: CATALYST WEST :: APRIL 23-24, 2009 ::
Recently, I went to the CATALYST WEST conference in southern California. The conference was packed with great speakers. I took some notes on what they said and am putting them on my blog so that 1) I can re-evaluate what each speaker said and hopefully gain something from it, and 2) you might be able to gain something from my notes as well.
Here is the fourth installation.
:: Ravi Zacharias ::
Foundational Pillars
1) The Dimension of Eternity
2) The Dimension of Morality
-You Can never be righteous until you are redeemed. You can never worship until you have been righteous and redeemed.
-What you applaud, you encourage, but be careful of what you celebrate. What is the world asking us to celebrate?
3) The Dimension of Accountability
4) The Dimension of Charity
With Ravi, I was listening so intently because I had to in order to comprehend what he was saying. The thing that stood out to me most from his message was not even in my notes. He told a story:
Someone was telling Ravi about the first entirely postmodern building built in the United States. The person told him that the entire building was made without any purpose. The man raved about the building and the idea behind it. When he was done, Ravi simply asked one question, "Did the architect apply the same principle to the foundation?"
What is foundational in your life?
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Line 3 Believers
: CATALYST WEST :: APRIL 23-24, 2009 ::
Recently, I went to the CATALYST WEST conference in southern California. The conference was packed with great speakers. I took some notes on what they said and am putting them on my blog so that 1) I can re-evaluate what each speaker said and hopefully gain something from it, and 2) you might be able to gain something from my notes as well.
Here is the third installation.
:: Craig Groeschel ::
"I Was Taught And I Thought..."
Romans 12:2 - Don't be conformed to the pattern of the American church.
1) I was taught and I thought ... that the church should be a safe place. But I'm learning that the church needs to be dangerous again!
-Preach Christ! Preach dangerously.
-Don't trust the package, trust the power of the message of Jesus.
-So many people are cultural Christians but practical Atheists.
-Lukewarm pastors create/foster lukewarm churches.
2) I was taught and I thought ... my highest calling was to build my church, but I'm learning that my highest calling is to build His Kingdom.
-Are you more concerned with building our kingdom than building His Kingdom?
-Don't build your church on what you aren't, but what you are.
-Your church will never reach your entire community.
3) I was taught and I thought ... that success is only found in the big numbers, but I'm learning the scorecard is changing.
-Don't blame yourself for the decline or you'll be tempted to take credit for the increase.
-We need to see ourselves as a small church with a mega-vision.
-People don't want to join a mega-church, they want to join a mega-vision.
-How can we celebrate the numbers in our church when so many are lost?
What Line Believer are you?
Line 1 - I believe in the Gospel enough to benefit from it.
Line 2 - I believe in the Gospel enough to contribute comfortably.
Line 3 - I believe in the Gospel enough to give my life to it.
We need to be Line 3 believers!
I'm tempted to infuse my thoughts here, but I think Craig said it best, so I'll leave it at that.
Recently, I went to the CATALYST WEST conference in southern California. The conference was packed with great speakers. I took some notes on what they said and am putting them on my blog so that 1) I can re-evaluate what each speaker said and hopefully gain something from it, and 2) you might be able to gain something from my notes as well.
Here is the third installation.
:: Craig Groeschel ::
"I Was Taught And I Thought..."
Romans 12:2 - Don't be conformed to the pattern of the American church.
1) I was taught and I thought ... that the church should be a safe place. But I'm learning that the church needs to be dangerous again!
-Preach Christ! Preach dangerously.
-Don't trust the package, trust the power of the message of Jesus.
-So many people are cultural Christians but practical Atheists.
-Lukewarm pastors create/foster lukewarm churches.
2) I was taught and I thought ... my highest calling was to build my church, but I'm learning that my highest calling is to build His Kingdom.
-Are you more concerned with building our kingdom than building His Kingdom?
-Don't build your church on what you aren't, but what you are.
-Your church will never reach your entire community.
3) I was taught and I thought ... that success is only found in the big numbers, but I'm learning the scorecard is changing.
-Don't blame yourself for the decline or you'll be tempted to take credit for the increase.
-We need to see ourselves as a small church with a mega-vision.
-People don't want to join a mega-church, they want to join a mega-vision.
-How can we celebrate the numbers in our church when so many are lost?
What Line Believer are you?
Line 1 - I believe in the Gospel enough to benefit from it.
Line 2 - I believe in the Gospel enough to contribute comfortably.
Line 3 - I believe in the Gospel enough to give my life to it.
We need to be Line 3 believers!
I'm tempted to infuse my thoughts here, but I think Craig said it best, so I'll leave it at that.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Five and Nine
: CATALYST WEST :: APRIL 23-24, 2009 ::
Recently, I went to the CATALYST WEST conference in southern California. The conference was packed with great speakers. I took some notes on what they said and am putting them on my blog so that 1) I can re-evaluate what each speaker said and hopefully gain something from it, and 2) you might be able to gain something from my notes as well.
Here is the second installation.
:: Guy Kawasaki ::
10 Keys to Innovation
1) Make meaning.
