The Life Purpose Guy -- helping Entrepreneurial Christ Followers Bring Good Things to Life
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Posted via Pixelpipe.
Posted via Pixelpipe.
Just because I love Snow Ice Cream .... here ya go...
Snow Ice Cream Recipe.... (just because I love it and think you should, too!)
- 1 Gallon of Snow
- 1 Cup of White Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups of Milk
Mix together in a bowl and love it!!
Leading the 'I wanna play, too' generation...
How do you lead people who invest huge chunks of energy, emotion and passion coaching their own Fantasy Football Team and contributing their ideas, notions, and opinions about nearly everything to nearly everyone?
They blog, post status updates, make & post their own goofy 'home' videos and they opine about nearly everything in their universe in some manner for the whole world to view from cell phones, laptops, pdas, voicemail, chatrooms, text messages, forums and they call their tribe to order around a new 'cause' on Facebook on a regular basis.
These are the 'collaboratives' -- a tribe of people who are tech saavy, well-educated and love to share their strong feelings with the world -- they insist on being heard, and seen, and read, and tweeted and twittered....they wanna play, too!
What do you do with collabortives?
Well......you let em play, too.
You invite into the virtual sand box and give em places to contribute, sound off, and opine. In worship experiences you let them work with their hands and their hearts by calling them into Service Worship Experiences. You connect them in learning cohorts and small group gatherings where they participate and collaborate. They shift from consuming experiences to mashing them up on the fly with a few good friends.
You let them text in their ideas during a worship experience and then you send them a follow up series of text messages related to the message in the days after the gathering. You let them collaborate with you on creating the worship experience and give you ideas on how the central scripture impacts them and then you allow them to send in ideas for videos that you help them produce featuring you know who....them!
That's what I'm learning these days as the Point Leader of Phos Hilaron Church -- how to expand the virtual sand box and let a whole lot of people participate in the Grande Theological Discussion! (if none of this makes sense to you then chances are you are either not paying attention, or are part of an organization with an average age way over 50)
The prompt for this post came from reading our local weather man's blog about the snow / ice storm brewing in the Louisville area today. What I noticed was that over 29,000 people connected with him last evening on a live chat. That's a trend that's only gonna get stronger. Gone are the days when the Weather Man was the lone authority -- in are the days when everyone has an opinion, maybe has taken Meterology 101 so considers themselves somewhat of an expert, and they wanna play, too! When the weather man is finding ways to connect and 'play' with the collaboratives, I think I should, too!!
And, so I will. Wanna play?
I'd love to hear how you are letting the 'I wanna play, too' generation, the Collaboratives, into the sandbox in your business, club, or church.
Jeff Fuson
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Leadership Rises and Falls with Courage
Leaders dream, dare, and do what it takes to usher in a future that others can't yet imagine.
Because leaders are visionary by nature and because they can see farther faster than those they lead there are moments when the leader must deal with a vast unknown and make 'best guesses' with less than all the data that they'd really like.
Therefore, there is a level of angst and fear that I leader must stare down and move through and still make the call, take the shot, pull the lever, take the leap.
John Maxwell says that leadership is influence. I think that he's mostly right.
So, a little leadership algebra might help you do what you need to do as a leader....
Influence Rises as the Leader risks boldly for Christ. No courage = no leadership. A leader who boldy trusts God with all he/she is/has and takes bold leaps of faith under God's rule. And, when she/he does that she/he takes others with them.
Courage is the ingredient that High Impact Organizations must have. And, the more the better!
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
Reggie McNeal -- Missional Renaissance
Reggie McNeal -- Missional Renaissance
Kentucky Baptist Convention Building / January 22, 2009
Good News about Christianity's growth around the world....
- Fastest growing religion in the world is Christianity / 80 million Christians in India alone in the past 10 years. 90% of new churches are house churches.
- Campus Crusade is partnering to launch 1 million new churches (house/pouch) in the next few years.
- Churches grow out of a movement, rather than having a movement grow out of a new church.
- The movement in China outstrips the growth in India – more than 10,000 per day ++
- Indonesia growth is over 18% b/c of the Tsunami and the the acts of love and compassion that followed the disaster.
- In the 20th Century Africa went from 3% to 40%+ Christian
- The Christian truth is on the move in spite of hardships all over the world. It’s Pentecost somewhere in the world right now.
News in the U.S., Europe and Australia is not so good....
Everywhere the Western Model / Constantian model of church went down is struggling. Australia is under 5% Christian. Sweden 2%. The bastion/centerpiece of Christianity in Europe is crumbling.
- Pollsters in America are getting it wrong when they say that 40% of Americans are attending church. Our buildings couldn't hold 40%....
- We are the largest English speaking mission field in the world here in the U.S.
- If we don’t wake up we’re gonna miss what God is up to. The first half of the Book of Acts was the Church trying to catch up to the Holy Spirit. God didn’t follow the protocol that the early church expected and the church had to move fast. The Holy Spirit is running wild in the streets outside the walls of the church.
- God’s not waiting on us to get it to do it!
- Blackaby was right … find out what God is up to and get in on it.
- Let’s learn from what the Holy Spirit is doing where they are experiencing Pentecost.
We are seeing something that is bigger than the Church sector.
In the Renaissance we had people coming together from multiple disciplines to do new things. God’s creating a conversation across the domains of our culture that’s it’s gonna be impossible in our lifetime to think of the church the way we used to think of the church.
In the Renaissance we had people coming together from multiple disciplines to do new things. God’s creating a conversation across the domains of our culture that’s it’s gonna be impossible in our lifetime to think of the church the way we used to think of the church.
We can get in on this by making 3 critical shifts…
This will take scorecard revamps from How Many / How Often / How Much …. This scorecard does not serve to celebrat the dimensional richness of missional living.
- Expand the bandwidth of what we measure to celebrate missional richness.
- The missional church is the people of God partnering with Him on His mission for the world.
- The mission is always being played out in the world – beyond the world.
- In the old world the church was the point – the church was the mission – God was creating The Church. So, if we measured the ‘church stuff’ then we could see what God was doing. However, now we’ve learned that God is always at work beyond His people and His work is not shrink-wrapped down to the size of the local church.
Shift 1 = From Internal to external focus
- Internal focus is built on the assumption that is we got ‘church’ right then she would take care of the world. We have the best churches that we’ve ever had complete with all the bells and whistles. But, have we had the impact that we hoped that we’d have? This is the ‘churchcentric’ worldview. I’m not talking about adding one weekend a year where we go out and paint the school. A shift in emphasis is tectonic shift of record keeping, programming, etc.
- In Church Centric Churches our job was to turn the world into ‘us’ and then get them to be like us and work on church stuff. Maybe we’ve run out of people who want to buy what we’re selling. Over here we’re trying to lob something into the culture from the church like a bomb.
