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Learn From People Who Are Where You Want To Be

January 18, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

So many people want to be leaders, if for nothing more than the status that comes with it.  People want to win, but not pay the price of learning to lead.  In 1998 I attended a John Maxwell conference in Jacksonville Florida, and I can say that was the pivotal point in my life. From that point on I started taking notes from any and every leader I could find.  I got Dr Maxwell’s InJoy Life Club that later became Maximum Impact  I still have those cd’s that I listen to when I drive.   I bought cd’s from JimRohn, Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, yes even Tony Robbins. I read book after book, because I knew what God was calling me to do.  I bought them because I knew I was called to lead, and the only way I was going to learn how was to find people who had been there and learn from them.

When you find people doing what you want to do get as close to them as you can. For me it was tapes and cd’s, but today you can get blog posts, and podcasts from just about every type of business in the world.  Don’t just try and imitate these people.  If you try to “Fake it, till you make it” you’ll end up just going in circles at best, broke and discouraged at worst.  What you want to do is learn from them and pay the price of personal growth.  You may not see the change today or tomorrow, but one year from now you will see a difference, five years from now you will look back at the person you are now and not know that person.  But it starts with finding people to learn from and applying the principles to your life.

Give back what you learn.  One of my goals is to personally mentor two people every year and challenge them to pass that on to someone else.  If you are a leader I believe you should pass on what you know. If you are an aspiring leader find someone to come along side you and learn together.

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Discipline Yourself

January 13, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Self discipline can be one of the hardest changes to make because it is born out of habit.  We are habitual creatures, so anything that breaks our habits is viewed as a nuisance.  When we understand that we need to change we can begin to look for things to help us.

First of all has to be books.  We are a book buying society.  Whether or not we read the books we buy is another story, and that is part of the self-discipline problem.  If you buy a book to help you then at least take the time to read it.  You can read five pages a day and complete a 200 page book in a month and a half, so reading is not hard.

Next you can get apps on you computer or phone to help teach you discipline.  I have an app that I enter every bite of food that goes in my mouth on.  It tells me how many calories i need, what I take in, and how much exercise I have done.  I use it because I needed discipline in that area, and it is great.

Find someone to keep you accountable.  If you can’t hire a coach then get a friend, but make sure he or she is willing to ask you tough questions, and make sure you are ready to give truthful answers.  If you are not willing to be honest, you will never do this.

The bible says Knowledge begins with respect for the Lord. but Foolish people hate wisdom and discipline. (Proverbs 1:7 NCV) Get smart, learn to discipline yourself, and get growing.

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A Relentlessly Loving Christian Community

April 15, 2011 by · 1 Comment

Do You Have What It Takes To Love Relentlessly?

We live in an individualistic world where we work, live, and pray next to people we don’t know.  We are separated by cubicles and garage doors.  We hurry to get in to and out of our homes so we don’t have to say, “Hi!” to our crazy neighbor.

Our churches have become much the same.  Many of us come in late and leave early so we don’t have to say, “Hi!” to anyone who may see us.  We sit beside people we may or may not know, we sing and praise Jesus with as much fervor as we can muster, and still we know no one.  Don’t forget we all attend a small group so we can participate in the community.  But how much do we really participate in the lives of the people in our small group.

Jenna and her boyfriend aren’t getting along, so we pray for her.  No one want’s to get involved so they don’t ask how she bruised her hand.

Mary and Tom are having financial “problems” so we pray for them.  We don’t ask if they need some money, we wouldn’t want to pry.

Bill is always just fine, as he glances away and stares at the floor.  What have those eyes been doing when no one is around?

The word relentless is defined as unyielding in one place, I define it as not giving up or not giving in.

I grew up in a small town and I saw what community was.  When my mother passed away people flooded our house with gifts of money and food.  We wanted for nothing for several weeks after that the cause of the love that was poured out on us from that community.

Living in a relentlessly loving Christian community means getting yourself involved in other people’s lives.  Praying for God to open up relationships for you to love people.  The letters written in the New Testament were not written to just correct things that were going wrong.  Those letters were written by men who loved Christ and loved the believers that were in Christ’s church.

As we begin to love others in a way that Christ loved the church it may not work out as we plan.  As we begin to see other through God’s eyes we will see things we never knew existed.

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Five Books Every Christian Needs To Read

April 1, 2011 by · 4 Comments


I read daily.

Jim Rohn said, books are the ladder we climb to success. While I don’t think I want the earthly success Mr. Rohn referred to I do want to be a success in my walk with Christ. I have highlighted several book that in my opinion should be a staple in every Christian library. These books challenge your thinking, and the modern American view that Jesus wants us all to be happy and have a lot of stuff.

