I came across this blog this morning… I was so moved by it that I thought I would share it with the three of you that regularly read this. Such a powerful reminder…

People Will Never Respect You Because Of What You’re ABOUT To Do

September 25th, 2009, Category : Deep Stuff

“My wife and I have thought about adopting for a while.”

“I’ve always wanted to write a book.”

“I think I might ask her out.”

“Yea, next time I go to a show I’ll sponsor a Compassion child.”

“You know, I’m gonna finally tell my boss to chill out and treat us with respect.”

“Dude! The church I’m planting is going to feed the homeless every Saturday morning.”

“That’s it. I’m seriously going to drop everything and become a photographer.”

These are just a few of the lines I remember from conversations I have been part of or overheard (yes, I’m a stalker) the past few weeks.

Dreams are fuel.

They fuel us to victory.

But most of the time they stay just that.

Dreams.

I lived most of my life “about” to do something.

Then one day Heather and I decided to stop living almost and start living all out.

Since that decision we have adopted our son Losiah, climbed the highest peak in North America, Jumped out of airplanes, been on a reality show, moved across the country, quit my job, signed a record deal, traveled to Uganda, co lived with 3 families, and so much more.

I honestly don’t share that to brag.

It might sound miserable to most of you.

We have had our share of suck.

If you read our blogs you know.

But we also realized that the American dream of white picket fences and a 9-5 isn’t our shtick.

And here is the harder truth.

It isn’t a lot of yours either.

You are living in the myth that stability = simply and safely existing.

Those statements up top usually end a few months later with financial, lack of time, fear, and man power excuses.

Here’s the truth.

There will NEVER be enough money, time, or help.

Heather and I spend at least one night a week looking at the checking account and crying then laughing then crying.

I could get a job at a church and play it safe.

That would not be a bad decision.

It would be a great decision.

It just would not be the RIGHT decision, right now.

Because right now God has called me to pour into the global church and when that season is over, it would be a blessing to work in the local church again.

Just not now.

And so we pray, fast, hustle, laugh, and cry.

And inside all of that, we live.

I’m willing to bet a lot of you are ready for an adventure.

So what is it?

What are you going to do this week to take that one step away from safety and towards calling?

Los

the post can also be found at: http://www.ragamuffinsoul.com/2009/09/people-will-never-respect-you-because-of-what-youre-about-to-do

Well… for those of you that know me well; you know that I’m always dreaming, I’m always thinking, I’m always looking forward… I’ve felt for some time now that there will come a time in the not-so-distant future where we will plant a church. When? only God knows. Where? Again, not sure. But I’ve been praying and thinking about this for awhile now. Anyways, I’m always talking with my wife and asking her things like “so what do we call it? what does it look like.” I was sitting on my couch tonight and it hit me. The answer I’ve been praying for for awhile now… and I know you might think it’s a bit far-fetched or goofy, but it’s a huge moment for me. I have been asking God, “Lord, what do we call it? give me a creative name, something that will be creative, communicate what we’re about…” So here it is:

Paradigm Community Church.

Yep. I like it. It goes back to my roots at Texas Tech… it communicates what I think the church is about. I’m not really writing this for you tonight, but more for me. I’m dating this tonight here and in my journal. Someday I’ll look back and see where some of the creative juices were flowing!

Greater things have yet to come… BCB//20nine

Was driving after a doctors appointment in Fort Worth last night, and heard this song again for the first time. Never really been a Switchfoot fan, but the more I listen to the lyrics on their new album, I think all that’s changing. Such a powerful song, and I thought I’d share it with you!

“Let Your love be strong” Switchfoot, Oh Gravity:

In this world of news, I’ve found nothing new
I’ve found nothing pure
Maybe I’m just idealistic to assume that truth
Could be fact and form
That love could be a verb
Maybe I’m just a little misinformed

As the dead moon rises, and the freeways sigh
Let the trains watch over the tides and the mist
Spinning circles in our sky’s tonight
Let the trucks roll in from Los Angeles
Maybe our stars are unanimously tired

(chorus)
Let your love be strong, and I don’t care what goes down
Let your love be strong enough to weather through the thunder cloud
Fury and thunder clap like stealing the fire from your eyes
All of my world hanging on your love

Let the wars begin, let my strength wear thin
Let my fingers crack, let my whole world fall apart
Train the monkeys on my back to fight
Let it start tonight
When my world explodes, when my stars touch the ground
Falling down like broken satellites

Let your love be strong, and I don’t care what goes down
Let your love be strong enough to weather through the thunder cloud
Fury and thunder clap like stealing the fire from your sky’s
All that i am hanging on, all of my world resting on your love

Good thoughts for tonight… Missing my wife tonight. Thankful for another day to live.

