CLIVE SMIT

I've Moved

2009-08-20T18:12:00.000+12:00

I have moved my blog over to wordpress... check me out HERE.

Taste and See

2009-08-20T00:54:00.003+12:00

Check out my latest blog post HERE at wordpress.
I'm trialing wordpress out. Let me know what you think of the wordpress platform.

Lessons From A Duck

2009-08-19T18:12:00.002+12:00

I was listening to a podcast by Ps Craig Groechel and heard this really great story. Thought I'd share it with you:

There was a duck that was late in leaving to join the other ducks that were migrating.
He had to fly alone and was caught up in a snow storm. He grew really tired and his wings began to freeze. The poor little duck crashed into the earth to what looked a sure, slow and agonizing death lying in the snow.
The duck heard a sound... the sound of a cow who stood over the poor bird. The next moment the cow pooped on the duck.
Great, not only was the duck freezing to death but now he was covered in dung too!
But that dung melted the snow and started to defrost the ducks wings.
With excitement the duck began to cry out... but this attracted a cat, who dug the duck out... and ate him.

3 things we learn from this story:

1) Not everyone who drops dung on you is your enemy.
2) Not everyone who digs you out is your friend.
3) If you're covered in dung, shut-up!

How have these 3 lessons played out in your life? I'd love to hear your story.
Leave a comment and let's get the conversation rolling.

Taking Delegation To A Whole Nutha Level!

2009-08-14T11:23:00.000+12:00

I was surfing the other night and I found this incredible blog and web site of Soul City Church. They are a church plant that is looking to launch in early 2010 and are trusting God For $800K to launch. Jarrett & Jeanne Stevens have a big dream and big hearts to go with it.
Their web site is amazing! Check it out HERE.
To give you a taste of whats on their blog I have one of their posts below. Want to see more of their blog posts... click HERE.

Last week I (Jeanne) hit one of those common walls that leaders hit. I looked at my to-do list and realized there were far too many boxes to check than I had hours left in my day. I confess that I am an activator and achiever and so often my first response is to come up with as many possible ways to push past the gift of my human limits and throw on my superwoman cape of capacity and power through. But I know that when I do that it leaves me feeling more exhausted, lacking in inspiration, impatient, and ultimately unsatisfied.

Every day I awake to a list of tasks that are calling out to me to accomplish them. I don’t suspect that there is a day in my near future when there will be nothing on the list. Starting a church, leading a ministry, raising a family, and following a dream happens through the constant accomplishing of tasks and goals one day at a time. But it should never be done alone. I know that if I am the only one looking at the list and tackling the list I am breaking one of our Core leadership Values for the staff & volunteers of Soul City Church.

Doing less is Doing more! Always be looking for someone that you can develop into leadership by giving away appropriate authority instead of developing a follower by giving away a task.

Far too many church leaders are burning out and giving up because they only give away tasks – not authority. Maybe you have hit this wall too – maybe you’re at it right now. My hunch is that there are some amazing people right around you that are hungry to lead with you, not just accomplish a task.

So how can you DO MORE by DOING LESS this week?

Wow, this post was a challenge to me! Handing out tasks is simple... but ultimately gets you no-where. This will definitely take my leadership to a new level.

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and lets get the conversation rolling.

Finishing Up In A World Of Drop Outs

2009-08-11T23:08:00.003+12:00

I wanted to share a blog post that James Macpherson wrote. I have only included his points, for the full write up please click HERE.

1. Dropping out is irresponsible whilst finishing up is responsible

2. Dropping out shows dishonor whilst finishing up shows honor

3. Dropping out displays cowardice whilst finishing up displays courage

4. Dropping out prioritizes convenience whilst finishing up prioritizes conviction

5. Dropping out shows a carelessness with relationships whilst finishing up shows a commitment to relationships

6. Dropping out diminished a person’s character whilst finishing up builds a person’s character

7. Dropping out creates a reputation and so does finishing up!

From time to time there is a need to finish up. But there is never any excuse to drop out.

What a great post!
Leave a comment and lets get the conversation started!

Are You Looking In The Right Places?

2009-08-02T22:58:00.004+12:00

John 14:6 (NIV)
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Usually we get the picture of God chasing us with a pitch fork if we do not follow Him...
but what if this Scripture is pointing us to the fact that we will only find life... eternal life in Him.
We can look else where, but we won't find the life we are looking for.
Only Jesus has life... or to be correct... is life itself.

Maybe thats why this scripture is one of my favourite:

John 10:10 (KJV)
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this... please leave a comment.

Winning On The Uphills

2009-07-23T22:37:00.000+12:00

I found this great post by Seth Godin:

Winning on the uphills

Interesting business lesson learned on a bicycle: it's very difficult to improve your performance on the downhills.

I used to dread the uphill parts of my ride. On a recumbent bike, they're particularly difficult. So I'd slog through, barely surviving, looking forward to the superspeedy downhill parts.

Unfortunately, I had a serious accident a few years ago (saving the life of a clueless pedestrian by throwing myself onto the pavement). Downhill might be fast, but it's crazy.

Lesson learned. Now, I look forward to the uphill parts, because that's where the work is, the fun is, the improvement is. On the uphills, I have a reasonable shot at a gain over last time. The downhills are already maxed out by the laws of physics and safety.

To read the rest of the post click HERE.

Please leave a comment and share your thoughts and experiences with us.

And For those of you who love the crazy downhills...

Mentoring & Discipleship. Pt 3

2009-07-21T21:47:00.004+12:00

I was on Facebook wishing a mate a happy birth day and found this quotation.
Since we're on the subject of mentoring the timing is... well Divine.

“I learned a great deal about myself while watching a documentary a few years ago about elephants in a wildlife trust in Africa. There were twenty-five elephants, all of them orphans, and they had been brought to the trust twenty years before. They were becoming teenagers– in elephant years. T

The narrator in the documentary said the elephant musth cycle beings in adolescence, and normally lasts only a few days. But among these orphans, the musth cycle was disrupted and had become unusually long. These elephants were taking out their aggression on rhinos that bathed at a local mud pool. An elephant would slowly lumber down to the pool, enter near a rhino, then spear it through the side with his tusks. The elephant would then lean his gargantuan forehead into the head of the rhino, holding the beast underwater until it drowned. The filmmakers followed these orphan elephants who were always on their own, staggering about the wildlife refuge, fueled by a pent-up aggression they couldn’t understand. They weren’t acting like elephants– they didn’t know what an elephant was supposed to do with all his energy, all his muscle.

I have never killed a rhino, or much of anything for that matter, but there have been times in my life when I didn’t know exactly how to be. I mean, there were feelings, sometimes anger, sometimes depression, sometimes raging lust, and I was never sure what any of it was about. I just felt like killing somebody, or sleeping with some girl, or decking a guy in a bar, and I didn’t know what to do with any of these feelings. Life was a confusing series of emotions rubbing against events. I wasn’t sure how to manage myself, how to talk to a woman, how to build a career, how to– well, be a man.

To me, life was something you had to stumble through alone. It wasn’t something you enjoyed or conquered, it was something that happened to you, and you didn’t have a whole lot of say about the way it turned out. You just acted out your feelings and hoped you never got caught.

Watching television that night, however, the narrator began to speak of a kind of hope for these elephants. Elephant development, apparently, begins very early. Female elephants are only capable of having children once every two years, and during those two years between babies, the young are cared for obsessively by their mothers. They are fed, sheltered, loved, and guided in their learning of basic survival.

It is only at the first musth cycle that a young male elephant leaves his mother and enters into the African wild, searching for a mentor, a guide. The green pus running down his hind leg and his smell like fresh-cut grass alerts an older, fully mature male, that this is a young elephant in need of guidance. Upon finding a mentor, the young elephant’s musth cycle ends. The older and younger begin to travel together, to find food together, to protect each other– the older one teaching the younger what elephant strength is for, and how to use it for the benefit of himself and the tribe.

Watching television that night, I wondered if humans aren’t like that, too. I began to wonder if we guys were designed to have a father, whose very presence would cause us to understand more accurately what our muscle is for, what we are supposed to do with our energy.

You have to wonder, don’t you? Some statistics state as many as 85 percent of the guys in prison grew up without a dad. This is sobering to me.

And so watching the documentary, I began to wonder if those of us without dads aren’t making mistakes in our lives we wouldn’t make if we had a father to guide us. I wondered if there isn’t a better paradigm for our existence– a way of being men, a way each of us could truly embrace if it were instilled in us by a man who spoke with altruism and authority. I wondered if people who grow up with great fathers don’t walk around with a subconscious sense they are wanted on this planet, that they belong, and the world needs them. And I wondered this: Is there practical information we are supposed to know about work, women, decisions, authority, leadership, marriage, and family that we would have learned if there were a guide around to help us navigate our journey? I wondered if some of the confusing emotions I was feeling weren’t a kind of suspended adolescence from which the presence of an older man might have delivered me.

– Excerpt from To Own A Dragon, by Donald Miller (pp 31-34)

Our God is the Father to the fatherless.
We are called to represent Him to this world.
If the Christian men could begin to adopt young people in their communities... can you begin to imagine what the future could look like?

Let me know your thoughts on the subject by leaving a comment.

Mentoring & Discipleship. Pt 2

2009-07-11T21:48:00.000+12:00

In the book Think Orange, Reggie Joiner suggest the following 5 Spiritual Growth Catalysts:

1) Personal Ministry (ie. actually being personally involved in ministry / service)

2) Spiritual Disciplines (not a word that's too popular these days!)

3) Applying Truth (not just hearing or ingesting information, but applying the truth so life change is the result)

4) Significant Relationships

5) Pivotal Circumstances

How can we apply these 5 catalysts to mentoring / discipleship / coaching?
I'd love to hear your thoughts... please leave a comment!