- In the internal focus deal God exists at ‘church’ and we have to take Him out in to go bags.
- The reason the house church is so viral is because it’s about who they are and they are just being the body on the move out in the real world/culture.
A better strategy than evangelism – why don’t we have a blessing strategy instead of an evangelism strategy?
- Let’s go out this week and practice being the people of God. Go out and bless three people this week—and be sure that one of them doesn’t deserve it! I’m not talking about random acts of kindness, I’m talking about starting conversations. The core prhase of a ‘blesser’ of people is: I’ll ask God to help you.
- You can simply ask the wait staff at a restaurant, ‘How can I ask God to bless you?’
- God loves to show off!!
- And, then, tell the stories of what happened.
- To be the people of God you’ve got to believe God – not just believe ‘in God’ – HUGEMONGOUS difference because then, a person orders their life around who God is and what He’s up to in the world.
- Our job is to bless the world and then watch what God does in the lives of people. Get caught up in the wind of the Holy Spirit and just get out there and bless people.
- Study Holy Trinity in London England about what’s going on with their Alpha Groups.
- ‘Are you one of those blessing people?’
When the church is the destination you are attractional. However, when The Kingdom becomes the destination THEN you’re on the way becoming an Incarnational Kingdom oriented church.
Just as an airport is not the destination…so, the church is not the destination.
The focus of the gathering is to celebrate what God is doing away from the gathering….
A pastor in Titus County Texas stated his vision statement for his church in 2009 was ‘’There will be no hungry kids in Titus County and in three years there’ll be no child leaving 3rd grade without being able to read English.”
BTW, on every Wednesday evening they’re doing the backpack program – churches are filling backpacks on Wednesday that free/reduced priced lunch kids can take home so that they won’t be hungry. A church of 400 is feeding thousands of pounds of food each week. Children pack the backpacks on Wednesday evenings. Kids are learning to serve by packing backpacks. Young people who can drive are delivering the backpacks. Now, not just food is going in the backpacks but prayer request sheets. You gotta believe God can use this actual physical program to bless people.
Just as an airport is not the destination…so, the church is not the destination.
The focus of the gathering is to celebrate what God is doing away from the gathering….
A pastor in Titus County Texas stated his vision statement for his church in 2009 was ‘’There will be no hungry kids in Titus County and in three years there’ll be no child leaving 3rd grade without being able to read English.”
BTW, on every Wednesday evening they’re doing the backpack program – churches are filling backpacks on Wednesday that free/reduced priced lunch kids can take home so that they won’t be hungry. A church of 400 is feeding thousands of pounds of food each week. Children pack the backpacks on Wednesday evenings. Kids are learning to serve by packing backpacks. Young people who can drive are delivering the backpacks. Now, not just food is going in the backpacks but prayer request sheets. You gotta believe God can use this actual physical program to bless people.
To do something huge you’ll have to work with other churches and agencies to get this done.
- One staff meeting was go somewhere and pray….’ God help me see what you see.’ – for an hour or two. They shredded the staff agenda that they had and they focused on the dealio. This so changed them that they sent the whole church out to do this one Sunday and they wanted to see what the people saw. Tell us what God showed you.
- Wouldn’t that be a great initiative to turn out church and go listen for what God is up to??
- The Millenials get this….the have core values to support the Missional Church. They have a desire to go out and make it a better world. It’s Obama calling everyone to service on MLK Day, it’s Bono. Volunteerism is on the rise.
- I’m telling every church I work with to ‘Adopt a School’ or at least a 3rd grade class and work on literacy because studies show that if a kids leaves 3rd grade and can't read english he/she is gonna have a very hard time.
In the old world we were trying to get them to connect to us….now, we’re trying to connect to the world.
- Go to kidshopeusa website to learn how to adopt a school, etc.
- You practice saying in the mirror before you go, ‘How can we help?’
- In the old world is was about Silos….the missional church has a whole new view of culture and understands that God already has his people in all these places to serve and influence.
- Invest in the community.
- Doing good greases the skids for God in the view of the world. The Atheist has a hard time dismissing the ‘recurring good’.
If you call the party you’ll find all kinds of people to help. You can go out there and find all kinds of ways to be salt and light.
- Let the church call the party to order and invite the community to help.
- The ‘institutional’ church does not reflect well the values and mission of Jesus.
- Our role in the Kingdom right now is to be the church.
- What is gonna be our role in the economy going south?? Wallace Kent’s question…
- Reggie’s answer, ‘You’ve got to take care of your people’ within the body. And, then you’ve got to make a radical commitment to serve those in the community as well.
- A church in Texas made a commitment to those in her body who lost their jobs that noone would loose their homes.
- The early church moved forward on sacrifice and service. It will be the same today for churches that will shine a light on who Jesus is.
THM for me (this is what I think I’m hearing…): Play bigger, do BIGGER stuff so that other’s can join us. Throw bigger parties so that the community can help and so that other churches and agencies can take part in what’s going on. Keep moving out in faith so that others can take part in what’s goin on and the resources will be there.
- Look for ways to release people to go out and meet the needs of the community.
- There is a rise of the ‘missional community’ – it’s beyond house church. It’s not a bounded set. It’s an alternative technology of reaching people that need the Gospel.
- The church system is like Exxon and Mobile and we know what to do with oil from Shale, etc.
- What I’m begging the existing church to do is to invest in the alternative technologies that ‘missional communities’ will bring to us.
Re-score-carding this thing….
Let’s use a resource reallocation model to build our score card
Resource Internal External
Prayer about us about the world out there
Example: Crossroads church in Cinci is being sure that every single public school teacher has a prayer partner. ‘What you’re doing is so important that I’m asking God to bless you. If there’s ever anything that I can do please let me know. Here’s my email and here’s my phone if you need me please let me know.
Serving our way into influence…
You could extend this prayer experience to public officials and you could put more emphasis on praying for the community outside of the church.
Re-allocate your staff’s prayer time.
Staff office hours community hours
Example: every staff person in every community I know of is out in
the community serving them.
Example: an executive pastor that took the position of the head of
soccer and he won’t be at church in the building on Sundays for two
years.
Example: Crossroads church in Cinci is being sure that every single public school teacher has a prayer partner. ‘What you’re doing is so important that I’m asking God to bless you. If there’s ever anything that I can do please let me know. Here’s my email and here’s my phone if you need me please let me know.
Serving our way into influence…
You could extend this prayer experience to public officials and you could put more emphasis on praying for the community outside of the church.
Re-allocate your staff’s prayer time.
Staff office hours community hours
Example: every staff person in every community I know of is out in
the community serving them.
Example: an executive pastor that took the position of the head of
soccer and he won’t be at church in the building on Sundays for two
years.
THM: Expect Staff to find ways to connect in the community.
