Christmas Challenge

Let the lyrics of this new song challenge you this Christmas season to stop, reflect on what God has done, and listen to him. It reveals what God is challenging us with.

THIS TIME IS YOURS

Here in this place of solitude
My day collides with your word
Here in this quiet place with you
My busy soul surrenders

This time is yours
I lay my plans down
This time is yours my Lord

Here in this place of letting go
My spirit is embracing
True joy by giving you control
Now found alive, my soul sings

Every moment, every season, sunset and sunrise
All of my waking, all of my sleeping, this is all your time
So speak to me that I may hear and know you

Kissing and Truth Telling

Borrowed post from Jeff Leake. Worth sharing.

I was reading in my devotions this morning and came across this familiar verse in Proverbs 24: An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

I was meditating on several ways this is true.

1. Having someone tell you the truth is a GIFT! Living in self-delusion is both a trap and a path toward pain.

2. Hearing the truth is easier and best from those who have earned the right. We don't just let anyone kiss us on the lips. :)

3. If you truly care about someone - you can express it by telling them the complete truth. Another Proverb says- 'better is open rebuke than hidden love.'

4. As you tell them the truth make it much like a kiss and less like a punch in the face.

5. When someone cares enough to speak the truth in love - receive it like a kiss not like a punch in the face.

Maybe you need to kiss someone today?

Challenge

We want to be known for what we are for, not what we are against.

Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) Today , how can you practically be known for Jesus-like love?

Paul wrote, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16) Today, how can you be a conduit for the power of God to work in people’s lives unto salvation?

So the two things I want to be known for because they are what Jesus was known for... unconditional love and the power of God that leads to salvation.

Blessed?

A blessing is a beneficial thing for which one is grateful... something that brings well being.

It is so sad when blessing stops with us. God does want to bless us JUST because we are his children, but how much more pleased will he be if we become like him in his goodness and want to bless others. As a father, I receive GREAT joy in pouring my love on my daughter however I can, but I can't wait until she learns to pass that love onto others around her! My desire to bless THROUGH her doesn't diminish my desire to simply bless her.

So the principle here is simple, God blesses us because he simply loves to AND so that we can bless others around us.

Don't get stuck in the tragedy of holding onto all your blessing for yourself. Learn the greater joy of giving! Give encouragement, kind words, service, energy, effort, money, resource, time, etc!

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." - Luke 6:38

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:1-3

Do you want to prosper in everything you work towards and see the result be GOOD things that last forever? I do!

Notice the stark DIFFERENCE in what one does that DETERMINES this outcome. These aren't trite words, but true principles from God. Do NOT mock, do NOT make your decisions according to the wisdom of this world, do NOT sin. DO delight in God's word... ALL DAY.

Top Seven Expectations #7

A GOOD Report.

Over two years of faith, risk, and miracles culminated this past Sunday evening with a GREAT Clarity launch! We were absolutely honored to have all the supporters, first-timers, and people clearly seeing and knowing God! A highlight for me was to have several guitar/piano students, their families, a neighbor, and a new friend come! Several members from the Clarity team also had new friends come and support the launch! There were over ninety people there total! We carefully navigated having big faith and realistic expectations... and therefore have successfully moved through this “first step” with excitement and momentum.

Jessica and the band totally killed it... especially with their rendition of the classic hymn, “The Love of God.” The Clarity team was AMAZING and pulled off the whole gathering without a glitch. The message came through LOUD and CLEAR... that the solution is here and it’s the Gospel! Many things have been said about Jesus, but the truth about Jesus changes everything.

We were honored to have our SoCal District Church Planting Director there to do a ceremonial check presentation and offer very kind words of support. Steve and the District have been an INCREDIBLE encouragement and help from the very beginning.

As people left the theater, in an effort to demonstrate our value to “Serve First,” we gave away $100‘s in envelopes for people to “surprise bless” someone with this week. It’s not about us getting, but GIVING.

This launch was certainly a “first step” to be REMEMBERED and CELEBRATED in the years to come in the life of Clarity! Thank you for all your support and prayer.

Top Seven Expectations #6

Not OUR Plans, GOD"S Plans!

