Monday Morning Check up from the Neck Up

On and off over the years I have read my Oswald Chambers devotional. Recently I have jumped head first back into his daily devotionals. It has been just what I needed! If you have not read any of his writings, i encourage you to do so!

Feel free to comment and encourage others through this devotion today.

The spiritual society

Till we all come . . . unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Eph. 4:13.

Rehabilitation means the putting back of the whole human race into the relationship God designed it to be in, and this is what Jesus Christ did in Redemption. The Church ceases to be a spiritual society when it is on the look-out for the development of its own organization. The rehabilitation of the human race on Jesus Christ’s plan means the realization of Jesus Christ in corporate life as well as in individual life. Jesus Christ sent apostles and teachers for this purpose—that the corporate Personality might be realized. We are not here to develop a spiritual life of our own, or to enjoy spiritual retirement; we are here so to realize Jesus Christ that the Body of Christ may be built up.

Am I building up the Body of Christ, or am I looking for my own personal development only? The essential thing is my personal relationship to Jesus Christ—“That I may know Him. “ To fulfil God’s design means entire abandonment to him. Whenever I want things for myself, the relationship is distorted. It will be a big humiliation to realize that I have not been concerned about realizing Jesus Christ, but only about realizing what He has done for me.

‘My goal is God Himself, not joy nor peace,

Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.’

Am I measuring my life by this standard or by anything less?

Chambers, O. (1993, c1935). My utmost for his highest : Selections for the year (July 12). Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers.

Dont take it personally

I read this portion in a book titled. “Deepening your conversation with God”

HE WAS A SEASONED VETERAN of the Christian ministry, my first boss in the church, a respected mentor, and a dear friend. I had asked him what he had to say to younger pastors like me as he approached his retirement. It was one of those what-would-you-do-if-you-had-it-to-do-over-again questions. His answer came quickly: “Don’t take it personally.”

“Don’t take what personally?” was my next question. He told me not to take it personally when things get tough in the church, when I am attacked or tired or depressed. Things like that go with the territory. We’re in a spiritual battle. When a soldier is shot at, he isn’t shocked. His feelings aren’t hurt. He doesn’t peer over his foxhole at his adversary and shout, “Was it something I said?” He expects it, he plans on it.

That’s spiritual realism. That’s what impelled Paul to write the Ephesians that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12). Note that the apostle assumes his readers already know that the work of the kingdom is a struggle. He doesn’t need to argue the point. The question is not whether we’re in a battle, but what kind. The battle is spiritual. So we don’t take it personally, we don’t get hurt feelings when things get hard. We are spiritual realists.

Patterson, B., & Goetz, D. L. (1999). Vol. 7: Deepening your conversation with God. The pastor’s soul series; Library of leadership development (19). Minneapolis, Minn.: Bethany House Publishers.

WOW…….if more of us leaders, volunteers, ministers or whatever your title in the church may be could get a grasp of this…..our churches would be so much healthier. I have to admit……..I struggle with this……I will be the first to put up my hand and say that I take a lot of things personally but then again – who does not…….it is just human to take it personally especially when you have invested time, resources and a lot of emotional energy.

As I read this article I asked myself what are THREE ways that I can apply the “Don’t Take It Personal” rule in my life. Here are mine and I would love to have yours…..

• The project, person, ministry, relationship, title or whatever is NOT MINE to begin with….it is God’s
• Ed Young and Pace Hartfield always say…… YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW….. I love that as it is so true.
• When I worked for Youth For Christ in South Africa we were taught ….. “what is the need behind the deed” ….. that helped a lot too!

Ok….. so those are mine and I would love to hear about yours….. what helps you from taking things personally in ministry or event the work place…..let us know.

Katelyn Fay Wilson arrives

Yesterday at 7:40AM Katelyn Fay Wilson was born, weighing in at 7.12 pounds and over 20″ long!!!!!! Both mom and baby are well. Mom and Katelyn were delivered at Banner Gateway Hospital

We all have something to share

W

Bullhorn

We all have something to share! God has given each of us that innate ability to speak our thoughts regardless of our personality. You might be a shy person or a high D person…….type A but regardless……you have something to share.

