Tag Archives: leadership
Recently, under the weight of insecurities, fears and the inevitable self-evaluation we all perform in the process of transition I came to the place where I was considering to quit writing. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy writing but I honestly felt I have had nothing to say of value. If I were honest, I’d say in many ways I still feel that way. Good thing I refuse to let my emotions keep me down.
I finally got around to listening to an audiobook named “Quitter” a New York Times Best Seller from Jon Acuff. In chapter three, Jon got me good by talking about his two sides “today Jon” and “later Jon.” Today Jon says, “today is a good day to write…I’m gonna hammer out a few ideas.” Then Later Jon interjects, “ya…you could…or you could just do it later…you will have more energy and feeling much more creative…later.” This analogy hit home pretty hard for me. It describes me where I have been.
I can’t, we can’t, allow this mindset to settle in because it is a cancerous thought that will root its way to the place where we want to give in and give up. Regardless of whatever level of success or accomplishment we achieve, we are not immune to its effects. Allowing that conversation in my head almost stopped me from writing…it may be stopping you from your “more” whatever that may be. Whatever it is you feel you should just give up because of this or that I encourage you to join me in taking the risk and invest wholeheartedly into the dream of our hearts. I refuse to be a quitter. What about you?
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Leave a comment | tags: acuff, audiobook, challenges, Christianity, current-events, day job, dreams, faith, God, growing pains, hope, Jesus, Jon Acuff, Kingdom, leadership, life, new york times best seller, passion, quit, quitter, refuse, religion, spirituality, Stuff Christians Like, taking the risk, thankfulness, theology, walk with god, writing | posted in Books, Christianity, Encouraging, Falling, Humorous, Inspiring, Kingdom, Life, Trust
I don’t know about you but I am a creature of habit and change it not an easy thing. Yet, it seems life is constantly changing around me, good, bad and indifferent change is afoot and at work. In most of the times that I have been confronted with change its always been terrifying. It was scary when I realized my inadequacies to save myself and so I gave my life to Christ; it was scary when I had to get my first job and pay bills; it was scary when I quit one job for another and even worse when I was fired from a job. Fear tags alongside change but what most people miss in times of change is faith because fear chokes out faith.
Thankfully, God is constant (Hebrews 13:8), unchanging and undaunted by the circumstances we face in life. Nothing takes Him off guard. When change comes in fear will try to creep in but when we allow God to invade the spaces of our life…faith will always arise. Faith that our God has a great plan, faith that He is ever faithful, faith that He will finish the work He has started in us! Change is not always bad but the enemy will do everything he can to get your perspective of change off of God and onto the mess. Too easily we forget that God is the expert on taking our mess and turning it into a message. God makes all things new…but only if we can give it to Him. Today I challenge you to do that: embrace the change and the newness that God has and as Jon Acuff says, “PUNCH FEAR IN THE FACE!”
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Leave a comment | tags: challenges, Christ, Christianity, church, current-events, dream, faith, Fear, God, hope, Jesus, Kingdom, leadership, life, New, religion, spirituality, thankfulness, things, walk with god | posted in Books, Christianity, Encouraging, Evangelism, Humorous, Inspiring, Kingdom, Life, Religon, Trust, Uncategorized
Things have been ramping up lately here my way in such a fast pace it’s exciting to see what God has been unfolding. There is nothing like the feeling of success in what you do. As things begin to fall in place all I can do is see God’s hand all over things. It proves that God meant what He said concerning us in Jeremiah 29:11-12, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.“
If the fact that the God who created the universe not only hears your prayers but begins to answer them with the details that you’ve been praying for…that’s motivation! The Cross & Resurrection is motivation enough because he demonstrated His great love for me while I was still His enemy, trapped in my sin, He died for me, to give me life! That provides more fuel to the fire…it’s motivation to go deeper in the heart of God, motivation to build His Kingdom, motivation to do whatever He sets before me to do! It begs me to ask the other question: “what motivates you in your relationship with God?” Share you thoughts on Twitter or Facebook!
