top 10 blogs of 2010

10. Jesus ruined my life
9. preaching breakrfast
8. that gym guy
7. how are you?
6. the B-I-B-L-E
5. Do something people: sacrifice
4. we are Revolution
3. confessions of an OCD pastor part 2
2. difference between joy and happiness

finally my favorite Blog of 2010.

1. Lessons from my first year in ministry

Calling and Giftedness

Now I understand God calls us all to certain things. God calls us all to have a relationship with Him. God calls us all to love Him and other people. However, I believe there are times where God calls us individually to something specific.

There was a reason Jesus chose 12 men to be His disciples during His ministry. Was He calling everybody to love Him and love other people? Yes, but Jesus only called 12 specific men to have the job of His disciples.

There have been a couple of times in my life where I knew God was calling me to something specific. I knew way back in high school that God was calling me into ministry. Also, about 15 months ago I knew that God was calling me specifically to be the youth minister at fairfield first Assembly. For you, God’s calling might be why you have chosen to work as a teacher, a doctor, or a stay-at-home mom.

I have come to believe that there is a direct relationship between God’s calling and giftedness. That essentially boils down to the fact that when God calls you to something specific, God will equip you with the gifts to do that. Why? Because His name is on the line. If you tell everybody “God called me to be a ________” and you bomb miserably at ________, God is the one who looks like He doesn’t know what He’s doing. Whether it is through gifts that you naturally have or through gifts that God supernaturally equips you with, God will gift you to do what He has called you to do.

The biggest problem that can come in the way of this process is you and I. The biggest way you and I can get in the way and mess this process up manifests itself through our selfishness. Often times I have to question myself on my motives. Remember to always put everything through the Strainer.

I have seen way too many examples of people getting into something because of their own desire and calling it God’s calling. Let’s take ministry for example: someone declares to the world that God has called them into youth ministry. Diving a little deeper you see somebody who experienced love and acceptance for the first time as a member of their youth group. You see someone who was loved and rescued by his/her youth minister. Now that person selfishly desires to continue those feelings of love and acceptance and also wants to be the hero youth minister to other lost, lonely kids. That person is not good with people, has a hard time connecting with people, gets terribly nervous in front of people, and likes to go to bed at 9:30pm. I’m sorry but that is not God’s calling, that is a selfish desire.

It is the same way why God is not calling me to be a professional hockey player. I don’t know the rules. I could not put the equipment on the right way. I don’t know how to properly handle the puck. I can’t even ice skate! God’s calling and giftedness goes hand-in-hand.

Let me encourage you today to listen to God’s specific calling for your life. He has a plan for you. He has hard-wired you and gifted you to do something great for the Kingdom.

Bad Judgement

Today I was on the road when another car passed me. As the car passed beside me the gentleman driving the vehicle turned his head my direction as to communicate driving superiority. As we made eye contact, I noticed that the gentleman had some tattoos scattered across his face. During that moment I had a realization:

IF YOU HAVE A TATTOO ON YOUR FACE, YOU HAVE BAD JUDGEMENT.

Can you think of any other human features or actions that automatically brings “that person has bad judgment” thoughts to your mind?

For example, possibly a mullet, drinking/smoking while pregnant, or people who continually put themeselves in bad situations.

2010 year in review

- Officially moved to fairfield!
- turned 26
- had an amazing birthday with my church family and friends
- set out to write 126 blogs this year(this is 123)
- saw great growth in the ministry
- broke a bone in my left leg
- had surgery on left leg
- finally got to wear a youth pastor badge at a district event
- got cable
- started working out and lost 72 lbs
- grew a grizzly beard
- got to go up on stage during youth convention(Ive always wanted to do that)
- finished Pathway and started getting paid to do ministry
- finally watched the Oregon Ducks complete a perfect season

Cant wait till 2011!!!!

Most Useless Things in My House

Have you ever thought of all the useless things that you have in your house? While eating my bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios and looking around my house this morning, I realized that I have some useless things that I have in my house. To give you an idea of what I am talking about, here are some examples of the most useless things in my house…

A VCR. I have One. Do I use it? No. Is it actually hooked up to a TV? No. Since getting a TV in jauary, I finally unhooked the VCR in the house. For the longest time, the VCR was only used for a clock in the living room. I did not even have it hooked up to the TV.

MY PLAYSTATION 2. In the last 6 months I maybe have used it 5 times, its outdated and is a great dust collector. Truth is I just want to buy games for it.

THE KITCHEN TABLE. Unless it is a special occasion, my kitchen table does not get used. I like using TV trays in the living room or at the stools at the kitchen counter. Im sure when I have a family this will change. Until then, TV trays work just fine.

THE FOLLOWING DVDs: THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS, DUDE, WHERE’S MY CAR?, CLASH OF THE TITANS, & THE DAVINCI CODE.

MY ALARM CLOCKS WHEN THEY ARE SET BEFORE THE SUN COMES UP. Can you say snooze?

________________

What about you? What are some of the most useless things in your house?

Give Me Your Eyes

This is an incredible song, I heard it last week and its totally what I was feeling. I feel sometimes I become to involved with ministry to see others as Jesus would. I think its human nature to do this, but this song has become my new prayers, hope you enjoy!

best service opener ever...

Here is the video of the service opener for North Point Community Church in Atlanta, Georgia from December 19, 2010 called “Santa Went Down to Georgia.”

One of the coolest, most creative openers that I have ever seen.

Enjoy…

Top 10 TV show theme songs of all time.

10. M.A.S.H.
9. Saved By The Bell
8. Friends
7. Monday Night Football
6. Chuck
5. Fresh Prince of Bell Air
4. House
3. The OC
2. The Office
1. The Wonder Years

More on why I chose these 10 coming soon.

5K for Speed The Light

I love running, love, love, love it. So I thought to myself why not run for a good cause? April 9th 2011, I am running a 5K in fairfield, now the payment of the race goes to a teen center I thought it would be cool to get sponsors for this event. By sponsoring me all procedes would go towards Speed The Light. So I ask you to please be in prayer for me and if you would like to contribute to speed the light, that would be awesome and just email me or let me know.

I have 3 months to raise as much money as we can! please support me in this with prayer first but secondly if you can financially.

Also if you would like to run this with me I encourage you to. A 5K is only 3.1 miles! Think about how much help a missionary would get for our 3.1 miles.

Messy Spirituality

Walking by a pet shop on his way back to school, a young boy stopped and stared through the window. Inside were four black puppies playing together. After school he ran home and pleaded with his mother to let him have one of the puppies. “I’ll take care of it, Mom, I will. If you can just give me an advance on my allowance, I’ll have enough money to buy one with my own money. Please, Mom, please.”

The mother, knowing full well the complications having a new puppy would bring to a busy household, could not resist her son. “Okay, you can get the puppy, but I will expect you to take care of it.”

“Yes, Mom, I will.” Filled with excitement, the little boy ran to the pet shop to buy his new puppy.

After determining that the boy had enough money, the pet shop owner brought him to the window to choose his puppy. After a few minutes, the young boy said, “Um…I’ll take the one in the corner.”

“Oh no,” said the shop owner, “not that one; he’s crippled. Notice how he just sits there; something is wrong with one of his legs, so he can’t run and play like the rest of the puppies. Choose another one.”

Without saying a word, the boy reached down, lifted his pant leg to expose a chrome leg brace to the owner.

“No,” he said firmly, “I think I’ll take the puppy in the corner.”

It turned out that what disqualified the puppy from being chosen by others is what most qualified him to be chosen by the little boy.

It’s amazing how few of us believe in the unqualified grace of God. Oh, yes, God loves us, as long as we’re clean and whole and fixed. But it turns out that what disqualifies you and me from “spirituality” – the mess of our lives and our crippledness – is what most qualifies us to be chosen by Jesus.

~ from Messy Spirituality by Michael Yaconelli

Difference between Joy and Happiness

This year I have been studying and thinking through the Old Testament book of Job. Last night I had an amazing discussion about the difference between joy and happiness.

Frequently these two words are used as one and the same. While they do share some characteristics, they are actually different. Happiness is an emotion usually directly related to circumstances that are currently happening. So when the circumstances are good and going our way, we feel happy. On the other hand, when things break, get old, disappoint, when we do not get what we want, or when things do not go our way, we feel sad and are not happy.