Money how much did we take in? How much went out?
Facilities How to keep the people out vs. build it for the com first
Ask: How would missionaries approach this?
Think about funding a community initiative to support and without exception that will get funded first. People are ready to invest in the community and in kids. The twenty somethings are not laying back to give money to build a church building.
Technology Supported Ministry Creates Ministry
- The Internet is LIVING SPACE for twentysomethings….
- Check out ‘second life’
- Add to Scorecard: Why would I need to go to any other website to learn how to serve the community?
Shift 3 = Move from Program Driven to People Development
It’s quite easy in the program driven model for the staff to have a meeting where the people we are called to serve never make it into the discussion. It requires a lot of intentionality to move to a people development culture. At Phos Hilaron Church the The bottom line question
about everything we do is:
‘’does this build an Apprentice of Jesus out of ordinary people”
What if ‘better marriages, better relationships with our kids, and loving our neighbors’ made it to the scorecard?
How do you develop the culture of People Development? (aka, Spiritual Life Development as Primary Purpose - remember, Jesus' command to 'make disciples' -- we call em 'apprentices' around Phos)
- The old days of clergy telling people how to live their lives is over. They will let us help shape them but they won’t let us template their spiritual journeys anymore. We’re in a culture that expects customization and they start where they want to start in the matrix. Starbucks has 87,000 possibilities on how to do their coffee.
- Maybe the reason we reach so few people is that we only serve lattes from 11 to 12 on Sundays…..
- We are moving into an asynchronous culture.
- Church used to be a lot simpler.
- In the early days of your church try not to lock yourself into a 52 week cycle of doing church.
- Trend: People at different life stages want a different kind of church experience anyway….one of the biggest exiters are the empty nesters who are worn out from the program driven church. Postcongregationalist boomers are a group worth thinking about.
Debriefing is part of a people development culture. Give people time and space to make sense out of what’s happening in their lives.
(this is the OBT in an LXG at Phos / the whole 'culture' of doing life together out in homes with low 'content agenda' centered on simple truth applied to real life is a 'debrief space' )
- Help people ‘exhale’ like an asthmatic even in our corporate gatherings. Give them a brief ‘something’ to talk about in the gathering. Ask em, ‘what was the best thing about your week?’, etc.
- Information by itself does not change behavior. It has to be processed and it has to be brought into our real life. (for Phos this is part of the importance of the OBT in LXGs)
Make sure that ‘people’ are the central issue of everything in what you do. It’s about making connections with real life and how people grow from what we’re doing.
Let’s say that you want to get really intentional about ramping up ‘life coaching’ in your church…..and you want to give people a chance to give people a chance to really talk about their life.
(common response: ‘I’ve been here for 30 years and noone has ever asked me how I’m doing)
Key idea: Building YOU is Building the Church.
5 Questions we used for life coaching processes …
Case Study: two dozen interviewers worked with 300 people….we published the questions ahead of time:
We literally just want to have a conversation with you. We want to know how to help you grow.
1. What do you enjoy doing? (because what you enjoy doing may be just how God wants to bless this world)
We literally just want to have a conversation with you. We want to know how to help you grow.
1. What do you enjoy doing? (because what you enjoy doing may be just how God wants to bless this world)
2. Where do you see God most at work in your life right now?
3. What would you like to see God do in your life over the next 3 to 6 months? How can we help? When you ask the question you’ve just changed the scorecard in your church.
Story: the YMCA meeting I had with Jason after I became a YMCA charter member: “Reggie we’re gonna turn you into a fully devoted fitness guy and then we’re gonna make you look like Arnold Swartznegger!" Key question that Jason asked me was: Reggie what would like to accomplish at the YMCA?
4. How would you like to serve other people and how can we help?
5. How can we pray for you?
Follow this up occasionally with an ‘hey, how’s it going, really?’ conversation.
- This all starts with you and with your staff. Are you developing yourself? Your staff? Your lay leadership?
- The reason North American church culture shifted to a program driven model was that it seemed like a faster/easier way to make disciples.
- Every place where you can, pay attention to your people.
When you focus on people development you begin to say to your people and ACT OUT via your scheduling/systems and programs: We’re gonna be more intentional about YOUR growth than anything else around here. AND, we’re gonna empower you to change the world.
In A.D. 30 noone has a ‘church job’ – they were Apostles. I’m a missionary to a culture not on a church staff. I’m a missionary with a support base from the xyz church.
- In a people development culture you’re gonna be far more engaged with people than with programs and program development.
- An Apostolic leader says, ‘Follow Me’ -- that requires transparency, heart on heart, etc. It doesn’t come from curriculum.
- Your life becomes transparent and available to the people you want to lead. You become a servant of them.
- Apostolic leadership is transparent and genuine spirituality. An apostolic leader has the ‘stink of Jesus’ on em. You can’t explain their lives any other way.
- Can people sense in us a connectedness to Jesus and a cause to die for?
- OUR Personal Spiritual Development is PARAMOUNT to leading effectively.
- Apostolic leaders know how to raise their own support…you’ll have to have multiple income streams. Venture Capitalists may be able to write the check and pay the way. There’s all different kinds of ways to support your way through this.
- How are you developing your ability to be employed and employable outside of your ministry? This is a question that I ask all of my coaching clients.
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
How You're Wired by Betsy Ringer -- Extreme Life Makeover #6
Ever struggled to figure out what you really 'should' be doing with your life? One of the best places to start is by excavating your 'gifts' -- God wired you for action by giving you these tools for His use through YOU!! Today, Life Coach Betsy Ringer offers some great tools to help you learn how you're wired...enjoy!!
WIRED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
In the movie, “Dead Poet’s Society,” Robin Williams plays the part of a literature professor at an English boy’s school. In one scene, he is talking to the boys about literature, normally a dry, uninteresting subject for them. But he captivates them by describing the great adventures literature can take them on, the fascinating people they can meet, and how their lives can be changed. All eyes are on him as they are spellbound by his words. Then he swings wide the door of their lives when he challenges, “The powerful play continues and you can contribute a verse. What will be your verse?” As the professor challenged the boys to discover how they would contribute significantly to this world, so God calls us. He equips us with Spiritual Gifts and asks us to discover those gifts and use them boldly.
In 1 Cor. 12: 1 Paul says, “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.” Paul goes on for three chapters to teach about spiritual gifts.
What is a spiritual gift? It is a special ability given by the Holy Spirit to every believer equipping God’s people to serve Him by effectively ministering to other people.
….AND He intentionally wired you to receive JOY when you USE the GIFTS He’s given you!
While there isn’t one complete list of Spiritual Gifts in the Bible, there are several places where you can find out about the various gifts:
Romans 12
1 Corinthians 12 - 14
Ephesians 4
1 Peter 4
So, how do you discover your Spiritual Gifts?
