Posts Tagged 'Life'

invested

Published August 27, 2008 Ancient Near East , Life 3 Comments
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A few months ago I got to teach the Parable of the Talents to some leaders at our church. Here are some of the applications we talked about:

  • People who love the Master, invest what He gives them.
  • Laziness is nothing more than unfaithfulness in Christ’s Kingdom.
  • It is fully expected in Christ’s Kingdom that if you are given something, you will fully invest it.
  • Don’t believe the lie that your dreams are ungodly because they don’t involve “ministry.”
Did you know that even the servant with one talent received over $220,000 at today’s minimum wage? Sometimes what we are given adds up to so much more than we know until we invest it.
How about you? Are you fully investing what God has given you? Is there an area you are neglecting what God has entrusted you with so you can dream about what you’ll do when He entrusts you with more? How have you seen God take what you’ve invested and multiply it?

what’s in a tweet?

Published August 22, 2008 Blogosphere , Life 2 Comments
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I get asked a lot - “what is Twitter?” Quite simply, Twitter is social micro-blogging.

  • 140 character (or less) posts used to connect with your friends.
  • What you’re doing, what you’re thinking, where you’re going, what you’re dreaming, etc.
I’ve managed to talk a few folks into Twitter, like Alisha (beautifulwisdom), Nathan (honest2blog) and Holly (hollydays). I even set up Kenneth’s account on his iPhone for him (although he quit using it…).
In any case, there are a few reasons I enjoy Twitter, and I think you would too:
  • It will connect you with your friends. I don’t have time to talk to my friends face to face or on the phone every day, but I do enjoy shooting quick messages back and forth.
  • It gives you a group of people to hear your story. When I post a Tweet it updates my Facebook status and over 550 people have instant access to what God is doing in my life - or how long the Starbuck’s line is.
  • It doesn’t take as much time as you think. (See below…)
So if you’re going to get in to this, here are some things I’ve learned in my 1,260 posts to date:
  • Keep it simple. I rarely go to Twitter on the web. More often than not, I update with my iPhone app (you can also use a Blackberry app if you are in to outdated technology, or updated by text message). On my computer I downloaded a widget for Twitter. It’s all about fast updating when and where I want to update.
  • Keep it social. When I do go to the web, it’s to check my replies - to see who is talking to me. I reply back, whether I follow them or not. Quick tip on replying - put their name after a word or phrase so it goes to everyone, not just them. (”Great post @honest2blog!” Not, “@honest2blog - great post!”)
  • Keep it sustainable. I’ve known more than one person that has signed up for Twitter and Tweeted themselves to death. We’re talking thousands of posts in a matter of months. They are constantly updating, checking, replying, rechecking… You’ve got to set your boundaries and work within them. One way I’ve done this is, I don’t Tweet until I’ve had my devotional time and my first tweet of the day is something from my devotional.
So what are you waiting for? Get to Twitter now! (And follow me so I can follow you!)

advance

Published August 20, 2008 Life 0 Comments
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We’ve all heard people say it, I don’t know how things ended up like this…

It’s like one day they looked up and realized their life was significantly different that they had intended it to be. But no one just ends up somewhere. Their life was a journey that lead them there. We are constantly moving. Constantly changing. Constantly advancing.

The question is not if, but where and how and why? Even when we don’t seem to be going anywhere, we are going somewhere.

Habits are formed or abandoned.

Relationships are strengthened or destroyed.

Opportunities are seized or lost.

People do change, but change takes time. And time starts now. Who you are today determines who you will be tomorrow.

The habits we are forming now, will forge the discipline it takes to be successful later.

The relationships we strengthen in the present will be the community of faith that surrounds us in the future.

The opportunities seized with great intensity today will one day be defining moments in our journey.

For anyone who dreams, there is no greater day than the present. Because the present is the foundation upon which dreams are built.

focused on the door

Published July 9, 2008 Life 1 Comment
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We are dog-sitting for my sister this week while she is at camp. This morning while I was getting ready her dog stared intently at the closed door out of our bedroom.


Behind her was a room with toys, her bed, food, water - even another dog to play with. But she couldn’t get her focus off the closed door.

So many times I find people living their lives focused on the door that is closed. Never mind the opportunities, relationships, dreams - even limitless potential that surrounds them. All they can focus on is one closed door.