One exercise I went through to help me get this concept was to write down specific things that make me happy. Here was my list in no particular order:

Seeing things set to record on my TIVO. Not things recorded, but things scheduled to record.
Watching Troy Polamalu play football.
Pushing through a hard rep (known as a wall) while working out.
Listening to 90s music.
Getting comments on my blog.
Drinking a perfectly temperatured peppermint brewed coffee.
Having a secret $100 in my wallet (very rarely happens).
Putting on jogging pants & a soft tshirt, then taking a nap on a cold, rainy day.
Hearing The Office theme song.
Seeing the kids of revolution experience God.
Serving food to the homeless every month.
Eating amazing Sushi

If I had more time to think, I could have filled up pages of specific things that bring me happiness. You could too. Think about all the things in this world that makes you happy. It could be small things or big things. Anything from a good cheeseburger to when a baby wraps their tiny hang around your finger. All these are temporary and bring temporary emotional happiness.

Joy is something entirely different from happiness. Joy, in the Biblical context, is not an emotion. Joy is attitude of the heart. It is not necessarily based on something positive happening. Joy is something that lasts; happiness is something that is temporary. When happiness fades away, joy remains. Joy is something that is bigger than you and I and our current circumstances. Joy brings us peace in the middle of a storm. Joy is something that God deposits into us through the Holy Spirit. The enemy tries everything in his power to steal your joy because it is that important. On the other hand, the enemy will tempt you with things that will temporarily give you happiness but at the same time drift you away from God.

There is a big difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is an emotion and temporary; joy is an attitude of the heart. Hold on tight to your joy.

BIBLE VERSES THAT TALK ABOUT JOY YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

Habakkuk 3:17-18, James 1:2, Philippians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:16, John 16:19-24, Galatians 5:22, Hebrews 12:2, and much more (joy is mentioned 242 times in the Bible).

Disturb us, Lord

Disturb us, lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.

- Sir Francis Drake

Top 10 Fictional Characters of all time.

There have been so many incredible fictional characters in pop culture. Here is a list that I made up for the top 10 fictional characters of all-time in movies and television. It was really tough trimming down this list.

JUST MISSED THE CUT ~ Kosmo Kramer (Seinfeld), Creed Bratton (The Office), Kevin Arnold (The Wonder Years), Michael Scofield (Prison Break), Ricky Bobby (Talladega Nights).

TEN ~ Rocky Balboa, Rocky movies. The most motivating character of all time. The true underdog, rag-to-riches story where a no name boxer comes out of nowhere to be the heavy weight champion of the world. The Italian Stallion is known for training hard, being able to take multiple punches to the face without going down, and never quitting. He is a sensitive guy who is also a romantic. He loves his friends and family deeply and wears his heart on his sleeve. Hey, any fictitious character that has a real statue in a major US city has to be one of the top characters of all-time. Favorite Rocky quote, “Was ya ever punched in the face 500 times a night? It stings after a while, ya know

NINE ~ Jack Bauer, 24. This guy is a machine. He’s tough. He’s patriotic. He’s hard. He kills a lot of terrorists. He keeps his word. He operates well on no sleep. Two favorite Jack Bauer quotes, “I’m gonna need a hacksaw.” (After he out of the blue killed some guy and is going to cut his head off and put in a duffel bag.) And, “The only reason you’re still conscious is cause I don’t want to have to carry you.”

EIGHT ~ Ron Burgundy, Anchorman. One of the most quotable movie characters in history. The lead anchor and rock of the Channel 4 Action News team of San Diego possesses a voluptuous vocabulary and a magnificent mustache. Burgundy has a way with the ladies that is unlike any other. He oozes confidence. He has a great fondness for a good glass of scotch, poetry, his dog Baxter, and he also plays a mean jazz flute. Favorite Rob Burgundy quote, “I’m gonna punch you in the ovary, that’s what I’m gonna do. A straight shot. Right to the babymaker.”

SEVEN ~ George Costanza, Seinfeld. What an amazing character! He often referred to himself as a “short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man.” However, it makes sense that when he got fired, the Yankees shortly rattled off a run of world championships. Known for being a great liar, a slacker, a fake architect, a fake marine biologist, and being the butt of a lot of jokes. His relationship with his parents is hilarious

SIX ~ Dr. Evil, Austin Powers movies. Dr. Evil is the chief villain and the nemesis of Austin Powers. His character is supposedly a parody of different James Bond evil villains. He had the typical childhood being raised by Belgians. When he was insolent he was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds — pretty standard, really. Turns out that he is the long-lost twin brother of Austin. He has a real son and a clone that is 1/8 his size. He is a good rapper. Dr. Evil is what makes those movies good.

FIVE ~ John McClane, Die Hard movies. This movie character has been around since 1988 when the first Die Hard hit theaters and was seen in theaters as recently as 2007 in Live Free or Die Hard. Total we have gotten to know John McClane through four different movies. The best way to describe him is a Jack Bauer-type with more humanity. He is tough, machine-like, and hard like Bauer. However, he also has a much lighter side that is very funny. My favorite thing about this character is his frequent audible inner monologues where he talks to himself in stressful situations.

FOUR ~ Optimus Prime, Transformers. I am talking about the cartoon that I loved so much as a kid, not the movie that came out recently. This character is incredible. He is the commander of the Autobots. One minute he is a semi-truck cruising down the road; the next minute he is a gun-firing, fighting machine. We can all learn about some leadership tips from Optimus Prime. He has changed my entire thought process about semi-trucks.

THREE ~ Dr. Gregory House, House. This tv doctor is unlike any other tv doctor on medical dramas. This medical genius thrives on solving medical puzzles. He leads his team of diagnosticians in really wierd cases that most doctors would give up on. He treats people like dirt. He makes fun of people. He is brilliant. One of his life mottos is that everybody lies. He seems to not have any filter on his speech. He is the guy that always seems to say what we all sometimes think but would never say. He has a sweet cane and has his own style. He rocks some awesome facial stubble at all times. Very complex, interesting character.

TWO ~ Dwight K. Schrute, The Office. One of the most quotable television characters in history. Multiple websites are dedicated to Dwight quotes. He’s intense. He has his own bobblehead. He has his own functioning beet farm. He operates his own agri-tourism place (similar to a bed and breakfast). He has his own crossbow range. He is a volunteer law enforcer. He can raise and lower his own cholesterol with his mind. He wants to be frozen when he dies, so he can come back stronger. He is a karate purple belt. What is there not to love? Favorite Dwight quote, “Reject a woman and she will never let it go. One of the many defects of their kind – also, weak arms.”

ONE~ Sheldon Lee Cooper, The Big Bang Theory. My favorite Charater of all time, hes smart, wears super hero shirts, reads comic books, hard worker, forward thinker, obsesive compulsive, thinks hes the next stage in evolution. Hes not crazy, his mother had him checked. BAZINGA.

There you go. That’s my list. Who did I miss? Who’s on your list?

Lets Talk About Love...

I get frustrated with the word “love.” It is too broad.

On one hand I love a caramel white mochas from Starbucks. On the other hand I love my family.

I love the Oregon Ducks. I love my amazing parents who brought me into this world and selflessly took care of me for many years.

I love the tv show the big band theory, the movie dumb and dumber, Spring, Christmas, traveling, writing, and my iPhone. I also love pouring my heart in worship, receiving fresh words from God through Scripture, having deep intimate friendships, having intellectual discussions, and my savior and rescuer – Jesus Christ.

The English language is very limited when it comes to “love.” We use it for everything. We often use the same descriptive word for how we feel about our sports teams, a juicy steak, our pets, and our families. If we were to be honest, there is no way that the love we have for our familes can be compared to the love we have for a juicy steak – they are not even in the same ballpark.

That’s what I love about the Greek language (even though I have forgotten so much of it since I took Greek for a semester in college). In Biblical Greek, there are three words that translate into the English word “love” and all three have very different meanings.

Eros (ἔρως érōs) is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. The Modern Greek word “erotas” means “(romantic) love”. However, eros does not have to be sexual in nature. Eros can be interpreted as a love for someone whom you love more than the philia love of friendship. It can also apply to dating relationships as well as marriage. Although eros is initially felt for a person, with contemplation it becomes an appreciation of the beauty within that person, or even becomes appreciation of beauty itself.

