Five Days of Favs: 05

05 DESIGN:

If you're like me, you love design. These are some great resources.

CREATIVE_MYK

[free, quality artwork]

VINE_RESOURCES

[free series art, videos]

STOCK_XCHNG

[free, quality photos]

ELEVATION_CHURCH

[free series art, videos]

HONG_KIAT

[online tips for photoshop, etc]

LIFECHURCH.TV

[free series art, videos, messages]

IGNITER_MEDIA

[quality videos]

Five Days of Favs: 04

04 PODCASTS:

Great mix of leaders &insightful thoughts to help you grow.

THE_CITY_CHURCH

[judah smith :: adults]

CATALYST

[mixture of interviews :: nextgen leaders]

ROCHESTER_FIRST

[richard crisco :: adults]

MARS_HILL_CHURCH

[mark driscoll :: intellects]

ANDY_STANLEY_LEADERSHIP

[andy stanley :: leaders]

220_POWER

[joel stockstill :: youth]

iLEAD

[rod loy :: leaders]

Five Days of Favs: 03

03 WORD:

These will help you better understand &get into God's Word.

Remember, it's living &powerful.

NLT

[new living translation :: a simplistic &recommended for students]

GOT_QUESTIONS

[biblical answers for hot topic questions :: more than 200,000]

NEWTHRU30

[a systematic reading plan :: the new testament in 30 days]

STUDY_TOOLS

[resources for deeper study :: commentaries, online dictionaries, etc]

ESV

[english standard version :: one of the most accurate word for word translations available]

YOUVERSION

[several online translations :: helpful search tools]

Five Days of Favs: 02

02 MISC:

Random list, but most will find them helpful.

XXXCHURCH

[internet accountability :: 40% of pastors looked at porn today :: guard your heart :: it's free]

SIMPLY_YOUTH_MINISTRY

[check out the "freebies" section :: founded by doug fields]

URBAN_FONTS

[hundreds of free fonts :: most are quality :: for pc &mac]

WORLD_FACTBOOK

[from the U.S. CIA :: detailed info from every country :: population, economy, government, &more :: great for planning missions]

DARE2SHARE

[learn about different worldviews :: wiccan, morman, agnostic, etc :: understand what kids believe]

YOUTH_LEADERS_COACH

[mentoring &message downloads :: again, see the "freebies" tab :: Jeanne never gets old :: huge encouragement]

PRINT_RUNNER

[affordable, quality prints :: anything from postcards to door hangers]

THE_FIFTY_TWO

[52 weeks of messages, slides, &ideas :: best part is it costs nada]

Five Days of Favs: 01

To grow fruit, the plant must be fed from different sources (water, soil, sunlight). Over the next five days, I'll be listing my favorite sources.

01 BLOGS:

These are mainly directed at people in ministry, but can be helpful to everyone. Woman in ministry? See my wife, she's got the goods.

CRAIG_GROSCHEL

[pastor @lifechurch.tv :: 2nd largest church in america :: focuses on pastoral leadership &unity]

JEANNE_MAYO

[youth pastor @the tabernacle ag :: national youth communicator :: the cadre madre :: focuses on balancing life &ministry]

MARK_BATTERSON

[pastor @national community church :: author "in a pit with a lion on a snowy day" :: focuses on everything :: very balanced approach]

PERRY_NOBLE

[pastor @new spring church :: a little on the direct side :: but very good :: focuses on church growth &pastoral leadership]

JOSH_GRIFFIN

[youth pastor @saddleback church :: yes, rick warren's guy :: focuses on youth ministry :: be sure to read his "weekend review"]

MICHAEL_HYATT

[ceo @thomas nelson publishing :: focuses on practical leadership :: very practical]

STEVEN_FURTICK

[pastor @elevation church :: leading 5000+ in less than 3 years :: and he's only 30 :: focuses on spiritual growth]

THE DAY AFTER II

Last night, we wrapped up our series "Anythingoes" with open Q&A. Brave? Yes, indeed.