1. Read the definitions of the team gifts or functional gifts below. If you sense one “resonates” with you then that’s probably your gift.
2. When you are serving, pay attention to the “assignment” you choose or would like to have. What Spiritual Gift does it seem to fall under?
3. Take an assessment. You can contact me and I will send one to you – betsyringer@insightbb.com OR
Take one online:
http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi?intro=1
http://www.buildingchurch.net/g2s-i.htm
EVANGELISM – Literally: to bring good news
The ability to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ to unbelievers in a positive, non-threatening way. The ability to sense opportunities to share Christ and lead people to respond with faith.
PROPHECY/PREACHING - Literally: to speak before
The ability to publicly communicate God’s Word in an inspired way that convinces unbelievers and both challenges and comforts believers. The ability to persuasively declare God’s will.
ENCOURAGEMENT/EXHORTATION – Literally: to come along side of
The ability to motivate God’s people to apply and act on biblical principles, especially when they are discouraged or wavering in their faith. The ability to bring out the best in others and challenge them to develop their potential.
Teaching – Literally: to instruct
The ability to educate God’s people by clearly explaining and applying the Bible in a way that causes them to learn. The ability to equip and train other believers for ministry.
HOSPITALITy – Literally: to love strangers
The ability to make others, especially strangers, feel warmly welcomed, accepted, and comfortable in the church family. The ability to coordinate factors that promote fellowship.
MERCY – Literally: to have compassion
The ability to detect hurt and empathize with those who are suffering in the church family. The ability to provide compassionate and cheerful support to those experiencing distress, crisis, or pain.
SHEPHERDING/PASTOR – Literally: to shepherd a flock
The ability to care for the spiritual needs of a group of believers and equip them for ministry. The ability to nurture a small group in spiritual growth and assume responsibility for their welfare.
ADMINISTRATION – Literally: to pilot or steer a ship.
Also called the gift of organization. This is the ability to recognize the gifts of others and connect them to ministry. The ability to organize and manage people, resources, and time for effective ministry. The ability to coordinate many details and execute the plans of leadership.
LEADERSHIP – Literally: to stand before
The ability to clarify and communicate the purpose and direction, the vision, of ministry in a way that attracts others to get involved. The ability to motivate others by example to work together in accomplishing a ministry goal.
-------------
Thanks to Betsy Ringer for todays ideas on finding your gifts....gifts point to purpose and purpose uses your best gifts -- it's kind of cyclical. I promise that when you're living on purpose using your top gifts you'll be absolutely passionate about what you're up to!! Take the time to work through Betsy's suggestions....you'll be glad you did.
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
WIRED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
In the movie, “Dead Poet’s Society,” Robin Williams plays the part of a literature professor at an English boy’s school. In one scene, he is talking to the boys about literature, normally a dry, uninteresting subject for them. But he captivates them by describing the great adventures literature can take them on, the fascinating people they can meet, and how their lives can be changed. All eyes are on him as they are spellbound by his words. Then he swings wide the door of their lives when he challenges, “The powerful play continues and you can contribute a verse. What will be your verse?” As the professor challenged the boys to discover how they would contribute significantly to this world, so God calls us. He equips us with Spiritual Gifts and asks us to discover those gifts and use them boldly.
In 1 Cor. 12: 1 Paul says, “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.” Paul goes on for three chapters to teach about spiritual gifts.
What is a spiritual gift? It is a special ability given by the Holy Spirit to every believer equipping God’s people to serve Him by effectively ministering to other people.
….AND He intentionally wired you to receive JOY when you USE the GIFTS He’s given you!
While there isn’t one complete list of Spiritual Gifts in the Bible, there are several places where you can find out about the various gifts:
Romans 12
1 Corinthians 12 - 14
Ephesians 4
1 Peter 4
So, how do you discover your Spiritual Gifts?
1. Read the definitions of the team gifts or functional gifts below. If you sense one “resonates” with you then that’s probably your gift.
2. When you are serving, pay attention to the “assignment” you choose or would like to have. What Spiritual Gift does it seem to fall under?
3. Take an assessment. You can contact me and I will send one to you – betsyringer@insightbb.com OR
Take one online:
http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi?intro=1
http://www.buildingchurch.net/g2s-i.htm
EVANGELISM – Literally: to bring good news
The ability to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ to unbelievers in a positive, non-threatening way. The ability to sense opportunities to share Christ and lead people to respond with faith.
PROPHECY/PREACHING - Literally: to speak before
The ability to publicly communicate God’s Word in an inspired way that convinces unbelievers and both challenges and comforts believers. The ability to persuasively declare God’s will.
ENCOURAGEMENT/EXHORTATION – Literally: to come along side of
The ability to motivate God’s people to apply and act on biblical principles, especially when they are discouraged or wavering in their faith. The ability to bring out the best in others and challenge them to develop their potential.
Teaching – Literally: to instruct
The ability to educate God’s people by clearly explaining and applying the Bible in a way that causes them to learn. The ability to equip and train other believers for ministry.
HOSPITALITy – Literally: to love strangers
The ability to make others, especially strangers, feel warmly welcomed, accepted, and comfortable in the church family. The ability to coordinate factors that promote fellowship.
MERCY – Literally: to have compassion
The ability to detect hurt and empathize with those who are suffering in the church family. The ability to provide compassionate and cheerful support to those experiencing distress, crisis, or pain.
SHEPHERDING/PASTOR – Literally: to shepherd a flock
The ability to care for the spiritual needs of a group of believers and equip them for ministry. The ability to nurture a small group in spiritual growth and assume responsibility for their welfare.
ADMINISTRATION – Literally: to pilot or steer a ship.
Also called the gift of organization. This is the ability to recognize the gifts of others and connect them to ministry. The ability to organize and manage people, resources, and time for effective ministry. The ability to coordinate many details and execute the plans of leadership.
LEADERSHIP – Literally: to stand before
The ability to clarify and communicate the purpose and direction, the vision, of ministry in a way that attracts others to get involved. The ability to motivate others by example to work together in accomplishing a ministry goal.
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Thanks to Betsy Ringer for todays ideas on finding your gifts....gifts point to purpose and purpose uses your best gifts -- it's kind of cyclical. I promise that when you're living on purpose using your top gifts you'll be absolutely passionate about what you're up to!! Take the time to work through Betsy's suggestions....you'll be glad you did.
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
leading people who don't give a flying flip what your title is!
Tonite I jumped in over my head and "led" a book discsussion with some good friends based on 'The Shack" and it was a blast. Lots of interesting notions about God and The Bible and they failed to grasp that I'm 'The Pastor" (aka, read this as the 'Spiritual Poobah') It was a great door opener to 'big ideas' about God and Theology than may have neer emerged if it weren't for Paul Young's imaginitive work in The Shack. It's good for my ego to work with people who really don't care what my title or what I think -- because they believe that they have equal access to God . What a cool way to break the ice and take God discussions to a whold new level.
