Some Quick Thoughts

1. Do you set the world on fire or are you busy trying to find a match?

2. Do you seek approval from those around you or do you work for the King who cares about quality not quantity

3. Your rewards in heaven are directly related to how you serve and work here on earth!

Get disciplined...Be used...Change the world!

Better Than You!

The question of the day is, "Who are you pouring into?"

Had an awesome meeting with Pastor Chuck today and the big thing that kept coming up was "what kind of work are we doing outside our walls?" Its easy to get so focused on the one thing right in front of you and work hard to grow that, as you should, but what are you doing to ensure that the next generation is ready and prepared to take on the world for Gods Kingdom?

As leaders we have to begin seriously thinking about who we are sending out into the world and with what we have equipped them with.

My challenge to you is to begin thinking about the kind of legacy that you are leaving and the impact for the kingdom you could have by ensuring that some people under you are growing and can do what you do...BETTER!!!

Ticket Giveaway

Ok so I just had to blog about this because its just incredible.

My wife, is quite possibly THE most selfless, genuine and thoughtful human being on the face of the earth...Im not kidding you! Once, she chose to give up her cubicle and desk and move to a square side table that couldn't have been bigger than a sheet of paper and moved into a hallway for 2 months!

I would have never done that...ever...

Thats what makes this so incredible...Twice, now she has tried to surprise me by ordering tickets to my favorite comedian and band, but both times overlooked some minor details.

The first one was comedy tickets to a show in Redding, California which is about 12 hours driving from where we live, so we had to let those go.

The second one, was tickets to my favorite band, only the show is on a Sunday night when we work...so we had to give those away.

My point is that I love my wife for the simple fact that her mind is set on doing for others that she sometimes overlooks little details.

Do you live your life, free to love others without walls or minor details that distract you from the one thing that mattered more to Jesus than prayer?

Facebook Technology

Well just in case you have been under a rock for the last 2 years and haven't started a FREE Facebook account then you need to!

Why, you ask?

Because Generate is launching an online campus through Facebook that could allow us to take Wednesday night to millions!

Read this post from Pastor Tony about what is coming.

This Thursday we’ll be going live with our facebook campus! If you have friends or family that would like to experience Generate, have a facebook account, myspace, or Twitter etc please begin sharing this news with them so they can join us and spread the word.

We simply want to insure that no one goes without hope and that even those who aren’t in Southern CA can experience God with us whether in their living room, Starbucks, or dorm room.

Here’s the link and URL for the campus, excited to hang with you on Thursday!

www.mediasocial.tv/generate

Ill pray about it

“Let me pray about it.” “Ill have to wait and see what God wants me to do about this.”

How many times have you heard these phrases or even said these phrases yourself?

I know I am guilty of it! I’m not saying that we shouldn’t pray earnestly and seek Gods will for our life but sometimes I think we use it as a scapegoat to get out of doing what we know already needs to be done.

On one Sabbath day in Mark 3:1-5 Jesus comes upon a man with a withered hand and called everyone around and asked a simple question, “Is it better to do good or to do bad on this day?”

Everyone just stood there…silent…maybe thinking to themselves, “Let me pray about it.”

But Jesus’ point was that these people obviously did not know what God wants them to do in the first place. Having to think about or “pray” about things that God has already said we must do, may only be a clear indication of how little we are “engaged in His work.”

What is it that you need to start doing and stop praying about?

Does God need to tell you every second of the day what to do?

Great post on Telling Your Story

Seth Godin's blog post on telling the story to your people is incredible!

The long tale

(not a typo).

The long tale is the never-ending story you tell your prospects, your customers and your employees.

The hard part is getting a little bit of permission to start telling your tale. The overlooked part, the part that wastes all that permission, is that you forget to keep telling your story.

Are you really the same as you were a year ago? How often do you re-introduce yourself? What's truly new (as opposed to what does the salesforce think is new)? What's the next chapter that matters? Almost all the goodness of marketing comes not from the big announcement, but from the long tale.

When the outside world changes, do you? Does the regulatory or environmental or competitive marketplace have an impact on you or us? That's part of the tale. Share it.

Feline Fanatics

Ok I just had to post this.

A friend of mine was telling me recently how his neighbor has been "caring" for all the stray cats in their neighborhood. She takes them in and feeds them, pays for their medical bills and even picks up strays in other areas and cares for them.

My friend said that when he tried to tell her that it wasn't healthy to keep that many cats in her house that she broke down and said that those cats were her ministry! She believed that God told her to take care of all of those animals.

Now I think its great that people have a heart and care for animals but in a nation when children are starving and homeless, the economy is crashing do you think its wise to spend that much money and effort on an animal?

