Your Life

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Col. 3:4

Men, your job is not your life.

Wives, your children are not your life.

Pastors, your church is not your life.

Athletes, sports are not your life.

Upwardly mobile, money and power is not your life.

College students, good grades/parties are not your life.

If you are a Christian then Christ is your life. You have died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Of course you could live your life as if this weren't the case. You may try to fool yourself, others, or even God, but it is pretty obvious when Christ is not your life.

Your Life

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Col. 3:4

Men, your job is not your life.

Wives, your children are not your life.

Pastors, your church is not your life.

Athletes, sports are not your life.

Upwardly mobile, money and power is not your life.

College students, good grades/parties are not your life.

If you are a Christian then Christ is your life. You have died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Of course you could live your life as if this weren't the case. You may try to fool yourself, others, or even God, but it is pretty obvious when Christ is not your life.

Losing Control

This Sunday we will once again address the issue of fear in our lives. The topic this Sunday will be the fear of losing control. Just a little heads up for you in case you haven't noticed... you are not in control. Of course I will expand on this idea as we unpack this truth from God's Word.

Losing Control

This Sunday we will once again address the issue of fear in our lives. The topic this Sunday will be the fear of losing control. Just a little heads up for you in case you haven't noticed... you are not in control. Of course I will expand on this idea as we unpack this truth from God's Word.

Fear of Failure

"The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed." Lloyd Jones

Failure is a part of life. Unless you are Jesus Christ or you never attempt anything, the fact is you will fail. In God's economy fear of failing is no excuse to not exercise our faith.

Jesus told a parable and it helps illustrate the cost of the fear of failure. A wealthy man called in 3 of his servants and gave each man a certain number of talents. 

To one guy, he gave five talents. To another guy, he gave two talents, and to another guy, he gave one talent. The expectation was that there would be a return on his investment. 

Two of the men overcame their fear of failure and doubled their the initial investment. The man with one talent was so afraid of failing that he buried his talent in the ground. The master came back and was so upset with the man that he gave his talent to the man who had ten; he was then thrown out into the darkness, where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. (wow - ouch) Matt. 25:14-30 

We cannot please God and play it safe. He is not impressed with our fear of failure and our desire to maintain the status quo. 

What faith risk is God calling you to take that you cannot play it safe and please God?

Fear of Failure

"The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed." Lloyd Jones

Failure is a part of life. Unless you are Jesus Christ or you never attempt anything, the fact is you will fail. In God's economy fear of failing is no excuse to not exercise our faith.

Jesus told a parable and it helps illustrate the cost of the fear of failure. A wealthy man called in 3 of his servants and gave each man a certain number of talents. 

To one guy, he gave five talents. To another guy, he gave two talents, and to another guy, he gave one talent. The expectation was that there would be a return on his investment. 

Two of the men overcame their fear of failure and doubled their the initial investment. The man with one talent was so afraid of failing that he buried his talent in the ground. The master came back and was so upset with the man that he gave his talent to the man who had ten; he was then thrown out into the darkness, where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. (wow - ouch) Matt. 25:14-30 

We cannot please God and play it safe. He is not impressed with our fear of failure and our desire to maintain the status quo. 

What faith risk is God calling you to take that you cannot play it safe and please God?

Death By Love

Mark Driscoll has a new book coming out; this video will give you some insight into what it's about...

Death By Love

Mark Driscoll has a new book coming out; this video will give you some insight into what it's about...

Next Generation Leader

I'm rereading The Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley. This time I'm underlining, circling, and  highlighting those things that stick out to me; nearly every page has been marked up. For instance,

"Perhaps the two best-kept secrets of leadership are these:

1. The less you do, the more you accomplish.

2. The less you do, the more you enable others to accomplish."

The leader doesn't have to be good at everything; in fact leaders are generally good/great at only a few things and the best leaders will work out of their strengths and then allow those with other talents/gifts to pick up the ball in other areas.

Next Generation Leader

I'm rereading The Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley. This time I'm underlining, circling, and  highlighting those things that stick out to me; nearly every page has been marked up. For instance,

"Perhaps the two best-kept secrets of leadership are these:

1. The less you do, the more you accomplish.

2. The less you do, the more you enable others to accomplish."

The leader doesn't have to be good at everything; in fact leaders are generally good/great at only a few things and the best leaders will work out of their strengths and then allow those with other talents/gifts to pick up the ball in other areas.

New Blogger

I realized this evening that I haven't gotten this link of a FFC blogger posted. 

Cheryl Cash has begun a blog and it just so happens that she and Kevin are away for a couple of weeks assisting our friends on the mission field in Jamaica. You can follow the Cash's adventures HERE.

If you know of any FFC bloggers that I haven't linked to, please be sure to let me know. 

New Blogger

I realized this evening that I haven't gotten this link of a FFC blogger posted. 