Mentoring & Discipleship. Pt 1

2009-07-08T16:03:00.005+12:00

I have been reading 2 interesting books over the past 2 weeks. The first is Multiplication by Nick Klinkenberg and the second is Think Orange by Rick Joiner.
These books have stirred my thoughts once again on the topic of discipleship / mentoring / coaching... whatever term you prefer to use.

I love the Chinese Proverb that states:
"If you're planting for a year, plant grain. If you're planting for a decade, plant trees. If you're planting for a century, plant people."

I think it is safe to say we all agree with the basic concept and need for discipleship, however, it has been a complaint for long time that discipleship is a lost art.
In the West, certainly when we think of discipleship we think of a class room or bible college situation.
But how successful has this means of discipleship been?

I will leave you with the following 3 short quotes on the subject. Please ponder it and leave your thoughts via a comment.

"Over half of all Nobel Prize winners were once apprenticed to other Nobel winners."
Ron Lee Jones.

"Truth is an important part of discipleship, but our faith simply doesn't grow because we know more, it grows when we serve more."
Reggie Joiner

"If what they have heard doesn't move from their heads to their hands, it will probably never make it to their hearts."
Reggie Joiner

Thanks for leaving your comments.
I will sit on these thoughts over the next few posts... I look forward to going on a journey with you as you comment and add to my thoughts.

My Next Read

2009-07-07T01:26:00.002+12:00

What have been your top 3 reads this year?
Leave a comment and give us the inside info to great books.

Tim Ferriss's - Tips and Tricks To Change Your Life!!!

2009-07-07T00:59:00.004+12:00

This will change your life... (well not really, but it will bring joy when eating hard boiled eggs!)

On Being Authentic

2009-07-01T12:26:00.003+12:00

" Always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of someone else."
Judy Garland

Free The Slaves

2009-06-18T23:03:00.003+12:00

Here are a list of places doing great work to end slavery in our day:

The Not For Sale Campaign.

Anti-Slavery

Free The Slaves

Just Focus A national network of engaged and active young people in NZ who are interested in and passionate about global issues.

Just. The Anglican Social Justice Commission.

If you know of any other organizations that should be mentioned, please do let me know.

I look forward to seeing your responses via comments.

How To Buy A Child In 10 Hours

2009-06-17T09:08:00.004+12:00

I saw this article and really wanted to share it with you:

How to Buy a Child in 10 Hours

One Reporter's Journey Reveals An Epidemic of Child Slavery in Haiti

By DAN HARRIS
July 8, 2008

This deeply unsettling experiment starts on a typical Monday morning on Manhattan's leafy Upper West Side, where commuters stroll by Starbucks and Central Park.

Is it really possible to purchase a child in less than 10 hours?

At 7:10 a.m., I'm off to see how long it takes to buy a child slave.

It's 45 minutes to Kennedy Airport and an hour or so wait in the terminal, then a 3½-hour flight to Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

A band greets the flight.

By the time my team and I have collected our luggage, gone through immigration and customs, and are loaded into our vehicles, it's about 3:15 p.m.

As we leave the airport, two things become immediately apparent: Port-au-Prince is an amazing, vivid place, and it's also extremely poor. The U.S. State Department warns Americans against visiting here. United Nations peacekeepers patrol the roads while we drive with our own security team: two armed Haitian men in SUVs.

'I Would Like to Get a Child'

By 4:45 p.m., I'm poolside at one of the city's few upscale hotels. I'm wearing a hidden camera built into the strap of a bike messenger-style bag that's around my neck. There's another hidden camera in a leather satchel on the table, right next to the fruit plate and Evian water. My colleagues are manning cameras in hotel rooms overlooking the pool.

Our security guards are sitting discretely nearby.

That's when the man with whom I've arranged a meeting shows up.

He says he's a former member of parliament and that he has connections. In broad daylight, with hotel waiters walking by, he doesn't even flinch when I make a horrific request.

"If I would like to get a child to live with me and take care of me," I ask. "Could you do that?"

"Yes," he says. "I can."

He's speaking in Creole, the most prevalent Haitian language. The man doing the translation, who has set up the meeting, works for us (unbeknownst to the slave trafficker).

The trafficker assures me he's done this sort of transaction many times before.

"A girl or a boy?" he asks.

"A girl probably," I say.

"How old?"

"Maybe 10 or 11."

"Not a problem."

He says he can get me an 11-year-old girl, although he suggests that a 15-year-old might be better, because she'd be more "developed."

I'm thinking: I can't believe I'm having this conversation.

"And this is OK?" I ask. "I won't have any trouble from their parents or anything like that?"

"No, you won't have any problems with their parents."

"Why not?"

"When I give you the child, I will train it for you."

I'm not exactly sure what that means.

A Successful Negotiation

"I'm a little nervous." I say. "I just want to make sure that this is OK, that I'm not going to get in trouble, that this will be smooth, that you've done this before."

"I guarantee my service," says the trafficker, grinning. "I can get you your girl as early as tomorrow."

And now, the negotiation begins.

"So how much will it cost me to get a child?" I ask.

"The last one I gave was $300."

Trying to test the value of human life, I push a little.

"I have a friend who got one for $50."

"No," he says.

"What about $100?"

"$150," he offers.

I accept.

And there it is. It's about 5 p.m. Roughly 10 hours after leaving my office in New York City, I have successfully negotiated to buy another human being -- an 11-year-old girl, whose value is set at just $150.

As we conclude our meeting, I want to make sure the trafficker does not act on my request. I ask him to wait a day before doing anything. I assure him I'll call him tomorrow with my final answer. He agrees.

To read the rest of the article please click HERE:

Personally... I hope this post disturbs you... into action!

My next post will have some organizations that you can get involved with.
Please do leave a comment.

Storm Simulation

2009-06-15T00:18:00.001+12:00

This video just goes to show what some boredom and free time can lead to... something incredible.
Watch the 1st 1 1/2 mins of this video... its flippen amazing!!!

Best Auction Pitch Ever

2009-06-11T14:00:00.002+12:00

Isn't life all about perspective?
I love the story about 2 shoe salesmen who were sent to an African country to find new sales potential. The first salesman sent a telegram back home saying that he needed to return, no sales possible, no-one wears shoes. The second salesman sent a telegram urging the company to send over as many shoes as possible... everyone needs a pair!

I love what this individual did on his TradeMe auction post... trust me, you don't want to miss this. Click HERE to check it out.

So what did you think?
Leave a comment and let me know.

PS: How is your perspective?

3 Critical Issues Facing The Church Right Now

2009-06-05T00:15:00.003+12:00

Click HERE to read a post I have just written on 3 Critical Issues Facing The Church Right Now.

Warning... the content may disturb you!

Leave a comment and let me know what you thought.

Do You Worship An Idol?

2009-06-03T00:13:00.004+12:00

I found this verse while preparing for my message at church this past Sunday:

Eph 5:5
(5) Being greedy, indecent, or immoral is just another way of worshiping idols. You can be sure that people who behave in this way will never be part of the kingdom that belongs to Christ and to God.

Having sex (not just sexual intercourse, but any sex act outside of marriage... including fondling!) outside of marriage is idol worship!

Infact Jesus further raises the bar:

Mat 5:27-28
(27) You know the commandment which says, "Be faithful in marriage."
(28) But I tell you that if you look at another woman and want her, you are already unfaithful in your thoughts.

Wow! Talk about living by a higher standard.
So the challenge is... are you worshiping the idol of sex / fornication / adultery?
If so... STOP IT!
The truth is you can't worship Jesus and other idols!

A heavy post... but the Truth will set us free.

Please do leave a comment about your thoughts re: this post.

A Future Focus

2009-05-29T11:00:00.000+12:00

This video will blow your mind... and leave you challenged!!!

What are some of your thoughts after viewing the video?
Leave a comment and lets get the conversation rolling...

Same Words... Different Meanings

2009-05-27T23:00:00.004+12:00

I am in the throws of reading a book by Josh McDowell called 'The Last Christian Generation'. In it I found a really interesting comparison between the way Baby Boomers think and the way Post Moderns think:

WORD	Your Understanding (Adult Culture)	Postmodern Understanding (Youth Culture)
Tolerance	Accepting others without agreeing with or sharing their beliefs or lifestyle choices.	Accepting that each individual’s beliefs, values, lifestyles, and truth claims are equal.
Respect	Give due consideration to others beliefs and lifestyle choices without necessarily approving of them.	Wholehearted approving of others’ beliefs or lifestyle choices.
Acceptance	Embracing people for who they are, not necessarily for what they say or do.	Endorsing and even praising others for their beliefs and lifestyle choices.
Moral Judgments	Certain things are morally right and wrong as determined by God.	We have no right to judge another person’s view or behaviour.
Personal Preference	Preferences of colour, food, clothing style, hobbies, etc. are personally determined.	Preferences of sexual behaviours, value systems, and beliefs are personally determined.
Personal Rights	Everyone has the right to be treated justly under the law.	Everyone has the right to do what he or she believes is best for himself or herself.
Freedom	Being free to do what you know you ought to do.	Being able to do anything you want to do.
Truth	An absolute standard of right and wrong.	Whatever is right for you.

Have you discovered any of the post modern thinking in the young people that you interact with?
What are some of your thoughts on dealing with the postmodern mindset?
Leave a comment and lets get the discussion rolling...

Amazing Vocal Effects

2009-05-27T22:53:00.001+12:00

This video is amazing:

Amazing hey!
Let me know your thoughts...

Ball And Chain?

2009-05-19T23:00:00.004+12:00

Parents struggling to get their kids to revise in the run-up to exams can now keep them at their desk using a ball and chain that only unlocks when they have studied for long enough.