Philia (φιλία philía), which means friendship love in Greek, a dispassionate virtuous love. It includes loyalty to friends, family, and community, and requires virtue, equality and familiarity. In ancient texts, philia denoted a general type of love, used for love between family, between friends, a desire or enjoyment of an activity, as well as between lovers. This is the only other word for “love” used in the ancient text of the New Testament besides agape, but even then it is used substantially less frequently.

Agapē (ἀγάπη agápē) means a divine, godly love. The verb appears in the New Testament describing, amongst other things, the relationship between Jesus and his disciples. In biblical literature, its meaning and usage is illustrated by self-sacrificing, giving love to all – both friend and enemy. It is used in Matthew 22:39, “Love your neighbour as yourself,” and in John 15:12, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you,” and in 1 John 4:8, “God is love.” This love is selfless, it is willing to sacrifice, it is unconditional, and it is the love that God has for you.

It’s true, sometimes I get frustrated the limits and lack of creativity for the English word “love.” I think it would be incredible to have 3-5 words that fully breakdown and define all the different ways we use the word “love”, much like in Greek. (Anybody want to make up some words and try to make them stick?)

I rest in the fact that I am unconditionally loved (agape) by the Creator of the universe. He loves me enough to think that I am worth saving and worth redeeming. While I am frustrated with the English word “love”, I can’t get enough of God’s never-ending love for me.

He loves you too. Maybe you need reminding of that today.

Help-Portrait 2010

something I came across yesterday... remember in life we are second. He is first.

Confessions of an OCD Pastor part 2

A couple weeks ago I shared one of my OCD moments. In the interest of fun or ridicule i thought I would share another one of my OCD moments.

I have a weird fixation with everything being associated with even numbers. I dont know where this came from but I have to have everything be even. I sometimes count my steps in order to take even amounts. My brain cannot do odd numbers. You may think I am odd, thats ok.

for example, look at the blogs over the years, I have even number for how many I have posted every year(I know this post makes it odd but give me a day or two and it will be even).

More examples.

--when I hit fast forward on my dvr I either hit it 2 or 4 times, if I hit it 5 times I have to push it one more time.

-- I have two best friends, most people have one.

-- I have to read every book twice

-- I have two couches at my house, which is 10 pillows, they are the same size, but instead of having 5 on each I have 6 on one and 4 on another.

-- I use two blankets every night when I sleep.

-- when i buy stuff that is weighted I have to have the last number be even. (Ill even as the worker to put more in or take some out)

-- when I go to dinner I cannot order anything that says it comes with 3 or 5 pieces of something.

-- when eating shelled peanuts Ill only eat the ones that have two peanuts in it. If I take one that has one peanut in it ill dig down untill I find another that has one in it.

-- I have 8 bath towels, 6 wash clothes, 2 sponges, 12 hats, 2 cell phones(only one is active).

-- I must have an even number of freinds on facebook, if I have an odd number for more that 24 hours Ill delete someone.

-- it is 4662 steps from my house to my church... it really should have been 4659 but I took 3 more steps to make it an even number all around...

Ok thats enough looking into my brain...

IM NOT CRAZY... my mother had me checked.

favorites...

This is a completely random post (just how I like it). I thought it would slightly entertaining, light, and fun. Here are a list of a lot of my favorites:

FAVORITE “FAST FOOD” RESTAURANT – subway
FAVORITE “SIT-DOWN” RESTAURANT(s) – anything sushi
FAVORITE MLB TEAM – LA Dodgers
FAVORITE NFL TEAM – Pittsburgh steelers
FAVORITE COLLEGE TEAM – Oregon ducks
FAVORITE NBA TEAM – LA Clippers
FAVORITE TV DRAMA – house
FAVORITE TV COMEDY – the king of queens and chuck
FAVORITE REALITY TV SHOW – biggest loser and the apprentice
FAVORITE NEWS PROGRAM – anything foxnews
FAVORITE MAGAZINE – mens health
FAVORITE BOOK – blue like jazz
FAVORITE “NON-CHRISTIAN” BOOK – talent is never enough
FAVORITE “CHRISTIAN” SONG – bring the rain- mercy me
FAVORITE “SECULAR” SONG – you give love a bad name- bon jovi
FAVORITE “ON MY IPOD WHILE WORKING OUT” SONG – anything fast and loud
FAVORITE “COUNTRY” SONG – life is a highway- rascal flatts
FAVORITE “WORSHIP” SONG – none but Jesus- hillsong
FAVORITE ALBUM – welcome to the freak show- dc talk
FAVORITE CHRISTIAN ARTIST/BAND – switchfoot
FAVORITE RAP ARTIST – dont listen to rap
FAVORITE ROCK ARTIST/BAND – offspring
FAVORITE COUNTRY ARTIST – rascal flatts
FAVORITE BOOK IN THE NEW TESTAMENT – Luke
FAVORITE BOOK IN THE OLD TESTAMENT – Isaiah
FAVORITE FONT – comic scans ms
FAVORITE ICE CREAM – coffee
FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR – opening day
FAVORITE INSPIRATIONAL SPORTS MOVIE – radio
FAVORITE MOVIE TRILOGY – Lord of the rings
FAVORITE 80s ACTION MOVIE – topgun
FAVORITE COMEDY MOVIE – dumb and dumber
FAVORITE CHICK-ISH MOVIE – a walk to remember
FAVORITE ARTIST – dont have one
FAVORITE NAP TIME – anytime is a good time for a nap
FAVORITE SOUND – crack of a ball hitting a bat
FAVORITE GADGET – my iPhone
FAVORITE CONVENIENCE – DVR
FAVORITE VIDEO GAME SYSTEM – PS2
FAVORITE VACATION SPOT – Santa Cruz
Those are just a few of my many favorites...

Light Always Wins!

“God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” – 1 John 1:5

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” – Ephesians 5:8

“You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:14

Nyctophobia is the fear of the dark or of night. Achluophobia is the fear of darkness. I remember as a child that I was a little scared of the dark – a minor case of Achluophobia if you will. For years after my parents had tucked me in for the night, I had to make sure that there either my door was cracked open or that my night light was turned on. For some reason that small amount of light always made me feel better.

I do not think I am alone in my fear of darkness. In fact, there are many companies and people that make a living off people being scared of the dark such as night light companies, hypnotists, and even a smart phone flashlight app.

Being in darkness can be scary. Being in the darkness makes you feel extremely uncomfortable. You feel unsure about yourself. You feel trapped. You feel paralyzed because if you move you might bump into something and hurt yourself.

So why do we feel so much better when a Winnie the Pooh night light is on? Because light always wins!

Try this sometime: go into a large room that you can make absolutely pitch black. Make it as dark as you can in that room. After you fill the room with darkness, take a tiny light – either a small flashlight or even the backlight on your cell phone – and turn it on. What happens? What immediately can you see? The light instantly defeats the darkness. You can be in a room full of darkness, but the smallest light will win everytime. Light can never be defeated by darkness. It just is not possible. Light always wins.

My life is affected by this realization in two ways:

First, Jesus is the light of the world. There are times when I feel like my life is full of darkness. There are times when I choose to be in darkness. However, the light of Jesus defeats that darkness everytime. He is undefeated. He does not lose. I will never hang out in the darkness again because Jesus is the light of my life. There is always hope.

Also, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become the little lights in the darkness of the world. We are able to bring the light into dark situations. Whenever there are people in darkness around me, I bring hope, truth, and light to the darkness. Why? Because I have the light and light always defeats darkness.

No matter how dark a situation you may be seems. Remember…

LIGHT ALWAYS WINS!

rear-view mirror living

As I drove home today, I pulled behind a fairfield police officer. I was unusually calm considering how many times I have been humbled by this country’s fine police officers.

While driving around town, a police car turned onto the street I was driving and immediately pulled behind me. My heart rate started to elevate and I started to get anxious/nervous. I started to perspire and anticipate that something had to be wrong. I started going through the checklist knowing that something was terribly wrong. Do I have my license? Do I have my insurance card and is it current? Oh my goodness, is my vehicle registration current? Do I have my seatbelt on? I immediately looked down at my speedometer and started slowing down (even though I was not going over the speed limit).

