Category Archives: Ministry

Discipleship, Faith in Action, Ministry, Preaching, Theology, Worship, Wrestling With Scripture

From Theory to Practice

This is the second part of my lesson from last Sunday. Our church has been going through the book of Romans. I got to focus on Romans 12, my favorite chapter in all of Paul’s writing. Enjoy the second part of The Gift of Life.

From Theory to Practice
This brings us to Romans 12. Paul has spent the first 11 chapters telling us this good news- that life apart from God is death, that Christ brings us all – Jew and gentile, male and female, slave and free – the gift of life, and that we are now free to really live for Him. He has spent 11 chapters on the theory. In Chapter 12, Paul finally gets practical.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Therefore– There is so much theology wrapped up in this one word. Therefore, because of, in light of EVERYTHING that God has done, the history of his gifts, the grace he offers, the life he lived, the sacrifice that he made. Because of these… now this. The previous eleven chapters are summarized in this one word.

Offer your bodies as living sacrifices– God no longer requires the blood of bulls and goats to atone for sin. The innocent blood of Jesus met the requirement once and for all. Now our lives are to be lived out as an offering to God.

This is true worship– I have had my fair share of discussions with people about what worship is and what it isn’t. Unfortunately most of these conversations end with hurt feelings and cold shoulders and in reality they miss the point.

In scripture we see two words translated as worship.

proskuneo- “to kiss forward” , bow down
Anytime we see someone coming to Jesus for healing we see them in proskuneo worship. they are bowing, they are honoring.

latreuo- SERVICE IN RELIGIOUS DUTIES
The word that Paul uses here in Romans 12 is from latreuo. It means the duties or actions of one’s worship.

I believe Paul is telling us that Worship is not just an event. It is a lifestyle.

Tomorrow: We Love Our Proskuneo

Discipleship, Faith in Action, Ministry, Preaching, Resources, The Word, Theology, Worship, Wrestling With Scripture

The Gift

I had the chance to preach again yesterday. I don’t do it very often but I really enjoy sharing a message with the people of our church family whenever I get the chance.

I taught on Romans 12 and the Gift of Life, Jesus.

Since it is the week of Christmas I could let the opportunity of teaching a Christmas lesson pass me by. We’re taking off to Tennessee later this week so I want to post some of yesterday’s message with you here. These posts are from my teaching notes.

I hope that it helps you focus on the greatest gifts that we have been given- Jesus Christ and a new life lived by his Spirit. It don’t get much better than that.

The Gift of Life- Romans 12
We love giving gifts don’t we? Of course we do! I know the reason we love to give gifts- Genesis tells us that we are made in the image of God and He is a gift giver. In fact he is the ultimate gift giver. Scripture chronicles the great and mighty gifts that God has given mankind:

Creation
Life (that’s a biggie)
In the fall we deserved death but he showed his loving kindness
Saved Noah
Chose Abraham (To be blessed AND to bless the whole world)
Provided for Isaac
Renamed Jacob
Rescued the world from famine through Joseph
Repurposed the price of Egypt, Moses, and gave freedom to his people
The Law- knowledge of what is required
The promised land
Teachings from the Prophets

Finally God gave us himself through his son Jesus Christ. It doesn’t matter the date because Galatians 4 says,

“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer slaves, but God’s children; and since you are his children, he has made you also heirs.” (Galatians 4:4-7)

Do you see that? Do you hear that? God didn’t just send his Son for us. He didn’t just send us his Spirit. It wasn’t enough for God to just give us freedom. Scripture tells us that on top of all this God also adopts us as his own sons and daughters.

Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection were the ultimate gifs given to mankind.

From our human father, Adam, we received the gifts of sin, death, selfishness, murder, wrath, and spiritual poverty.

From our heavenly Father we have received life and resurrection. This gift of new birth and everlasting life is for all who wish to have it.