SETTING: Renew (middle, high school, &young adult service)

SPEAKERS: Myself &Brian Massinger

PLAN:

:03 Countdown Video

:05 Praise Song ("Live For You Alone" by Interface)

:05 Promo Video (used clips from "Benchwarmers")

:03 Rules of Engagement (01. ask anything, just ask in the right way [we had 2 leaders filtering questions] 02. this is not a debate, just biblical answers)

:15 Q&A

:05 Offering

:05 Worship Song ("From the Inside" Out by Hillsong United)

:30 Q&A

:07 Worship Song ("Take My Life" by Interface)

TAKEWAY: In years past, most were hot topic questions (abortion, homosexuality, cussing, drinking, etc). This year, most were theological questions (free will, paranormal activity, sovereignty, predestination, etc).

We had to scratch the plan once we opened the mics. Questions didn't stop for 70 mins. Highly recommend doing a series like this.

THE DAY AFTER I

Every Monday or Thursday, I will give a recap of the worship or small group experience from the night before (mainly for youth leaders). After meeting with my fictional creative team, I decided to name this weekly post, "The Day After".

SETTING: "The Society" small group.

FROLIC: Played "Monster Pong" for the first time. Same concept as "Beer Pong", but used Monster instead. [25 mins]

GRUB: Old Mexico. It's cheap &tasty. [30 mins]

TAKEAWAY: Expository study in James. Jason Robbins created the layout. Talk was open &real. Discussed trials &perseverance. Calm seas do not make good sailors. [25 mins]

WORSHIP: Individual worship &prayer, then ended in group prayer. "Fire Fall Down" by Hillsong United, "Here In Your Presence" by New Life Worship was on the playlist. Oldies, but goodies. [15 minutes]

Thanks to Josh Griffin for this idea. Hope it inspires you to give 100%.

And You're Upset About What??

Each year,

about 1 billion people,

around the world,

are living on less than $1 a day.

AND YOU'RE UPSET ABOUT WHAT??

Every week,

there are children,

in the City of Callaway,

being sexually molested.

AND YOU'RE UPSET ABOUT WHAT??

The other day,

I spoke to a lady,

in our church,

whose marriage is falling apart.

AND YOU'RE UPSET ABOUT WHAT??

Food for thought...

Old Message, New Method

"There are ways of doing church that no one has even thought of yet."

Mark Batterson

"To reach people no one is reaching, you have to do things no one is doing."

Craig Groschel

"...create a church where unchurched people would love to attend."

Andy Stanley

These 3 pastors are from 3 different denominations who all lead churches of thousands. We could probably learn a thing or two from them. We must share the old message by new methods.

HERE ARE A FEW GUYS LEADING THE WAY:

+ Craig Gross @ xxxchurch.com (reaching the adult entertainment community and Vegas).

+ Mark Driscoll @ marshillchurch.org (preaches to 7 different campuses via video).

+ Ray Comfort @ wayofthemaster.com (resurrecting street witnessing).

+ Mike Bickle @ ihop.org (establishing 24/7/365 prayer centers).

+ Craig Groschel @ lifechurch.tv (recently launched "church online").

+ Matthew Barrnett @ dreamcenter.org (offering rehab and Christ for addicts in L.A.).

Some of these methods make me nervous. But we live in drastic times; these are drastic measures. If they stay faithful to the bible and the cross, they've got a friend in me.

Whether you like how it's being done, the Kingdom is growing. And it will continue to grow...with or without your approval.

Twitter Challenge

A few weeks ago, I challenged myself. I determined to update my Twitter/Facebook every 15 minutes. After missing my first deadline, I decided to back that up to every 30 minutes. Here was my life on that day (July 23, 2009). :) I'd love to see YOU do the same!!

8:03am
SELF CHALLENGE OF THE DAY: tweet every 15 mins. If it gets annoying, you have my permission to stop following me. :)

8:24am
Working thru Mark. Love my ESV journal/bible. http://twitpic.com/bbmvx

8:35am
We see DEAD people, Jesus sees DORMANT people.

8:56am
EPIC FAIL: Failed twice to meet my deadline already. It seems I do have things to do. I'm backing this time up to once every 30 mins.

9:27am
Breakfast wit'dem Interns. They deserve it! http://twitpic.com/bbsf1

9:57am
I heard that Louie Giglio's dad created the Chic Fil A logo. http://twitpic.com/bbve7

10:27am
God isn't looking for PERFECTION, but PROGRESSION.