I decided to take the next turn to see if the police car was tailing me. Sure enough, the police car turned too. I just knew that I was in trouble without knowing what specifically I was doing wrong. For the next five minutes, I was constantly checking my rear-view mirror praying not to see those dreaded police lights illuminate like exploding fireworks.

The police car finally turned a corner and left my driving record without incident. What a difference of reactions between when the police car was in front of me and when the police car was behind me!

Why did I react that way when the police car pulled behind me? I was doing nothing wrong, but I immediately started living a life like I was doing something wrong. Have you experienced that?

How often do we do the same thing in our spiritual life? Viewing God as the ever-present police car following behind you, judging your every move, can drastically effect your life. Just like my driving when being followed by a police car actually gets worse, my journey on life is drastically effected when viewing God as that constant judge looking over my shoulder.

Rear-view mirror living is no way to live life. That life is filled with paranoia, fear, and anxiety. That life always makes you feel defeated and that you are doing something wrong.

God loves you. He is your father who loves you unconditionally enough to pick you up when you fall and love you through your messes. He is not the police officer on your bumper analyzing your every move, waiting on you to mess up, and then punish you for breaking the rules.

God is for you. He is on your side. He wants you to succeed, not fail. He desires you to know him and live an abundant life with him. If you are struggling with accepting freedom and grace today, God wants you to stop living life looking through your rear-view mirror.

Live free today! Live forgiven!

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” – Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)

“You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteosness.” – Romans 6:18 (NIV)


I want to be free.

Lukewarm People

LUKEWARM PEOPLE attend church fairly regularly. It is what is expected of them, what they believe “good Christians” do, so they go.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE give money to charity and to the church…as long as it doesn’t impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right?

LUKEWARM PEOPLE tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside the church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE don’t really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don’t genuinely hate sin and aren’t truly sorry for it; they’re merely sorry because God is going to punish them. Lukewarm people don’t really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for “extreme” Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call “radical” what Jesus expected of all His followers.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE gauge their morality or “goodness” by comparing themselves to the secular world. They feel satisfied that while they aren’t as hardcore for Jesus as so-and-so, they are nowhere as horrible as the guy down the street.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money, and their thoughts, but He isn’t allowed to control their lives.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. They would be quick to assume you that they try to love God that much, but that sort of total devotion isn’t really possible for the average person; it’s only for pastors and missionaries and radicals.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves. Their love of others is typically focused on those who love them in return, like family, friends, and other people they know and connect with. There is little left over for those who cannot love them back, much less for those who intentionally slight them, whose kids are better athletes than theirs, or with whom conversations are awkward or uncomfortable. Their love is highly conditional and very selective, and generally comes with strings attached.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money, and energy they are willing to give.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven. Daily life is mostly focused on today’s to-do list, this week’s schedule, and next month’s vacation. Rarely, if ever, do they intently consider the life to come.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE are thankful for their luxuries and comforts, and rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor. They are quick to point out, “Jesus never said money is the root of all evil, only that the love of money is.” Untold numbers of lukewarm people feel “called” to minister to the rich; very few feel “called” to minister to the poor.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from from feeling too guilty. They want to do the bare minimum, to be “good enough” without it requiring too much of them.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control. This focus on safe living keeps them from sacrificing and risking for God.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America. Just as the prophets in the Old Testament warned Israel that they were not safe just because they lived in the land of Israel, so we are not safe just because we wear the label Christian or because some people persist in calling us a “Christian nation.”

LUKEWARM PEOPLE do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don’t have to trust God if something unexpected happens – they have their savings account. They don’t need God to help them – they have their retirement plan in place. They don’t genuinely seek out what life God would have them live – they have life figured and mapped out. They don’t depend on God on a daily basis – their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren’t very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn’t be more wrong.

_______________

*From CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan, which is completely kicking my butt.

_______________

I normally don’t like to put chunks of other books on the blog; I would rather simply recommend a book and you read it. However, this was too good not to share.

I shared this description of lukewarm people to encourage you to take a searching, honest look at your life – not for you to use this description to judge fellow believers.

Confessions of an OCD Pastor

If you are a newer reader of this blog, you should know that I do not take myself too seriously. I often will poke fun at myself. I think it is important to keep a sense of humility and to realize that we are all imperfect, jacked-up people who are unconditionally loved by a perfect God. That being said…

Hello, my name is Steve Moore and I am OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).

I am walking a dangerous tightrope right now. On one side is more of a normal, balanced life. On the other side is a life fully submitted to my OCD. All that truly means is that I literally have a life full of strict, thought-out process for almost everything I do. I spend way too much time thinking about mundane details trying to figure out the most efficient way to do certain things. I have my biggest problems when variables in those processes change or are taken away. (I really see the unhealthy side of my OCD come out when I travel because all the variables change. Normally, I think all my processes in my normal environment are extremely efficient and somewhat clever.)

I wanted to be honest and share some of my biggest, quirkiest OCD habits that I have developed over the years (and they keep getting worse as I get older).

TOWELS – yes, towels are one of my biggest OCD processes. Specifically, how I use a towel to dry off after taking a shower.

My process is quite simple. I have designated different parts of the towel to dry off different body parts. It does not matter what towel I use, I can within seconds show you what part of the towel goes with what part of the body. However, the entire process starts with the TAG on the towel.

Now before you think I am completely insane, there is a perfectly logical, reasonable explanation for this process. The bottom line (no pun intended) is that I have no desire to dry off my face with the same part of the towel where I just dried off my – how can I put this tastefully – “bathing suit area.” Seriously, that is so disgusting to me. Call me crazy; laugh at me; but at least I am not wiping my face down with the part of the towel that was all up in my butt and man zone.

I freak out when I am using a towel with no tag. My solution to this problem is simple – I simply only use the towel once. There is no reusing of a tag-less towel.

Going back to my parents house where I grow up is always difficult when it comes to this OCD habit. I was reminded of this when I went to Merced a few weeks ago. I think my mom likes to mess with me and watch me freak out on this OCD habit. She is the only woman in the world who buys towels without a tag or will cut the tags of the towels she buys. This makes things very difficult for me and my drying off process.

One time a few years ago, I had finished my shower and was standing soaking wet trying to examine the towel I was using like Gil Grissom examines a crime scene. I could not find the tag. I could not even find the little tag-nub where my mom cut off the tag. I was starting to freak at the thought of having to air dry because of not being able to find the tag.

At that critical moment I was reminded of 2 Timothy 1:7 (the official verse of recovering OCDs), “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

Did I go ahead and use the towel with reckless abandonment? No way! That’s gross! I used the spirit of power God gives me by taking a black sharpie and marking a huge “X” where I thought the tag should have been.

Problem solved.

Hello, my name is Steve Moore and I am OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).

Morning Run

On my run this morning, I just was not feeling it. I did not run faster than normal. I did not run farther than normal. In fact, nothing was significantly different than most of my runs. It was just one of those days where my feet felt heavy from the first step and I knew it was going to be a struggle just to keep my feet moving. It was going to take all the discipline and will-power I had to get through the run. Nevertheless, I decided to tough it out, grit my teeth, and run.

You ever have those days?

Have you ever had those days spiritually?

You know those days. The days where nothing seems to be different than your normal routine. Those days where you begin to become tired and bored from the mundane, normalcy of life. Those days where nothing necessarily bad is happening, but nothing necessarily good is happening either. Maybe you are waking up after a night’s sleep and immediately feeling tired. Maybe you have no energy or drive to thrive and make a difference at your work/school. You know that getting through the day connected to your Heavenly Father is going to take all the discipline and will power you have inside you, but you do not know if you have it today. You feel tired, weary, burdened, and that you have heavy spiritual feet during these times.