2) Make mantra - Are there two or three words that can describe your church/ministry?
3) Jump to the next curve - If you design your [church] around what you (programming), you'll miss the next curve.
4) Roll the DICE
D = Deep
I = Intelligent
C = Complete
E = Elegant
E = Emotive
5) Don't worry, be crappy - get it out there, then perfect it.
6) Polarize people - it is impossible to please everyone. Something great creates controversy.
7) Let 100 flowers blossom
8) Churn baby, churn
9) Niche thyself - what makes our church unique and valuable?
10) Follow 10, 20, 30 rule
10 - optimal number of slides
20 - minutes for presentation
30 - size font
11) Don't let the bozos grind you down
"If you want to see what God thinks of money, look at who He gives it too."
Guy is a Christian who is well-known in the business world, having worked with Apple Computers for years before starting his own company.
Some of his points might not make much sense if you weren't at the conference to hear him elaborate on these points. Others might seem like they fit in a business model, but not a church. What I'll do is just focus on two of the points that I think we apply in a church setting most easily: #5 and #9 (with a little #6 mixed in).
5) Don't worry, be crappy. In ministry we often try to create the "perfect" (insert noun here - program, event, resource, etc). But what about those kids, students, adults who are in our ministry while we our work is still in progress? They miss out. Wouldn't it be better to give them a mediocre product and refine it, than to give them nothing at all?
9) Niche thyself. The value of a church is simple, it is the message of Christ. But in order to draw in outsiders*, our delivery must be unique. If people have avoided church thus far, why wait for them to change? We need to change the delivery to reach them. If we want to see our church be truly effective, we need to reach fewer people more completely, than reach people en masse superficially.
*Kinnaman, David. Unchristian: What a new generation really thinks about Christianity ... and why it matters.
Recently, I went to the CATALYST WEST conference in southern California. The conference was packed with great speakers. I took some notes on what they said and am putting them on my blog so that 1) I can re-evaluate what each speaker said and hopefully gain something from it, and 2) you might be able to gain something from my notes as well.
Here is the second installation.
:: Guy Kawasaki ::
10 Keys to Innovation
1) Make meaning.
2) Make mantra - Are there two or three words that can describe your church/ministry?
3) Jump to the next curve - If you design your [church] around what you (programming), you'll miss the next curve.
4) Roll the DICE
D = Deep
I = Intelligent
C = Complete
E = Elegant
E = Emotive
5) Don't worry, be crappy - get it out there, then perfect it.
6) Polarize people - it is impossible to please everyone. Something great creates controversy.
7) Let 100 flowers blossom
8) Churn baby, churn
9) Niche thyself - what makes our church unique and valuable?
10) Follow 10, 20, 30 rule
10 - optimal number of slides
20 - minutes for presentation
30 - size font
11) Don't let the bozos grind you down
"If you want to see what God thinks of money, look at who He gives it too."
Guy is a Christian who is well-known in the business world, having worked with Apple Computers for years before starting his own company.
Some of his points might not make much sense if you weren't at the conference to hear him elaborate on these points. Others might seem like they fit in a business model, but not a church. What I'll do is just focus on two of the points that I think we apply in a church setting most easily: #5 and #9 (with a little #6 mixed in).
5) Don't worry, be crappy. In ministry we often try to create the "perfect" (insert noun here - program, event, resource, etc). But what about those kids, students, adults who are in our ministry while we our work is still in progress? They miss out. Wouldn't it be better to give them a mediocre product and refine it, than to give them nothing at all?
9) Niche thyself. The value of a church is simple, it is the message of Christ. But in order to draw in outsiders*, our delivery must be unique. If people have avoided church thus far, why wait for them to change? We need to change the delivery to reach them. If we want to see our church be truly effective, we need to reach fewer people more completely, than reach people en masse superficially.
*Kinnaman, David. Unchristian: What a new generation really thinks about Christianity ... and why it matters.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Uncertainty
:: CATALYST WEST :: APRIL 23-24, 2009 ::
Recently, I went to the CATALYST WEST conference in southern California. The conference was packed with great speakers. I took some notes on what they said and am putting them on my blog so that 1) I can re-evaluate what each speaker said and hopefully gain something from it, and 2) you might be able to gain something from my notes as well.
Here is the first installation.
:: Andy Stanley ::
Uncertainty is why we have jobs. Uncertainty is why we need leaders.
Life is uncertain, but God is not uncertain.
Uncertainty is not an indication of poor leadership, uncertainty is the arena in which great leadership is found.
Uncertainty is when God shows up.
Clarity :: As a leader it is okay to be uncertain, but it is not okay to be unclear.
Flexibility :: Plans change, vision remains the same.
In uncertain times, to be clear we need to go back to the original thing we were called to.
Joshua 1:10-11 :: So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.' "
The reason a lot of churches are dead is because people long abandoned the vision and fell in love with the plan.
No decision was sacred, but he never changed the vision. (referring to Sam Walton, founder of Walmart)
BE HONEST (when sharing vision)!
Leadership is not making decisions on your own; it's about owning them once the decision has been made.