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Leave a comment | tags: challenges, Christianity, current-events, Facebook, faith, God, growing pains, heart of god, hope, Jesus, Kingdom, leadership, life, meditating, motivation, relationship with god, religion, spirituality, thankfulness, theology, walk with god | posted in Christianity, Encouraging, Evangelism, Inspiring, Kingdom, Life, Religon, Trust
Sometimes in life as you are pursuing God the road you take might suddenly turn in an unexpected way. These “suddenlys” if taken in the right heart will lead to some divine set ups for encounters with God. It’s God’s way of blessing us in many ways, whether it be in our finances, friendships or even opportunities to do what you dream of doing. You really can’t plan these and you can not sit back until they happen either.
This week has been a week of “suddenlys” so far and its only half way done. I came down to Alabama see this amazing family of God and to learn what I can. The transpired events have been confirming so much of what has been on my heart but unsure of. It’s challenging, provoking me deeper into the heart of God and realizing God’s plan for my life is nowhere as narrow as I thought it would be (that is for another day). It has been and still is an unexpected adventure. We’ve seen God move in awesome ways in the past few days and He is setting something much larger in place as well.
I really want to encourage all of you who read this not to give up on the dreams in your heart. Trust God to see you through the storm that you may find yourself in. Often that is part of the incredible journey that God will use (not that He authors anything that steals kills or destroys) but what the enemy meant for evil God will use for good as it is this day to save many people through your life and testimony (see John 10:10, Genesis 50:20, Revelation 12:11). These unexpected adventures become benchmarks in our relationship with God!
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Leave a comment | tags: adventure, alabama, challenges, Christ, Christianity, current-events, dream, faith, growing pains, hope, Jesus, Kingdom, leadership, life, religion, spirituality, thankfulness, transitions, unexpected, walk with god | posted in Christianity, Encouraging, Humorous, Inspiring, Kingdom, Life, Religon, Trust, Uncategorized
Do I have a surprise for you today, Pastor Scott Schatzline, Senior Pastor of Daystar Family Church (in Tuscaloosa, AL) has written a powerful life-changing book called “HUBS” It is a on-time message for the Body of Christ that will cause you to see God at work in your life in a whole new way! This is a MUST HAVE textbook for all believers (young & old) in understanding their journey to fulfill their Kingdom assignment!
Please spread the word with your friends and even better pre-order your copy today! As my friend Josh has said, “If you want Jesus to go BOOM, BANG & POW in your life through ink than you should preorder this book now!” You will not want to miss this powerful book go to www.hubsbook.com
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Leave a comment | tags: books, challenges, Christ, Christianity, current-events, faith, Foundation, God, growing pains, HUBS, Hunger, Jesus, Kingdom, leadership, life, religion, spirituality, walk with god | posted in Books, Christianity, Encouraging, Evangelism, Humorous, Inspiring, Kingdom, Life, Religon, Trust, worship
Hey guys, sorry for the lack of posts lately but things have been crazy busy. I’m learning that some times its good just to break away from the normal non-stop routine to rest. Things have been shifting and changing with a new job and all the adjustment that brings. It truly leaves me thankful for God’s grace.
John Bevere has one of my favorite definitions of grace as simply being, “God’s nature at work in us that empowers us to live a life that pleases God.” What that means on the surface is that God’s grace is what gives me the wisdom/ability to do whatever it is He has called me to do. I am experiencing this growing in me more and more each day. It’s easy to often get use to the grace that we enjoy as Christians. The key to walking in this in an attitude of thankfulness. For when we are aware of just how much He has done and is doing we stay keenly aware of His grace. Thankfulness is something we lack as Americans. I have learned the hard way the consequences of unthankfulness.
I encourage you to take a second and take an inventory of what God is doing in your life; be thankful and then live life in an extraordinary way! Live life in a way that pleases God, full of faith, and a heart of thankfulness towards Him and what He is doing!