We call this Missional Living... In ALL things we have the JOY of partnering with God on HIS mission, exchanging our fleeting plans for His eternal plans. This is a "wake up every morning and decide to live like this" kind of thing. If we are obsessed with our plans, then we will completely miss God's. It is interesting to note that in the Gospels, almost all the ministry Jesus did came out of interruptions to His daily schedule. So if we are followers of Jesus... you get the idea.

I like to say it like this... my plans will NOT stand, but the plans of the Lord WILL stand forever and ever and ever and ever and ever! It is my pure joy and privilege to partner with Him! Wow, how amazing is that!

It is important to note that the essence God's mission is to reveal Himself to mankind and have a loving RELATIONSHIP with them. All of Scripture, all of creation, and even all of our earthly relationships are part of how God is revealing Himself to us! He calls us His children, His friends, and even His bride. All these comparisons reveal another level of how He sees us AND how He desires us to see Him! That's why our vision is that people would clearly SEE and KNOW God!

Our expectation is that we have the joy of daily laying down our fleeting plans in exchange for His eternal plans! Let's do that today! Forget your lists for a minute, forget your entertainment for a minute, and decide to clearly reflect God in the life of someone you rub shoulders with everyday!

Top Seven Expectations #5

We Will Serve First.

The first core value that we have held to as Clarity is “Serve First.” The idea is so simple, yet sadly it often alludes us.

I have come to learn that the BEST thing I can do to lead this church community and serve our city is to first truly serve my wife, my daughter, and those I rub shoulders with everyday. It ALL begins in the home, with those closest to us. Tragically, they often become the ones that get the brunt of our anger, dissatisfaction, and selfishness. I want to turn that trend UPSIDE-DOWN and see our homes as the birth place for life and transformation. This emphasis has renewed my family, relationships, work and calling.

It is critical for Clarity, at the very CORE of it’s identity, to have the expectation and posture of service. A friend of mine said this... “Our prayer should not be for God to give us the city, but rather for God to give us TO the city.”

One of the ways we corporately remember our posture of service is to dedicate the first Sunday of every month as a day to “Serve First.” THIS Sunday, 10/10/10, is our launch, and though it’s actually the second Sunday, we will be remembering to serve first in a unique way that enables EVERY person present to take part. Come to find out! It’s gonna be awesome.

PS, here’s who we take our cues from...

Jesus said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” -Matthew 20:26-28

Top Seven Expectations #4

Not Numbers Centered, but Vision Centered.

Our goal is not to get a certain NUMBER of people into our theater, it is the fulfillment of our VISION! If the goal was a number, I could have a pastor friend of mine fly 150 people in from his church of 3,000 in Arkansas and fill all our seats. Would that make the launch a success, NO! Our vision is that people would clearly see and know God. So, if ten people come and begin the process of clearly seeing and knowing God, SUCCESS! If one person comes and begins that process, SUCCESS! If no one comes, but people are beginning that process through our relationships in the community, SUCCESS!

Our role in the fulfillment of this vision is VERY simple... be WITH God, TRUST Him, and OBEY Him. The results are in HIS hands. We are here to plant and we CANNOT force-produce fruit. As a friend of mine says, the fruit is none of your business!

Focus on our vision today. Take steps forward in its fulfillment through being WITH God, spending time in HIS Word, building true friendships with the people HE loves, and living to clearly reflect HIM in the lives of the people you rub shoulders with everyday!

Top Seven Expectations #3

The Gospel is Central.

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power."
1 Corinthians 4:20

There is NO doubt whatsoever, the central message we need to hear is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel simply means good news. It proclaims that, yes, you have run from God, yes, you have ignored His presence, yes, you have missed His plan, yes, you have hurt other people, yes, you have hurt yourself, and yes, you have hurt God, BUT, God love's you unconditionally and has decided to take the blame for you and give you a brand new beginning. All of your punishment was taken on the cross, where Jesus died and rose again. You simply must put your faith in Jesus and follow Him! Not just that, but in this new beginning, He will sustain you in all things and continue to offer you grace and mercy as you grow in love. This is the GREAT transaction of the soul between us and God, and it takes POWER. From death to life... this works!