11:07am
We drove back from breakfast like this. Only Brent! http://twitpic.com/bc2xe

11:49am
Callaway Sweatshop. http://twitpic.com/bc8bq

12:17pm
SELF CHALLENGE OF THE DAY: tweet something every 30 mins. If it gets annoying, pls feel free to stop following me. :)

12:49pm
Pastor Donald is poopy pants today. :(

1:43pm
Jon Locke just vomited in Old Mexico. Sorry, no photo.

2:26pm
Wall Ball with Interns. Pray+Work+Plays keeps unity any day. :)

3:00pm
Found these in my wife's truck. Gank!! http://twitpic.com/bczpj

3:33pm
Already planning for LAGUNA BEACH! So stoked!! Possibly even a new worship team coming...shhh....

4:48pm
What's the hottest location on planet earth right now? My living room!! http://twitpic.com/bdfdp

5:21pm
These videos are short, but hilarious! Whoever made them is a genius!! http://youtube.com/renewstudentministry

5:57pm

"God isn't out to HURT your pride...He's out to KILL it!" I love some @jeannemayo.

6:35pm

All my girls got thrown in. :( http://twitpic.com/bduf1

7:06pm

Spicy tuna roll, FTW!! 2nd day in a row!

8:04pm

Autumn just said she wishes she was from Japan. :)

8:44pm

Remember, it was the Holy Spirit that sent Jesus into the wilderness. There was a reason for Him; there is a reason for you.

9:20pm

Truck broke down with my ladies inside. Daddy and Mancub to the rescue!!

9:50pm

Ah, the truck just needed my magic touch. All is well.

10:04pm

SELF CHALLENGE OF THE DAY: Complete! I tried to tweet every 30 mins today. NEVER AGAIN!!

Parents, Stop Living Through Your Kids

I thought about filling this post with a load of illustrations. I think I'll let scripture speak for itself. Here's the short version:


Again...Herod respected and protected John the Baptist.
Herodias hated John.

Her daugther danced at Herod's birthday party.
He liked it...a lot.
And he promised her anything she wanted, even up to half the kingdom.

She went out and asked her mother, "What should I ask for?"
Her advice?
"The head of John the Baptist," she answered.

Mom wasn't thinking of what would benefit her kid, but what would benefit herself.
She was trying to fulfill her dreams through her daugther.

Sound familiar? I hope not.

Oaths

Herod respected and protected John the Baptist.

Herodias hated John.

Her daugther danced at Herod's birthday party.
He liked it...a lot.
And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom."

What did she ask for?
John's head on a platter.
The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.


TWO THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM HEROD:
01) He made a rash promise. Do you?
Ecclesiastes 5:4-7
02) He wasn't a believer, yet kept his word. Do you?
Matthew 5:34

One Year, One Interest

I would love to learn Kung Fu.  Or to paint.  Even rock climbing.  Scuba diving sounds cool too.  

This got me thinking.  If I live to see 70, that means I have approximately 41 years left.  If I took one year to focus on one interest, I could learn/do a lot in my lifetime!  

Just a thought.

14,437

The 2005 U.S. Census showed there are approximately 14,437 people living in the City of Callaway.  Now, that's just Callaway.  This doesn't include the rest of Bay County (Panama City, Springfield, Lynn Haven, or Cedar Grove).  

Here are my questions:

1) How many of those 14,437 people are Christians?

Let's say 10,000 are Christians.  I'm sure this is a far cry from the truth, but for the sake of argument, let's just say 10,000.  That means within Callaway alone, about 4,500 people will spend eternity in the reality of Hell.

2) What are we going to do about it?

I don't know.  But at some point, someone's got to take this seriously.  Let's stop worrying if the church in another city is growing.  Let's focus on own city.  There are plenty of lost souls to go around!  Jesus doesn't want ANY to perish.

Craig Groschel says, "To reach people that no one is reaching you have to do things that no one is doing."  I don't know what that means to you.  I honestly don't know what that means to me.  Is it a church problem?  Maybe.  Is it a people problem?  I don't know.  What I do know is that I am deeply, deeply disturbed with the realization that 4,500 people in my city will probably spend eternity in Hell.  Are you?

Cultivating Family

Consider this...There's family all throughout scripture (the Father and Son, the Bride of Christ, etc).  

The Church is suppose to function as a family.  Sometimes it doesn't.  Why?  Because family doesn't just happen, it's cultivated.  