Back to my run this morning…

I was struggling and pushing through the blah of the run this morning. During the final stretch of the run when everything inside of me told me to quit, I was reminded of who I was and whose I was. Through my iPod came a powerful song full of truth at just the right time, “Nothing Without You” by Bebo Norman. If you are tired, let the words of this powerful song minister to you and remind you of who you are and whose you are…

Take these hands and lift them up
For I have not the strength to praise You near enough
For I have nothing, I have nothing without You

Take my voice and pour it out
Let it sing the songs of mercy I have found
For I have nothing, I have nothing without You

All my soul needs
Is all Your love to cover me
So all the world will see
That I have nothing without You

Take my body and build it up
May it be broken as an offering of love
For I have nothing, I have nothing without You

All my soul needs
Is all Your love to cover me
So all the world will see
That I have nothing
But I love You

With all my heart
With all my soul
With all my mind
With all the strength that I can find

Take my time here on this earth
And let it glorify all that You are worth
For I am nothing,
I am nothing without You

May you run and not grow faint today. Remember Jesus’ words today from Matthew 11:28,“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

___________________

The song that followed “Nothing Without You” was “I'm Lion-0” by Relient K, but I couldn’t find any deep, spiritual application from that song.

No Shave November 2010

Yes, it is time for me to earn some more points to my man card. There is no better way to do that than by participating in “No Shave November” and growing a manly beard.

No Shave November is as simple as it sounds. All NSN consists of is picking a part of your body you normally shave and do not shave that area for the month of November. No Shave November is not gender biased. Women are encouraged as well as men in participating in this awesome month-long journey. It is not a competition. So if you know you have patchy, inconsistent facial hair that might be considered weak, you have nothing to worry about. Let it grow proudly. No Shave November is all about giving our Pro Glides, Mach 3s, Venuses, Fusions, Quattros, Norelcos, and Remingtons a well-deserved break for one month.

I participated in No Shave November for the first time in 2008 and it was awesome. It was my first time to sport a beard and I promised myself that it would not be my last time. I hope to grow a fuller, thicker, more manlier beard this year.

this year, I will be keeping a daily record of my No Shave November experiment (not on the blog because that would be super boring for you, thus guaranteeing the loss of all my consistent readers) but will post sporadic updates on how the beard is coming. My goal is to take a picture everyday at the same spot, mesh all the pictures together, and make a sweet animation video of my beard growing before your very eyes

So are you going to join me in participating in No Shave November 2010?

Men, are you going to join me in rocking the best beard you can grow in 30 days? Women, are you going to join me in letting your legs, your armpits, one leg/one armpit, or even a patch on your knees grow free for 30 days? Those of you that may have some rules and regulations about facial hair in your school or workplace, let me encourage you to grow something in the spirit of NSN. If you go to school where you can only have sideburns to your ears and hair above your upper lip, then I encourage you to rock the best sideburns and stache that you can for 30 days.

Can I count on you joining the No Shave November army starting TODAY?

Spiritual Coffee

When I was a kid, I distinctly remember being told, “Steven, do not drink coffee because it will stunt your growth.”

It turns out that health tip is more fiction than fact. MSNBC.com says so. Teenhealthfx.com says so. Kidshealth.org says so. And we all know that the Internet never lies.

For years, I would not even touch the stuff out of fear of not growing and looking like a gnome. I had no clue if that saying is true. I did not research that advice before following it. (I did, however, end up 6’ without ever touching the stuff, so I thought it was true.) However, I cared enough to stay away from something that could potentially stunt my growth.

As I was thinking through this subject, I began to realize that people have been telling me for years to stay away from certain things that would stunt my spiritual growth – kind of like spiritual coffee. Sometimes I would listen to the advice. Other times I would ignore that advice and just try to get by on my own.

Have you been ever been there?

Let me share what I have found to be 3 spiritual coffees that will stunt your spiritual growth:

1. NOT COMMUNICATING WITH GOD. Would you ever be in a relationship with another person that you considered to be a strong relationship where you never talked or communicated with that person? Of course not! Realize that you are in a relationship with God – a real talking/listening relationship. A relationship requires communication to maintain health and stability. Talk to God. Read His Word. Communicate!

2. NOT BEING CONNECTED TO THE BODY. The church is often compared in the Bible to a body. The different people in the church are the body parts that work together in one unit. It is impossible for a part of the body to work and become what it should be apart from the body. You have something specific and unique to bring to the Body of Christ. Whether you are a arm, a nose, an eye, or toenail in the Body of Christ, the Body is not complete unless you are connected. However, the same applies with you. You cannot grow and become what God wants you to be unless you are connected to the Body. Connecting with people who share and encourage your faith is vital for growth. Get involved and stay connected!

3. BITTERNESS IN YOUR HEART. If you are unable to forgive other people or give second chances, you will stunt your own spiritual growth. Ephesians 4:31 (NIV) says to “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” Having a white-knuckled grip on bitterness, anger, and grudges limit our spiritual growth. We must get bitterness and anger out of our hearts and forgive others as Christ has forgive us.

What’s the spiritual coffee in your life that is stunting your spiritual growth?

May the Lord reveal those things to us today and give us the strength and the courage to initiate change in our lives today. Have a great day. Bless God!

The Rubik's Cube Gospel

I have distinct memories as a child of watching my father working on rubik’s cubes. Now for those of you who are part of the XBOX 360/Nintendo Wii generation, a rubik’s cube is a toy that is a mental puzzle. The challenge and objective of the rubik’s cube is to twist and turn the blocks around till each side of the cube is a solid color. Only when each side is a solid color at the same time is the puzzle completed.

My dad was incredible at the rubik’s cube. It is unbelievable. He must have had a class during college called “Rubik’s Cube 101″. Of course like most little boys, I wanted to be just like my Dad, so I naturally wanted to conquer the rubik’s cube.

I found out quickly that I was biting off more than I could chew. I found out that the rubik’s cube is really difficult. I was terrible at it. At times, I was luckily able to get one of the colors aligned just right, but every other side would be completely jacked up. So to fix the other sides, I would have to mess up the side I actually got right. On the other hand, I would be absolutely amazed at how easy and seemingly effortlessly my dad could master a rubik’s cube.

As I starting thinking more about my rubik’s cube experience more, I started realizing that the rubik’s cube had a lot of similarities to my walk with God.

How many of you can say that you have this whole “life-with-God-thing” completely figured out? I know I can’t. At times I feel like I cannot get anything right, much less understand the full complexity of God. As I have grown in my relationship with God, I feel like sometimes I have actually figured something out about life with God (like getting one side of the rubik’s cube correct), but everything else still seems to be unclear (the rest of the rubik’s cube is still wrong). And it seems to figure those things out, I have to break down what I feel like I do have a grasp on.

Does that make sense?

I wish that there was just one answer to the question: What is life with God all about? That would look like a rubik’s cube with only one color, but God (and the rubik’s cube) is not that easy.

The Charlie Hall song “One Thing” beautifully states, “All of life comes down to just one thing…and that’s to know you, Oh Jesus, and make you known.” I always found that song ironic because all of life comes down to one thing which is actually two things. But it makes sense! You cannot have one without the other. They go hand-in-hand.

I wanted to encourage you today as your grow in your relationship with God to not give up. Keep searching. Keep seeking. Always push yourself to keep growing. Know that it is a process and a journey, not a moment.

Remember what I did when I got frustrated and could not figure out the rubik’s cube? I gave it to my father and he was able to fix it for me. During times where you are struggling in your relationship with God, struggling in your faith, or struggling to keep going, when you want to put the rubik’s cube down in frustration, remember that your Heavenly Father is a master at the rubik’s cube.

hands held high...

“So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses help up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat upon it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up – one on one side, one on the other – so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.” – Exodus 17:10-13

This portion of God’s Word has been on my heart a lot lately. I have been trying to fully wrap my mind around these words and see how it applies to you and me. Here is what I came up with:

We use all type of metaphor’s to describe our daily relationship with God. Some call it a journey. Some call it their spiritual walk. Others call it a spiritual rollercoaster.

My relationship with God can probably be more accurately described as a constant battle. A battle to choose to do the right things. A battle to choose selflessness over selfishness. A battle to pursue holiness in a world that does not value holiness. A battle to not define God by the people that say they follow him. A battle to endure life and the distractions of this world while maintaining your focus on God.

Like Exodus 17, I see my life in a constant battle. A battle between two worlds – the selfless, holy, God-following world vs the selfish, sinful, world-following world. Like any true battle, winning requires effort.

