Problems...

"Problems cannot be solved by thinking within the framework in which they were created."

- Albert Einstein

timber

how not to cut a tree down...

Prayer Quote

“God will not hear the prayers of those who want destruction of fellow believers and their ministries.” Ingrid Schlueter

Leaving Hypocricy

Josh referenced a great article from The Christian Post on why young people are leaving the church today. The article says that they are "leaving hypocrisy, not leaving traditional church". Here is some of the article, it is definitely worth the read...

Senior Pastor Jim Shaddix describes his church as "somewhat contemporary." It has a robed choir and a praise team, hymnals and Brooklyn Tabernacle songs, and a big screen. One elderly lady believes the church needs to incorporate more hymnals into their worship services while the twenty-somethings want to ditch the choir and the robes. "What is a pastor to do?" Shaddix posed at a recent Southern Baptist conference.

"We generalize this trend as simply a choice between the traditional and contemporary," he noted.

Beyond the form of traditional churches and worship styles, young people, who are labeled as the future of the church, are opposed to the "fabricated Christian culture" within the traditional churches.

"They're opposed to the lifeless and heartless way we often sing those hymns," Shaddix said at the second Baptist Identity Conference in Jackson, Tenn.

"The traditional church will survive and thrive if its people have a change of heart about their God."

Who's offended?

I have been reading a lot of Mark Batterson's evotional blog recently. He had a great post that I have been chewing on that I wanted to share here. I know how true this is, but I am still working on doing this right. I am good at choosing biblical correctness over politically correct, but I am still working on making so that it is said with grace and love.

I think some of us are more afraid of offending people than we are offending the Holy Spirit. I want to say what I say with great tact. I want to use my right-brain and left-brain to really come at tough topics creatively and logically. And I want to be as positive and as persuasive as I can possibly be. But at the end of the day, sometimes we need to say things that people don't want to hear!

There are moments where you have to make a choice between biblical correctness and political correctness. And it takes good-old fashioned guts to say what people don't want to hear. But I think there is a way to say things so that people may like you less but respect you more!

For what it's worth...whenever I have to have a tough conversation with someone where I have to confront an issue, I almost always reference John 1:14 where it says Jesus was full of grace and truth.

Grace means I'll love you no matter what. Truth means I'll be honest no matter what. Grace without truth is weak and shallow! Truth without grace is counter-productive. But grace and truth is a Christlike combo that will impact people!

The way I see it...

Starbucks had a great idea putting the "way I see it" on their cups. I don't necessarily agree or like all of them, but it was a great idea. My wonderful wife brought me one of my favorites this morning. Just as I was going to throw the cup away I remembered to read the back; #199 was a good one.

I'm not sure about people, anymore. They're responsible for some pretty nutty stuff.

Individuals I'm crazy about though.

- Berkeley Breathed
Cartonist and creator of Opus

Disney Teeth Kicking

I have enjoyed keeping up with the Idea Sandbox blog. Here was a quote that they had at the top of their blog that really caught my attention. There is great truth in this quote...

"You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you." - Walt Disney

A new leaf...

Due to the recent abuse of the anonymous comment functions and in the spirit of only wanting lion chasers here; you now have to be a registered blogger user to make a comment. Sorry to those that have used this comment function appropriately. But after last night's scenario, it is obvious this feature is being abused by a few and putting drama here. Thanks to the faithful blog readers and supports.

Great Quote

"When the pain gets so bad that you're ready to quit you've set yourself up as someone with nothing to lose. And someone with nothing to lose has quite a bit of power. You can go for broke. Challenge authority. Attempt unattempted alternatives. Lean into the problem; lean so far that you might just lean right through it."

Seth Godin, author of The Dip (May 2007, Portfolio) as quoted on the Idea Sandbox (February 15, 2007) from Tony.

Quote

"First figure out your partners, then figure out what ideas to pursue. The most important thing isn't the market you target, the product you develop or the financing, but the founding team. Starting a company is like scaling an unclimbed face - you don't know what the mountain will throw at you, so you must pick the right partners, who share your values, on whom you can depend, and who can adapt."

Jim Collins, author of Good to Great as quoted in Fortune (February 19, 2007) Thanks to Tony for the link.

The Guts of Leadership

Mark Batterson wrote a book titled, In a pit with a lion on a snowy day. He, recently wrote an article based on it for the Catalyst blog.

I recently shared this article with some of our leaders. It is very challenging, but so necessary for the church to thrive in the future. Here is some of the article...

Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it. (2 Samuel 23:20)

Doesn't it seem like Benaiah is choosing his battles poorly? It's too risky. It's too unpredictable. It's too dangerous. But Scripture doesn't say that Benaiah was a prudent warrior. It says he was a valiant warrior.

Lion chasers don't try to avoid situations where the odds are against them. Lion chasers know that impossible odds set the stage for amazing miracles! Those are the experiences that make life worth living. Those are the experiences worth telling stories about.

The church needs more leaders with the spirit of Benaiah.

From the time of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. (Matthew 11:12)

There is nothing remotely passive about following Christ. Faithfulness has nothing to do with maintaining the status quo or holding the fort. It has everything to do with competing for the Kingdom and storming the gates of Hell.

One of the dangers we face in leadership is this: at some point in our leadership journey we stop playing offense and start playing defense. We stop doing ministry out of imagination and start doing ministry out of memory. We stop creating the future and start repeating the past. We stop chasing lions and start running away from them.