The only marketing strategy Jesus ever used was the power of God. The only demand that Jesus ever met in people was for what they needed, transformation.

As Clarity, lets remember that the Gospel is at the CENTER of all we do. We have no power to do anything, but the Gospel is the power of God and changes EVERYTHING.

Today, lets fast for at least one meal and take that extra time to pray for the Gospel to permeate our lives and to powerfully work through us. We can certainly expect ONE thing and be defined by ONE thing, the Gospel, the power of God for salvation.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God... Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18, 22-24

Top Seven Expectations #2

It’s a Party!

This Sunday night we will CELEBRATE all that God has done and all that He is going to do! I was recently reflecting on the vision God gave us for Clarity back in the fall of 2008, and it was AMAZING to realize that through all the challenges and difficulties, it was coming to fruition exactly how God said it would!

It has always been about clearly reflecting God so that people would clearly see and know Him. In a city like Santa Monica, we would be influencing the influencers and effecting our culture. The method has always been to simply make new friends. Trusting relationships and friendships are what mattered to us from the beginning.

God UNDOUBTEDLY led us here, MIRACULOUSLY paved the way as we took steps of faith, and GRACIOUSLY put inside of us everything we need to accomplish this. This calls for a party. There are thousands of people across the nation supporting Clarity, incredible new people joining Clarity, and now hundreds of people in Santa Monica and the west side of LA being influenced by Clarity (and that means influenced by the powerful love of God)! This will grow!

This Sunday night is not a push for something new to happen. It is a celebration if what IS happening and a declaration of what WILL be happening. There are NO limitations to what God can do! I believe the impossible will happen as we pray… and Santa Monica and LA will full of life through Jesus and have faith in God, hope in His promises, and love for Him and each other!

“I AM ALWAYS excited about the church, a group assembling together to focus on Christ, DANG, THAT could change the world!”

Top Seven Expectations #1

Not One Year, But Ten Years

"We often overestimate what we can do in one year and underestimate what we can do in ten years."

The beautiful thing about a church plant is that it's a light that moves into a city and stays there. It is so important for us to recognize and expect this to be a process that does not happen in a day, but day by day. Development and effectiveness come from making good decisions over and over again... being faithful in the moment with the understanding that they have long lasting, even eternal impact.

True relationships, trust, and influence are what we need to be effective, and they ONLY come in time. Let's make it the habit of our lives to live missionally, daily exchanging our fleeting plans for His eternal plans. OUR DAILY OBEDIENCE WILL LEAD TO TWO AMAZING THINGS... LIFE TO THE FULLEST TODAY AND FRUITFULNESS TO THE FULLEST TOMORROW.

If you have the expectation that Clarity will be fully formed and functioning as of this Sunday night, I have bad news for you... this is just one of our first baby steps, and babies aren't the best walkers. But they do have room to grow strong and healthy over the rest of their lives. Let's focus on growing strong and healthy so we can sustain what God wants to do through the life of Clarity.

Take root below and bear fruit above. Isaiah 37:31

"Programs start big and end small. Movements start small and end big."

Jesus focused on twelve and they forever transformed this world. We feel their impact today. In fact, we are their impact today. Lets throw off the false expectations and comparisons that only end in pride or discouragement, and lets live to clearly reflect God in the lives of those we rub shoulders with every day.

Expectations

We are now two and a half weeks away from our official launch into public gatherings happening every Sunday evening at Magicopolis! God has done amazing things, the team is pumped, and expectations are high... as they should be.

But the expectation is not that OUR dreams would be fulfilled, rather, that God's dream would be fulfilled. All we can do is abide with Him, listen for Him, obey what He says, and trust Him with the results. Our SOLID expectation is that the plans of the Lord will stand forever. He is in perfect control and, knowing our weaknesses and faults, He still chooses to do amazing things. Why? Because He simply loves us unconditionally. He loves YOU unconditionally. Wherever you find yourself right now, His love beckons you to come and know Him.