Click HERE to check out the article...

Let me know what you thought : )

A Bit Of Grin:

2009-05-11T22:50:00.002+12:00

A Bit Of Grin:

For The Men...

2009-04-15T18:12:00.004+12:00

Mark Driscoll did a fantastic hard hitting message called Trial: Marriage and Men.
In it he discusses 8 catergories that men can tend to fall into:

2. Your Manhood

Like Adam, the sins of men fall into two general categories: sins of comission (doing what you’re not supposed to do) and sins of omission (not doing what you’re supposed to do). This leads chauvinistic or cowardly tendencies:

Chauvinism

No Sissy Stuff Sam: whatever women do, do the opposite
Success and Status Stewart: masculinity = material success
Give’em Hell Hank: angry and abusive
I’m the Boss Bob: domineering and controlling; in authority, not under authority

Cowardice

Little Boy Larry: never grew up, disorganized, lives with his mother, etc.
Sturdy Oak Owen: absolutely dependable but emotionally absent
Hyper-Spiritual Henry: Hides behind religious behavior and “God talk.” Talks at you but not to you.
Good Time Gary: irresponsible life of the party

(the full summary of the message is available HERE.)

There is some really challenging stuff here for us guys, so if you want to watch the message or listen to the audio see below:

AUDIO:

VIDEO:

Let me know what you thought of the message.

A Beautiful 7th Century Prayer

2009-04-13T07:46:00.001+12:00

Found this 7th century Lorica (breastplate) prayer (for protection) from Leonard Sweet on twitter:

The arms of God be around my shoulders,
The touch of the Holy Spirit upon my head,
The sign of Christ's cross upon my forehead,
The sound of the Holy Spirit in my ears,
The fragrance of the Holy Spirit in my nostrils,
The vision of heaven's company in my eyes,
The conversation of heaven's company on my lips,
The work of God's Church in my hands,
The service of God and the neighbour in my feet,
A home for God in my heart,
And to God, the Father of all, my entire being.
Amen.

Fursa of Ireland established monesteries in Ireland, France and England.

20's - A Time To Experiment!

2009-04-10T19:12:00.004+12:00

I found a great post for the 20 somethings on Mark Batterson's (Lead Pastor of National Community Church) blog:

Not sure why I'm sharing this. But here goes. Hope it inspires someone who is trying to figure out what they want to be when they grow up. That includes me by the way!

In 1952, Albert Schweitzer won the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian efforts in equatorial Africa. But let share his back story. He woke up on a summer morning in 1896 and said, "While outside the birds sang I came to the conclusion that until I was thirty I could consider myself justified in devoting myself to scholarship and the arts, but after that I would devote myself directly to serving humanity."
What a fascinating perspective on his twenties! He felt justified in devoting them to scholarship and the arts.
Here's my thought: what if we viewed our twenties as a decade of experimentation? That concept comes from serving a congregation that is 67% single twenty-somethings so I know how stressed out twenty-somethings can get over their career path. I think twenty-somethings feel way too much pressure to find the perfect career yesterday and advance as far up the ladder as fast as possible.
Can I push back a little? What if you approached opportunities as experiments? What if you tried your hand at different things. Don't worry about your career path! Focus on your spiritual path. Build a resume of spirit-led adventures that may or may not further your career or education. But they will further the kingdom of God.

Click HERE to read the rest.

We definitly do take it all a little too seriously. What adventures have you had when you took a leap of faith and tried an 'experiment' out?

Leave a comment and share some off your journey with us.

Evolutionary Thinking Is Unnatural!

2009-03-28T01:28:00.003+13:00

I found this fantastic post on Ps James Macphersons blog:

THE LATEST psychological research suggests evolutionary thinking is unnatural.

Research published in the latest edition of The Scientific American, has found that, regardless of the parents' religious beliefs or lack-thereof, children aged 8-10 give exclusively creationist answers about the origin of life.

It's only after the age of 10 that children of evolutionist parents begin to give evolutionary answers as to how things came to be.

Researchers claim a "cognitive glitch that invades our rationalist thought whenever we’re pondering the subject of life’s origins" causes us to naturally believe in creation, until taught to think otherwise.
Click HERE to keep reading.

Please do leave a comment and let me know what you thought of the post.

New Ways Of Doing Church?

2009-03-23T09:42:00.000+13:00

Ever wanted to visit a drive-in church? Now's your chance... click HERE.

Have you ever visited an on-line church service? Try HERE.

So what did you think?
Have you experienced any other creative church environments?
Do these qualify as a church?
Please leave a comment and lets get chatting : )

Funny / Inspirational Video

2009-03-20T10:22:00.000+13:00

I found this awesome clip off Ron Edmondson's blog via Twitter.
It just goes to show...

... you should never know what opportunities a day holds nor should you underestimate people!

Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment.

We Need To Become Like Children...

2009-03-16T23:00:00.002+13:00

Why does Jesus say that unless we become like children we cannot enter the Kingdom of God?

Matthew 18:2-4 (New International Version)

²He called a little child and had him stand among them. ³And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

What are your thoughts?
Leave a comment and we can get a conversation going. I'd love to grow from your insights.

You Will Be Captivated

2009-03-14T10:10:00.001+13:00

Really cool music video that will keep you glued: (I found it HERE at Micro Explosion Media)

It just goes to show what can be accomplished from bed!

Breaking Out Of The Box

2009-03-11T10:53:00.000+13:00

I love this video...

Breaking out into the new isn't always easy, you're not always understood... but simply sticking with the old is a death sentence.

I'd love you to leave a comment. Lets get the conversation rolling!

Beard Types

2009-03-09T01:22:00.007+13:00

I must admit, a few months ago I was introduced to Jon Dyers blog page on 'The Quest For Every Beard Type' via Twitter... and was inspired.
I have been growing for only 2 weeks, but alas another confession... my wife hates mustaches and won't kiss me! And touch is my love language!! Yes... I'm caving in!!!

So I decided to shave, but try a few styles along the way.

First up is the full beard look:

Second... is the more shapely beard

Third is the Klingon (all you Star Trek fans should recognise this)

Fourth is the... well, I'm not sure what this is called... but I saw it on my buddy Owen and thought it might solve the kissing problem : )D

Have you got any pics of your beards?
What is your favorite style?
Leave a comment and share your thoughts!

Out Of The Box Giving

2009-03-07T10:19:00.000+13:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

You can check out their web site HERE and their blog HERE.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, critiques, etc. Please leave a comment.

Free Image Editor!!!

2009-03-04T10:14:00.000+13:00

For those of you who like to play with image editors but can't afford Adobe Photoshop... may I introduce you to the free version called Sumo. Click HERE to go to the Sumo home page or watch a really quick video below:

Let me know if you like it.

You Tell On Yourself

2009-02-26T18:20:00.000+13:00

YOU TELL ON YOURSELF
by James Allen

You tell on yourself by the friends you seek
By the manner in which you speak
By the way you employ your leisure time
By the use of your dollar and dime

You tell who you are by the things you wear
By the spirit in which your burdens bear
By the kinds of things at which you laugh
By the records you played on the phonograph

You tell what you are by the way you walk
By the things of which you delight to talk
By the manner in which you bear defeat
By so simple a thing as how you eat
By the books you choose from the well-filled shelf
In these ways and more, you tell on yourself.

How have you found this poem to be true in your own experience?
Leave a comment and let us know.

Your iPod Could Save A Life

2009-02-20T11:00:00.000+13:00

I saw this interesting post about trading in your ipods, etc. to help bring life to a needy Indian village. Check out the radio interview below:

Here's the basic idea:

The deal is either;

1. donate your iPod (I am donating mine first!) to be sold on trade me

2. sell your iPod and donate the proceeds

3. Bid for my iPod on trade me (soon)

4. Promote this blog/face book page to as many people as possible…

5. Rock on, because you going to help a large group of people!

We have to raise $3200 this year to make it reality.

To check out the blog click HERE:

So what do you think?
Leave a comment and let me know what you are thinking.

Imagine The Potential

2009-02-16T00:15:00.001+13:00

A great 30 sec video that I saw at Ps James Macpherson's blog. (Click HERE to check his blog out).

Valentines

2009-02-12T23:28:00.002+13:00

For all you Valentines bunnies out there:

New Words To Keep Your Conversations Fresh

2009-02-12T01:38:00.000+13:00

I love learning new words...
It keeps life interesting and helps people not to nod off into autopilot when you are chatting with them.

Here are a few of the latest additions to my Vocab:

Vapid - flat, dull

Insouciant - easygoing, casual

Convivial - fun-loving

Catechumen - a person unskilled in something, beginner

Abecedarian - One who is just starting to learn or do something

If you have any favorites from the list above... or of your own, why not comment? I'd love to hear from you!

Ever Wondered If You Could Walk On Water?

2009-02-10T09:49:00.000+13:00

I was going through the Tweets on my phone (you can follow me HERE) I came across this great blog post on 'How To Walk On Water.' It has some great succinct advice that we all need to hear. Click HERE to go and check it out.

Let me know what you thought of the post.
(I especially loved the mother's reaction).

Living By Design - Part 3

2009-02-08T09:33:00.001+13:00

If you've missed out on Part 1 (click HERE) or Part 2 (click HERE) then feel free to go and check those posts out.
In Part 3 today we look at the fact tat this life is SHORT! We only get one shot and so we need to make sure that we get it right!

I'm 32 now and I have 2 kids under 7. Life is hurtling past me at an incredible speed!
It almost seems like time is gaining velocity with each new year.
I can't afford to muck around... my life very soon will come to an end. I will either look back with joy... or with grief.