“Lord, let Your will be done in me, let Your kindgom come in me, let my life be a preview of coming attractions.”

The Danger of Self-Diagnosis

Posted by John Mann

Many sons of the prophets have taken to pronouncing the impending doom of the Southern Baptist Convention. Pointing to falling baptismal rates, rising ages, and static churches, we have summoned the intervention of the successful to rescue the perishing and care for the dying. As the summoned practitioners meet in special session this week, the patients fight it out in the waiting room about the deliberations until we receive the prognosis and path of treatment. A possible merger of the IMB and NAMB, a possible partnership with Acts 29, or a restructuring of the Cooperative Program have all been prescribed as the solution to what ails us from the Web MD of Baptist blogdom. Not to be pedantic, but I would encourage us to look to the Great Physician for the proper diagnosis before we give the prognosis based on a self-diagnosis.

Standing before Jesus, Peter makes his confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus then responds with a gnomic principle, “Upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it” (Matthew 16:16, 18). I will make two presumptions. 1) We agree that the rock to which Jesus refers is Peter’s confession, and not Peter himself. 2) The existence of local churches is irreplaceably important to Christ. This leads me to deduce that, if the Southern Baptist Convention is indeed destined for the doom pronounced by the aforementioned prophets, it is not ultimately due to irrelevance, but to unfaithfulness. As the SBC stands on the brink of another time of transition, I would encourage us to remember two things.

First, let us not become so consumed with baptismal numbers that we forget that when all is said and done, baptism is not the goal, conversion is. Though baptism is our method of measurement for the effectiveness of our outreach, we must be careful that the method of measurement does not become the goal itself. In other words, if we increase baptisms without increasing conversions, we have settled for a lesser gospel, and indeed, a false gospel. A true biblical confession will involve baptism, but if we are not careful, we will separate baptism from a true confession.

The second truth we must bear in mind from this text is that the success of the futuristic, not -yet-existent universal church cannot be separated from the success of the present day local church. The activity of God is primarily seen in the local church. Not that God is dependent upon such, but God has ordained such. I pray that as we seek to return our focus to the Great Commission, that in doing so, our focus will return to the local church over and above the development of our own kingdom. Our investment to the Kingdom of God is an investment that is made in, with, and through the local church. When Jesus said His church will be built upon the rock of Peter’s confession, based on the rest of the New Testament witness, He certainly involved the building of the eternal church through the local church.

Of course, the promise of Jesus is that, given the proper confession of His people and the power of His word, the church will not be overpowered. So, need we fear the death of the Southern Baptist Convention? No, for life is a byproduct of Christ’s promise of the success of the local church built upon the confession of her members. Let us not fear the death of our beloved Convention, for upon it the Kingdom of God does not reside.

Rather, let us fear the loss of the New Testament confession of Christ as our Lord within the local churches. If we maintain the preeminence of the local church and a proper confession, our churches will flourish. If our churches flourish, our Convention will flourish. If we have healthy churches, we will have a healthy Convention. It is one thing to know the symptoms of the sickness. It is quite another to know the path to wellness. The Convention may be able to describe the symptoms, but they are incapable of producing the cure. As the Task Force deliberates today, let us pray for their focus not to be upon the programmatic and structural success of the Convention. Let us pray for their hearts to be focused upon the local churches and how they can be encouraged to maintain a healthy confession of Christ as Lord. For in Him alone is there life abundant.

http://sbctoday.com/2009/08/26/the-danger-of-self-diagnosis

I’ve had a number of folks write and ask when my message from Glorieta Fuge (Week 7) would be posted, I’ve been running with my head cut off and I’m finally at a place where I can work on those. They should be up within a week. Sorry for the delay, and I guess I can apologize up front for the folks that really want to listen/watch those messages. They aren’t worth much, but for whatever their worth, I’m making free for whoever wants them. Blessings on you today! BCB//20nine