These book are books that expanded my thinking, and probed my heart. They have, in my opinion, been used by God to draw me closer to Him. I hope you find them as useful in your walk as I have in mine.

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

Celebration Of Discipline by Richard FosterI read this book for the first time in 2000. I had been a Christian for about three years, and had never heard anyone talk about living a life filled with God. To me God was distant and removed. While he did care about our well-being, we could not get close to him.

Richard Foster Changed My Thinking

Celebration of Discipline is not a how to get close to God guide. It explains 12 discipline that have been practiced in the church for 2000 years, that many modern Christians do not do, or think about. There is nothing you can do to make God love you more. There are things you can do to put you in a correct frame of mind to see God for who he really is. And this book will give you suggestions on what those things are.

 

 

C. S. Lewis

I know C. S. Lewis is an author and not a book, but I think you should read most of his books.

Mere Christianity
 is derived from radio spots done by Lewis during WWII. Mere Christianity deals with the intellectual side of Christianity. Lewis makes the case for God, Jesus as savior, and moral issues. If you are already a Christian this book will help you deepen your faith. It is a good book for non-believers who are looking into Christianity.

The Screwtape Letters
 is a series of letter sent by the demon Screwtape to his young pupil and nephew demon Wormwood. Wormwood is tempting a human and Screwtape is instructing him in the fine art. This book gives us a look at the reverse side of temptation in our lives and help us understand the lure.

The Chronicles of Narnia
 this now popular series follows children during the great war who escape through a wardrobe to find the land of Narnia. In Narnia they are kings and queens who lead talking animals against their foes. Their story is much like our own story of learning to rely on Christ in dealing with our worries of life.

 

 

The Cost of Discipleship By Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The Cost of DiscipleshipDietrich Bonhoeffer died because he tried to stop the Nazi’s. He died because he lived out his faith in a way many can’t accept. From the book:

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.

As an exposition on, The Sermon on the Mount, The Cost of Discipleship
 is Bonhoeffer’s call to the church and Christians to come back to Christ as its center.

 

 

 

 

The Reason for God

Timothy Keller is pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. He has been posed many objections to God, and the gospel of Christ. In The Reason For God, Keller takes those objections and one by one gives the Christian view and why the objection will not hold up to scrutiny.

The Reason for God is a Good book for newer Christians or agnostics and atheists who are willing to be challenged in their beliefs. Don’t go around throwing this or any other book at people who don’t agree with you. Love first and then challenge. A challenge without love make you and Christ look bad.

 

Intro image on home page used under cc2.0 license from flicker user http://www.flickr.com/photos/hashir/

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My View On Hell

March 17, 2011 by · 2 Comments

I guess this is what I need to do now based on all the chatter about Rob Bell’s new book that I have not read and have no intention of doing so. Not because of the author or content, it is just not something I would read.

One of the teaser questions for the book is,

Millions of Christians have struggled with how to reconcile God’s love and God’s judgment: Has God created billions of people over thousands of years only to select a few to go to heaven and everyone else to suffer forever in hell? Is this acceptable to God? How is this “good news”?

I don’t struggle with that question at all and neither should anyone else but Calvinists because that is what they believe.  I and the majority of Christians do not believe God creates people to go to hell.  God Knows before hand who will and won’t because he knows everything, but he does not create them for that purpose.

My Example:

If I meet a strongly believing Buddhist and become friends with him over time I assume we will discuss the Gospel at some point.   I will give him my best apologetic on the gospel of Christ, and he will counter on the best beliefs of Buddhism.  I will still be his friend if he does not accept Christ.  I will still pray that God would open his heart, but if he truly believes that Buddhism is the only form of salvation,  he will not accept Christ and I believe will go to and eternal hell.

Calvinist will argue that man can not choose for himself and God has to make the man accept Christ. If that is true, why do we do evangelism, because God will only let in who he wants to anyway.

God is God, and is the only sovereign one.  He knows about every one of us and I think we do Him a disservice arguing about whether he is going to let some in and shut some out. Hell is a real place and real people will spend a real eternity there (Bill Hybles).  We need to spend our time and efforts trying to get as many out as we can.

My Soap Box

We have spent many years in the church as a whole trying to get people in the door and giving them an easy believism.  All that many “Christians” are doing is trying to get out of hell, or just get into heaven.  We have omitted Jesus’ teaching about discipleship and discipline so people won’t feel like they don’t fit in.  Hang the apologetics and live what you believe.  If you really believe what the bible teaches then live it out unashamed.

P.S I know today that if we have a different view on a subject we are supposed to dislike them. I don’t hate or dislike Calvinist, I graduated from Liberty University and have several Calvinist friends who don’t agree with each other or me. So if you want to argue your lapsarian view please don’t — I’ll just delete it. :)

The inspiration from theis blog came from many more that I read but mainly from Frank Viola’s post  What is God Really Like? Hell, the Old Testament God, and Love Wins – An Interview with the Author of “Is God a Moral Monster?” He interviews Paul Copan author of the book  Is God A Moral Monster.  It is a deep article and a little long, but suffer through it because it is worth your time.