Tomorrow: From Theory to Practice

Ministry, Parenting, Popular Culture, Resources, Youth Ministry

The Elephant in The Family Week 2

I got a ton of great feedback from readers last week that they were looking forward to this series of posts. Thanks to everyone who posted comments and left me info on more resources. Thank you so much.

I had planned on posting this earlier in the week but I was unable to do so. I am scheduled to preach this Sunday and I caught a bit of the crud this week. I am feeling much better today. I hope every one has a great weekend. Enjoy my teaching notes from last week’s class, The Elephant in the Family.

Week 2: The Message Has Been Tampered With
As a youth minister I’ve heard my fair share of questions that teens ask about dating, relationships, and sex? There are a handful of questions that I seem to get over and over.

How far is to far?
If you participate in oral sex are you still a virgin?
Can I sleep with someone even though we are getting married?
Is masturbation wrong?
Can I be forgiven for having pre-marital sex? If I go too far?

These questions make us nervous don’t they? They catch us off guard. Like me, some of you may believe you have the perfect answer to one or all of these questions but feel like your brain and you mouth struggle to synch up when speaking. The problem is that the Christian message of holiness and purity and devotion has been lost is a sea of indifference, secular culture, and fear.

The issue is that kids have questions and who better to answer them then their parents and the church. In that order. Based on our discussions from last week and our experiences most parents do not take the time to deal with these questions. Kids aren’t hearing from us in ways that they should.

What They Hear
Teenagers hear these messages about sex…

Parents say, “Don’t do it…”
The Church say, “Don’t do it because it is dirty, rotten, and shameful… so wait ‘til your married.”
The Culture say, “You should do it when YOU’RE ready…make sure to use protection.”

No wonder our kids mess up. There is no consistency of message.

Crisis Points
This inconsistency leads us to a handful of Crisis Points that everyone in society is concerned with.

Results of promiscuity
Instant Intimacy
Early Sexualization

“The Christian perspective is much more concerned for the whole person. Our focus is on the development of healthy values, being responsible for one’s actions, one’s relationship with God, and generally what is right and wrong. The Christian perspective deal with, to a greater extent, how we treat members of the opposite sex and our deeper moral character.” (22)

Parents Job Description

Talk
Role Model with Honesty and Integrity
Positive Peer Influence
Grace & Forgiveness
Something is better than nothing

Leadership, Ministry, Popular Culture, Resources, Theology, Wrestling With Scripture, Youth Ministry

The Elephant in The Family Week 1

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Abstract grungeOver the weekend I kicked off a new class designed for parents called The Elephant in the Family. Our topic is talking with your kids and teens holistically- heart, body, mind, and soul- about sexuality and purity. I titled the class The Elephant in the Family because too often this issue of purity and sexuality hangs around our families and remains undiscussed and ignored. No longer I say! It is time that we do better for this generation. Let’s start by helping them honestly deal with these tough issues.

Each week I want to post my notes here on the blog as a way of helping as many people as possible. Tonight, I’m posting the notes I used to teach from. Check back later in the week for more resources.

I am basing the foundation of my class on Jim Burns’ book, Teaching Your Children Healthy Sexuality. This is a great primer on how to get the conversations about sexuality and purity started in way that seem natural and purposeful.

I am by no means an expert in this field and I am not parent (yet) but I do teach teenagers about purity and about what God thinks of their sexuality. I initially picked up this material to aid me in becoming a better teacher. As I read it, talked with other parents and youth ministers, and looked at my long term teaching goals for the year the opportunity to present this stuff to the parents of my teenagers became an opportunity I didn’t want to miss. I am so thankful and humbled by the families that were represented in the class this past weekend. I live in a great place at the intersection of teens and their parents. It is a Honor to serve them both. Hopefully, you too can use this material over the coming weeks.

BTW, Big thanks to the people over at National Community Church for making their Elephant In The Church Series open source. Their artwork and designs really help me settle on a theme and title for this class. You guys rock!