We all have doors in our lives that have closed - the real question is: Do we know what God has unleashed around us, or are we focused on the door?

recovering

Published July 7, 2008 Life 0 Comments
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The team took a half day today to recover from the busiest week we have in ministry all year. We can’t stay down too long, our biggest event of the year is just four days away - but the short time to rest up and catch up on stuff at home is welcomed.

I’ve spent the day on cmconnect.org, twitter and catching up on people’s blogs - great to disconnect from what I’ve been doing and reconnect with some folks I haven’t talked to in a bit.

What do you do to recover after busy times in life?

my portion

Published June 30, 2008 Life , Worship 2 Comments
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The Bible draws a picture of the Lord as our portion. It’s an interesting thought: God is completely and totally all you need.

So many times in my life, God is not my portion, He plays a part of what I need, mixed in with everything else.

What would it look like if God was our portion? If everything we needed came from Him? Could it be we would go through a week without the empty longings for things in the world? Could it be we would feel freedom like never before from the things that hold us back? Could it be the guilt we carry from our past no longer crushes our spirit?

The problem we have when God is not our portion is that He cannot shape and bless our lives to the fullest because we have pushed Him out of so many places.

Living with God as our portion is all about pushing everything out we have come dependent on for our life, outside of God, to make room for our dependance on Him. It is finding the things we are dependent on and asking God to refocus our dependance on Him. It is finding the areas we are captive to and praying our hearts out for redemption. Living with God as our portion is about taking our focus off the small time we live here on earth and moving it to the greatness of God and the story of His kingdom.

For more see Psalm 119:57 and Psalm 142:5.

mentors and models

Published June 16, 2008 Life 0 Comments
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One of the keys to living life successfully is having a mentor to help you grow, and a strong base of models to challenge your thinking.

There is a difference between the two.

A mentor is a close friend, someone who has gone before you, who is strategically pouring into your life as you forge your journey. For me, I have had a couple different kinds of mentors.

  • My dad - the first, and most significant spiritual mentor on my life. My dad taught me what it means to be a Christian. He challenged me to memorize verses that were key to our faith, trained me to live as a Christian and helped me tame a wild tongue.
  • Scott - my first professional mentor, Scott was a former Dallas cop and a seasoned Paramedic, he taught me to be an aggressive paramedic - “There’s nothing you can do to someone you can’t undo with what’s in this box (ambulance), get to work and don’t second guess your training.” His carefully training made me a stronger paramedic than I ever could have been on my own.
Mentors are close, personal and (most of the time) in your grill whether you asked them to get there or not.
Models are a little different.
Because we live in a culture where we have access to people and information more than ever, we have the opportunity of sitting under some of the greatest teachers and leaders of all time. Models give us the opportunity, outside of relationship, to have our lives challenged and stretched by someone else. Many of my models are pastors who have shaped how I live as a Christian or how I pursue ministry.
  • Ed Young - Be yourself. Live creative. (Without Ed’s example I would probably have never considered full time ministry.)
  • Louie Giglio - Passion is the lost value of our culture. Light yourself on fire.
  • Craig Groeschel - Have a laser-sharp vision that God has placed on your life and pursue it with reckless abandon.
  • Rob Bell - Church can be revolutionary without a revolt. Don’t waste time consumed with what’s wrong with church, just go do it right.
It is essential our lives are filled with both mentors and models. For me following the right people is the difference between mediocrity and full on, passionate living.

BEEP!

Published June 4, 2008 Life , Vodcast 0 Comments
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If I beeped, would you pay more attention to me?

routine and randomness

Published May 29, 2008 Leadership , Life 2 Comments
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I have trouble balancing routine and randomness in my life. I’m fairly convinced both are central to a healthy, creative life.

I need enough routine to spend time in Scripture every day. Enough routine to pray without ceasing. Enough routine to show my wife I love her. Enough routine to pour into the ministry God has entrusted with me. Enough routine to see dreams transform into realities.

Balance.

I also need enough randomness to experience God in fresh ways. Enough randomness to keep the conversation ardent. Enough randomness to pursue my wife fresh and vibrant ways. Enough randomness to serve other people and the ministry God has given them. Enough randomness to dream new dreams.

Balance.

journey

Published May 28, 2008 Life , Vodcast 3 Comments
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It’s not as much about the destination as it is about how we travel.

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