and looking for help.  She asked Clayton if he could help her, he replied: “No, I cannot, but Jesus can.”  He led her to Christ right there on the plane as she sobbed.  She followed up with him later via email telling him that she had found a church and was being discipled by the pastor’s wife.  I was moved to tears by this powerful story as were many others.

Like the previous night, hundreds listened to the invitation and came forward confessing their salvation openly.  What a night!  Again, the spirit of God was present int the Asheville Civic Center as thousands of people came together to praise Jesus.

I would encourage you to attend this evening, the last night of Ignite 2010 Asheville!  If you haven’t been yet, you are missing out on a real blessing in your life.  Thousands laughed together, sang together, cried together, and prayed together.  Matthew 18:20 – “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.“  Wow, was He ever!

Doors open at 6:00, and things kick off at 7pm!  Get there early as a large attendance is expected this evening as many churches plan to not have evening services and attend Ignite instead!