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
His Plans will be great until history has her way....
One wise outgoing staffer of George W. Bush wisely reminded us of what we all know when he said, President Obama's plans will be great until 'history' decides to change them. Now, that's a loose paraphrase but the gist remains. As great as our hopes are and as capable as our new President seems and as high as many global citizens hopes are we're still not certain what cards history will deal to Barack Hussein Obama.
This is the same for all of us isn't it? We make grand plans and we hope great things and we work very hard to carve out a little piece of history that will remember us -- if even for just a little while. And, yet, sometimes history swings our way and we're thrust into a moment we can't get out of and we take center stage and we soar as if in a magnificent dream. And, then there are the moments when we find ourselves at the helm in a 'Perfect Storm' -- stuck in a moment, no doubt, that leaves us breathless and our dreams swamped by waves far too big for this vessell on this day. And, at that moment, we pray for another moment, another voyage, another mission and we work to prepare for a better outcome and to rise to the challenge and win again.
The Bible is clear that we make our plans but God has his way. So, let us venture out in the great big wide open sea of the future with full confidence in Him and sails filled with the power of the Great Pneuma of God (Holy Spirit). And, as we go, may God be with us and may His dreams become our dreams and his purposes our purposes.
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
This is the same for all of us isn't it? We make grand plans and we hope great things and we work very hard to carve out a little piece of history that will remember us -- if even for just a little while. And, yet, sometimes history swings our way and we're thrust into a moment we can't get out of and we take center stage and we soar as if in a magnificent dream. And, then there are the moments when we find ourselves at the helm in a 'Perfect Storm' -- stuck in a moment, no doubt, that leaves us breathless and our dreams swamped by waves far too big for this vessell on this day. And, at that moment, we pray for another moment, another voyage, another mission and we work to prepare for a better outcome and to rise to the challenge and win again.
The Bible is clear that we make our plans but God has his way. So, let us venture out in the great big wide open sea of the future with full confidence in Him and sails filled with the power of the Great Pneuma of God (Holy Spirit). And, as we go, may God be with us and may His dreams become our dreams and his purposes our purposes.
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
IMPRESSIVE!
The transfer of power today as President Barack Obama took the Oath of Office and former President George W. Bush took flight in that might helicopter was an awe inspiring moment and a reminder of what goes right with this American experiment. 44 times this transfer has taken place and 44 times it's been a reminder of the power of a Government for the people, by the people and of the people.
The challenge ahead for President Obama will be huge and the realities we face as Americans will be equally huge. However, we can do this together. We can learn and we can change and we can grow out of the challenges we face at present. And, we will.
My prayers are with President Obama and I'm grateful for the efforts of President George W. Bush who was at the helm when much of the American 'safety' that I had taken for granted until 9 11 2001 was suddenly left in embers.
Grateful, prayerful, hopeful,
Jeff Fuson
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
The transfer of power today as President Barack Obama took the Oath of Office and former President George W. Bush took flight in that might helicopter was an awe inspiring moment and a reminder of what goes right with this American experiment. 44 times this transfer has taken place and 44 times it's been a reminder of the power of a Government for the people, by the people and of the people.
The challenge ahead for President Obama will be huge and the realities we face as Americans will be equally huge. However, we can do this together. We can learn and we can change and we can grow out of the challenges we face at present. And, we will.
My prayers are with President Obama and I'm grateful for the efforts of President George W. Bush who was at the helm when much of the American 'safety' that I had taken for granted until 9 11 2001 was suddenly left in embers.
Grateful, prayerful, hopeful,
Jeff Fuson
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Extreme Life Makeover #5 -- How to Stay Connected to God in the Midst of Diapers, Pacifiers and Other Holy Things by Mary Ruth Jaggers
Extreme Life Makeover # 5
How to stay connected to God in the midst of diapers, pacifiers, and other HOLY THINGS…..
Daily life for me is usually about putting out fires and trying not to get behind. And I confess, I like to be busy. In fact, I think I thrive on it. If I’m not accomplishing something throughout the day, whether it is fixing lunches, folding laundry, meeting a work deadline, picking up kids after school, racing to dentist appointments, and/or practices, I feel like I am wasting my time. Maybe it’s a generational thing, or maybe it’s my upbringing on a farm, but I do best on a schedule with a deadline. I am much more task- oriented than relationship-oriented. And it’s a battle I fight with myself daily.
And yet……there is that still small voice, beckoning me……”Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10)
He wants relationship with us. Isn’t that amazing? The God of the Universe wants to spend time showing us who He is! How can I resist?
So, over the years, I’ve come up with a few ideas that help me stay focused on God throughout my day:
1. Think about God. Sounds pretty simple, but it works. Philippians 4:8 says “Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think on these things”. Instead of listening to the latest gossip at the PTA or watching whatever is on TV, I try to listen to praise music while I’m going through my daily chores. Two of my favorite artists are Nicolle Nordeman, and Chris Rice. I’ve also recently been enjoying Brandon Heath, and Casting Crowns. It’s very easy to download their music to your MP3. Just that one small thing can change the direction of your thoughts for the entire day.
2. Find some friends and explore the Bible together. Since I am task-oriented, I found a Bible study that is fairly structured with daily reading and questions to answer. That might not be for everyone, but there are so many great studies out there. Go to a Christian bookstore, and find something that appeals to you. Or take the bold step to become part of an LXG group. It can be a great way to connect with other believers. Another trick I’ve learned over the years, is to just leave my Bible out where I can see it during the day. Usually that is on the ottoman in our living room. Then if I have a minute or two, I can pick back up where I left off reading before I got interrupted.
3. Recognize that whatever God has given you to do is HOLY. Changing a diaper? Holy? Folding those jeans for the fiftieth time this year? Holy? Fixing Hamburger Helper for dinner? Okay maybe not Hamburger Helper, but fixing a nutritious meal for your family is a holy thing. Why? Because it is a task appointed by God for you to do. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23).
Lastly, For you moms who are knee-deep in playdough and Barbie shoes, there is a book that is still in publication that meant a lot to me a few years ago. It’s called “Diapers, Pacifiers, and other Holy Things” by Lorraine M. Pintus.
Happy living!
Mary Ruth Jaggers
Mary Ruth is one of the Founding Partners in the Launch of Phos Hilaron Church and is the mother of 4 great kids. She's a graduate of Georgetown College and does amazing things with fabrics to create one of a kind originals for homes and businesses in her business called Sycamore Creek Originals. You can learn more about her business here.
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
How to stay connected to God in the midst of diapers, pacifiers, and other HOLY THINGS…..