Cheryl Cash has begun a blog and it just so happens that she and Kevin are away for a couple of weeks assisting our friends on the mission field in Jamaica. You can follow the Cash's adventures HERE.

If you know of any FFC bloggers that I haven't linked to, please be sure to let me know. 

Fear of Rejection

Fear can grip us quickly; fear can lead to panic – panic can lead to chaos.. I was listening to the news a few weeks ago and I heard this, “stocks traded lower amid fears of the swine flu.” I thought to myself, "Really?"

Here’s what God says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

God has not given us a spirit of fear, and yet, so many people live paralyzed by fear, especially the fear of being rejected. Fearing rejection is a dangerous trap, in fact it can actually be sinful. We want to protect our reputation and our image. Our reputation becomes our idol and God has told us clearly to not have any idols in our life. Fearing rejection leads people to do all sorts of stupid things in order to please others.

So how do we overcome this trap? We learn to say "yes" to pleasing God and "no" to pleasing people. Our desire is to live for God and His approval above the approval of man.

To wrap my mind around this truth, it's helpful for me to embrace this truth, “I will be rejected by people.” People are fickle and there is no way I can please everyone. I will be rejected by people, so will you if you are a follower of Christ. If you are truly a Christian there will be people that reject you and what you are living for.

Every single day you will have an opportunity to cave in and live for the approval of people, or you will have the opportunity to surrender your heart at that moment to God.

What would it look like if we said “no” to pleasing people and “yes” to pleasing God? What kind of pain could you have avoided in your life? What would our high schools look like if students didn’t have the pressure to seek approval from their friends and cave into drugs, alcohol, and sex? How free would you feel if there wasn’t the constant pressure to perform for others? What if we lived to please an audience of One?

Fear of Rejection

Fear can grip us quickly; fear can lead to panic – panic can lead to chaos.. I was listening to the news a few weeks ago and I heard this, “stocks traded lower amid fears of the swine flu.” I thought to myself, "Really?"

Here’s what God says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

God has not given us a spirit of fear, and yet, so many people live paralyzed by fear, especially the fear of being rejected. Fearing rejection is a dangerous trap, in fact it can actually be sinful. We want to protect our reputation and our image. Our reputation becomes our idol and God has told us clearly to not have any idols in our life. Fearing rejection leads people to do all sorts of stupid things in order to please others.

So how do we overcome this trap? We learn to say "yes" to pleasing God and "no" to pleasing people. Our desire is to live for God and His approval above the approval of man.

To wrap my mind around this truth, it's helpful for me to embrace this truth, “I will be rejected by people.” People are fickle and there is no way I can please everyone. I will be rejected by people, so will you if you are a follower of Christ. If you are truly a Christian there will be people that reject you and what you are living for.

Every single day you will have an opportunity to cave in and live for the approval of people, or you will have the opportunity to surrender your heart at that moment to God.

What would it look like if we said “no” to pleasing people and “yes” to pleasing God? What kind of pain could you have avoided in your life? What would our high schools look like if students didn’t have the pressure to seek approval from their friends and cave into drugs, alcohol, and sex? How free would you feel if there wasn’t the constant pressure to perform for others? What if we lived to please an audience of One?

Speaker Introduction

I love this introduction for Francis Chan at the Exponential Conference this year. 

Speaker Introduction

I love this introduction for Francis Chan at the Exponential Conference this year. 

My New Shelby Car

This morning I worked on the car Shelby bought me from Hobby Lobby...

That's right; pure cardboard, plastic wheels, top speed = 200 feet per hour.

My New Shelby Car

This morning I worked on the car Shelby bought me from Hobby Lobby...

That's right; pure cardboard, plastic wheels, top speed = 200 feet per hour.

Theological Term Of The Day

Cosmological argument

An attempt to prove that God exists by appealing to the principle that all things have causes. There cannot be an infinite regress of causes, therefore, there must be an uncaused cause: God.

Depravity

Moral corruption, a state of corruption or sinfulness. Total depravity is the teaching that sin has touched all aspects of the human: body, soul, spirit, emotions, mind, etc.

source: carm.org

Theological Term Of The Day

Cosmological argument

An attempt to prove that God exists by appealing to the principle that all things have causes. There cannot be an infinite regress of causes, therefore, there must be an uncaused cause: God.

Depravity

Moral corruption, a state of corruption or sinfulness. Total depravity is the teaching that sin has touched all aspects of the human: body, soul, spirit, emotions, mind, etc.

source: carm.org

Hijinks In The Studio

Last Friday night Derek invited James and I to be his guest DJ's for the evening at 88.9 Joy FM. I put together a little video to give you an idea of the terrible time the three of us had together. =)

Hijinks In The Studio

Last Friday night Derek invited James and I to be his guest DJ's for the evening at 88.9 Joy FM. I put together a little video to give you an idea of the terrible time the three of us had together. =)

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's reading the blog this evening. Just a quick note to my own mommy to say "I love you", thank you for all of your prayers and love. 