What We Are Up Against

In 2007, 48% of high school students had ever had sexual intercourse, and 15% of high school students had had four or more sex partners during their life. (CDC, June 2007)

Over half of the young people in America claim to have had oral sex by the age of twenty-two. The average age of the first Internet exposure to pornography is eleven years old.? 
In 2007, 39% of currently sexually active high school students did not use a condom during last sexual intercourse. (CDC, June 2007)

In 2006, an estimated 5,259 young people aged 13-24 in the 33 states reporting to CDC were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, representing about 14% of the persons diagnosed that year. (CDC, June 2007)? 
Each year, there are approximately 19 million new STD infections, and almost half of them are among youth aged 15 to 24. (CDC, June 2007)

Adolescents are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors, such as unprotected sex, when they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In 2007, 23% of high school students who had sexual intercourse during the past three months drank alcohol or used drugs before last sexual intercourse. (CDC, June 2007)

As worried and as sick as I am about these statistics about the physical tolls that our young people are taking in regards to their sexuality I am equally concerned with their mental, emotional, and spiritual states.

Why This Class, Why Me

Every year I try to address issues such as dating, sexuality, purity, and God’s desires for our lives with teenagers. I know that the best way to teach in these issues is to do in intentionally and to be prepared. I initially picked up Burns’ book, Teaching Your Children Healthy Sexuality to help me teach these lessons more effectively. As I read I became convicted that I needed to share this material with every parent I could. What I liked about this material is that it is clear, concise, and looks at sex education with the whole person in mind. It isn’t just about telling kids “Just Say No!”

Teaching Your Children Healthy Sexuality is about learning about God’s design for our sexuality and how to cherish it. It is about training ourselves for godliness. It is about keeping ourselves physically pure and mentally pure. It is about holiness.

This material calls for intentionally doing better for our kids and learning how to answer their questions using honesty and God’s word.

Teaching Your Kids

Jim Burns begins his seminars by asking parents the question,

“How many of you received healthy, value centered sex education from your parents growing up?”

He says that usually only 1 percent of the parents present will raise their hands.

Since this is the case here is what begins to happen: Because we didn’t have healthy conversations about sexuality modeled to us, we feel inadequate to have those healthy conversations with our children.

Or we don’t know when to bring up the subject and speak openly and honestly and in an age appropriate manner.

Or we are afraid that our teens are going to ask about our past experiences.

Too often these hurdles leave us being silent on the whole issue.

Discussion Question #2
How do you feel about the sex education you received (or didn’t receive) from your parents?

Healthy, Value Centered Sex Ed Defined

Most Church Sex Ed initiatives begin and end with drilling home to kids the importance of remaining pure until their wedding day. If we are honest, we want so much more for our children don’t we.

“We can help establish in them a lasting sexual integrity that starts at a young age and extends throughout their entire life, guiding their self-image, how they treat members of the opposite sex, and how they view and enjoy marriage, as well as how resolute they are to remain faithful.” (15)

So, for the purposes of this class when we say Value Centered Sex Education we mean Sex Ed that is based in what God values. When children understand and begin to live with the idea that God’s view of sex isn’t dirty and sinful but beautiful and a gift from God than they begin to value their sexuality in the same way.

Class Overview

Over the next few weeks we will cover the following during our time together:

Your role as Parent in teaching your child about sexuality
How and When to talk about sex in a way that is natural and intentional
Developing a theology of sexuality
Building a foundation for pure living
Rites of passages for your child to experience
Choices and consequences

I could spend the next three months working through this material chapter by chapter, cover everything mentioned here, and still feel like I only served you halfway. Again, I’m not the expert and the last thing I want to do is drone on about things that you may or may not care about. In an effort to make this class the best it can be answer the following for me:

What do you want out of this class? What do you want to see covered in this class? What is going to best help you and your family when it comes to building a foundation of sexual integrity for your children?

