Potential

Potential is worthless.

There, I said it. 

Can I say that I just severely dislike the word potential.  I see people and churches that are full of potential but they do nothing with it.  They have all the potential and promise in the world and it does them absolutely no good at all.   Why?  They (we) do not use what God has given us.  They (we) are afraid.  They (we) are stuck thinking we can’t.  They (we) are unwilling to risk.  Until these areas are challenged in us we will continue to get what we have always gotten, people telling us we are full of potential.  We all know that potential is worthless unless it is unleashed!  Unleash your potential today!

Life Lessons

Did the chapel at our Christian School today.  Here are the Life Lessons that I taught to the 7th – 12th graders. 

Life Lesson #1 – There is a short cut to success – It is called hard work.

Life Lesson #2 – You will learn more in life from your failures than you will ever learn from your successes.

Life Lesson #3 – You will miss 100% of the shots you never take.  Live life with no regrets and go for it!

Life Lesson #4 – The greatest breakthrough in you life will come when you are willing to push through your fear.  Defining moments are many times the scariest.

What Life Lessons would you want to pass on to 7th to 12th grade students?

Celebrity Endorsements

Watching the Emmy’s the other night made me think, why do people who act think that I care what they think politically?  For me this goes to both sides although the one party has a distinct advantage with people in Holywood.

Why should or do people care what you think?

Any thoughts?

Innovate 2008 thoughts

First – I had a great time with the staff and friend that went.  The camaraderie that comes from going to these together is important.

Second – Day one was good – Mark Beeson, Shawn Wood, and Time Stevens spoke.  I personally love the take of Stevens on culture.  The others were good but Stevens stands out for the day.  I went to a break out session that discussed communication which was very helpful.

Third – Day Two was amazing.  Rob Wegner talked on Missional Moves and it was challenging and powerful.  I love Granger’s approach to Mission.  Be in a few few places and be deep there instead of be a lot of places and be shallow in all those.  Steven Furtick brought the house down with powerful preaching/teaching/challenge on do not lose heart or give up on the vision that God has given you.  It spoke to me.    The team from Lifechurch.tv spoke and it was alright, I did not get much out of it.  I went to a breakout session that Tim Stevens did on A Staff Culture that Rocks, a ton of valuable things in here that are practical.

Overall I like the conference and got much out of it.  I think we decided to head back to C3 again next year, I am looking forward to it!

Off to Rest, Relax, and Enjoy

I love getting away with the other staff member, we love to hang out and have a good time doing it.  As we head to Innovate 2008 I am excited to see what God will teach us and how we can improve as leaders and as a church.  Part of it is that in your own church you are never able to really soak it all in but at a conference there is no pressure on you, to me that is enjoyable. 

We rotate as a staff what conference we go to each year.  We have been to 4 very different conference in very different places and have learned so much.  I would struggle to say which one I liked the best but if push came to shove I might have to go with the C3 conference a about 3 years ago because it really opened us up to what God could do here.

What conference would you say was the best you have been too?  (if push came to shove)

Refresh

I Love Mondays.  I take my kids to school and then come to Panera.  I sit in here and read my Bible, read a good book (Wild Goose Chase currently), catch up on news/events, surf the web, write on the blog, and read blogs.  Mondays are the day when I get refreshed!  I love summers spending time with my family but I also love school, when my wife teaches and kids are in school and I get refreshed.

This is an extra good week in getting refreshed because the staff of the church is heading to Granger for the Innovate 2008 conference on Wednesday afternoon.  Another few days of refreshment! 

I have needed this because to be honest, things have got stale.  I have some moldy bread to throw out and some fresh bread to be made (spiritually speaking).  I am enjoying the time and thanking God for all of it!

What do you do to get out of the rut and get refreshed?

Reflective

I find that days like today, 9/11, I become reflective.  I think back about how many peoples lives changed so drastically in one day.  Wives lost husbands, husbands lost wives, kids lost parents, parents lost kids, friends lost friends, and so on it goes.  Truth be told I think we all lost something that day. 

As I reflect, I relaize and see that people’s lives change each day, maybe not in such dramatic or terrible fashion but people have loved ones die.  People have terrible things happen, but also the reverse is true.  Everyday people have wonderful blessings happen, children are born, cancer goes into remission, miracles happen.

As I reflect, I understand that everyday is to be lived and to its fullest.  I understand that bad things will happen but also good things will too, it is just all part of the life that we are to live. 

Are you living life to its fullest each day. 

Check out this video about a miracle:

Some days ….

Some days are better than others in ministry.  Today was one of those days when ministry was that was good.  It was a strange but good day.  I counseled someone who seemed to really get something from the counsel.  I was a part of a funeral service that was wonderful in the way the life of the lady was celebrated.  I did a number of other seemingly trivial things that will be helpful later in the week.  It was as I said, strange but one where I felt like in some cases Jesus was lifted on high.

Do you have those strangely satisfing days?

Back to the REAL grind

Today, life  got back to normal.  School started and I now have to get up earlier so that I can get the kids to school.  Now the good thing is that the school and church are in the same building so I do not have to drive them everywhere.

September for us really gets things moving.  I have been so busy preparing for up coming events and ministries that the blog has had to take a back seat over the last few days.  I have so reading and catching up to do.

I love the fact that things are busy and that we are getting things moving at the church.  This is when we get so many new families and people coming in and I love meeting them and getting to know them.  The real grind to be honest is not a grind at all but fun and exciting!

How are things building at your churches?