Daily life for me is usually about putting out fires and trying not to get behind. And I confess, I like to be busy. In fact, I think I thrive on it. If I’m not accomplishing something throughout the day, whether it is fixing lunches, folding laundry, meeting a work deadline, picking up kids after school, racing to dentist appointments, and/or practices, I feel like I am wasting my time. Maybe it’s a generational thing, or maybe it’s my upbringing on a farm, but I do best on a schedule with a deadline. I am much more task- oriented than relationship-oriented. And it’s a battle I fight with myself daily.
And yet……there is that still small voice, beckoning me……”Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10)
He wants relationship with us. Isn’t that amazing? The God of the Universe wants to spend time showing us who He is! How can I resist?
So, over the years, I’ve come up with a few ideas that help me stay focused on God throughout my day:
1. Think about God. Sounds pretty simple, but it works. Philippians 4:8 says “Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think on these things”. Instead of listening to the latest gossip at the PTA or watching whatever is on TV, I try to listen to praise music while I’m going through my daily chores. Two of my favorite artists are Nicolle Nordeman, and Chris Rice. I’ve also recently been enjoying Brandon Heath, and Casting Crowns. It’s very easy to download their music to your MP3. Just that one small thing can change the direction of your thoughts for the entire day.
2. Find some friends and explore the Bible together. Since I am task-oriented, I found a Bible study that is fairly structured with daily reading and questions to answer. That might not be for everyone, but there are so many great studies out there. Go to a Christian bookstore, and find something that appeals to you. Or take the bold step to become part of an LXG group. It can be a great way to connect with other believers. Another trick I’ve learned over the years, is to just leave my Bible out where I can see it during the day. Usually that is on the ottoman in our living room. Then if I have a minute or two, I can pick back up where I left off reading before I got interrupted.
3. Recognize that whatever God has given you to do is HOLY. Changing a diaper? Holy? Folding those jeans for the fiftieth time this year? Holy? Fixing Hamburger Helper for dinner? Okay maybe not Hamburger Helper, but fixing a nutritious meal for your family is a holy thing. Why? Because it is a task appointed by God for you to do. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23).
Lastly, For you moms who are knee-deep in playdough and Barbie shoes, there is a book that is still in publication that meant a lot to me a few years ago. It’s called “Diapers, Pacifiers, and other Holy Things” by Lorraine M. Pintus.
Happy living!
Mary Ruth Jaggers
Mary Ruth is one of the Founding Partners in the Launch of Phos Hilaron Church and is the mother of 4 great kids. She's a graduate of Georgetown College and does amazing things with fabrics to create one of a kind originals for homes and businesses in her business called Sycamore Creek Originals. You can learn more about her business here.
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
Extreme Life Makeover #4 -- Future Story by John Lepper
What’s Your Story?
Not long ago I spilled coffee in my wife’s new car while she was out of town. Quick to find a solution to my carelessness, I went to the local home store to purchase carpet-cleaning supplies. I rushed to the checkout, stopped abruptly, and quickly reached for my money. The person waiting on me had a startled look on her face that seemed to say, “What’s going on with this goofy guy?” I responded to her non-verbal “comment” by saying, “Everybody has a story; do you want to hear mine?” She did and we both got a laugh about my predicament.
The fact is everybody has at least three stories. The first relates to our past. The second relates to our current situation. The third relates to our future.
Remembering stories of our past can trigger anger, hurt, pain. Our current issues can cause a narrow focus on our present pain or problems.
While the past may haunt us and the present may consume us, our real energy lies in our future story. All of us tend to live toward our future story, whether that story is negative or positive, hopeful or despairing.
For example, a pastor of an inner city church tells about a young lady who was graduating from high school. Even though she was accepted as a college student, she was unable to attend. She simply could not imagine herself away from her home surroundings and as a college student.
What is your future story? How does your future story of yourself compare with the future story God has for you? The following scripture passages may help you determine God’s future story for you.
Jeremiah 29: 11
Numbers 13: 1-3; 25-33
Numbers 14: 6-10
Prayer:
God, thank you for your word that helps me see a positive future story. Thank you for friends. Help me to reflect on scripture and share with friends as I develop a positive future story for the coming year. Remind me that you are on my side as I move into a positive future.
Three Action Items for Today:
1. Reflect on your unspoken future story. What will the coming year look like?
2. Have a conversation with a trusted friend about your future story. Ask this friend to help you develop a more positive future story.
3. Thank God for the hope he gives through scripture, through friends, and through worship with friends.
---------
Today's Extreme Life Makeover Article was written by John Lepper. John is a good friend, a Family Life Counselor,the Point Leader of the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship, and a friend of Phos Hilaron Church. As a matter of fact, when the dream of Phos was hanging in the balance he sat we me and helped me imagine a stronger, brighter future story for Phos and for me.
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
Not long ago I spilled coffee in my wife’s new car while she was out of town. Quick to find a solution to my carelessness, I went to the local home store to purchase carpet-cleaning supplies. I rushed to the checkout, stopped abruptly, and quickly reached for my money. The person waiting on me had a startled look on her face that seemed to say, “What’s going on with this goofy guy?” I responded to her non-verbal “comment” by saying, “Everybody has a story; do you want to hear mine?” She did and we both got a laugh about my predicament.
The fact is everybody has at least three stories. The first relates to our past. The second relates to our current situation. The third relates to our future.
Remembering stories of our past can trigger anger, hurt, pain. Our current issues can cause a narrow focus on our present pain or problems.
While the past may haunt us and the present may consume us, our real energy lies in our future story. All of us tend to live toward our future story, whether that story is negative or positive, hopeful or despairing.
For example, a pastor of an inner city church tells about a young lady who was graduating from high school. Even though she was accepted as a college student, she was unable to attend. She simply could not imagine herself away from her home surroundings and as a college student.
What is your future story? How does your future story of yourself compare with the future story God has for you? The following scripture passages may help you determine God’s future story for you.
Jeremiah 29: 11
Numbers 13: 1-3; 25-33
Numbers 14: 6-10
• God has plans for us that are hopeful. Our well-being is a top concern of God.
• When our present and future seem filled with giants, Joshua and Caleb remind us that we can conquer the giants (because God is on our side).
• God walks with us into our future. The future belongs to God.
• God is interested in our past and also in our current situation but perhaps He is more interested in helping us claim our hopeful future story.
• When our present and future seem filled with giants, Joshua and Caleb remind us that we can conquer the giants (because God is on our side).
• God walks with us into our future. The future belongs to God.
• God is interested in our past and also in our current situation but perhaps He is more interested in helping us claim our hopeful future story.
Prayer:
God, thank you for your word that helps me see a positive future story. Thank you for friends. Help me to reflect on scripture and share with friends as I develop a positive future story for the coming year. Remind me that you are on my side as I move into a positive future.