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Leave a comment | tags: beautiful, challenges, Christianity, christians, current-events, faith, God, hope, Jesus, John Bevere, Kingdom, leadership, life, new job, New Perspective, spirituality, Thankful, thankfulness | posted in Christianity, Encouraging, Inspiring, Kingdom, Life, Religon, Trust, Uncategorized
Yesterday was a great day on so many levels as God answered a long-time prayer of mine to get a much better job then working at a gas station. It’s God rewarding me far beyond what I deserve and now I am reaping what I have sown and multiplying it at that. The best part is that I never pursued it but it was brought to me. I can’t help but to thank the amazing leaders that have poured into my life and have been instrumental in helping me to succeed. Even after my biggest failures, they pushed me, motivated me, believed in me and gave me opportunities to grow and lead.
As great as the day was in all that happened, the night got even better! I got to see a good friend of mine return to his alma mater and speak at the FCA. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram then you probably saw the hoopla I raised in supporting him. I admit that part of it was my sincere love for this friend/brother and the other part was in realizing the power of this truth:
“If you want to succeed in your dream, then invest in others dreams.”
If you dream BIG then invest BIG! Now while this may not have been a gigantic event to you (or me normally) but it’s in showing support in the big and small things on every step of a person’s journey that will make all the difference. Just as I have been invested in, I have purposed to invest in those around me as much as I can. We all need help getting where God is taking us, even Joseph needed the help of others to make his God-given dream come true.
Just as in the Parable of the Laborers (found in Matthew 20:1-16) those who worked [invested] reaped their reward [our dream] and helped the master of the vineyard succeed with his work [his dream]. We are not on a path of pursuing our dreams on our own…we need those willing to help us get there and in turn we need to empower others as well. In doing so, you never know how God may use you or what He may do when you invest in another’s dream. Who/what will you invest in today?
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Leave a comment | tags: big, Christianity, current-events, dream, faith, God, invest, leadership, spirituality | posted in Christianity, Encouraging, Inspiring, Life, Trust, Uncategorized
Yesterday was a historic day as the world received the news that Pope Benedict XVI, head of the world’s 1 billion Catholics , would resign at the end of the month. This is historic because it was the first time in 600 years that a Pope has resigned from the the Throne of St Peter. While I am not Catholic by any stretch, I do admire a few of the Catholics that I do know and the overall contribution of the Catholic Church worldwide. Whether you are a fan or not you can not deny the impact of Catholicism on history; in many ways what happens to them should matter to us.
In many ways, the Pope is the representative of Christ not just to Catholics but to people across the planet who don’t know God. In my lifetime I have only seen two Popes John Paul II and now Benedict XVI who will leave me with a deep impression of true humility and leadership. I can’t help but admire Benedict as he steps down citing old age and unable to perform the necessary duties of the papal position. They say, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely but this Pope has shown us that it is not true. In holding and now resigning from one of the most influential positions in the world he shows that any leader should care more about the people that he/she serves than ones own reputation. A leader serves not for his gain but for those he is placed over. I believe it is time to get back to servant leadership as Christ modeled in perfection and the Pope has served as a reminder of just that in stepping aside for a younger successor.
My hopes in this is that the world will not just see this as the historic event it is, but I pray they see Christ at work and the remarkable example of leadership Pope Benedict XVI has shown us.