Recently, I went to the CATALYST WEST conference in southern California. The conference was packed with great speakers. I took some notes on what they said and am putting them on my blog so that 1) I can re-evaluate what each speaker said and hopefully gain something from it, and 2) you might be able to gain something from my notes as well.
Here is the first installation.
:: Andy Stanley ::
Uncertainty is why we have jobs. Uncertainty is why we need leaders.
Life is uncertain, but God is not uncertain.
Uncertainty is not an indication of poor leadership, uncertainty is the arena in which great leadership is found.
Uncertainty is when God shows up.
Clarity :: As a leader it is okay to be uncertain, but it is not okay to be unclear.
Flexibility :: Plans change, vision remains the same.
In uncertain times, to be clear we need to go back to the original thing we were called to.
Joshua 1:10-11 :: So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.' "
The reason a lot of churches are dead is because people long abandoned the vision and fell in love with the plan.
No decision was sacred, but he never changed the vision. (referring to Sam Walton, founder of Walmart)
BE HONEST (when sharing vision)!
Leadership is not making decisions on your own; it's about owning them once the decision has been made.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
teachable moment?
Two in one day? You may say I'm getting carried away... and I might agree. I'm just feeling contemplative.
Some think God is trying to teach us something in every situation. The other day, through [Lemony Snicket's] a series of unfortunate events (I couldn't help it), I ended up having to clean coolant off of my car. I lifted my windshield wipers to clean the windshield and the wipers as well. I then opened the hood to clean off any coolant in the engine compartment... forgetting that one of the wipers was still up. I cracked my windshield, cracks going from the bottom of the windshield all the way to the top.
Don't worry, though, I paid to have it fixed.
Which brings me to my point: What is God trying to teach me in this moment?
I am stupid.
Seriously. I am not nearly as smart as I think I am. God has a sense of humor and was just using my windshield to remind me that He knows more than I do. Lesson learned for now. I'll forget and have to pay another $155 to replace my windshield again... or something else that I break in my stupidity.
Some think God is trying to teach us something in every situation. The other day, through [Lemony Snicket's] a series of unfortunate events (I couldn't help it), I ended up having to clean coolant off of my car. I lifted my windshield wipers to clean the windshield and the wipers as well. I then opened the hood to clean off any coolant in the engine compartment... forgetting that one of the wipers was still up. I cracked my windshield, cracks going from the bottom of the windshield all the way to the top.
Don't worry, though, I paid to have it fixed.
Which brings me to my point: What is God trying to teach me in this moment?
I am stupid.
Seriously. I am not nearly as smart as I think I am. God has a sense of humor and was just using my windshield to remind me that He knows more than I do. Lesson learned for now. I'll forget and have to pay another $155 to replace my windshield again... or something else that I break in my stupidity.
Play in the yard?
I visited my parents last weekend and went to church with them. While sitting in church a thought struck me so I started writing. Here is what I wrote:
"Before I make this analogy, I'll say this: analogies are frustrating in that they will always be incomplete or fall short or fail on some level. Yet there is still value in them because they [in this case] help us to better understand who God is.
With that out of the way, here's the analogy:
God guides like a parent. Sometimes he says [something like] 'clean your room before you go play' (specific guidance). Other times he says, 'go play just don't leave the yard/street' (general guidance). The tough part is learning to discern the difference!"
NOTE: anything in [brackets] I added to clarify.
My mentor, Brian Holland, has said something like this before. I'm just stealing the idea from him... because it's a good one. And I don't bring this up for no reason. right now, I am trying to figure out what God, my Dad, wants me to do... play in the yard or clean my room? What do you want, Dad?
"Before I make this analogy, I'll say this: analogies are frustrating in that they will always be incomplete or fall short or fail on some level. Yet there is still value in them because they [in this case] help us to better understand who God is.
With that out of the way, here's the analogy:
God guides like a parent. Sometimes he says [something like] 'clean your room before you go play' (specific guidance). Other times he says, 'go play just don't leave the yard/street' (general guidance). The tough part is learning to discern the difference!"
NOTE: anything in [brackets] I added to clarify.
My mentor, Brian Holland, has said something like this before. I'm just stealing the idea from him... because it's a good one. And I don't bring this up for no reason. right now, I am trying to figure out what God, my Dad, wants me to do... play in the yard or clean my room? What do you want, Dad?
Friday, May 1, 2009
El Hombre
"You know how I want people to remember me?" [El Hombre] asks. "I don't want to be remembered as the best baseball player ever. I want to be remembered as a great guy who loved the Lord, loved to serve the community and who gave back. That's the guy I want to be remembered as when I'm done wearing this uniform. That's from the bottom of my heart."
How many professional athletes would say that? And how many would truly think that? Very few. It's one thing to say that, and maybe even think it, but it is another thing entirely to live it.
El Hombre. The Man. Read the Article Here.
How many professional athletes would say that? And how many would truly think that? Very few. It's one thing to say that, and maybe even think it, but it is another thing entirely to live it.
El Hombre. The Man. Read the Article Here.
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