Three Action Items for Today:
1. Reflect on your unspoken future story. What will the coming year look like?
2. Have a conversation with a trusted friend about your future story. Ask this friend to help you develop a more positive future story.
3. Thank God for the hope he gives through scripture, through friends, and through worship with friends.
---------
Today's Extreme Life Makeover Article was written by John Lepper. John is a good friend, a Family Life Counselor,the Point Leader of the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship, and a friend of Phos Hilaron Church. As a matter of fact, when the dream of Phos was hanging in the balance he sat we me and helped me imagine a stronger, brighter future story for Phos and for me.
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Extreme Life Makeover #3 -- Talk With God About Everything
Great relationships soak up communication like dry land soaks up fresh rain. You almost can't communicate enough with those you are close to. Marriage experts tell us that a great marriage consumes over 15 hours a week of communication! Wow, that seems like a lot. But, to be truly intimate with another person requires the give and take of dialogue.
To enter into a full-on Intimate relationship with God pulls us into lots of conversation with Him about everything. The Bible tells us that we should 'pray all the time' (Ephesians 6:18 & I Thessalonians 5:17) and many of us have wondered how that's possible. The reality is that it's possible because our brains are running on multi-channels all the time.
Simple Prayer
You know that little voice that's always running in your head talking to you a about everything? What I've learned is to direct more and more of that 'little voice's' bandwidth to just talking with God about whatever is right in front of me right now....even while I'm typing this I'm aware that I'm in an ongoing 'prayer' with Him. That's prayer on the go and it's just conversing with God about whatever is in front of you in that moment. Try it and see how your awareness of God on the move all around you begins to grow.
Focused Prayer
A more focused kind of prayer begs us to carve out time and pull away from the 'noise' of the world to just be with God. I find that it helps me to type my prayers into my computer or to journal them. Writing my prayers helps me really stay tuned in and I sometimes even write impressions of what I think that God is trying to say back to me. Writing your prayers may be helpful to you as well.
There are several prayers in the Bible that we can learn from and use as our own prayers. I'm gonna suggest a few for you to pray in the coming days. Watch for how real the authors of these prayers are with God and practice being real and honest in your conversations with God.
Prayers from the Psalms (this is a favorite practice of many followers of Christ -- to simply 'pray' the Psalms as a disciplined way to hone our conversations with Him)
Psalm 86:11-13
Psalm 32:5
Psalm 118:28
Jesus' Prayer known as the Lord's Prayer is found here. ( Matthew 6:9-13)
3 Action Items for today:
1. Practice talking with God on the go about whatever your experiencing right in that moment.
2. Pull away for a few minutes and take some time to read some of the prayers from The Bible and watch for how real and raw these prayers are. Get real with God. (you can use the prayers posted above by either clicking the link to an online Bible or looking them up in your own Bible)
3. Try writing or typing your own prayers to God -- noone else ever has to see it. It's just for you and God.
Last thing....I'd love to hear how this goes for you and what you learn.
Simple, real converations with God -- that's my hope for you today.
Jeff
p.s. If you want to work more on prayer I'd suggest that you grab a copy of 'Too Busy Not to Pray' by Bill Hybels and consume it. It's a simple, powerful tool in helping you learn to connect with God. Well worth the $$ and time invested.
p.p.s. Did you know that singing can be prayer? I'd encourage you to check out some of these links and 'pray' along....
How Great Is Our God by Chris Tomlin
40 by U2 (yep, a prayer straight from The Bible sung by Bono and U2)
Sinner's Prayer by B.B. King and Ray Charles (this is just kind of fun, but you'll be praying right along after just a few measures and then it'll be stuck in your head all day!)
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
To enter into a full-on Intimate relationship with God pulls us into lots of conversation with Him about everything. The Bible tells us that we should 'pray all the time' (Ephesians 6:18 & I Thessalonians 5:17) and many of us have wondered how that's possible. The reality is that it's possible because our brains are running on multi-channels all the time.
Simple Prayer
You know that little voice that's always running in your head talking to you a about everything? What I've learned is to direct more and more of that 'little voice's' bandwidth to just talking with God about whatever is right in front of me right now....even while I'm typing this I'm aware that I'm in an ongoing 'prayer' with Him. That's prayer on the go and it's just conversing with God about whatever is in front of you in that moment. Try it and see how your awareness of God on the move all around you begins to grow.
Focused Prayer
A more focused kind of prayer begs us to carve out time and pull away from the 'noise' of the world to just be with God. I find that it helps me to type my prayers into my computer or to journal them. Writing my prayers helps me really stay tuned in and I sometimes even write impressions of what I think that God is trying to say back to me. Writing your prayers may be helpful to you as well.
There are several prayers in the Bible that we can learn from and use as our own prayers. I'm gonna suggest a few for you to pray in the coming days. Watch for how real the authors of these prayers are with God and practice being real and honest in your conversations with God.
Prayers from the Psalms (this is a favorite practice of many followers of Christ -- to simply 'pray' the Psalms as a disciplined way to hone our conversations with Him)
Psalm 86:11-13
Psalm 32:5
Psalm 118:28
Jesus' Prayer known as the Lord's Prayer is found here. ( Matthew 6:9-13)
3 Action Items for today:
1. Practice talking with God on the go about whatever your experiencing right in that moment.
2. Pull away for a few minutes and take some time to read some of the prayers from The Bible and watch for how real and raw these prayers are. Get real with God. (you can use the prayers posted above by either clicking the link to an online Bible or looking them up in your own Bible)
3. Try writing or typing your own prayers to God -- noone else ever has to see it. It's just for you and God.
Last thing....I'd love to hear how this goes for you and what you learn.
Simple, real converations with God -- that's my hope for you today.
Jeff
p.s. If you want to work more on prayer I'd suggest that you grab a copy of 'Too Busy Not to Pray' by Bill Hybels and consume it. It's a simple, powerful tool in helping you learn to connect with God. Well worth the $$ and time invested.
p.p.s. Did you know that singing can be prayer? I'd encourage you to check out some of these links and 'pray' along....
How Great Is Our God by Chris Tomlin
40 by U2 (yep, a prayer straight from The Bible sung by Bono and U2)
Sinner's Prayer by B.B. King and Ray Charles (this is just kind of fun, but you'll be praying right along after just a few measures and then it'll be stuck in your head all day!)
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Extreme Life Makeover #2 -- Make a Radical Commitment
Most of us want to live life at a higher level....we'd like to have the 'perfect life' whatever that is.
There are a few challenges ....
#1 most of us have no idea of what the 'perfect life' would be for us because we've lacked the tools to help us define what that might look like. (the tools and ideas you need will be coming up later in this series)
# 2 We probably haven't committed to seeking God's Kingdom First and then letting the chips fall where they may. More on that in a minute....