Moses had to keep his hands raised to win his battle. That may not sound like much but holding your hands in the air gets pretty difficult after a while. If you do not believe me, go ahead and hold your hands as high as you can for as long as you can. It starts to burn after a while. I can see why how over the course of a battle, Moses would get tired, give into gravity, and let his hands fall. When his hands were raised, they would be winning the battle. When he would get tired and his hands would fall, they would be losing the battle. Only after his friends were there to help consistently hold his hands high, could Moses keep his hands up.

I see the same cycle happening in my life. When I have energy, focus, and things going my way, I have my hands stretched towards heavenly in victory. However, when I am tired, weary, and burdened I go through hands-down stretches of defeat. Yet, I still go through the same cycle…good, bad, good, bad, hands up in victory, hands down in defeat, etc.

There has to be a way to be more consistent. Sometimes I am not strong enough. Sometimes I cannot do it on my own. Sometimes I do not have the strength to keep going. How do we keep our hands raised in victory when we grow weary and tired? According to Exodus 17, other believers are there to help us. People in your life that support you and want to see you win those spiritual battles should come beside you, hold you hands high, and help take you to victory.

Some of you reading this right now know exactly what I am saying. You have spent years going through the cycle of hands raised of victory and hands lowered in defeat. It is almost as if you have spiritual multiple personalities. You are craving spiritual consistency and consistent victories.

Others of you maybe right at the point of feeling tired. You have tried to endure, but your shoulders are burning. Maybe you are frustrated with the church and want to give up. Maybe you are frustrated in relationships and want to give up. Maybe you are tired of simply being tired.

Let me encourage you to find people in your life that will help hold your victorious hands high. Find those in your life that you trust and share your life. Tell them the specific areas of your life you need help. Tell them you are not strong enough to get through the battle alone. WARNING – this will require you to take off your Sunday suit/dress, be honest, and get real.

Others of you should be helping others more by being hand-lifters in other’s lives. You know people who are struggling to retain consistency in their spiritual walk. You see them go through the vicious cycle of inconsistency. WIll you care enough about those with their hands down in defeat to do something about it?

Are you tired? Do you need somebody to come alongside you and help hold your hands high? I know I sure do.

Thanks for reading.

Last Meal

I am wierd. I know it. I have accepted that fact.

To understand me better you must know that my mind is always going about any and everything. From the time I wake up to the time I enter a deep R.E.M. sleep, my mind is going one hundred miles per hour. Please do not misunderstand me, this does not mean that I am in a constant state of deep, important thought about pressing global issues and the theological mysteries of this world.

That being said, I was thinking this morning what it would like to be on death row. Now for the majority of the time, I think it would be an unpleasant experience. However, there I can think of a couple positives in the death row experience.

Being a pretty hardcore introvert (meaning I get my energy from times of being alone or with a small group of close friends, not that I do not like people), I think I would enjoy the time of quiet and solitude. I could probably some serious thinking and reading done during that time.

I also could see the LAST MEAL being an incredible experience. I think this is the one advantage death row people have over us non-death row people.

If you do not know what the death row last meal is, it is the last meal that inmates on death row get to pick everything they get to eat before they are executed. They get to hand pick everything without any rules or limitations. If they want breakfast food, they get it. A great steak from their favorite restaurant, they got it. Aside from the whole execution thing, not a bad way to go.

I started to think about what would be on the menu for my last meal. Here is what I came up with for my last meal:

1 bloomin onion from Outback steakhouse
2 tacos from Taquaria Los Gallos
pan seared pot stickers from costco (ling ling brand)
Caramel white mocha's from starbucks(notice the 's... more than one)
spider roll and spicy tuna roll from Yamamori sushi boat
fried catfish from texas roadhouse
couple pieces of my mothers meatloaf
2 scoups of watermelon sherbert from maryanns in santa cruz
IMPORTANT NOTE: this list is subject to change.

What about you? What would be on your last meal? Be specific. Meaning if you want Gatorade at your last meal, tell what specific flavor. If you want a nice steak, tell what restaurant or grill you want that steak to come from.

What would be on your last meal?

I Am Second Josh Hamilton

another reason to love Josh Hamilton

We are... Revolution

Rubbish

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. - Philippians 3: 7-11 (NIV)

I am fascinated by the word “rubbish” from this chunk of Scripture. Unless, you are British, you probably do not use that word in your day-to-day vocabulary. It is the Greek word “skubalon”. This is the only time in Scripture where that word is used. “Skubalon” literally translated means “$***” – a curse word that I probably should not use on my blog or in my regular vocabulary.

That’s a strong word used by one of the church’s greatest leaders in history. “Skubalon” is a word that would either perk you up and listen if you were zoning out the weekly sermon; it is a word that might cause you to blush if you heard it from your favorite preacher; and it is a word that could possibly offend you if your preacher used it from the pulpit.

I believe Paul is trying to prove a point by using such a strong word. I think he is yelling at the top of his lungs, “WAKE UP PEOPLE! GET SERIOUS! QUIT PLAYING AROUND! QUIT PLAYING CHURCH! AND UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT AND PRECIOUS THAN KNOWING JESUS. EVERYTHING ELSE IS (BEEP)!”

Let me encourage you today…

Wake up! Get serious! Quit playing around! Quit playing church! And understand that there is nothing more important and precious than knowing Jesus. Everything else is…well…skubalon

thought-provoking quote

Listening to a podcast recently, I heard this quote:

“What you make optional in life, you will eventually stop doing.”

I have not been able to shake this quote since hearing it. It has me thinking. Over and over again I have been asking myself, “Is this quote true?”

After thinking long and hard about that question, I have come to believe that the answer is yes. Let’s think about this…

For example, let’s take a look at the half marathon im planning on running being in, in june 2011. As of today, I have been training for 3 weeks for this race. Because training has been optional, there have been times when I have made excuses to cut corners or simply stop running – a tight hamstring, no energy, not enough sleep, bad weather, stomach problems, etc. It has been a weekly battle to keep waking up and pounding the pavement. However, something changed last Friday… I officially registered for the marathon. Now training is not optional. I have broken down and paid the entrance fee and there is no turning back. When the alarm goes off that june morning for the dreaded 13.1-mile run, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be ready to run. It does not matter what the situation, I will running because now it is not optional.

Let’s take a look at another example…

What about church? Is church optional for you and your family? Being involved and working full-time for a church, I have seen many people where church is optional. When something is not easy or convenient - staff member change, leadership disagreement, a shift in direction of a ministry, etc – I have seen way too many people walk away from the church. It became optional. If church is optional for you, you will eventually stop going.

I hope you chew on this quote like I have. Test it. See for yourself if it is true. Tell me if you think it is wrong. Tell me why you think it is wrong. I would love to hear your thoughts on this…

“What you make optional in life, you will eventually stop doing.”

lessons from my first year in ministry

1. you will not please everyone, its nice to try but the reality is, someone will always complain.
2. people dont see what you do day in and day out so when they dont see results they think you are lazy, we are not.
3. getting into schools is alot harder than I ever thought it would be, you have to be creative to be able to walk on campus.
4. Always be ready to preach on sunday morning, you never know when your senior pastor might need you to do the morning message.
5. if your not growing spiritually you group will not either.
6. parents and leaders are your best asset and your worse asset. Use them the right way and your ministry will flourish.
7. Be organized, a youth pastor shuold be able to cast vision 3-6 months in advance, and plus it makes our jobs alot easier.
8. Preaching in series' is he best way to go, week to week makes for more work. A series gives you a direction of where you are going and helps your kids remember what they are learning.
9. sunday school is a great time to hang out with your students and just talk. Most Kids arent awake on sunday mornings so I found just talking to them and praying with them is the best use of time.
10. The best way to grow your ministry is by doing cheap monthly events.
11. Taking a sabbath is the best thing you can do. It not only rests your body but also your spirit. Taking a day where you do nothing seems crazy but in fact its worship to God. When you take a day and do nothing like God instructed you are telling God "I trust you, I trust that you will take care of me today".
12. Youth ministry is fun, hard work, rewarding, frustrating, crazy, and the greatest thing anyone can ever do. some nights you want to scream and quit, some night you want to jump and thank God... hopefully the latter happens more.
13. Music is the best way to invite the holy spirit into your ministry, students respond to music, more than anything, you need music to be successfull.
14. Be respectful but tell parents what you feel and the truth, sugar coating they have a demon for a child will do nothing for you, tell the parent but do it nicely.
15. Dont be afraid to discipline your youth, they will respect you for it after the fact, but it sucks when you have to do it.
16. energy, energy, energy.
17. Integrity of the ministry is way more important than numbers.
18. Your students will replicate who you are, if you are a worshipper they will be as well, what are you wanting your kids to replicate?
19. Caffiene is your best friend
20. 15 hour lock ins are the devil
21. serve your pastor like you want your leaders to serve you
22. time with your students outside of the midweek service is the most important time you have spend with them, and you grow with them
23. you may not always be right and you may make mistakes but be willing to learn from them.
24. Put a leadership team around you who is experienced, they will greatly help you when you make mistakes.
25. your youth ministry vision should help your pastors vision, if it isnt you need to go.

thoughts on steelers vs ravens

Pittsburgh 14 Baltimore 17.