Homework

1) Read Chapter 1 of Teaching Your Children Healthy Sexuality

2) In his book, The Seven Checkpoints, Andy Stanley describes a point in his ministry where he began evaluating the effectiveness of what his teens were learning in youth group. He felt that up until that point his teaching and strategy had been fairly hit and miss. He wanted his teaching to be a laser beam of consistency and clarity so that the students in his youth group would have a greater understanding of who God is and what the Christian life looks like when practically lived out. In order to find these essential topics he began to ask the following questions:

If we could permanently imprint anything we want upon our students’ minds, what would it be?

What do they need to know? What is the irreducible minimum?

Now it is your turn. Take these two questions and in terms of your child’s education of sexuality begin to ask yourself what do you want to make sure that they know? What topics/information do you want to make sure that they hear about from you? Before they leave the care of your home, what is it that they need to know about God’s view of sexuality that will help them navigate the secular world outside?

In order to make this as relevant as possible write out a list of the 7 essential topics that you want your kids to know right now- this year- 2009- in order for them to have an age appropriate, heathy, value centered view of their sexuality. Be sure to do this specifically for each of your kids. You can use the list of suggested topics below to get you started (even more topics can be found on pgs. 79-81 of Teaching Your Children Healthy Sexuality). Be sure to bring your list to class next week!

Collecting Experiences, Discipleship, Faith in Action, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Podcasts, Questions, Remarkable, Wrestling With Scripture

Romans 12:10

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

This verse has really been on my heart lately. I listened to a podcast where the minister really drove home this idea of what it means to “outdo one another is showing honor.”

To him this meant doing the hard things not for your glory or for your pride but doing the hard things so no one else has too. This is completely different from serving because we know we should (guilt) or serving because we want to look good (arrogance).

He specifically mentioned working in the parking crew so that when it’s cold and rainy outside that you say to yourself, “I’m going to serve in the cold and the rain so no one else has too.”

When the Holy Spirit begins to give us this attitude then our zeal for serving doesn’t diminish.

So, where can you begin to serve those around around you with this attitude? Maybe it is cleaning the toilets. Maybe it is picking up trash.

Doing something so someone else won’t have to seems to me to be the essence of living sacrificially.

Let’s outdo one another in showing honor!

2008, Adverts, Books, ESVSB, Ministry, Remarkable, Resources, The Word, Wrestling With Scripture, Youth Ministry

Review: ESV Study Bible

Matisyahu 3Why The ESV?
I have used the English Standard Version in my private reading, teaching, and speaking since 2003. While my primary teaching Bible has been the TNIV I like getting away from the familiar phrases and wording and into something a bit different like the ESV.

The ESV is a word-for-word translation in the vein of the NRSV and NASB. It can be a bit stiff in some places but there is a lot of life in these pages.

Why The ESV Study Bible?
Study Bibles are designed to help the reader dig deeper into the history, meaning, and application of God’s Word. I will be forever grateful to my first NIVSB for helping me begin to understand Scripture. That Bible logged many hours and late nights with me through high school and college studying for pleasure and studying for school. Since then I have used Life Application Bibles, devotional Bibles, “master” study bibles, reference Bibles, and the TNIVSB. In most of these Bibles the notes and study helps tend to overshadow or crowd out the text. With the exception of the TNIV, I have been unable to find a study bible that drives me deeper into the word or causes me to become enveloped in the passage and the study helps.

It is in this that the ESVSB succeeds.