King David understood that time is short. look at these wonderful words of wisdom from the Psalms:

Psalm 39:4-7 (New International Version)

4 "Show me, O LORD, my life's end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.

5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man's life is but a breath.
Selah

6 Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro:
He bustles about, but only in vain;
he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.

7 "But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.

Until I realise the paucity of our days... I will be inclined to nonchalantly live my days away.

I love Robert Moffat's quote, "We will have all of eternity to celebrate our victories, but only one short hour before sunset to win them."

Where are you wasting time and opportunities away? In what areas do you need to live more intentionally?

I look forward to seeing your comments.

Living By Design - Part 2

2009-02-05T09:18:00.000+13:00

In the last post (click HERE to see it) we introduced Stephen Covey's idea that things are created twice... first mentally and then physically.
We also had the challenge: Are we living by default or by design?

How do we become someone who lives by design?
We begin with the end in mind.
We look forward to who we want to become and what we want to have accomplished.

If you've ever been funerals... there are the one's where people will be missed by their close relatives... and then there are one's where it seems the whole community comes out, and people speak of someone who deeply impacted their lives. You sit there thinking, "Boy, if I could be just a little like so-and so... my life would have been well lived.

So... who do you want to become (your character)?
What is it that you want to have accomplished? (I'm sure that climbing the corporate ladder or owning the house with a white picket fence, a batch, and all the toys doesn't even feature!)

So what's standing in your way right now?
What do you need to start intentionally doing to become that person?

Leave your thoughts by commenting. I can't wait to hear what you have to say!

Living By Design - Part 1

2009-02-02T23:04:00.004+13:00

Stephen Covey has a chapter in his book 'The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People' called Begin With The End In Mind.
In this chapter Stephen challenges us with the thought that all things are created twice. There is first the mental creation and then secondly the physical creation.

When making a sandwich or building a house, when one gets dressed or decides which route to drive... we first craft it out mentally and then we perform the physical act.

Stephen then goes on and gives a challenge: Are we living our lives by design... or by default?

Many of us live by default. We live unconsciously.
Let me give you two examples:
1) Many people simply believe that when they drive to the shopping center that there will be no parks at the front... that all the prime parking spots are already snapped up... and so they drive to the middle or back.
They never do find parking spaces upfront!

2) If you are going to a party where you don't know anyone... and you tell yourself that you will just be on the outside of all the cliques, an outsider to the conversations, and no one is really going to make an effort to connect with you.
So you stand on the outside... your posture is closed and defensive.
You end up being right.

Why? Because you created it first mentally and then you simply followed the script.

How much of your life is lived by design?
How much is lived by default?
Let me know what you're thinking by leaving a comment.

Light, Heat & God

2009-01-27T21:47:00.004+13:00

Here is an interesting piece that I found while surfing at Interesting Facts:

Darkness is nothing but a absence of light. You can measure intensity of the light to infinity but can you do the same for darkness? Cold is nothing but absence of heat. Heat can be measured to infinity but cold maintains a steady value at a certain degree. Absolute zero (-460 F / -273.4 C) is the total absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. It was proclaimed that Albert Einstein said: "Evil does not exist, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

I certainly do not agree that Satan / evil is simply the absence of God... the teachings of Jesus refer to the 'person' Satan and not the personification... (although God's absence will be the very worst part about hell)... but the above certainly makes for great pondering.

It's Time To Bungy!

2009-01-23T01:39:00.003+13:00

WOW... there is nothing quite like putting it out there for everyone to hold you accountable! I'm sure I'm not the only one who knows what to do... but loves to procrastinate : )

For a few weeks I've toyed with the idea of reading each of the 4 Gospels completely each week for 3 months. I knew it would be a big challenge... so I put the decision off.

It's easy to do that when it's just an idea in your head. I felt like a bungy jumper... on the side of a bridge, nervously peering over the edge. You procrastinate and procrastinate and procrastinate. Eventually out of no-where you find your feet taking charge of the situation and lunging off the bridge.

That happened to me when I blurted out at my Elevate Leaders Lifegroup that I was starting the challenge. Well after I told the group... was committed. So first things first... I procrastinated getting started till the next week. When the new week rolled around I figured I should work out just how many chapters that I'd need to read each day... 13! GULP!!!

This is my 4th day... currently I'm 7 chapters behind (I've been catching up)... While the challenge is daunting, I feel relaxed and am enjoying the high speed 'water blast' in the Word.
The words from the Ethics of the Fathers are continually on my mind:
"Rabbi Meir said, 'Lessen your work for worldly goods, and be busy in the Torah. Be humble of spirit before all people. If you neglect the Torah, many causes for neglecting it will present themselves to you, but if you work in the Torah, He has abundant reward to give you."
Avot 4:12

So let me throw a challenge out to you: 'What are you procrastinating on?'
Which group or individuals do you need to blurt out to?
Go ahead, let your legs (or mouth in this case) lunge you off the bridge and into your destiny!

I look forward to your comments!

Amazing Photo Video's For Free

2009-01-19T23:09:00.003+13:00

If you like putting together exciting looking photo videos / slideshows / or whatever you like to call it... then you must click HERE!

Animoto offer an exciting service. You can choose the 30sec free option or pay US$3 for a full length video. Weather you are going the cheap option or you're paying... you're gonna love the result!
I've got an example video below that took less than 2 mins to put together.
Send me links to see your videos!

My 3 Month Challenge in the Word

2009-01-18T21:26:00.008+13:00

I've been reading a great book called 'Meet The Rabbis'. In the book is a chapter which has the 'Ethics of the fathers' - a book out of the Mishnah.

I want to give you a few quotes from it about study of God's Word and then let you in a 3 month challenge that I'm taking up.

"He used to say, 'A name made great is a name destroyed: he who does not increase his knowledge decreases it. He who does not study, deserves to die; and he who makes a worldly use of the crown of the Torah shall waste away."
Avot 1:13

"Rabban Yochanan the son of Zakhai received the tradition from Hillel and Shammai. He used to say, 'If you have learned much Torah, do not ascribe special merit to yourself because it was for this reason that you were created."
Avot 2:9

"Rabbi Meir said, 'Lessen your work for worldly goods, and be busyin the Torah. Be humble of spirit before all people. If you neglect the Torah, many causes for neglecting it will present themselves to you, but if you work in the Torah, He has abundant reward to give you."
Avot 4:12

"Ben Bag Bag said, '[Immerse yourself in the study of Torah], turn it and turn it over again, for everything is in it. Contemplate it, grow grey and old over studying it. Do not move away from learning it, for you cannot have a better manner of life than this."
Avot 5:25

Well I hope that you enjoyed those...

So here is the 3 month challenge that I have given to myself...
I will read through the 4 Gospels each week for 3 months.

To be honest... I have no idea how I'm going to do it... but I know that the time in the study of God's Word will be incredible!

Let me know what you thought of the above verses by leaving a comment.

A Call To Prayer

2009-01-16T00:33:00.004+13:00

For most Christians prayer is something we all know we should do more off... but we don't. Too often we have been in boring prayer meetings etc.

Prayer really is a selfless activity, we don't receive anything when we come together in community to prayer... but powerful happen!

Here is an awesome clip that just makes me want to hit a prayer meeting and pray up a storm!!!

I'd love to hear your comments!
How do you include prayer into your walk with God?

In Dark Times Remember...

2009-01-16T00:17:00.000+13:00

Hearing From God Pt. 3

2009-01-13T23:37:00.007+13:00

In the 1st post in this series on Hearing from God we saw that we can 'hear' from 1 of 3 places: Satan, ourselves or God.
In the 2nd post we looked at how to discern between weather what we are hearing is from God or ourselves.
In this post we will look at how to actually hear from God.

Let me start with a favorite verse of mine:
Psalm 139:17-18a

17 How precious to ^[b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.

God is speaking to us all the time... the question is are we listening! Here are 3 main ways that God speaks to us:
1) Hearing
2) Seeing
3) Feelings

HEARING:
For the 99% of us we will not hear an audible voice from God. So how do we hear from God? We hear via a flow of spontaneous thought.
Do me a favor... I want you to think the word 'car for me. Just like that thought was in your head... so God's thoughts stream into our heads. Usually we are so preoccupied that we don't even notice.
By the way, Satan speaks to us in the same manner... thoughts. Those condemning thoughts... very well could find their source from the devil.

SEEING:
Some people tend to get mental pictures or faint impressions that get stronger and stronger. Check out this interesting verse:
Habakkuk 2: 1
1 I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. ^[a]

FEELINGS:
Getting an impression or sensing a feeling.

(In case your wondering... I usually 'hear' and my wife usually 'sees'.)

Let me just add here that the quickest way to quench hearing from God is to evaluate it as its coming to you.
Rather one should write it down while suspending all judgment. Then once you've stopped hearing / seeing / feeling you can go back and 'judge' it (see the 1st and 2nd posts for more on this).

I hope this was helpful.
If you would like further posts on this subject, let me know what you'd like me to focus on by leaving a comment.

Till next time...

Hearing From God Pt. 2

2009-01-08T14:44:00.000+13:00

In this series of posts we are discussing hearing from God. If you missed part 1, then click HERE.

In this post we will discuss how to discern if the direction we are hearing is from ourselves or from God.
This can be tricky as our hearts can be deceptive... and if we really want to do something, we can easily talk ourselves into it.

Jeremiah 17:9
9 The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?

So how do we figure this maze out?
Well there are five simple tests that you can use:

Scripture
The Holy Spirit speaking to your heart
The prophetic
Godly council
The peace of God

Scripture is the foundation which all the other tests must be tested upon. The obvious question is , "Does this line up with Scripture?".

God is speaking to our hearts through His Holy Spirit all the time.

Psalm 139: 17-18
17 How precious to ^[b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake, I am still with you.