Recently as I have been speaking to various people thought the church, business, family and friends I have been encouraging people to speak about what they know. Just this week I had a conversation with a business owner and I told him that he needs to blog – he has great thoughts and he needs to get them out. I was gladly surprise today to get a DM through twitter that he has updated his blog.

You have been given something to say – say it! Get it out – share it with the world. In todays viral culture there are so many ways to get it out. Blogging,  Facebook, Twitter……a website……..the list can go on and on.

My question to you is what do you share. In a recent conversation with Doug Hood (twitter id & facebook id), General Manger over at CSD HOME Audio • Video • Lighting • Acoustics was that he needed to blog, twitter or Facebook more about what he has to share. He is an incredible resource in the audio/video and tech industry.

BTW – If you need help with getting any of your conversations started – I can help you start tweeting, fb-ing or blogging. I use word press for this blog

Love to have your comments

Live Feed to View Building Project with ustream.com

This week at Christ Life Church we started Phase 1 of our building project to expand out children, youth and office space.

The great thing about technology these days is that we can harness it to allow people to ‘see’ what is happening on the project. In the past people would come by on a Sunday with everything is shut down and nothing is happening or maybe a Wednesday night. However – that is not true anymore – these days with a simple computer and webcam you can set up a live stream for your ‘project’, whatever that might be.

Click this Christ Life Church link to access the Live Stream HERE

Below is a breakdown how how to do a live feed for your project:

1. Sign up for a free account at www.ustream.com
2. Purchase a webcam – for the church we purchased a Microsoft LifeCam Cinema Web camera
   

   Microsoft LifeCam

3. Install the software for the camera on your computer – we are using a spare dell.
4. Place the camera where needed and begin your stream.
5. For less than $70 you are now streaming your project.
6. This camera is not waterproof so we will need to build an enclosure to protect it.

Viral Stories – I AM CHRIST LIFE

Recently at Christ Life Church we have embarked on a viral story campaign called I AM CHRIST LIFE. These are short viral stories about people at Christ Life. As they are produced by our media team I will throw them up here for your viewing. Feel free to pass them along.

Latest Wilson/Goldsberry/Phillips Family Picture

Christmas Eve at Christ Life Church, Tempe and Casa Grande

Christmas Eve was a tremendous time at Christ Life Church. It is always truly a powerful blessing to work with such a Dream Team of volunteers.

It Takes Hard Work

I read this recently and as we look towards 2010 this short piece was a strong bit of advice to keep going at it as hard as possible. I think we tend to want to back off, but after I read this excellent article I picked up my notebook and began to revise my
goals for 2010.

I encourage you to pursue all that you have for 2010

Choreographer Twyla Tharp, author of the book “The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life”, directed the opera and dance scenes for the film Amadeus, has this to say about the film’s portrait of Mozart and the importance of being organized and disciplined….

“The film Amadeus dramatizes and romanticizes the divine origins of creative genius. Antonio Salieri, representing the talented hack, is cursed to live in the time of Mozart, the gifted and undisciplined genius who writes as though touched by the hand of God… Of course this is hogwash. There are no ‘natural’ geniuses… No-one worked harder than Mozart. By the time he was twenty-eight years old, his hands were deformed because of all the hours he had spent practicing, performing, and gripping a quill pen to compose… As Mozart himself wrote to a friend, “People err who think my art comes easily to me. I assure you, dear friend, nobody has devoted so much time and thought to composition as I. There is not a famous master whose music I have not industriously studied through many times.”

Original article found here: http://www.thepracticeofleadership.net/2008/01/16/time-management-for-creative-people/

What Do You Really Believe?

I read this in my devotion time this morning and though that it was worth sharing on a broader context.

In my Experiencing God Study Book they had the following paragraph this morning:
What you DO (action) reveals what you truly beleive about God, regardless of what you say.

Wow – did that just smack me in the face! My action show what I really believe in God….not just the cheap words ….. We all know the statement that talk is cheap!