Why the ESVSB Succeeds
The stats for the ESVSB look like this:

2 million words— of Bible text and insightful teaching in 2,752 pages.
20,000 notes— focusing especially on understanding the Bible text and providing answers to frequently raised issues.
Over 50 articles— including articles on the Bible’s authority and reliability; on biblical archaeology, theology, ethics, and personal application.
200-plus charts— offering key insights and in-depth analysis in clear, concise outline form; located throughout the Bible.
Over 200 full-color maps— created with the latest digital technology, satellite images, and archaeological research; printed in full color throughout the Bible.
80,000 cross-references— to encourage easy location of important words, passages, and biblical themes.
40 all-new illustrations—including full-color renderings and architectural diagrams of the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, Solomon’s temple, Herod’s temple, the city of Jerusalem in Jesus’ time and throughout the history of Israel, and many more. (from the official ESVSB website)

I’m not going to lie to you. 2 million words, 2,752 pages, and 20,000 notes do not a light Bible make. This thing is huge! It has to be huge to fit all this stuff inside the TruTone cover. However, don’t let these stats scare you away.

The notes are solid but do not take anything away from the actual text. The biblical text is in a large font at the top of the page while the notes are in significantly smaller somewhat italicized font on the bottom of the page. This makes for a smooth reading experience. I am currently working through the entire Bible again. While the goal is to simply read through the text, I have purposely slowed my pace down to take advantage of the study helps. This has been a huge blessing to me and has really made some of the more difficult passages come alive.

Winning Features of the ESVSB
illustration-solomons-temple.jpgColor Pages, Illustrations, and Charts
Color pages are nothing new but here is the first time that color pages in a Bible have impacted my study of scripture. From the subtle hints of olive green highlights on each page to the glorious, highly detailed illustrations to the colorific maps the ESVSB truly uses color to its advantage.

Take the illustrations as an example. The picture on the left is of Solomon’s temple and can be found on pages 604-605. This two-paged, full-colored rendering is quite beautiful and far exceeds anything I’ve ever encountered in a Bible. The same goes for the charts and diagrams. While reading in Numbers I was able to visualize for the first time how the Israelites were commanded to march and encamp through their wanderings. The tabernacle was to remain in the center of the camp and the people wether at camp or on the move. God’s presence is to be at all time central in the life of the believer. While on one hand this is a great revelation to me I am also saddened that I’ve never fully grasped this small truth before. Thank you charts on pages 267 & 269!

Reference Materials
Not only are there highly academic intros to each biblical book and the usual concordance here but there are also a ton of scholarly articles and features covering everything from Biblical Ethics to Reliability of the Cannon to What Role the Bible Played into Evangelical Protestantism throughout history. There is a MA in Biblical Studies available at your fingerprints here.

Online Features
Everything on page between the TruTone covers is available online to everyone who purchases a physical copy. That includes the illustrations, notes, charts, text, and supplemental readings. The online area also allows you to upload your own notes as you study and since the feature is web based you can access your notes from any computer. Very forward thinking feature.

So that does it for this extended commercial. While the ESV isn’t my favorite translation this Study Bible has proved to be an invaluable part of my study. I would highly recommend this Bible for anyone who wants to dig a little deeper into God’s Word.

Thank you Crossway for all your hard work. The effort has truly paid off!!!

Conferences, Discipleship, Faith in Action, Leadership, Ministry, Planning, Resources, Study

Processing

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The biggest hurdle I have to jump after coming home from a conference is the subtle art of processing all of the information that was just crammed into my cerebellum over the course of 48 hours.

I returned home with 3 books, 13 main session recordings, 27 lab session recordings, notes in two “note-zines”, and a few notes scribbled on my legal pad. I want to be a good steward of these resources and so the last thing I want them to do is rot on a shelf somewhere. These resources are a gift so I must do everything I can to put them to the greatest use in my life and ministry.

Now obviously I won’t need to re-listen to everyone of those recordings and there are some that I’ll probably never get too. So what is my process for processing?

First, I gather together all my notes and type them out. Due to the fact that a one-armed monkey can type faster than me means that this is probably the hardest and most labor inducing step. Once I finish this, I have a better idea of what I missed, what I need to hear again, and the order of need.