I've spent a lot of time and energy in my life trying to determine what my 'dream life' would be like and then I've mapped out a plan and attacked it like 39 dogs only to realize that the pursuit left me empty inside. I couldn't figure out why until I realized that I was violating an important principle....I was determining my own dream with no input from God. It's not that God wants to 'boss' me around, it's that He knows me even better than I know myself and that when I pursue His agenda for the world and my place in it that my best gifts will be activated and I'll find myself in the sweet spot of a life well-lived on purpose.
In short I discover the power & passion of alignment with His agenda, my gifts and dreams and the needs of the world when I give Him access to the command center of my life.
The reality is that my dream is found in His.
It's remarkable that Jesus words ring true that when we lose our lives we actually find them.
Two Action Items for you today:
Action Item 1:
Read and really think about these 3 scriptures:
Proverbs 3:5-6
Matthew 6:33 (the entire Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5 to Matthew 7 is worth reading and thinking seriously about as you seek to connect with God's ways and Jesus' commands for those who would seriously follow Him)
Jeremiah 29:11
Action Item 2: Pray something like this simply:
God, I don't know if I have enough faith to really trust you with my life and to accept Your agenda for me, but I'd like to. So, would you give me the courage to give up control of my life and to let You take the steering wheel of my life and to cooperate with your plan for the world and my place in it? Amen.
Rootin for YOU to find your Passion & Purpose in His Dream for the world.
Jeff Fuson
p.s. In order to condition our heart and mind to be in tune with God I don't know of anything more important than taking Scripture in and letting them tune our heart & mind to be on God's frequency. Read this post to learn a way to do this that won't take an extra moment of your day! This post is Extreme Life Makeover #1 -- Brain Candy for Christ Followers.
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
There are a few challenges ....
#1 most of us have no idea of what the 'perfect life' would be for us because we've lacked the tools to help us define what that might look like. (the tools and ideas you need will be coming up later in this series)
# 2 We probably haven't committed to seeking God's Kingdom First and then letting the chips fall where they may. More on that in a minute....
I've spent a lot of time and energy in my life trying to determine what my 'dream life' would be like and then I've mapped out a plan and attacked it like 39 dogs only to realize that the pursuit left me empty inside. I couldn't figure out why until I realized that I was violating an important principle....I was determining my own dream with no input from God. It's not that God wants to 'boss' me around, it's that He knows me even better than I know myself and that when I pursue His agenda for the world and my place in it that my best gifts will be activated and I'll find myself in the sweet spot of a life well-lived on purpose.
In short I discover the power & passion of alignment with His agenda, my gifts and dreams and the needs of the world when I give Him access to the command center of my life.
The reality is that my dream is found in His.
It's remarkable that Jesus words ring true that when we lose our lives we actually find them.
Two Action Items for you today:
Action Item 1:
Read and really think about these 3 scriptures:
Proverbs 3:5-6
Matthew 6:33 (the entire Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5 to Matthew 7 is worth reading and thinking seriously about as you seek to connect with God's ways and Jesus' commands for those who would seriously follow Him)
Jeremiah 29:11
Action Item 2: Pray something like this simply:
God, I don't know if I have enough faith to really trust you with my life and to accept Your agenda for me, but I'd like to. So, would you give me the courage to give up control of my life and to let You take the steering wheel of my life and to cooperate with your plan for the world and my place in it? Amen.
Rootin for YOU to find your Passion & Purpose in His Dream for the world.
Jeff Fuson
p.s. In order to condition our heart and mind to be in tune with God I don't know of anything more important than taking Scripture in and letting them tune our heart & mind to be on God's frequency. Read this post to learn a way to do this that won't take an extra moment of your day! This post is Extreme Life Makeover #1 -- Brain Candy for Christ Followers.
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Brain Candy for Christ Followers
I've found a way to easily and painlessly increase the quality and quantity of Scripture that I'm taking in without adding another thing to my overstuffed calendar!
Two reasons this matters: 1. It allows me to be more fully in tune to God and the most vital relationship in my life--it's a way to hear from and respond to Him -- my heart 'talks' to God when I'm involved with His Word. 2. Taking in Scripture 're-wires' my brain so that I'm not squeezed into unproductive patterns by the 'noise' of the world around me.
Read Romans 12:2 and think about what it means to be 'transformed by the renewing of your mind' so that we can know the will of God. Knowing and doing the will of God is on the minds of most serious Christ followers because we know it matters. Increasing the quality & quantity of Scripture you take in will automatically transform your brain and make it fertile to the thoughts and plans of God. More importantly, it ushers you into communication with Him--the foundation of any good relationship is communication.
I'm listening to Scripture via Itunes and a downloaded copy of the Listener's Bible. I can do this when I'm driving, when I'm waiting for my next appointment, when I'm hanging out at my son's practice with nothing much to do, while I'm in line at the grocery store....nearly anywhere, nearly anytime.
I'd encourage you to grab an audio Bible to 'listen' to scripture this year. I'm a big fan of using different versions for my reading and study so that the Scriptures stay fresh. Listening has added a whole new dimension to my Scripture intake -- it's def 'brain candy' and I'm getting a ton out of this. I think you will, too.
Jeff
p.s. You can also check out these two Online Bible sites as they have 'listening options' where you can listen to scripture and it won't cost you a cent! No time, no money? No worries, you can still listen to The Bible at blueletterbible.org and at biblegateway.com
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
Two reasons this matters: 1. It allows me to be more fully in tune to God and the most vital relationship in my life--it's a way to hear from and respond to Him -- my heart 'talks' to God when I'm involved with His Word. 2. Taking in Scripture 're-wires' my brain so that I'm not squeezed into unproductive patterns by the 'noise' of the world around me.
Read Romans 12:2 and think about what it means to be 'transformed by the renewing of your mind' so that we can know the will of God. Knowing and doing the will of God is on the minds of most serious Christ followers because we know it matters. Increasing the quality & quantity of Scripture you take in will automatically transform your brain and make it fertile to the thoughts and plans of God. More importantly, it ushers you into communication with Him--the foundation of any good relationship is communication.
I'm listening to Scripture via Itunes and a downloaded copy of the Listener's Bible. I can do this when I'm driving, when I'm waiting for my next appointment, when I'm hanging out at my son's practice with nothing much to do, while I'm in line at the grocery store....nearly anywhere, nearly anytime.
I'd encourage you to grab an audio Bible to 'listen' to scripture this year. I'm a big fan of using different versions for my reading and study so that the Scriptures stay fresh. Listening has added a whole new dimension to my Scripture intake -- it's def 'brain candy' and I'm getting a ton out of this. I think you will, too.
Jeff
p.s. You can also check out these two Online Bible sites as they have 'listening options' where you can listen to scripture and it won't cost you a cent! No time, no money? No worries, you can still listen to The Bible at blueletterbible.org and at biblegateway.com
Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.
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