So here's a reminder: The greatest regret at the end of your life will be the lions you didn't chase!

Make this your Manifesto:

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop criticizing and start creating. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilacs. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshiping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Laugh at yourself. Keep making mistakes. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away. And remember: if God is for us who can be against us?

The church needs more leaders with the spirit of Benaiah. Why is it that at some point we stop playing offense and start playing defense? Why is it that we end up running from the lions that God has called us to chase?

I love the manifesto: stop playing it safe and start taking risks; worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks; our purpose is not to arrive at death safely!

When will this sink in? Why are there so few lion chasers? Why are so many people I know more concerned with what people think than what God thinks? How is it that we have moved down this road and come to this place?

I can't begin to imagine what the church might look like if we would chase some lions.

A lot of questions, I know, but I do know this... I will be chasing some lions! So, Look out lions, here I come!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I am thankful for times like today to celebrate those that I love. It is so important to never too become preoccupied with distractions. Love... an overused word... an underused choice...
I love my family... my wife, my kids... what a blessing!

10 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity

1. Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice.
2. Put your garbage can on your desk and label it "In."
3. Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone is over their caffeine fix, switch to espresso.
4. As often as possible, skip rather than walk.
5. Order a diet water whenever you are out to eat.
6. Specify that your drive-through order is "To Go."
7. Sing along at the Opera.
8. 5 days in advance, tell your friends you can't attend their party because you're not in the mood.
9. Have your co-workers address you by your wrestling name, Rock Bottom.
10. When the money comes out the ATM, scream "I Won!, I Won!"

Glenda posted some great thoughts on our personal responsibility concerning the choices we make. Read more about what she wrote. Her thoughts end with a great verse...

Psalm 133
1 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

MacGyver...

what a great show...

Church Video Game

A recent story about a new video game... read the full story.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — At a recent board meeting, pastor Darrell Smith of Trinity Fellowship put a video game controller in each member's hands. Soon the 12 men were clobbering each other on an oversized TV screen as they played Altar Egos: Rumble in the Pew, the latest church staff craze.

"I haven't felt this good about church in years," said one board member, smiling and sweating.
Video game maker Electronic Arts created Altar Egos to test the market for Christian video games. The game, which EA describes as "Grand Theft Auto without the graphic violence and sex, and set in a church building," is not yet available in stores but was sent to hundreds of churches across the U.S. where it has become an instant obsession.

"It's a guilty pleasure," says a pastor in Appleton, Wisc., who plays with his staff as weekly therapy, but keeps the game a secret from his congregation. "It keeps tempers down around here. You seek out the person you're annoyed with and whack them. They say, 'Your sermon stunk,' and they hit me with a mic stand. And I say, 'Oh yeah? Well worship was lousy,' and bonk them over the head with a family-size Bible. Then we put down the controllers, go back to work and everything's fine."

Wow. What does this say about the sad state of the church today?

Lovie Smith :: Beyond the Ultimate

How awesome is this! Godly men in the NFL giving a Godly influence.

Tony Dungy :: Beyond the Ultimate

Sure I wish the Bears would have won. But how cool to see the bigger picture in it all. A life with Christ is bigger than any personal/physical championship. I am thankful for Tony Dungy's great testimony.

One liners...

I thought these were fun, but yet so true.

• Don't let the littleness in others bring out the littleness in you.
• Worry is interest paid on trouble before it is due.
• Prevent truth decay. Brush up on your Bible.
• Try Jesus. If you don't like Him, the devil will always take you back.
• A clear conscience makes a soft pillow.
• Satan subtracts and divides. God multiplies and multiplies.

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

I am not looking forward to today.

Superbowl Party

So much for the annual church superbowl parties.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The NFL has nixed a church's plans to use a wall projector to show the Colts-Bears Super Bowl game, saying it would violate copyright laws.

NFL officials spotted a promotion of Fall Creek Baptist Church's "Super Bowl Bash" on the church Web site last week and overnighted a letter to the pastor demanding the party be canceled, the church said.

Read the rest of the story.

Storm headed to Miami

Here is a satellite image of what is headed toward Miami. It has already destroyed New Orleans and now is headed to hit Miami.

Listen closely

An elderly couple was attending church services-- about halfway through she leans over and says to her husband, "I just let out a silent fart-what do you think I should do?"

He replies, " Put a new battery in your hearing aid."

The blog turns 100.

100 posts and counting. The next 100 will be exciting.

Things I have learned in the past 100 posts:

• the meaning of a blog: a web log, an online journal.
• you get funny looks from people that dont know what a blog is when you say you have a blog. kind of like a dog hearing a high pitch sound. "you have a what?"
  
• blogging is not for everyone.
• creative blogging is an art form.
  
• life is all about perspectives. blogs really magnify those perspectives.
  
• people that blog daily are addicted to blogging. wait i have just blogged two days in a row... oh maybe that blog multiple times in a day... nevermind.
  
• take time to remember the good things in life. dont waste your time focusing on all the negative junk in the world.
  
• life's too short to waste it.
• HTML code, enough said.
• google analytics is really cool.
• dont take yourself too seriously.
  
• learn to laugh at yourself.
  
• a picture is worth 1000 words... plus one.
• if you have read all of these, thanks for checking out the last 100 in my small corner of the blog life.