- our Defense is probably the best in football, its certainly the best I have ever seen them play.
- Coach Tomlin should have trusted his Defense more, Pittsburgh was up by 4 with 1:20 left with a 4th and 10 on thier own 2. I would have taken the safety and kicked off, sure you set up a field goal to win it, but when your D is playing that well, its a gamble I would take.
- 3-1 going into the bye week is way more than any steelers fan much less football fan would have predicted without Ben Roethlisberger.
- with Ben coming back after the bye week this team is much more dangerous.
- cleveland and baltimore are non factors in this division, which means next games vs Baltimore is that much more important to the steelers division title hopes.

How I would fix the Dodgers

so Ill start this out by stating who will be on the team next year:

Andre Ethier
Matt Kemp
Rafael Furcal
James Loney
Casey Blake
Chad Billingsley
Clayton Kershaw
Hong Chi Kuo
Jonathan Broxton
Jamey Carrol
Ronald Belisario
Kenley Jansen
Jay Gibbons
AJ Ellis

non tenders:
Russell Martin
Ryan Theriot
George Sherrill
Ramon Troncoso

Free agents:

Ted Lilly
Hiroki Kuroda
Vicente Padilla
Jeff Weaver
Brad Ausmus
Rod Barajas
Reed Johnson
Scott Podsednick

that being said I would resign Ted Lilly as long as its no longer than 3 years, you dont want to sign a guy who will be 35 to a long term contract, sign jeremy Bonderman to be the 4th starter. For the fifth starter I would open up a competition in spring training to John ely, Jon link and maybe somebody else.

Bing back Rod Barajas, AJ Ellis as back up. Sign George Cantu to play third, make casey blake a back-up third base and first baseman. Sign Carlos Pena and trade James loney and Jon broxton to the cardinals for Colby Rasmus

Sign Jason Kubel to play left field with Jay gibbons already the back up corner outfield.

sign some new bullpen guys, and make the new closer a mix of Kenley Jansen and Hong Chi Kuo.

here is what the team looks like now under my proposed plan:

C- Rod Barajas
1b- Carlos Pena
2b- Colby Rasmus
3b- George Cantu
SS- Rafael Furcal
LF- Jason Kubel
CF- Matt Kemp
RF- Andre Ethier

SP1- Clayton Kershaw
SP2- Chad Billingsley
SP3- Ted Lilly
SP4- Jeremy Bonderman
Sp5- Ely, Link, someone else

bench:

MI- Jamey carrol
CI- Casey Blake
OF- Jay Gibbons
C- AJ Ellis
OF- Reed Johnson

Bullpen:

RP- Ronald Belisario
RP- Chad durbin
RP- loser of link and ely competition
RP- matt Guirrer
RP- Ramon Troncoso
RP- Hong Chi Kuo
CP- Kenley Jansen


I still think this is a 3rd place team in the west, but this is a realistic evaluation of what the team could look like. the payroll in my proposed plan would be around 80-85 million. Then again with this team it will probaly keep broxton, theriot and podsednick...


SELL THE TEAM

Unstoppable

my fantasy hockey draft just took place, thought I would share my team... going for the fourpeat...

Centers-

Sydney Crosby
Paval Datsyuk
Derek Roy
Travis Zajak
Patrick Elias

Left Winger-

Patrick Marleau
Zach Parise

Right winger-

Patric Hornqvist
Mike knuble

Defenseman-

Christian Ehrhoff
Chris Pronger
Lubimor Visnovsky

Goal Tenders-

Antti Niemi
Niklas Backstrom
Mikka Kiprusoff

Mathematically Eliminated: a Poem of Defeat

I was sure that we'd conquer the National League west,
we should have won it all at our very, very best

Through loss after loss I did not give up hope
(though our hitters at times made it real tough to cope).

But last eve my dreams got officially crushed;
all hopes for October were miserably flushed.

When broxton allowed five whole runs in a save chance,
he smashed our last chance at the post-season dance.

In darkness I sat with my bon-bons and sorrow,
not having a reason to wake up tomorrow.

But then some hope rose from my gloomy abyss
that turned those dark thoughts into bittersweet bliss.

The thing that can turn my depression to glee?
Spoiling the chance of the lousy giants...

Meet Vicks dog house

fantasy football league...

qb's
Peyton Manning
Tom Brady
Sam Bradford
Ben Roethlisberger

Wideouts
Marquez Colston
Dez Bryant
Jerricho Cotchery
Golden Tate
Steve Breaston

Running backs
Rashard Mendenhall
Thomas Jones

tight ends
Visanthe Shiancoe
Jeremy Shockey

Kicker
Sebastian Janikowski

Defense teams
Pittsburgh
Minnesota

Defensive players
Patrick Willis
James Harrison
Justin King
Robert Mathis

do something people sacrifice...

REVOLUTION is currently in the middle of a series called “DO SOMETHING”. In this series, we are being challenged to put our faith into motion by choosing to do something for others. Becoming the very hands and feet of Jesus on this planet and ultimately changing the world.

But for many of us, we must first go to the doctor before becoming a DO SOMETHING person. Many of us are suffering from a serious, life-threatening disease called “ME-ITIS“. “ME-ITIS” people think they are the center of the universe. “ME-ITIS” people think the world actually revolves around them. When “ME-ITIS” people do not get what they want when they want it, they pout, complain, and blame others. “ME-ITIS” people rarely put other’s interests in front of their own. And the few times they do something for somebody else, it is usually for attention or so they can get something in return.

Simply put, “ME-ITIS” people are jerks.

Paul talks directly to people suffering from “ME-ITIS” in Philippians 2:3-8…

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

My challenge to you today is this…do not be a “ME-ITIS” person. Be a DO SOMETHING person.

Becoming a DO SOMETHING person will require sacrifice. It will not be easy. It will not be normal. It will not be comfortable.

DO SOMETHING people sacrifice…

1.TIME. Time is limited. Time is precious. Be a person that does something important for others with your time.

2.COMFORT. Doing something for God is not always comfortable. Changing the world is not always comfortable. Being bold with your faith is not always comfortable. Making a difference and taking a stand is not always comfortable. Being a leader is not always comfortable. Do Something people understand this.

3.MONEY. Do Something people are generous and put their money where their mouth is. Do Something people are not selfish with their money because they realize that money is a gift from God that can be used to Do Something.

4.TALENT. Do Something people realize that God gave them their talents. Do you want to do something big for God? Use your talents to bring him glory. Make God more famous by using the talents he has given you.

The B-I-B-L-E

If prayer – at its simplest form – is talking to God, then reading the Bible – at its simplest form – is letting God talk to you.

When you really break it down, reading the Bible (like prayer) is communication. And communication is a crucial element in any intimate relationship…including a relationship with God. Without communication, relationships die.

Through the Bible, God speaks to the core issues of your life. He roots out the anger behind the depression many experience. He uncovers the insecurity behind your self-destructive habits. He tells you how deeply loved and accepted you are. He draws you to Himself by explaining the price He paid to know you and to be known by you.

For you to have consistency in your relationship with God, it is crucial for you to have consistent, intimate time with God through reading the Bible.

Here are five easy steps to allow God to rock your wold through the Bible…

GET A BIBLE. Sounds weird, but I meet people all the time who do not own a Bible. Invest in a Bible. Download a Bible app, its free and mobile.