Our expectation and assurance is that God is working to reach people far from Him with love. The Gospel is simple... we mess up awfully, but God, through Jesus... wants us, pursues us, saves us, and restores us. That is His dream.

Getting Ideas to Flow

A good post from Leading Blog.

Charles Landry is the founder of Comedia, and works to help cities to be more "creative for the world" so that the energies of individuals and companies can be brought into alignment with their global responsibilities. He recently told Sally Helgesen that his experience has taught him that “the single biggest problem in the world is not finding great ideas but getting great ideas to move, to flow.”

Getting stuck is an issue we face both individually and organizationally. At its core, it’s a thinking problem and is often self-inflicted. Creating the right kind of movement and in the right direction begins with re-thinking our view of reality. If we keep applying the same patterns of thinking even after they have been shown to be counterproductive we skew our perception of even everyday life situations and block the flow of growth, ideas and influence. Here are some common areas we need to rethink to get ideas to flow:

Re-think complexity. We create complexity by over-analyzing our situation; creating issues where there are none; forgetting our purpose. Complexity obscures the issues. Keep the issues as uncluttered as possible. Often an outsider can see the situation and the real issues more clearly than you can. Try asking, “Am I making this a bigger problem than it is because of fear, insecurity or lack of knowledge?” “Is this really a problem to be solved or a tension to be managed?” Stick to what needs to be addressed. Complexity can lead to procrastination.

Re-think systems. Trying to create a new vision without addressing old systems is at best counterproductive. Tenaciously grasping the old ways of doing things just because that is what you have always done, can stop the flow of ideas and innovative solutions and lead to hopelessness. If you are experiencing a chronic lack of movement, a resistance to change or lack of compliance to your “really good idea,” you probably have a system in place that discourages the very behavior you seek. A system should reward the behavior you want. What systems are getting in your way?

Re-think ego. Our ego frequently keeps us from exploring new ideas. We get so invested in what we have done that we can’t get out of our own way. We keep retrying to work the old and deceive ourselves into thinking we’re making progress when all we are doing is rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking ship. Sometime we need to set aside our ego and simply abandon what isn’t working and start over with a better design.

Re-think boundaries. Think bigger. Think interdisciplinary. Growth often involves blurring boundaries to open your mind to new possibilities. What principles outside of your world of experience could expand the possibilities for your idea?

Re-think reactions. Repetitive reactions are the result of ingrained patterns of thinking that we have hard-wired into our brains long ago. Take the time to reflect on why you think the way you do; why you do what you do. Default patterns of thinking lead to more of the same. Ask yourself, “Is this working for me?” Think about the unspoken.

Re-think failure. If you’re afraid of being wrong, embarrassed by failure or paralyzed by insecurity, you will never find the solutions that lead to meaningful growth. Failure provides the nutrients for growth when we respond to them positively. Keep failure in perspective, it’s a regular part of life. You can’t avoid them so learn to work with them. Failures help you to raise the bar and reorient your thinking to possibilities and new ways of thinking.

Re-think success. Know what success looks like. How will you know when you have arrived? Muddy expectations lead to exhaustion and defeat before you even get started. Praise short-term accomplishments to appeal to your heart and not just your head. It will keep your ideas moving along.

Barney and the Holy Spirit

My daughter's been watching Barney lately. They begin each show with a wonderful introduction of their imaginary friend, Barney.

Sadly, I think that many Christians today think of the Holy Spirit a lot like Barney. He's nice, but not very real or having much affect in my daily life. How about you? Are you walking in the reality of the Holy Spirit? Can you point to your time in fellowship with Him or to the times He is acting through you? Here's a good litmus test...

The Holy Spirit is here to empower and continue the work of Jesus on the earth. Jesus came to earth as a missionary to preach the Kingdom is near, to seek and save the lost, to die as a ransom for many, and to conquer death. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is a missionary spirit. If you are not walking as a missionary, you are not walking with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said it is best for us that He leave, so the Holy Spirit would come. "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7

The Holy Spirit is our Helper, our Comforter, our Power, our Counselor, and our Advocate! Learn to take great joy in partnering with Him in His mission. Exchange your fleeting plans for His eternal plans.