I think cats are evil anyway, what are your thoughts?

Warning pt 2

Last night we had part 2 of our "Warning" series, where we discussed what the rapture would be like.

Needless to say that words and the english language fail to describe what it would look like but I it hard to miss the idea that we all truly find our home!

As sojourners in exile, one day the sky will open and a trumpet will sound and we will all be called home. Home the place that He has prepared for you!

Im praying for all the decisions that were made last night and excited to be reunited in that hour!

2 Cents

I know this is going to sound like a rant but thats not at all what I want it to be.

Growing up playing sports has taught me so much about leadership, hard work and discipline, but this one lesson I have learned has proved invaluable to me.

I had great coaches in high school, with tons of experience and knowledge and their goal was to impart that knowledge and teach us the game. I always loved when players would try to talk or give their two cents and promptly shut down...(in not such a nice way either). The point they were always making was that you are just a player, just learning the game so keep you mouth shut and your ears open!

Proverbs 17:28 says that "Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise..."

Whether you are in ministry or at your job, don't always feel the need to throw out your two cents. Most of the time the guy always talking is the one that doesn't know anything.

Keep your mouth shut and even a fool can be considered wise!

Church Pool

Did you ever notice how as a kid anytime you went to the pool, instinctively you knew where the fun was? You always wanted to be in the deep end where the big kids were and where everyone was diving in and enjoying themselves.

I think that the church was designed like a pool...I know its a stretch but stay with me for a second.

Think about it...Anyone who has ever been fully committed to a life of service in church knows thats where the fun is. You experience community and love like nowhere else. We bear each others burdens and share in each others joy.

Just like a pool, its not really that fun standing on the steps in 4 inches of water getting your feet wet, you have to dive in to the deep end to experience all the joy that God has designed the church to be.

Look Closely

Proverbs 14:8 says that, "the wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way..." and if you study the word for "prudent" you will quickly see what Solomon was getting at.

To be prudent means to be crafty or sly and so for those that have true wisdom they understand the immense benefit from diligently searching and examining yourself inside and out. Its important to know why we do what we do, say what we say and think what we think.

When we spend time with God through prayer and quiet times we allow the perfect Creator to purify us and cleanse us of all that is infecting us both known and unknown.

What are the ways that you take a closer look at yourself? Any suggestions?

Dont Belive Everything You Hear

Here is a great post from Jud Wilhite on the Deadly Viper blog about how gossip and stories always get mis-construed and the dangers of believing everything passed on to you...enjoy!

The problem with gossip is we are likely wrong when we think we are so right. A while back we experimented with this. We told teenagers the lyrics of the popular TV theme song to the Brady Bunch. They had never heard the “story of the lovely lady who was bringing up three very lovely girls…”

The song contained 110 words. We laid it out one verse at a time and then asked them to repeat it. Each telling was highly coached and only one generation away from the original. Then we asked them to pass the song along.

In the end, everyone got the lyrics wrong. They were vaguely clear that it was a about a family, and remembered that it was about the Brady Bunch, but beyond that it was a wash of nonsense. If a bunch of sharp teenagers can’t get 110 words right, how much less accurate are you and I when we use 1,000 or 10,000 words to tell a story that we heard from a friend of a friend of a friend?

Don’t believe most of what you hear passed on to you and be careful about what you share. Odds are overwhelming that they got the story completely wrong, and so did you.

Quick Thoughts

Just had a few things to be aware of this week.

- Cody and Ali are holding a memorial service for baby Corbin and would like you all to be there.

- This Sunday at Crossroads is Baptism Sunday, which if you haven't been a part of before definitely don't want to miss one of the most moving and awe inspiring services ever!

- Excited for next week both Monday night and Wednesday night are going to be huge!

Back In The Swing

Its always hard after a long break to get back into the swing of things.

I can remember as a kid coming back from 3 month summer break and then trying to get started again was always difficult for me. I think its our tendencies as humans to choose the path of least resistance, in fact Steven Scott Key in his book "The Richest Man Who Ever Lived" says that, "true diligence runs contrary to human nature."

When I find myself in this spot, fighting against my own nature at least I can take comfort knowing that Christ is working in me, and that He is bigger than my failures!

Honeymoon Blog

Well...It finally happened...the day came and went so fast I can barely remember any of the details.

However the one thing that I do remember was looking into the eyes of the most beautiful bride I have ever seen in my life, and that I was lucky enough to married to her!

Right now I am sitting on our balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean, as the sun begins to slowly fade behind the horizon, dumbfounded by God's magnificence and the simple fact that He created man and woman to be united as one in an incredible lifetime of love.

Thank you all our family for coming to be a part of it! See ya in a week