How Does It Work?

If I desired to be the best golfer in the city of Corona, but didn't do anything to make that possible, I would embarrass myself on the golf course when my friends showed up to 'see my skills!!" (With the best Napolean Dynamite voice possible)

Everything that you and I encounter is the result of a system. Circulatory System, Endocrine System, Solar System and many other examples give us a result based upon an order of how things function or operate together. The way you get ready for bed or for the day is a system. The way a golfer gets ready to swing or putt is a system. Basketball players have a routine or a system for how they shoot free-throws. The way we get a baby ready for a nap or put them to sleep is DEFINITELY a system or routine.

Your spiritual growth is no less affected & influenced by the invisible but very powerful systems that you put into place. You have to marry things that you want done to a system or it will never be done. Systems create desired behaviors in people, work environments, marriages, families, churches, teams, etc. The question is never whether or not you have a system affected your behavior the question is do you know what the system is & is it in a battle with your actual desired behavior or outcome? 

Take a look at how you prepare your heart for a church service, a night out with your spouse, a sermon, or a ministry & you'll find the need to address a routinue or system. If we are to be the spiritually developping people God has called us to be, we have to have a routine that we put into place that will give us the desired outcome.
Otherwise, its just wishful thinking.

My Heart Alive

I was thinking about how much effort I put into making sure our Remnant services are amazing and God reminded me of a little lesson he's been teaching me.
He wants me to spend the energy getting the church, which is his people, ready for service to their world, instead of just getting the service ready for the people. I believe that this shift MUST take place in our hearts before it makes its way into our services. We have to become disciples that are putting time into the unglorious but so powerful quiet moments in the secret places with God.

I want our services to be amazing, but I don't want the end to be an amazing service...but to have a system that helps us to move people closer towards Christ in their 'own' day-to-day lives.

We need to be asking more discipleship questions like: "what are you doing to grow spiritually outside of Remnant?" or "what is making your heart more passionate for Christ?" This helps people realize that attendance doesn't do the whole work. Its a small part in fact. Most of the greatness in our spiritual strength WILL NOT come solely from a service we attended. Thats the gasoline on the slow embers that you keep creating daily. Without that, I'm only going to soak ashes in your heart. Ashes aren't good for making a fire or for having any power to change the temperature of a room.

We need to see our spiritual lives in this way. Am I creating more and more 'wood, sticks, & paper' for God to light, pour his gas on & use to brighten the world, or am I bringing old ashes that are all burned out?

You have to chop the trees down, put them in the fireplace & get them going...services are just to add fuel to the existing flame & then you are responsible for keeping it going!!!

Refueled!!

I am learning more and more about myself everyday. I have always had a high amount of daily energy. There is just an inner passion to do something great that lives inside of me. God made us all that way...I've just found out how to discover what mine was and now dedicate my life to doing it. Recently though, I have realized that there is a secret to keeping that passion going...it needs FUEL!

Here are a few ways I am learning to FUEL myself for Gods passions inside of me:

#1 I have to fuel my passion with some Jesus time. It doesn't get any simpler or harder than that. The End.

#2 I am the ONLY person responsible for developing myself as a person. ITS NO ONE ELSE'S job but mine. I have to put myself around like-minded leaders, books, podcasts, friends, and other people much smarter & passionate than me who can pour into me. If I keep expecting someone else to do it for me, I'll be a bitter & undeveloped leader who always makes excuses.

#3 I can't expect myself to be able to ALWAYS give to ANYONE who asks of me. The reality is, sometimes, I'm running on empty, Just because someone has our cell phone number, FB, Twitter or email address or knows where we sleep...doesn't mean they get to have access to us. I am learning I don't have to respond to every email, text, FB, etc to be a good person...in fact, many times, quite the opposite is true.

#4 I have to have some "me" time. There is something about just doing something alone that brings me great perspective on all God has given me. The last thing I should do is FORCE myself into an obligation that I have a choice over. I need to make sure I'm not lazy with this idea, and take advantage of it. But when I'm allowed some time to think, gain perspective, and relax, I'm much better to everyone I need to be around, meet with, plan for, give to, & pour into.

This isn't an exhaustive list. Only what I'm learning now. I hope you all learn to develop yourself...because no one else is going to do it for you. Lets Go!!

Memories, Change & Paint

Blogging can be like your favorite summer camp that you go back to. You love the way it feels to be on the site. You can't wait to see the same sights that signal your memories of times past. You hope the people that you see each year are all still there. You want to leave more of your heart there, so when you come back, its waiting for you. Its good to be back again. Some things changed, some things stayed the same...

I can say for certain that it feels good to finally remember my password to my blog. I can also say that I've learned a lot since my past posting, and I'm looking to share what God is doing in my heart & life. I've gotten married, I've started working in a church again, started Remnant, and am getting ready to start the Leadership School of Southern California with an amazing team here in SoCal. Please visit www.mylssc.com for more infor about it. We'd love to talk w/ you about it!

Lastly, our Christ, He is so amazing at taking the painting I have of him in my heart, and making it a Masterpiece. The hard part is letting him take control of what goes on the canvas of me. If you can choose to let go, He will paint Himself as He really is, which is probably much different than what you've been told. I'm ready for that kind of change...will you join me?