 

Featured Image on homepage used under cc2.0 license from http://www.flickr.com/photos/nostri-imago/

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We Are All Theologians

March 15, 2011 by · 1 Comment

I know what your thinking.  Why is Steve using those big words? First theologian is not that big of a word, and second because if I had said, “We are all people who make speculations about God, faith, and religion” you would have thought me just as weird.  So, theologian it is, let’s get on with it.

What is a theologian?  The web definition says that a theologian is someone who is learned in theology or who speculates about theology.  I like speculates about theology the best.

So What is theology? (from the web definition) Theology is the study of a god or, more generally, the study of religious faith, practice, and experience, or of spirituality. (Yes I know God is not capitalized here, I will address that later, just go with the definition.)

Having stated all that I will make my case.  We are all theologians because we all make speculations about, faith, religious practice, spirituality, and/or God — or the lack there of. No one on earth will spend his or her life without making one decision at least about God.  The main decision most people will make is, “Does he/she/it, exist?”  No matter what they decide, their life will be different from that point on.

As for Christians we believe that God does exist, and Jesus was His Son.  But, in the United States at least we have left theology up to pastors and college professors. When we have done this, many times we have put our faith in what that pastor or professor has told us instead of doing the work ourselves.  We have let other people form our beliefs and that has made us weaker in our faith.  When someone challenges our faith, many of us deny  or cower down.  When we leave our theology to someone else we give up our ability to think.  If you are listening to someone else to get your view of God and not exploring for yourself you are not being honest with yourself.

Take the time to study the bible and learn about God for yourself.

Free bible study stuff :

  • YouVersion – Online Bible
  • My Study Bible – Online lexicon if you want to look up words in Greek or Hebrew
  • Christian Courses – From RBC Ministries – If you are new to bible study this can be a good place to start.

Two books that helped me are Grasping God’s Word and How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth.  Both of these books are outstanding in helping to sort through scripture and show you how to apply it to your life.


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Real Success

March 7, 2011 by · 1 Comment

Much of what we see in the news today has to do with the rich getting over on the poor, or the poor getting freebies from the government, or the disappearing middle class.  Today in the Life Journal Reading Plan from YouVersion the reading is from Deuteronomy 5:28-29.  God, speaking to Moses say,

Moses, I heard what the people said to you, and I approve. 29 I wish they would always worship me with fear and trembling and be this willing to obey me! Then they and their children would always enjoy a successful life.

Some people will read that and think, “That is exactly what I needed to hear.” While others will read it and think, “I am not worshiping a God who I have to tremble in front of.”  Don’t Miss The Point! God wants to be first in your life because he loves you and wants what is best for you.  He doesn’t have to be, he wants to be.  When we put other things like money and worldly success in front of him we lose focus and our lives become unbalanced.  After we have put God first then everything else comes into perspective.  We see money as a tool not as a status symbol.  Our house becomes a home not an asset to be traded.

I think real success, the most important part of putting God first, is being able to be ourselves instead of trying to be someone we think the world wants us to be.

 

Are You Putting God First?  Are You Letting Him Lead You?

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There Is Always A Price To Pay

February 8, 2011 by · 4 Comments

No matter what we do in life someone has to pay for it.  Yes, even our free school system is not free.  Our taxes pay for schools and public services.  Our income is taxed to pay for the federal government.   What we bring home pays for our house and utilities.  Everything we do has a price.  When I was younger I did not think I needed an education.  I joined the military and believed that I was going to get by there without much hassle, but my military career only lasted four years.  Six years after I left the military I reentered college at 31 years old and finished my degree at 35.  John Maxwell said,

“Everything has a price.  You can either pay now or you can pay later, but you will pay.”

This fact became very real to me as I  read through the book of Leviticus in the bible.  God laid out a system to show the Israelites that every thing they did had to be paid for.  Every time they fell short of Gods standard, they had to offer a sacrifice to make up for that sin.  Much of my life has been spent not wanting to believe that what I do has consequences. I know now with looming Dr’s visits that I am going to pay some sort of price that remains to be seen, but I will pay for my stupidity.

Romans 6:23 summarizes Leviticus saying, “Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death.”  Everything we do has a price.  Whether it is hard-drinking, womanizing, premarital sex, porn, theft, or just arguing with your kids;  every thing has a price.  I thank God that everything also has been paid for in the death of Jesus.  Jesus paid for our sin on the cross.  The last part of Romans 6:23 says, “But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.” No matter how bad we have been, no matter how much we have fallen short of God’s ultimate standard, Jesus will stand between us and God and say I have paid for that in full.