This video shows why little boys need mothers...

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's reading the blog this evening. Just a quick note to my own mommy to say "I love you", thank you for all of your prayers and love. 

This video shows why little boys need mothers...

Dance Recital

Today I enjoyed watching my daughter in a dance recital. I thought I'd upload our little family video here for a couple reasons 1. future posterity 2. Shelby's Grandparents will love seeing this (happy Mother's Day - Grandma J and Grandma Sorensen) 

Dance Recital

Today I enjoyed watching my daughter in a dance recital. I thought I'd upload our little family video here for a couple reasons 1. future posterity 2. Shelby's Grandparents will love seeing this (happy Mother's Day - Grandma J and Grandma Sorensen) 

On Air

This evening (May 8, 2009) from 8pm - 11pm Derek, Pink, and I will be on the air at 88.9fm. Listen in live here... http://www.889joyfm.com/

On Air

This evening (May 8, 2009) from 8pm - 11pm Derek, Pink, and I will be on the air at 88.9fm. Listen in live here... http://www.889joyfm.com/

Cumulative Value

Last Sunday I shared this statement, "There is a cumulative value to investing small amounts of time over a long period." 

Thirty minutes of exercise over one month is far more beneficial than one long session on one day. Daily investments in your marriage will pay off better than if you only pay attention to your spouse every once in a while. The same is true for your spiritual life; consistent time in the Bible, prayer, and worship has a cumulative value. If you only go to church once a month or less, read the Bible and pray occasionally, then you are missing out on the cumulative value of steady incremental investments in your spiritual life.

You don't get great health over night, your marriage doesn't improve because of one weekend, and you don't become spiritually healthy unless you invest small amounts of energy and time consistently over a long period.

Ephesians 5:15-16, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Cumulative Value

Last Sunday I shared this statement, "There is a cumulative value to investing small amounts of time over a long period." 

Thirty minutes of exercise over one month is far more beneficial than one long session on one day. Daily investments in your marriage will pay off better than if you only pay attention to your spouse every once in a while. The same is true for your spiritual life; consistent time in the Bible, prayer, and worship has a cumulative value. If you only go to church once a month or less, read the Bible and pray occasionally, then you are missing out on the cumulative value of steady incremental investments in your spiritual life.

You don't get great health over night, your marriage doesn't improve because of one weekend, and you don't become spiritually healthy unless you invest small amounts of energy and time consistently over a long period.

Ephesians 5:15-16, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Passion

What are you passionate about?

Passion

What are you passionate about?

Fear

What are you afraid of?

Fear

What are you afraid of?

Catalyst West Coast 2009

(notes continued)

David Arcos

"Who we are in crisis is who we really are."

"If you cannot create chaos in your team you can't clearly see the greatness in the people you lead."

"Chaos and pressure can pull out brilliance."

Mosaic Campus Pastors

"The stories you tell shape the culture you live in."

Catalyst West Coast 2009

(notes continued)

David Arcos

"Who we are in crisis is who we really are."

"If you cannot create chaos in your team you can't clearly see the greatness in the people you lead."

"Chaos and pressure can pull out brilliance."

Mosaic Campus Pastors

"The stories you tell shape the culture you live in."

Half-Time Celebration

Before the service started on Sunday morning we had a little fun ... fortunately, there were no injuries reported.

Half-Time Celebration

Before the service started on Sunday morning we had a little fun ... fortunately, there were no injuries reported.

Eat Mor Chikin

As you know, I'm a big fan of Chick-fil-A. Here I am at Catalyst West with a good friend.

Eat Mor Chikin

As you know, I'm a big fan of Chick-fil-A. Here I am at Catalyst West with a good friend.

Catalyst West Coast 2009

Notes from Catalyst (continued)

Erwin McManus

Acts 17:16ff 

"1st space" - Where people are like us. "2nd space" - Place where we live and work. "3rd space" - When you are invited into the space of someone else. 

When you get to the 3rd space, those in 1st space think you've left them.

You have to relate to culture, what else do you relate to?

Dave Gibbons

Great miracles can happen in transition. The skill of the leader matters.

Love the lepers/outsiders/marginalized - do that and you reach the masses.

Put out version 1.o but keep reinventing.

Sign of a mature leader... gratitude.

Relationships trump vision and strategy.

Catalyst West Coast 2009

Notes from Catalyst (continued)

Erwin McManus

Acts 17:16ff 

"1st space" - Where people are like us. "2nd space" - Place where we live and work. "3rd space" - When you are invited into the space of someone else. 

When you get to the 3rd space, those in 1st space think you've left them.

You have to relate to culture, what else do you relate to?

Dave Gibbons

Great miracles can happen in transition. The skill of the leader matters.

Love the lepers/outsiders/marginalized - do that and you reach the masses.

Put out version 1.o but keep reinventing.

Sign of a mature leader... gratitude.

Relationships trump vision and strategy.