FIND A TRANSLATION YOU CAN UNDERSTAND. There’s the NIV, NLT, Message, TNIV, ESV, NASV, King James, NKJV, CEV, Amplified, NCV, etc…Here’s the point: there are options. Don’t read a Bible you can’t understand. Find one you can understand.

CARVE OUT SPECIFIC TIME IN YOUR DAILY SCHEDULE TO READ THE BIBLE. Find a time that works with your schedule. I recommend either right when you wake up or right before you go to sleep. Be consistent with that time. Combine this time with your prayer time.

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS WHEN YOU PRAY. When reading a specific passage, ask yourself these four questions: What does this passage say? Learn to summarize the Bible in your own words. Why is this important? Understand why you need to know this fact or principle. What should I do about it? Learn how to specifically apply Scripture to your life. How can I remember this? Learn how to not forget what you learned. Memorize a verse, write a verse on a card, share a verse with a friend, etc.

HAVE A PLAN. Don’t just blindly flip through the Bible. Have a plan. Know where you are going. I highly recommend 2 plans: Project345. The average time it takes a person to read a chapter of the Bible is 3 minutes and 45 seconds. Project345.com is a reading plan that gives you one New Testament chapter a day. If you stay consistent with Project345, you will read the entire New Testament in under a year. Proverb-a-Day. There are 31 chapters of Proverbs. The maximum numbers of days in a month is 31. In the Proverb-a-Day plan, match the day of the month with that chapter in Proverbs. Like I always say, “A Proverb-a-day keeps the devil away.”

Prayer

Prayer – at its simplest form – is talking to God.

When you really break it down, prayer is communication. And communication is a crucial element in any intimate relationship…including a relationship with God.

But what happens when we dont communicate with God? We pray a prayer, get dunked in baptistries, or make a one-time commitment to enter into an intimate relationship with God and then never talk to him after making that commitment. And we wonder why we are not close to God.

For you to have consistency in your relationship with God, it is crucial for you to have a consistent, intimate prayer life with God.

A consistent, intimate prayer life with God will…

KEEP YOU CLOSE TO GOD. It’s a proven fact that you are closest to the ones that you talk to the most. The same principle applies to God.

KEEP YOU FOCUSED ON A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, NOT RELIGION. If you do not have any intimate communication with God, he tends to get regulated to a church building and certain days of the week. He becomes a duty. This religious approach is why so many people go to church every week but their lives never change.

HELP YOU REALIZE THE URGENCY OF SPENDING TIME WITH GOD. Many times people do not spend time with God because there is no urgency to do so. Getting to work, school, or practice on time is urgent. After all, if you miss prayer time, there is no immediate consequence. You don’t get fired. You don’t get kicked off the team. You don’t have to repeat a class. You don’t get written up. But if you don’t realize the urgency of spending time with God, you will suffer a consequence eventually – you will not develop intimacy with God.

Here are five things that will help you have a better prayer life…

CARVE OUT SPECIFIC TIME IN YOUR DAILY SCHEDULE TO PRAY. Find a time that works with your schedule. I recommend either right when you wake up or right before you go to sleep. Be consistent with that time.

PRAY “TWITTER” PRAYERS. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to “pray continually”. Other versions say “pray without ceasing”, “pray all the time”, and “never stop praying”. Twitter limits you to updates that are 140 characters of fewer. Pray throughout the day short prayers to stay connected throughout the day. Think texting with God throughout the day.

GET ALONE TO PRAY. Jesus consistently got alone to connect with God. Prayer is a private thing.

BE CREATIVE WITH PRAYER. Pray the Bible. Find prayers in Scripture and pray those. Pray through worship music. Pray through journaling.

BE OPEN, HONEST, AND REAL. GOD CAN HANDLE IT. Share your heart with God. If you’re mad, tell him. If you’re frustrated, tell him. If you’re doubting, tell him. If you’re full of joy, tell him. Wherever you are, be open, honest, and real. God can handle it

20 predictions for the rest of the MLB year

1. San Diego will win the NL west
2. St Louis wins the NL Central
3. Atlanta wins the NL East
4. Cincinnati wins the Wild card
5. The rays win the AL East
6. Minnesota wins the AL Central
7. Texas wins the AL West
8. New York wins the Wild Card
9. Texas beats Minnesota to go to the world series
10. Cincinnati beats San Diego to go to the world series
11. Texas wins the world series with Cliff lee winning the WSMVP
12. The divorce forces the McCourts to sell the dodgers which are purchased by Mark Cuban
13. Cliff Lee stays in Texas with a new 5 year contract
14. Matt kemp and two prospects are traded to Florida for Josh Johnson
15. New Manager of the Dodgers is Bobby Valentine
16. Trevor Hoffman saves 3 more games for 600 saves and retires as the best closer ever
17. Albert Pujols is given a new 8 year contract by the Cards 8 years 225 million
18. David price and Ubaldo Jiminez win the Cy young awards
19. Joey Votto and Miguel Cabrera win the MVP awards
20. I win my Fantasy baseball league… (I am in first place right now so its not far fetched)

25 predictions for the 2010 NFL football season

1. Ben Roethlisberger only misses 4 games and leads the Steelers to a 11 win season
2. With new coaching and a new running back Kansas City wins 11 games and the AFC west
3. Houston beats the colts twice this season and wins the AFC South
4. The Dolphins win the AFC East over New England
5. The Jets win 7 games
6. Pittsburgh wins the AFC North over Baltimore
7. T O and Chad Johnson rip apart the Bengals and they win 6 games
8. Atlanta wins the NFC south
9. Brett Favre does not retire and Minnesota wins the NFC north
10. Washington wins the NFC East over Dallas by one game
11. Arizona and San Francisco both win 9 games tying for the division lead
12. Arizona wins the division because of a harder strength of schedule
13. new Orleans and Green bay win the wild card in the NFC
14. Indianapolis and San Diego win the wild card in the AFC
15. Brett Favre starts all 16 games again and beats green bay 2 more times
16. Andre Johnson wins the offensive MVP
17. Patrick Willis wins the Defensive MVP
18. Matt Shaub leads the league with passing yards
19. Ndamukong Suh wins rookie of the year
20. best team to not make the playoffs: 49ers
21. raiders win total 4
22. LT rushes for 1000 yards with the Jets
23. upset of the season: Detroit beats New England in week 12
24. Minnesota beats Pittsburgh in the Super bowl 35-31
25. I will win my fantasy football league for the first time ever

my favorite moment while in Minnesota

A chapel service at Northcentral

good 2 minute sermon...

saw this and wanted to share...

"To be a survivor in this amazing race with a need for speed you need God's grace. if your desperate like housewives watching days of our lives, you cant come with out hope and that not on a soap. If you look into Oprah or Dr. Phil you can shop non stop or pop a pill. but the void wont fill and the pain wont kill till you love the one who hung on a hill.

Kickin back in your lazy boy easy chair watchin who wants to be a millionaire, na your not going to find it there, no American idol or tribal council has a final answer that will satisfy ya, CSI ain't got a clue, SVU don't know what to do, not even ER, the OC, CD, DVD, or Mp3 can save you and me.

CNN's got no good news, here's a headline... you must choose, its not a simple life Paris Hilton, treading on thin ice, living in sin, you could be an apprentice for Donald Trump or eat fear factor garbage from a dump, you could be a heavy hitter or wheel of fortune winner, a fox news spin zone spinner or a flat out sinner, but you better check this life your livin and make sure your sins are forgiven.

I bet you 50 cent, Elvis done came and went and eventually black eyed peas, Gwen stefani, p diddy, britney and every wanna be on mtv with there icy bling, every dixy chick that sings, there all gonna see the king of kings.

I don't care if your j-lo, Leno or bono, one thing you gotta know is someday your gonna die bro, then where ya gonna go?

hey I'm not talking some punk junk that's irrelevant like your grandmas church from way back when, its not some preacher feature on tbn that you need to be like or listen, the real superstar is Jesus Christ. Hes the way the truth and light. One day hes gonna split the sky, hes the brightest light and the highest high.

So what I came to say and what I'm telling you is don't but that stupid stuff they be selling you. Its all designed to fill your head and waste your space till your dead.

here's the bottom line to this rhyme, Give your life to God while theres still time."

NCN Bay Area summer conference!

We had a blast... here are some pictures of the week!