I know what it's like to have huge dreams, to work my tail off to bring them to pass and then to have it all fade to black just when I thought it was all coming together.
I know what disappointment is. Think about that word and break it in half like this -- 'dis' 'appointment' as if God has DISSED the appointment you were sure that He had promised to you. If you've ever been disappointed with God or felt like He was 'dis-appointing' you then you've been forced to do something internally about that. You've most likely 'quit believing in God' (even though you may still show up at church for political correctness) or you've wondered what you've done wrong to cause God to be so mad that He'd let you down. Or, you learn to trust Him in the midst of a story that you wish wasn't being written. What we must all learn is that 'control' is an illusion that we're never really in 'control' of the stuff that matters most in life. It's when we realize that only God is in control and we willingly let Him write His-story through our lives that we find the peace, joy, contentment and power that Christ brings to those who surrender the pen to Him.
Two books that I've read recently will help you learn to give the pen up faster and enjoy the story that God is writing more...even when He's writing painful chapters that cause us to suffer, to wait, and to long for a happy ending.
Here they are:
Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson and Plan B by Pete Wilson
Both of these will build your faith in God and restore you to place of peace while you live through 'Plan B's that we all face.
No easy path, no formulas. Just learning to abide, to trust, to wait, to surrender faster, to hand over the pen to the Author of all life.
Have a great day,
Jeff
Jeff Fuson -Point Leader of Phos Church near Louisville Kentucky -Leadership Keynote Speaker -Husband / Daddy -Missional Church Planter
The Life Purpose Guy -- helping Entrepreneurial Christ Followers Bring Good Things to Life
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Hubble Movie -- SPECTACULAR -- What do you see?
This Hubble Movie is AWE Inspiring and when I watch it I 'see' the handprints of God all over it. It reminds me of of John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God....
I know that others will look at this same movie and see no evidence of God. As a matter of fact you may choose to see nothing.
Either view takes faith.
I choose to have faith in something/someone -- God. I think it takes more faith to see nothing.....and I think that your faith in nothing becomes a religion....
What do you see?
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.
I know that others will look at this same movie and see no evidence of God. As a matter of fact you may choose to see nothing.
Either view takes faith.
I choose to have faith in something/someone -- God. I think it takes more faith to see nothing.....and I think that your faith in nothing becomes a religion....
What do you see?
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.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Always Amazing. The Life & Times of a Church Planter Smack Dab in the Middle of a Hurricane of Grace
When we launched Phos Hilaron Church we knew it would stretch our faith--but, we didn't know that it would stretch it THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSS far! I was asked by a Youth for Christ worker a few months back if I have the 'gift of faith' and my response was 'NO!' But, it's growing. Because we've seen countless miracles in the journey with Phos where we were at the 'end' of life as we know it and every single time -- EVERY SINGLE ONE -- GOD has stormed us with unmerited favor and with grace and peace and resources.
It happened again at Post Office Box 333 in Buckner Kentucky at 5:47 AM today -- two letters with two checks that will keep us in the black for another couple of weeks. And, it's like this all the time -- certain financial chaos met with gifts that only God Himself could have orchestrated.
This used to tie me up in knots and cause me to loose sleep, but not anymore. I've learned that God is faithful and that He wants the Phos Church experience to be resourced. So, I wait and watch and I kind of like the 'edge' more now than I like the predictable.
As the lead pastor of Phos I want to always lead us into Creative Risk Taking to reach people who haven't been touched by the Miracle of Grace through Jesus Christ. I want to always position us as a Body of Believers to play on the creative edge and to play to win. It's so easy to slip into 'playing not to loose' --the domain of most structures and church government is to protect gains from yesteryear and maintain a lot of Status Quo...and the more 'status' a church has had in the past the more vehemently that Quo is protected and championed and governed. This is a very real danger for Phos as we move ahead. The danger of slipping into 'playing not to loose' and of protecting gains from the past. My prayer is to maintain courage and stamina and vision to keep us moving into uncharted territories -- to be on journey with God even when it seems risky and it seems like we've bet the ranch on what God has called us to do. That's where we've been for this entire journey. We've put the 'ranch' on the table over and over again because I know (we know) that Phos is God's and not ours and that if He wants us to have long term impact in this region and around the globe that it will come from His hands and not from our 'marketing campaigns' and 'slogans' and 'mission statements' --rather it will come because we always put on the chips on God and on the fact that He's in the business of working behind enemy lines in dark places to rescue P.O.W.s and those who are M.I.A.
So, I have supreme God-fidence and waning 'Confidence' in my fleshly efforts. I am living a dream because God is allowing me to. It could stop at any moment at His bidding. The 'Conductor' could tell me and the whole crew to get off the train tomorrow and that'd be the end. But, He keeps on granting vision and next steps and new friends to journey with us and we keep on being blown away in the eye of a Hurricane of Grace.
If you want to take a look at an incredible 7 days of blessing in my life and get a glimpse of what Service Worship with PHC looked like yesterday at Phos check out these images.
To live in the Hurricane of Grace you'll have to step out of the cellar of the dank 'known & predictable' into the gale force winds of a ride with God that'll flatten your old life and awaken your senses to the winds of change.
Lovin' the Hurricane of Grace!
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.
It happened again at Post Office Box 333 in Buckner Kentucky at 5:47 AM today -- two letters with two checks that will keep us in the black for another couple of weeks. And, it's like this all the time -- certain financial chaos met with gifts that only God Himself could have orchestrated.
This used to tie me up in knots and cause me to loose sleep, but not anymore. I've learned that God is faithful and that He wants the Phos Church experience to be resourced. So, I wait and watch and I kind of like the 'edge' more now than I like the predictable.
As the lead pastor of Phos I want to always lead us into Creative Risk Taking to reach people who haven't been touched by the Miracle of Grace through Jesus Christ. I want to always position us as a Body of Believers to play on the creative edge and to play to win. It's so easy to slip into 'playing not to loose' --the domain of most structures and church government is to protect gains from yesteryear and maintain a lot of Status Quo...and the more 'status' a church has had in the past the more vehemently that Quo is protected and championed and governed. This is a very real danger for Phos as we move ahead. The danger of slipping into 'playing not to loose' and of protecting gains from the past. My prayer is to maintain courage and stamina and vision to keep us moving into uncharted territories -- to be on journey with God even when it seems risky and it seems like we've bet the ranch on what God has called us to do. That's where we've been for this entire journey. We've put the 'ranch' on the table over and over again because I know (we know) that Phos is God's and not ours and that if He wants us to have long term impact in this region and around the globe that it will come from His hands and not from our 'marketing campaigns' and 'slogans' and 'mission statements' --rather it will come because we always put on the chips on God and on the fact that He's in the business of working behind enemy lines in dark places to rescue P.O.W.s and those who are M.I.A.
So, I have supreme God-fidence and waning 'Confidence' in my fleshly efforts. I am living a dream because God is allowing me to. It could stop at any moment at His bidding. The 'Conductor' could tell me and the whole crew to get off the train tomorrow and that'd be the end. But, He keeps on granting vision and next steps and new friends to journey with us and we keep on being blown away in the eye of a Hurricane of Grace.
If you want to take a look at an incredible 7 days of blessing in my life and get a glimpse of what Service Worship with PHC looked like yesterday at Phos check out these images.
To live in the Hurricane of Grace you'll have to step out of the cellar of the dank 'known & predictable' into the gale force winds of a ride with God that'll flatten your old life and awaken your senses to the winds of change.
Lovin' the Hurricane of Grace!
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.
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