Scripture taken from The Message

Image used under cc2.0 license from http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharpstick/

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Celebrating Lent As An Evangelical

February 3, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Celebrating Lent as an Evangelical can be awkward but also eye-opening.  It can be awkward because most of the people you know will think you are weird or trying to earn God’s favor.  It can be eye-opening because you can learn what really has a hold on your life, and how far you are from putting Christ first.

My family observed lent for the first time in 2008.  We gave up television and video games and spent much more time praying and studying the bible together. We fast for six days taking Saturday or Sunday off because there are actually 46 days in the seven weeks from Ash Wednesday to Easter.

Wikipedia says,

Lent in the Western Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Conventionally, it is described as being forty days long, though different denominations calculate the forty days differently. The forty days represent the time that, according to the Bible, Jesus spent in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by Satan.

Why Celebrate Lent?

While it is not required that we celebrate Lent as Christians, and yes we can take forty days and fast any time we want.  For me doing it during this time helps prepare for Easter and the celebration of Christ rising again.  For many of us abstaining from anything could be a big breakthrough in our faith because we over indulge so much in American Christian society.

What Do You Need To Do?

The simplest answer is find something that has become a habit at least or a sin at worst in your life and give it up (fast from it) for the weeks between Ash Wednesday and Holy Week (February 22nd – April 7th 2012).  Use the time you would have spent eating, watching television, or playing video games to get closer to God through prayer and bible study.

Don’t make it a law.  We like the idea of taking one day off because it helps put what we are doing in perspective.  We are not doing it to earn God’s favor, but to use the time we would spend doing other things to get closer in our relationship with Jesus.

I hopes this helps, and If you do Celebrate Lent and an Evangelical leave a message in the comments below

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Dealing With People Who Hurt Us

January 25, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

I come from a long line of grudge holders.  I have had to deal with it my whole adult life.  If someone hurt me it’s over for them.  They go on the list and I treat them like they don’t exist. This has been the biggest work God has been doing in my life over the last couple of years.  Opening me up and laying out the bad attitude I thought was gone.

Here are a few things from 2 Corinthians 2:3-11  I’m working on.

1.  Deal With The Sin. That is not something I or most people want to hear, but that is what Paul did, and is doing in this letter.  He did it in the previous letter by challenging those who were challenging him. And in this letter he is telling those who are shutting out someone who has repented to let them back in to the church community.

If you really have been hurt, then go to that person and talk to them about what you believe they have done. Here is where I fall into a problem. I wait until I am so mad, all I can do is scream and yell when I try to deal with the person. That’s the wrong way to do it. I know now that it has to be done in love, and prayerfully. Not with a baseball bat and curse words.  There is a possibility that the person who hurt you does not even know.

2.  Forgive those who we believe have hurt us. Forgiveness is hard. Peter came up to the Lord and asked, “How many times should I forgive someone who does something wrong to me? Is seven times enough?” Jesus answered: Not just seven times, but seventy times seven!  When we forgive someone we are releasing that person from wronging us.

Jonathan Falwell Said this, “Chosing to forgive faces the sin and deals with it rather than avoiding it… You must choose to say, ‘No matter how many times I remember the pain you caused me, the emotions I felt surrounding the situation in the past, I have accepted your confession and I have promised that I will never hold that sin to your account again.

3.  Do Your Best To Live With Them.

Romans 12:19-19 says If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

My good friend Ken says that most people miss that first part, “If It Is Possible.”  There are people you will meet that it is not possible to live at peace with.  That’s okay.  You do your part to live at peace and if it is really sin, and you have truly been wronged God will handle it. You live in peace with that person even if living at peace means not having contact. That’s what you do.

4.  Show them your love.

John Piper says, in his book Desiring God that, “Love abounds when your joy is mine and my joy is yours…love is what exists between people when they find their joy in each other’s joy.”

When you get your pleasure out of the other person’s joy, that is love for that person.  Most of the wrong we face is not wrong at all.  The people at the local fast food place don’t get your order wrong just because it’s you, they do it to everyone.  The line at the grocery store is not slow because you are there, it’s slow because there are a lot of people in trying to check out.

Can you imagine spending your life trying to help others find joy in their life. Isn’t that what being a Christian is about? When someone really knows the joy that comes from a relationship with Christ we see their true joy.  This real love helps you to see things in a greater perspective not your personal perspective.

Take time this week to help others find their joy. Whether it is your spouse, your children, friends, coworkers, or someone who has wronged you, take time to this week to help someone else find joy. And you will see your grievances begin to disappear.

 

Image used under cc2.0 license from http://www.flickr.com/photos/monoglot/

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