We'll cover how this happens more in the third post.

Prophetic words from others can be powerful encouragement in one's life. The prophetic word is usually a confirmation and encouragement though. Very rarely will God ever tell you something directive for the first time through the prophetic.

A word of caution too... who prophecies over you is very important. Every prophetic word needs to be judged and discerned.

1 Thessalonians 5: 19-21
19Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good.

Godly council can keep you from a lot of silly decisions. Having someone trusted, who knows the Word of God well, who is known for his wisdom and application of Scripture in their own life... these people will prove invaluable to you.
A word of caution... when we really want something... we tend to go to those who we know will be sympathetic to our course of action. Bad idea! You may get what you want... but you will not want what you end up with!

Lastly is the peace of God.

Colossians 3:15
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

In 2004 God dropped a bombshell in my spirit. I was living in South Africa and out of the blue God impressed New Zealand on my heart. It was with me from the moment I woke till the moment I fell asleep... 24/7.
I went to my wife and asked her to pray about what this could mean. We decided to pray about the matter seperatly for a month and then come together and see what God was saying.
I'm an idea a minute guy so it is important for me to give decisions time (espesially very important ones).

I wrestled and wrestled with this. It didn't make logical sense to me... after all I had been in the ministry for 10 years already in SA, I was well known and I had all my plans tied to SA.
I wished someone would just come up and give me a prophetic word to take the burden of making the descisionm off me... but I knew that God had spoken and I needed to make the decsion to follow.
On the third week I decided this was God, I made my decision, but I still wanted to give it time. Logically it didn't make any more sense to me... but underneath all that confusion I felt a peace in my spirit.

When my wife and I came together we were convinced that this was the voice of God to us. The next 6 months was a whirlwind... and as they say... the rest is history.
Now i feel right in the centre of God's will for our families lives. Its the best place to be!

In the next post we will talk about how to actually 'hear' from God.
Until then...

Please do leave a comment and share your experiences.

Hearing From God Pt. 1

2009-01-06T08:19:00.006+13:00

I thought I'd do a few posts on Hearing From God. Since the later part of the last century there has been a really big focus on hearing from God to find direction for our lives. From the very start of my spiritual journey I have been taught the importance of seeking God's voice and leading in my Christian walk. I have benefited so much from hearing from God over the years. I have seen the benefit in so many peoples lives... and I have seen it misused and abused.

People who decide to do something really stupid and mask it with, "God told me to...", and they do so because how can anyone argue with God's will? So if you don't want to listen to leadership and good council... just use the magic bullet. It's a highway to disaster!

(My third post will cover the 'How to hear from God'.)

So the first thing to know when listening to God is that we can hear from 1 of 3 people. We can hear from:

Satan
Ourselves
God

Satan's voice is fairly easy to recognize... as it's condemning or suggesting things contrary to what God's Word says. The trick comes when we are trying to discern between my thoughts and God's. More on this in my next post.

What have your experiences been in listening to God? Leave a comment please.

Popularity Vs. Principals

2009-01-03T08:45:00.002+13:00

Click HERE to read a great quote from President George Bush on Popularity Vs.
principals.

Video's To Get You Going in 09!

2009-01-01T08:18:00.002+13:00

What a great video from the Discovery Channel to kick the year off with!!!

And for those of you wondering where to travel... some tips from the infamous Matt:

Don't know who Matt is? Where have you been? Check him out here:

Happy 09!

Grace & The Law

2008-12-30T08:54:00.003+13:00

I read a great quote out of Brad Young's book, 'Meet the Rabbi's'... it still has me thinking about the full extent of its meaning:
"In law there is grace; in grace there is law."

What is your take on this quote?
Leave a comment and let me know what your thoughts are.

Great Quote

2008-12-27T00:12:00.000+13:00

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."
Mark Twain

Unusual Christmas Trees

2008-12-25T23:46:00.009+13:00

Merry Christmas everyone.

I thought it might be nice since we are all in the Christmas spirit to show some unique Christmas trees.
Enjoy!

We All Need Somebody!

2008-12-21T15:00:00.004+13:00

Just this Saturday I had planned to take my son for a horse ride. Everyone loves horse riding right... except Ethan really wasn't keen. He kept making excuses about something that happened when he was at kindi... which I can't remember. Anyways... he was really sure that this was a terrible idea and he was going to have no part in it.

I constantly tried to encourage him that it would be fun, that he would be like a cowboy, that he would be so grateful that he gave it a go... he still wasn't buying it.
So I just took him anyway.

He loved it!
I walked with him and in just a few minutes he had gained the confidence to tell me that he no longer wanted me with him on his horse ride.
And at the end of the horse ride... he was already trying to book in the next lesson!

It got me thinking... in life we all tend to shrink back when we need to push forward. New experiences (or risks as we like to call them) can scare us off, but if we have someone to come alongside of us, to encourage us... and even thrust us into the new experience (opportunity) [even though we may be kicking and screaming].
We all need these people in our lives. But the important question is... do we all have people in our lives like this?

How have you or other people done this for you?
Leave a comment and help us to learn from you.

It Is Your Responsibility!!!

2008-12-18T21:11:00.001+13:00

I've been in ministry for a long time now... some 13 years. I have a great passion for quotes and I've picked up a few beauties along the way. One of my favourites says this, "It is a sin to make the God of the Bible boring!"

With this in mind I have a great extract to share with you out of Seth Godin's latest book called 'Tribes':
"If you hear my idea but don't believe it, it's not your fault; its mine.
If you see my new product but don't buy it, thats my failure not yours.
If you attend my presentation and you're bored, that is my fault too.
If I fail to persuade you to implement a policy that supports my tribe, thats due to my lack of passion or skill, not your shortsightedness.
If you are a student in my class and you don't learn what I'm teaching, I've let you down.
It's really easy to insist that people read the manual. It's really easy to blame the user/student/prospect/customer for not trying hard, for being too stupid to get it, or for not caring enough to pay attention. It might even be tempting to blame those in your tribe who aren't working as hard at following as you are at leading. But none of this is helpful.

What's helpful is to realize that you have a choice to make when you communicate. You can design your products to be easy to use. you can write so your audience hears you. You can present in a place and in a way that gaurantees that the people you want to listen will hear you. Most of all, you will choose who will understand (and who won't)."

How do you see this extract pertaining to your ministry that God has called you to steward?
I would love to hear some of your thoughts through commenting on this post.

A Biblical Worldview

2008-12-17T19:05:00.005+13:00

It has been on my mind a lot of late... and we are going to dedicate an entire series to it next year.
It answers the question why we have so many unchristian Christians... why so many Christians loose their faith when they go to University...

We find ourselves in an incredible age, where at a single search on Google you can find thousands, if not millions of pages of information.
We have high educations with equally high opinions (which are usually based on whim or the trendy cliche of the day)... but we find ourselves with lives that are nothing short of a mess.

Australian's and Kiwis are living 5-7% above their means, we have out of control youth suicide rates, we are faced with overwhelming mental health issues, divorce rates are through the roof, we murder a third of the children who conceived, ... I don't think I need to go on.

The problem stems from our Biblical illiteracy. I'm not just talking about knowing what it says (although that would be a welcomed start) but a deep sense of the Word becoming flesh in our lives... getting revelation and allowing our lives and worlds to be transformed by it.

There is staggering hurdle that we must face... and that hurdle is the distrust for the Bible. Of those who call themselves committed Christians only 3% of under 25's hold to a Biblical world view.
Those hooligan youth I hear you say... the over 25's don't do that much better with only 9% holding a Biblical world view.

So what does it take to hold the Biblical worldview that the Barna Group have measured these stats with?

1. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life
2. God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe and He still rules it today
3. Salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned
4. Satan is real
5. A Christian has a responsibility to share his or her faith in Christ with other people
6. The Bible is accurate in all of the principals it teaches
7. Unchanging moral truth exists
8. Moral truth is defined by the Bible

So are you one of the 3% / 9%?
If not... what in the above list do you struggle with?

I look forward to having a conversation with you.

The power of Thanks

2008-12-08T15:58:00.002+13:00

Romans 1:19-21 (New International Version)
19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (New International Version)

18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

One of the things that I love about the Bible is that no matter how many times you have read it... there is always something you haven't seen before, new revelation to be had.

Isn't it interesting in Romans 1: 21 how it says that without an acknowledgment of God and a giving of thanks... our thinking becomes futile and our hearts become darkened!

No wonder God's will for our lives is to give thanks no matter the circumstance!
Whenever we acknowledge God and give thanks to Him we dethrone ourselves and we enthrone God!

To hear the message click HERE.

Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment.

Process vs The Prize

2008-12-04T00:27:00.004+13:00

I've been thinking about this topic for some time now... just pondering and letting revelation settle in.

In our culture today we are very prize orientated. We want achievement of the goal. We want it now and we want it to be painless.

The problem with all this is of course that God isn't interested in our preferred timing or comfort.

When Joseph received his vision at age 17 of his family bowing before him... I'm sure he was expecting the fulfillment to be just around the corner. I'm sure he had grand day-dreams of how it would all unfold. I'm certain that he never once dreamed of the trauma that would unfold in the following 13 years. The truth be told, if he knew what was coming, Joseph would have run.

If Joseph were alive today and he had his dream and we saw him now being sold into slavery, or serving in Potiphers house, or in jail... we would have shaken our heads. Perhaps we would have echoed the words of Job's wife... "Just curse God and die."

We would have seen an absence of blessing. We would have seen a curse. We would have rallied intercessors and shouted at the demons.
But the truth is that Joseph was right in the middle of God's plan and purposes for his life. He was blessed!