Next, I begin importing the recordings into iTunes and create a playlist full of sessions to go through. If you’ve been reading this blog for any period of time you know that am a believer in the iPod. I know that the iPod is the greatest tool for leadership development. Long before universities were giving out iPods and iPhones to their students I had sermons, books, and lectures loaded on my white knight making me a better student and leader. If all you have on your iPod is the latest songs from Top 40 “artists” than get on the ball and help get your lead on with a few challenging books or lessons. Need some ideas? Leave me a comment and I will personally send you some resources.

The Third step in the processing adventure is to Prioritize and Schedule. Since I have already worked through the material typing it out I know what lessons challenged me but, more importantly, I know what lessons are going to have the greatest impact on what I am currently doing. That is a big plus. I can spend an hour being wowed by a great lesson that inspires me to reach for the stars or I can spend an hour listening to a lesson that will help learn how to better turn on the rockets. Do you see the difference? I love and desire and need to be inspired to do great things but sometimes… sometimes I just need to learn to do something more effectively which will enable me to do something more excellent down the road. So I prioritize the lessons based on need. I make out a listening schedule and set aside development time in my planner. This fall I have designated Mondays and Thursdays for development days. (maybe one day I’ll post about what I do on Development days)

Step 4 begins as I listen or re-listen to lessons. I take new notes down on a legal pad and then update my typed notes when I return to my computer. What I am left with is a pretty good set of notes and usually a few actions steps on implementing what I’ve learned. Sometimes, I walk away from doing this and I may not have any action steps. That’s ok. I have the notes and I’ve activated my Reticular Activating System (Thanks Mark). So whenever I’m faced with a problem or idea that was mentioned in one of these talks, because I took good notes and invested time in making sure I understood the content, I’m able to cut my research time in half. G.I. Joe was right: Knowing IS half the battle. Bonus: Part of being a good steward of these resources is that when I know a friend could use the teaching or insight I can be quick to help them out with notes, outlines, ideas, or the recordings themselves. (This is my favorite part!!!!)

Well folks, that’s about it. I was truly blessed by Catalyst 08. I can’t wait for next year!

Speaking of Catalyst 09
Wouldn’t it be cool if me and the 2 of you who read this blog went to Catalyst next year as the Kicking at the Darkness group? I bet we’d be the only blog group there!! Sounds pretty cool to me. If you’re interested let me know. Let’s make it happen! Catalyst 09 is October 7-9, 2009. Mark your calenders!

Conferences, Discipleship, Experience, Faith in Action, Giving Thanks, Hope, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Music, Worship

Catalyst Day 2

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Another Catalyst is in the books.

Today was great. The highlight?

Dave Ramsey’s talk on practical leadership for your organization? Maybe.

Matt Chadler’s challenge to live and teach in such a way as to leave a lasting legacy? Could be.

Certainly the highlight must have been Tim Sanders plea to bring our Christian values of love, sacrifice, and service into the workplaces of America? Missed it by that much.

None of these come close. The absolute highlight of my day was when the Daraja Children’s Choir of Africa skipped on stage (literally skipped) and broke my heart singing God of Wonders. Then three of the children took to the mic and whipped out some incredible scripture references. To say I cried would be an understatement.

God put Africa on my heart a few years ago now. My heart breaks for the people of that continent. I have had a desire to go and do something there but that desire battles with perceived reality and usually ends up in the “good intentions” pile. Today was different.

Today I heard God say to me, “You are going to Africa.” This wasn’t communicated to me in a “someday” voice but in a “Get Ready!!!” voice. How will I get there? When am I going? I don’t know but if that really was God’s voice then I can’t wait to find out the answers to the When, Where, and How.

Collecting Experiences, Conferences, Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry, Remarkable, Worship, Wrestling With Scripture, Youth Ministry

Divine Appointments and Convergence

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A few years ago I was introduced to this idea of “divine appointments.” We’ve all experienced these in one way or another.

You know… when you just happen to meet someone going through a similar season of life that you are experiencing and your “chance” meeting brought clarity or encouragement.