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Leave a comment | tags: Benedict, catholic, challenges, Christianity, current-events, faith, God, Kingdom, leadership, life, politics, Pope, pope benedict xvi, servant leadership, spirituality, transitions | posted in Christianity, Encouraging, Inspiring, Kingdom, Life, Religon, Uncategorized
I got to start out and just say that God knows exactly what He is doing and His timetable is so much better than the one I ever had. True trust in the Lord begins in recognizing that He loves us and is working for our good. Romans 8:28 says: ”And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.“
Last night I was at an event called the Gathering, which is a time that believers from all over come to seek and encounter God, that is headed up by Abner Suarez‘s ministry. I went seeking confirmation for a possible assignment and instead God straight up blew me away with His goodness and His plan for my life. I don’t know about you but when we are in our comfort zone God will use us but only for a season, then it seems He will move us. God is not a fan of comfort zones. I know that I have spent an incredible time in my comfort zone of being with my family & church family but in my comfort I have came to question God’s will for my life. Will it happen? When? How? are the usual questions that flow through my mind but then God stepped in loud and clear. He spoke to my heart with a resounding question: “Did I ever say your destiny was tied to your comfort zone?” The answer is simply NO.
My calling, what God desires for me to do, is so much larger than me, that if it wasn’t for His grace I would be petrified of it. It is by God’s grace that makes any of this “call of God on my life” possible. As I was challenged last night I pass it on to you my friends:
BE BOLD! Be willing to step out of your comfort zones as we head into the new year believing for the crazy bold dreams that God has placed in each and every one of you! Don’t settle for that which makes sense but use faith and if God calls you to go beyond where you have ever been, then be bold and say just as Isaiah did, “
Here I am Lord! Send me (see
Isaiah 6:8).” I know I will be!
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Leave a comment | tags: boldness, challenges, comfort zone, faith, go, God, growing pains, Isaiah, Kingdom, leadership, life, suarez, thankfulness, transitions, trust in the lord | posted in Christianity, Encouraging, Inspiring, Kingdom, Life, Trust, Uncategorized
Lately, in the past month or so, I have noticed a disturbing trend and it’s time I speak up and write my mind on it. In full discretion, am I suggesting that I am an authority on this subject or have it mastered in my own life? No way! I’m not even close to the standard I wish to develop in my life but I am working on it.
With that being said, I understand that when it comes to the topic of holiness and personal integrity people’s opinions differ based on interpretation and culture of what one believes. However, as Christians, holiness and personal integrity has become a loose and in some circles a taboo topic that to God is a central focus. Why? We are called to “be holy as He is holy (see 1 Peter 1:16).” Why? Because God has said in 1 Peter 2:9-10, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;…” Here God is saying that we are all, as believers, are (not will be in heaven or might be but ARE now) set apart for special purpose, unique, uncommon so we can give praise and glory to God. To give this a bit more foundational back bone check out Leviticus 20:26, where God says to His people: “And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.“
If we fail to focus on the areas of holiness and personal integrity in our own lives then we fail to live up to the standard by which we will be judged, which is The Word of God. If we fail in this area how then can we lead others as God has called us to as His people? The answer is we can’t. This is especially true for leaders/teachers who will be judged doubly (see
James 3:1); though we too easily seem to forget this. The American Church has been rocked by scandal after scandal of men and women of God who fell morally in the areas of personal holiness and integrity. I’m sure you’ve seen the headlines and remember some yourself so there is no need to name names but these cases have proven the need for a refocus on these areas in all of our lives. If we fail to learn the lessons of these leaders then we will continue to deepen the moral decay that is plaguing the Church instead of becoming holy, pure and spotless as God desires for His Church to be. We must remember that we are not our own; we were purchased at a great price and can no longer live as though we can choose the standards in our lives (
1 Cor. 6:20).
That is one reason why I love the leaders that I have been placed under at Covenant Love Church. They have upheld a strict standard not just for the leaders, but in the church as a whole, we live as how we preach and we preach the standard of the Word. Jesus has called us to be “the salt and light of the earth (see Matthew 5:13-16)”, we cannot be hidden, like a city on a hill, so we seek to live a life that glorifies our God and points all men to Him.
“As Christians, we can never allow holiness & personal integrity to be a lost art in our lives.”
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Leave a comment | tags: Art, Christianity, church, faith, God, holiness, integrity, Jesus, Kingdom, leadership, Lost, santification | posted in Christianity, Encouraging, Inspiring, Kingdom, Life, Religon, Uncategorized