Only by going through the process of those 13 years could Joseph become the person he needed to be in order to have the dream become a reality.
What process are going on in your life right now? Instead of kicking back and resisting and shouting at the devil... why not ask God to shape you into who you need to become.
Ask God to show you where you need to grow, and what you need to learn.
Ask God for His grace to see it through.

We love the prize... God loves the process!

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Its Time To Conspire!!!

2008-11-25T23:23:00.003+13:00

Well its that time of year again... where we all go a little bit crazy and spend way too much money on getting presents. Not only do we end up spending way too much money... but often the gift is well... 'nice', but not needed or not used again.

Why not conspire against the consumerism of Christmas and click HERE to see how you can give a gift that truly makes a difference!
If you would like to hear about a gang of people who are conspiring against Advent... then click HERE.
Below is a Video about the conspiracy.

Let me know what your thoughts are and what your plans are this Christmas to join the conspiracy.

Out Of The Office?

2008-11-21T00:40:00.002+13:00

I was having a scrounge around the net and found these really great answering messages at churchvideoideas.com... you may just be tempted to use some of them! I have just given you a taster of 4 of them... click HERE to see the rest.

Best Out of Office Replies by Jeremy Wright

1. I am currently out at a job interview and will reply to you if I fail to get the position. Be prepared for my mood.

3. I will be unable to delete all the unread, worthless emails you send me until I return from holiday on 4 April. Please be patient and your mail will be deleted in the order it was received.

5. The e-mail server is unable to verify your server connection and is unable to deliver this message. Please restart your computer and try sending again. (The beauty of this is that when you return, you can see how many in-duh-viduals did this over and over).

8. I will be out of the office for the next 2 weeks for medical reasons… When I return, please refer to me as “Margaret” instead of “Steve”.

Teenage Affluenza

2008-11-20T23:09:00.001+13:00

DO SOMETHING...

Lessons From The Life of Fidel Castro

2008-11-20T00:40:00.005+13:00

Well I have been told off for not having some meaty posts going... so I had better give some decent thoughts on this post or Elise will smack my hands!

Last week I watched a great movie called Fidel & Che... as you can guess it was about Fidel Castro and Che - revolutionaries in Cuba.
What interested me is that these guys started out campaigning against the leaders who were oppressing them... and in the end they were the oppressors.
Perhaps this is why Abraham Lincoln said, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

Where did these men go wrong? I believe that he fell in 2 areas:
1) He wanted to stay in power
2) He stopped listening

1) Wanting to stay in power
This doesn't only happen to revolutionist... how many leaders have held on to their positions because they couldn't let go and let someone new take the reigns.
David is one of the few leaders in the Bible who did this well. He not only handed over leadership to his son Solomon, but he gathered resources and support for his runs reign.

Perhaps its fear of not 'being someone'... perhaps its fighting the demons of the unknown... perhaps its holding on to the false belief that you can do it better.

The challenge of leadership is to have a light grip... with a passionate heart for '...'.
How can you prevent yourself from becoming a bottle-neck in the organization?

2) Not Listening
Its easy to believe that you know whats right for people. But the truth is that the higher you go up in leadership the more difficult it is to be connected to the people.

As leaders our challenge is to intentionally create opportunities and spaces to hear people.
There is nothing more belittling and insulting than not being listened to!
I think that Forrest Gump's mama had it right when she gave the advice, "Forrest, you have 2 ears and one mouth. That means that you gotta listen twice as much as you talk."
Or as Larry King says, "I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening."

How are you at listening to people one on one? What percentage of the time are you talking? When the other person is talking are you listening to them or thinking about what you want to say next?
How are you at listening to those that you lead? Have you created any opportunities or spaces for people to give honest feedback? Would you listen if they did?

I must admit that before the movie I had a certain opinion of Castro... afterwards... I felt that he fell under the traps that I too often and too easily fall into.

So what are your thoughts on these two issues?

Up For Some Laughs?

2008-11-13T22:51:00.003+13:00

Here are a collection of some cool youtube videos to view:

And for those who like the Transformers...

and for all our singstar fans out there

and you know what they say... no pain, no gain!

and finally for something that is remotely useful...

1000's of Free QApplications For Your Blog

2008-11-10T00:55:00.002+13:00

If you read Blogs, the chances are you write them too. Below is a video that teaches you how to access 1000's of applications for your Blog.
Enjoy!!!

WHY???

2008-11-05T16:46:00.003+13:00

I have a 2 1/2 year old girl who is constantly asking the question, 'Why?'
I love it! I think we loose our wonder in life too easily. So here are some questions to get your grey matter pondering:

Why do banks charge a fee on 'insufficient funds' when they know there is not enough?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Whose idea was it to put an 'S' in the word 'lisp'?

What is the speed of darkness?

Why is it that people say they 'slept like a baby' when babies wake up every two hours?

Are there specially reserved parking spaces for 'normal' people at the Special Olympics?

If the temperature is zero outside today and it's going to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold will it be?

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

Did you ever stop and wonder......

Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, 'I think I'll squeeze
these pink dangly things here, and drink whatever comes out?'

Who was the first person to say, 'See that chicken there... I'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta it's bum.'

Why do toasters always have a setting so high that could burn the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?

Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't point to their bum when they ask where the bathroom is?

Why does your Obstetrician, Gynaecologist leave the room when you get undressed if they are going to look up there anyway?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs !

If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?

Stop singing and read on.......

Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?

Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?

Good thoughts to ponder hey : )

What Are You...?

2008-11-04T22:59:00.003+13:00

I know, I know, I have been a terrible blogger over the past month or so... I will get back into the groove. At least I have picked up my game on the Twitter front.
Its going to be short and sweet tonight as I leave you with 2 quotes and a challenge:

'It's better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.'
Elizabeth Kenny

'Never stop trusting God to do the extravagant in your life.'
Brian Houstan

Let me leave you with this challenge... "What are you trusting God for?"

Let me know your thoughts.

Photos From Our Recent Oscars Ball

2008-10-23T00:46:00.006+13:00

To Twitter Or Not To Twitter?

2008-10-20T15:33:00.002+13:00

Well it has been too long since my last posts... I feel like something is really missing in my life!

I was just listening to a podcast by thenewmediology on Twitter and thought I should give it another go. Basically you give an update in less than 140 characters...
I suppose I thought, 'Who cares?!' ... but sinse listening to their podcast... I found out that there is more to Twitter than just 'What am I doing right now'... here are 5 other questions that Nathan Moore and Bill Seaver suggest that you could answer:

What did you learn?
What made you laugh?
What do you need an answer to?
What are you thankful for?
What ticks you off?

If any of this intrigues you, why not download the podcast for free off of iTunes? What tips do you have for using Twitter... or how have you found the using of social media to be helpful? I look forward to your comments!

Time To Step It Up!!!

2008-10-13T23:01:00.003+13:00

Wow, what a busy few weeks I have had... as I'm sure that you've noticed by my lack of posts.
I have had the good providence of picking up an really good 1991 book published by YWAM called Daring To Live By Faith. Over the past few months I have been feeling like God has been pushing me to a tipping point in the area of finances. Like everyone else, my family has been feeling the pinch financially but at the same time I have felt that God was wanting me to step up in the area of giving.

At our ACTS (used to be Apostolic) conference I heard an offering message that just spoke to me...
actually it was a Scripture... a well known Scripture... but one that I had never applied to the area of finances:
(2Co 12:9) But he replied, "My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak." So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am.

Then I read this paragraph in the book I mentioned above:
"Many Christians never prove God's trustworthiness in this category of their lives - they remain financially self-sufficient, never stepping out on a limb, never doing anything out of the ordinary. Instead , it seems they ask their bank account, 'Oh, Bank Account, will you allow me to do this for God?'
Those who listen to God will find themselves doing things that they cannot compete without His help.They will take steps of obedience , then allow God to do His part. In other words, Bible faith requires that you do the possible and let God do the impossible. Faith only operates when we have no other resource but God."

Wow isn't that challenging! Its time for me to step out of the 'boat' and trust God to help me walk on the water.

Let me know your thoughts...

My Style Of Counseling

2008-09-15T01:55:00.004+12:00

Just a quick peek into my head ... and you'll find this video as my idea of a counseling session.

Perhaps that is why no-one is lining up at my door for
counseling : )

Are You A Wanna Be Author?

2008-09-11T18:27:00.000+12:00

One of the things I would really like to achieve in my life is resourcing people through writing books. The whole process can be a bit daunting ... but I have found some resources that just might help... I won't tell you what it is... you'll just have to click HERE to found out : )

The truth is that in life... our greatest regrets will always be things that we did not do. If authoring is your gig... don't live with regret!

If you have other helpful resources... share the love!

I look forward to your comments : )

What Type Of Faith Do You Posses?

2008-09-11T00:05:00.004+12:00

My time has flow... it seems like just a few moments ago it was 10:30pm on Wednesday... its Thursday now!

I have been thoroughly enjoying reading Craig Groeschel's book 'confessions of a Pastor'. I must admit that I struggle to be as honest as Craig is in this book! Craig... you da man!
One of my short comings is wanting people to think well of me... I suppose I have a tenancy to want to have things look better than they are sometimes... "God, please help me be honest."

Craig had an interesting breakdown of types of 'believers':
1) The Casual Believer
This person believes in God but has not surrendered to Him. Even though this person believes in God, he lives his life as if God doesn't really exist - a confessing thiest, but a practicing athiest.

2) The Convienient Believer
This person waves the Christian flag whenever it is convient and or it involves a potential benefit.

3) The Committed Believer
The road to committed faith is paved with personal abandonment and self-denial. Life ceases to be about us, and it begins to be all about God. The committed believer doesn't waver because of the crowd. He isn't moved by others opinions. He is a Christ follower all of the time. Complete obiedience and faithfulness are his goals.