Or when your plans get changed and in the midst of being frustrated and angry you realize that there was a reason your plans were changed- You missed something so-so and God provided an Oh-Wow.

Today I experienced the “divine appointment” in spades.

First I arrived at the Catalyst Labs still unsure as to whether or not I was going to purchase a ticket. As I walked in the door a guy asked me if I had a ticket. I kinda brushed him off thinking, “I can read the signs dude. I know where to get the tickets.” But the guy insisted. Turns out one of the people in his group couldn’t make it to the Labs and so I was suddenly presented with a ticket! Terrific I thought and I proceeded in to the Labs thinking I was only going to be able to catch the last few sessions. Nope. I was 20 minutes before the “Opening Session.” I hadn’t really missed a thing! For once it paid off getting to the airport before dawn!!!

Another concept that I have been working with recently is this idea I call “Convergence.” Convergence happens when I’m really listening and learning and connected to the Father. It is as if I have a heightened sense of spiritual hearing. I feel like God’s getting my attention when I start hearing things over and over and in different mediums. When this happens I get this sense that everything I’m reading, watching, hearing, conversing about all seem to “converge” together.

The only Lab I chose to go to was the first one. More on this is a second.

Lab Number One was taught by Scot McKnight, author of The Jesus Creed. His Lab was based on his latest book, The Blue Parakeet, a book about examining how we read and apply the Bible. As a youth minister (and semi-pro-semi-amateur Bible scholar) this subject is a pretty important aspect of my life. However, just in the past month I have been wrestling with the short-comings I have perpetrated and the vision I want to put forth for teaching teens how to read their Bibles in a way that naturally leads to living out that Good News. That is exactly what Scot’s lab was about. Sha-zam!

For Lab Number Two I kinda got squeezed out of my preferred Lab so I settled into a familiar named author’s class. I have read Reggie McNeal’s This Present Future and Practicing Greatness so I though that I would see what he had to say. First off, the man is funny. I mean real funny and with a slightly warped Office-like-awkward-pause-kind-of delivery. Secondly, the man knows his stuff. His topic was to speak on his new book but he disregarded that subject to focus on his last book. He laid out the 7 Practices from Practicing Greatness spending the bulk of the time (read: all) on Practice 1, The Discipline of Self-Awareness. I am working through a 60 day self-leadership study right now. What reggie had to say is echoed in this book I’m working through and the notes I took seem to be a perfect supplement to walk me through the next part of the study. Weird huh?

Finally, I experienced a divine appointment and convergence in Lab Three. Thankfully, the space time continuum stayed intact.

I chose my speaker and subject for Lab Three, found my seat, settled in and then… I different speaker walked onto the stage. Now, I knew who this guy was and I was fine with the switch but I hadn’t chosen to listen to him speak. I chose the guy that hadn’t shown. As this speaker began his talk he looked out into the audience and said, “Some of you didn’t mean to be here. But God has set you up for a divine appointment.” Whah!?!?!?!

The speaker then went into a pretty detailed exegesis of Genesis 1-3: the creation and fall of man. Last Sunday Genesis 1-3: the creation and fall of man was the subject of my Sunday school class. I got some great questions from my teens and I got some good feedback but I felt like I left some questions unanswered. This Lab went a long way to help me work through some of their questions. Awesome!

I am so thankful that God had some divine appointments scheduled for me today. What a blessing!

More Catalyst to come.

Conference, Experience, Leadership, Ministry, Remarkable, Resources, Worship

Leavin’ On a Jet Plane

I’m off to the ATL in the morning for the Catalyst Conference. I’m looking forward to a challenging conference, hanging with good friends, and waiting hours in soul crushing lines for gasoline. Wait…

I guess I’ll settle for two out of three.

Catalyst is the highlight of my year. I cannot wait!!! I wonder what magic is in store for us all at the Gwinnett Center?