So here is the challenge:
What kind of faith do you posses? Is yours casual - you're a good person who believes in God, but doesn't let your faith dominate your life? Or do you perhaps have a convient faith - living right when someone's watching, or when it might benefit you, but doing what you want te rest of the time? Or are you committed - wholly devoted to the One who's wholly devoted to you?
Great challenge... thanks Craig.

I look forward to your comments : )

2008-09-06T21:44:00.002+12:00

Well, with infrequent blogging like this you can tell that I've been on leave. I have dropped all my usual routines and just unwound. Delicious!

So I wanted to give you a link to an amazing post from Pastor James Macpherson and then get on to some great videos. This post is on the Cross and suffering... so click HERE to be blown away.

And now for something completely different...

Absolutely Hilarious Bathroom Mirror Prank

Most Amazing Illusion Ever

Exploding Bottle Rocket Hits Crotch

I trust you enjoyed : )

2008-08-26T00:45:00.005+12:00

Today was my first day of leave... delicious. I had a 3 hour nap in the middle of the day. I think I shall have quite a few of these along the way as I seek to recharge.

So in the spirit of having a bit of fun, I have some funny youtube clips:

This video is of a youth pastor trying to make a grand entrance:

This next clip is of a Capoeira fight:

This next video beauty is by Mark Gungor on the difference between men's and women's brains... a true classic!

And just to end off just right and be PC... I'll leave you with Jeff Dunham and Achmed the Dead Terrorist:

Hope you enjoyed this post.
If you have any good videos please share the love and give us the links as you comment.

Get Your Creative Juices Squirting!

2008-08-19T21:55:00.005+12:00

Have you ever wanted to be more creative? Well have I got the link for you! Click HERE to find all the answers that you'll ever need!

Talking about creative... one of my mates David Luke showed this clip on sunday when he shared his four word (we give 4 minutes to an individual each week to share a thought from God's Word). This video shows what happens when we practice omphaloskepsis:

And just because I can... I'm going to give you a link to the greatest lemonade recipe in the universe. So if you want to change your life... click HERE.

2008-08-14T23:46:00.004+12:00

Got another great sight for you to check out. These people stage elaborate gags. I love the creativity and simplicity of their ideas. The group are called Improve Everywhere. To check their sight out click HERE. To check out the blog and see the upcoming plans of pranksters around the world... click HERE.

One of the coolest things I have seen is during one valentines a mall in South Africa hired actors and had them sprinkled through out the mall. They were dressed in their characters attire and were frozen still. The characters were all taken from love stories such as Romeo and Juliet, Pocahontas, etc. It created such a great vibe in the mall. I'd like to use this on our Uni campus next year as part of our Orientation Week outreach. Have the same idea but add Jesus in there. I recon it will create some cool conversations.
What creative ideas do you have for such escapades? I'd love to hear from you so please do leave a comment.

Get Your Slang On

2008-08-12T22:22:00.004+12:00

I thought we could do something fun and look at some of the words out of the Urban Dictionary. It might just help your conversations go to a HNL baby!

That's how I roll

What someone would say to insinuate that it was their style, or that it was the way they usually do things.

Yo man so did you already hit it or what?

self helpless

The condition of somebody that is unable to deal with life, usually found sitting around a neglected apartment with bad hair and bad outfit.

I saw Kenny at our high school reunion, he's still living with his parents and saving up for a camaro ...totally self helpless.

iPhoney

A cell phone which copies the look and features of an iPhone.

I heard that Samsung is coming out with an iPhoney this summer.

photobombing

Intentionally posing in other people's photos, for a later surprise.
Usually people making funny faces in the background, without the knowledge of the main subjects of the photo.

Jim is always photobombing, he messed ups some of the best photos from the wedding.

27/4

27 seconds a day, 4 days a week, i.e. quite rare

Kev: Hey Boss, I work 27/4 for you.

hulk out

To become enraged; to lose one's temper, clothing and power of coherent speech before embarking on a spree of violence and wanton destruction. After the comicbook character who turned from an unregarded geek into a thundering green mass of unstoppable fury.

"It all happened so fast... the Broncos ran in their fifth touchdown and he just Hulked out. I hope he's going to pay for a new TV. And window."

Word Vomit

A point in a conversation where you say something that you really didn't mean to.

I told Robin that I saw Mike with some girl at the movie theater last night. It just came out of my mouth like Word Vomit.

cash pedal

The accelerator pedal in your car during times of high gasoline prices. So named because it's prodigious use will lead to more cash spent on gas.

You wouldn't be putting $100 a week in that thing if you would just be a little smoother on the cash pedal.

attention spam

A condition resulting in a failure to process basic facts or comprehend common knowledge, due largely to having a mind full of useless information.

Kali's numerous typos were a result of her suffering from attention spam.

Other cool sites: Howcast - ever wanted to know how to do something... this site brings it to you in a humorous manner.

Breathe

2008-08-09T00:46:00.004+12:00

In one of the messages that Ps Wayne Alcorn shared at our Churches Inspire conference, he talked about how in Genesis 1 the Holy Spirit hovered over the earth... from this he talked about how we need to take time out... to hover... to ponder... to wait.

I was at gym doing some weights and I was getting quite out of breath as I strained through my bicep sets. I had to sit down as I was getting quite dizzy. I suddenly had a thought about Ps Wayne's message... and i began to realize that my problem in the sets was that I wasn't breathing. I was just straining. God began to give me the gentle nudging and challenge.... if I'm just going to run from one thing to the next... if I'm not going to rest... to hover.... I will get dizzy and end up no-where.

By the way, I tried the next set concentrating on my breathing... and it was even easier than the first set! I tried it again today and the breathing certainly makes a huge difference!

I wonder how I (and you) need to implement this breathing / hovering principal into our everyday lives. What strategies and practical things have you done to 'breathe / hover'? I look forward to your comments : )

Free Resources!!!

2008-08-06T23:03:00.003+12:00

I am constantly amazed by what useful things can be found on youtube! Here is a great free ringtones creator for your new iPhone by iRinger. Check out how easy it is with this video:

I love the way that churches like lifechurch.tv have really lead the way in sharing their resources for free. Check out there OPEN section that has heaps of resources from graphics and videos to life group studies. Click HERE to check it out.

What other free resources are there out there that you use often?
I look forward to your comments : )

The Apple iPhone

2008-08-05T23:39:00.004+12:00

Hey, its been too long since I've been blogging. I really missed it! Well I finally got my new iPhone last week Wednesday. What a great toy! I must admit that I'm loving it. I love its predictive spelling, awesome interface and ease of use. I love the heaps of free applications and the fact that I can listen to music and my podcasts on the go now. Things I'm surprised by is the fact that the iPhone has a great camera but no video capabilities. I'm surprised that you can't have any word documents etc. My phone crashed today... my fault really. I was updating software when my laptop battery gave out. I found a really useful youtube video on how to restore your iPhone. Clich HERE to view it. The video was made by "how to iPhone". Its amazing what great resources are out there. Talking of resources I have just done a post on the Vision Youth Network blog. Click HERE to check it out and read the post. I'm always on the scout for really good videos off youtube. If you know of any good videos then please let me know. Well thats me for tonight... till next time. PS: If you are looking for a great (on-line) Bible app for your iPhone then click HERE. Thanks to LifeChurch.tv for that! Even if you don't have an iPhone... its worth watching the video to learn how to communicate thoughts clearly. Go on... click HERE.

Let me know your thoughts and experiences : )

Clean Graffiti

2008-07-29T01:42:00.002+12:00

Found this fantastic video @ The Plow.
This is beautiful. Something that has been covered in dirt for years can become a work of art. Sound familiar?

Let me know your thoughts...

PS: for a look at a great art piece based on a famous quote from St Francis of Assisi then click HERE

Time To Review My Schedule

2008-07-24T23:50:00.003+12:00

Well as I'm sure you can tell by my lack of posts... its been a busy week. I've had the opportunity to hang out with more people than usual and speak into their lives. I must admit that I really enjoy that. I wish I had heaps more time for it... so I will look to changing my schedules in the next few weeks to include more time for this and for spending extended time in the Word and prayer.

Our church conference started this evening. What an amazing night as we kicked it all off. We won't be podcasting the message for another few months but CDs can be purchased from Eastside.
Its so exciting to have this amazing input and to see the incredible effort that our teams are putting in to making this conference da bomb!

Another thing I'm excited about is getting my new iphone sometime next week. Boys must have their toys!

Till next time

Danny Guglielmucci One Liners

2008-07-19T15:48:00.004+12:00

WE have the great privelege of having Pastor Danny Guglielmucci at our church this weekend. So I thought I'd share some of the great one liners that he has shared thus far from the Pastors lunch and the Staff and Elders Supper yesterday.

"When you're sent you go with authority.
When you're went you go with only your ability."

"Suspicion, insecurity and gossip are the three enemies of trust."

"Some people in church life contribute... others build."

"When we don't fuel the House... we rob it of achieving its purpose (the context is Malachi 3)."

"The degree to which you see Jesus, the degree to which you'll serve."

"We judge others by the evil in our own hearts."

"Your and determines your end."

"Unity flows from authority."

"I can't correct you until I can caress you."

Its been an amazing weekend thus far. I can't wait for what God has in store for us!

As I'm sure that many of you are aware that Mike Guglielmucci is fighting cancer. Actual Mike says that he is fighting for his destiny and he is letting God take care of his cancer.
Below is a phenominal song that is being played all over the world which Mike wrote when he learned that he had cancer.

And this is the story about the song:

Let me know your thoughts.

God Speaks To Me In The Movies (Antwone Fisher)

2008-07-16T23:23:00.003+12:00

I am a pragmatic man by nature. I like to work on practical things to move forward. I hate excuses, especially lame ones where people try to play the victim and blame everyone else.
Being pragmatic I like to press forward. But sometimes in order to move forward, we must press backward. We must deal with our past then and only then can we march forcefully and triumphantly forward into our destiny.

I just watched a phenomenal movie called Antwone Fisher. Its a 2002 / 3 movie that Denzel Washington acted in and directed. The movie shows the journey of a young navel man who journeys back into his past and is able to move forward because of it. Its a great movie about redemption, forgiveness, family, mentoring and self esteem.
Its sooo good that I cried! Do yourself a favor and get this movie out!

Enjoy!

Great Quotes

2008-07-14T13:56:00.004+12:00

I'm reading a great book that Ps Simon Moetara gave me for my ordination last year. Its called, "The Art & Craft of Biblical Preaching'. So I thought I'd put a few of the cool one liners that I have read thus far:

"When the Bible speaks, God speaks."
Augustine

"Men don't rebel against the idea of God; men rebel against the will of God."
Unknown

"The great design and intention of the office of a Christian preacher is to restore the throne and dominion of God in the souls of men."
John Piper

"When I coach our teachers around here at Willow, I always ask them 2 questions. 'What do you want them to know? What do you want them to do?' If theycant answer those two questions immediately I say, 'You're ill-prepared. Don't inflict that message on our people."
Bill Hybels

Hope you enjoy!
I look forward to your comments : )

Going Alone?

2008-07-12T08:47:00.004+12:00

I have been going to gym for almost 2 months now. And I'm loving it. I've lost a couple of KG's, I feel more focused, more energetic... its delicious.
Now some things that I have noticed on my journey:
1) In the past I used to gym with a partner. My gym sessions took about 2 hours. I couldn't always do the routine I wanted, but I couldn't miss gym either as I would be letting my partner down.
2) I now gym alone. My sessions take 1/2 the time and I can fit it into my lunch break. I do the routine I want, and I can fly through it. However, the down side is that I don't get pushed as hard, and of course, its far easier to let myself off the hook and not go to the gym that day.

Its like that in leadership. I can forge ahead alone and get where I am wanting to go fairly quickly. But I reach that destination alone, and one can only accomplish so much.
But taking others with you on the journey... is slow and frustrating. Very frustrating! But you get there together and together we can accomplish a multiplied effect far far greater than I could have achieved on my own.

So I guess the question is... who are you taking with you on your leadership journey?
I'd love to hear your comments : )

Do You Believe?

2008-07-11T00:13:00.005+12:00

I'm reading the book of James (from the Bible) tonight... and it reminded me of a great and challenging quote from Leon Bazel, who is a good friend of mine in South Africa:

"The only part of the Bible that you believe is the part that you do."

The apostle James said it like this:

Jas 2:17-26 MSG (17) Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? (18) I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department." Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove. (19) Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? (20) Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands? (22) Isn't it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are "works of faith"? (23) The full meaning of "believe" in the Scripture sentence, "Abraham believed God and was set right with God," includes his action. It's that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named "God's friend." (24) Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works? (25) The same with Rahab, the Jericho harlot. Wasn't her action in hiding God's spies and helping them escape--that seamless unity of believing and doing--what counted with God? (26) The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse.

So here is the challenge... 'What do you believe?'

I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments.

Got Your ID?

2008-07-08T23:57:00.004+12:00

Ps Steven Furtick of Elevation church is a champion! I just love reading his blogs. He has a great leadership gift over his life. If you haven't checked out his blog yet... what are you waiting for? I want to give you a link to a great post that he made about identity. Check this snippet out:
"I need to remember that when I’m heavy with inadequacy and uncertainty. Who I am in Christ comes before what I do for Christ."
Click HERE to see the rest of the post.

Are You Living In Babylon? Part 3

2008-07-04T00:02:00.003+12:00

How you doing? I have been trying to go to bed earlier because of this documentary that I was watching about sleep. They were insistent that 6hrs sleep was not enough and that we needed at least 8. Well I never rarely get more than 6hrs... I'm usually in bed between the hours of 12:30am and 1:30am and I get up at 7am.
I can't say that I've felt that much better... but I certainly haven't had much time to listen to podcasts, blog, and do some of the creative thinking that seems to come alive from 11pm on.

Well thats me. Hey, I just realized today that I haven't been twittering... I had just totally forgotten about it over last weekend and that was the last that I had thought about it... I better go and do an entry right now... hold on, I'll be back in a sec.
Oh heck, its been so long that I've even forgotten my password! shameful : ) By the way, have you checked out my (now) newly updated twitter? Click HERE to check it out.

I read a great thought from Rick Warren today. I can't remember the magazine that I was reading and I don't have it to give you a direct quote but it went something like this:
Life is a series of problems. Either you are right in the middle of one now, or you are just coming through it or are about to enter one. In life we constantly face problems because God is more interested in our character than our happiness.
What a great thought! And how relevant to our discussion on living with the Babylonian mindset that says at all cost we must cling to comfort. But the truth is that we cannot follow God and hold to comfort at the same time. look anywhere in the Bible and you will find God stretching people right out of their comfort zones. How odd that today we have leaders who want to speak and influence others ... but who desire to do it cheaply. Who are we trying to kid anyway?!

Let me know your thoughts :P

Are You Living In Babylon? Part 2

2008-06-30T23:18:00.003+12:00

So from the last post we saw that for a vast majority of Christians who have been bought out by a Babylonian system ... comfort is the name of the game.

I'm sure you love going to church... isn't it great how the services are designed to fit around our busy schedules. And I love what happens at church... but its it a bit of a pain when we are asked to get involved. And don't you just hate it when they ask for you to part with your hard earned cash? And why is it that people always need our help when its so inconvenient for us?

But does comfort and true Christianity go together?
Consider some of the following versus from the Bible:

Mat 10:38 CEV
(38) And unless you are willing to take up your cross and come with me, you are not fit to be my disciples.

Mat 5:10-12 CEV
(10) God blesses those people who are treated badly for doing right. They belong to the kingdom of heaven.
(11) God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me.
(12) Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago.

Lev 25:35-36 CEV
(35) If any of your people become poor and unable to support themselves, you must help them, just as you are supposed to help foreigners who live among you.
(36) Don't take advantage of them by charging any kind of interest or selling them food for profit. Instead, honor me by letting them stay where they now live.

Php 2:3-4 CEV
(3) Don't be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves.
(4) Care about them as much as you care about yourselves

Mat 6:24 CEV
(24) You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Mar 9:35 CEV
(35) After Jesus sat down and told the twelve disciples to gather around him, he said, "If you want the place of honor, you must become a slave and serve others!"

I don't know about you... but those versus are like a cold icy shower.
It makes you do a double take.
It makes me think... where do I fit... in the Babylonian mold or in a more truly Christian mold?

Let me know your thoughts on this post.

Are You Living In Babylon? Part 1

2008-06-28T12:58:00.001+12:00

I heard a really great message by Ps Michael Pitts which had a really great thought in it... one that has spurred on a couple of thoughts that I'd like to share with you.

Ps Michael compared the bondage of Egypt with the captivity in Babylon.
In Egypt the people were treated badly, and were given leeks and onions to eat.
But whenever one is oppressed at some point there is always an uprising.

Babylon on the other hand gave their slaves meat and wine. They bought them... and so when the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem... many didn't. They liked the comforts of Babylon.

Today we have been bought out by a Babylonian system that teaches us to live for self gratification and comfort.
In the next few posts we will look at how this outworks in our everyday lives.

Till next time...
(PS: I'd love to hear your thoughts on the post)

The New Stained Glass

2008-06-25T23:49:00.002+12:00

I must tell you that I have been enjoying the thunder... you can read more about this as well as an awesome post by Ps Mark Batterson on our church's blog. Just click HERE.

As you may have noticed (on the bar to the right), I have also joined up to twitter. I have decided to give it a bash and see how it goes. It should be fun.

Well I won't make this post too long cause I really want you to read Mark Batterson's post. I know that you'll enjoy it!

Chow!

Your No Determines Your Destiny

2008-06-23T00:01:00.003+12:00

Tonight we brought to a close our series in the 6pm service called NO. I thought I'd share with you one of my thoughts from tonights message.

Before Jesus graduated into ministry... He had to have practiced His NO's. We see this when His parents brought Him to the temple at age 12. A few days into traveling back Jesus' parents realized that he was not with them and so they returned to Jerusalem to frantically search for Him. Finally they found Jesus in the temple astounding the teachers of the law. And as all parents do they freaked out and let Jesus have it. They wanted Jesus to follow their expectation... but He simply explained that He was about His Father's business.
Jesus said no to their expectation and yes to the call of God on His life.

Then just as Jesus is about to launch into ministry the Holy Spirit sends Him into the desert where He fasts for 40 days and the devil comes to tempt Him. 3 times Jesus says NO and quotes Scripture to the devil.

You see it was imperative that Jesus own a strong NO as He entered into ministry as many would try to lay their agenda's and expectations on Jesus. If Jesus was going to follow the call of God on His life He would need to own a strong NO. And its the same with us.

So who sets the agenda and values in your life. Is your life determined by others expectations of you? Or like Jesus, do you own a strong NO so that you can say YES to the call of God for you?

Let me know your thoughts on the subject : )

Who Will You Choose To Offend?

2008-06-17T21:51:00.003+12:00

Choosing who you are willing to offend is probably one of the most important leadership questions that you need to answer if you are going to be effective in seeing your God-given vision fulfilled. Want to know why? Then read this great (and short) post from Strategy Central. Just click HERE.

Hope you enjoy the post. Let me know your thoughts : )