Here are some things everyone can do to help.  Forgive the alliteration...the preacher came out in me.  

Proper Pats: Jesus let John's head lay on his chest.  The way I see it, that's a hug.

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a hugger.  Some say giving/receiving affection reduces stress.  Greet someone with a hug today.

Praise: Jesus spoke life into people.  He completely disregarded their social standing.

Today, within the first 30 seconds you run into someone, say something positive about them (clothing, hair, personality, etc).

Prayer: Jesus prayed for the disciples and us.  Keep in mind, this is just before the cross.

Something simple, like this: "Lord, I pray you will bless and keep Jason.  Cause your favor and your face to shine on him today."

Pen and Paper: Jesus wrote us 66 letters.  Today, we call it the holy bible.  

It's so simple, but so impacting.  Pick a friend, grab a card and jot down something.  Tell them you're thankful for their friendship or you appreciate them working in the nursery. I keep all my notes of encouragement.

Pioneer: Jesus didn't hesitate in approaching us.  He came after us long before we came after him.

Don't be afraid to go first.  Remember, we love because he FIRST loved us.

...let us not love in word or talk but in deed...  1Jn3:19

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.  Jn13:35

...encourage one another and build each other up...  1Thes5:11

Love one another with brotherly affection.  Outdo one another in showing honor.  Rom12:10

Missed Opportunity

On Thursday, I ran into a guy who lives in our apartment complex.  We've spoken several times over the past year, but haven't spent much time together.  Even then, I'm pretty sure he isn't a Christian.  I began praying for the Lord to give me an opportunity to reach out to him. 

He and his wife had a baby boy in August.  I thought, "This would be a great time to befriend them.  Maybe make them dinner or something."  Never did anything.

I found out he was laid off in January.  I stopped by a couple of times, but he wasn't home.  I thought, "This would be a great time to help them.  Maybe speak encouragement into their lives or something."  Never was able to.

When I saw him three days ago, he informed me that their baby boy had passed away (SIDS).  This happened in December.  I thought, "What a missed opportunity to show them Jesus' love."  

I left our conversation sick to my stomach.  As I stood there sulking, I told my wife.  Finally, it hit me.  I can't change the past, only the future.  I can only change what I do with this relationship today and the days following.  

Here's what I need to get: I can't live in the past, but I can learn from it.  If I can get that, I will change his future in some way.

Mississippi in One Word...

odd.

Motivation vs. Manipulation

Manipulation: getting one to do what you want them to do.

Motivation: getting one to do what they should do.

I heard it from Richard Crisco, but not sure of it's origin.  

"Lord, teach me to care about people that much."

Recap: NYLC 09

So many things... You know I'm a list person, so here goes.  There are my 20 favorite things about the National Youth Leaders Conference:

20.  Getting to know Jorge Alvial a little better.

19.  Diddy saying, "Hi, Mommy!"

18.  Texas shaped waffles.

17.  Seeing behind the scenes of Fellowship Church (Ed Young).  Did you know they have approximately 3500 children EVERY WEEKEND?!

16.  "The horses' name was, Tuesday!"  Don't feel bad...it didn't make sense to me either.

15.  Lindsey jumping over the seats to attack Justin.

14.  Oreos from Cracker Barrel.

13.  Seeing where Alex Snow has come from and where he is.  He amazes me!  I'm so proud!

12.  Jason showing Jeanne his handshake...or something.

11.  Being up 60 out of 72 hours.  Then the last day, we went from 530am to 530am.

10.  Great ham sandwiches...EVERY DAY.  Shelly, Bre, Annalee, and Drake are great chefs.

09.  Realizing that youth leaders are dirty people.  We cleaned the worship center every night.  It was filthy!  

08.  Hanging that blasted Cadre sign for 2.5 hours.  Agghh!

07.  Nathan kissing Pastor Donald on the head.  Nathan's no longer with us, but it was priceless.

06.  "Pull up your pants, Pastor."  Killer quote from Craig Gross (xxxchurch.com).  By the way, did you know 53% of pastors have visited porn sites in the past year?  Not good.

05.  Personal time with Pastor Richard and Pastor Darren.  Two of my heroes!

04.  Listening to Rev. G.H. Williams.  He marched on the front lines with Martin Luther King, Jr.  Amazing!

03.  Becca "droppin' it like it's hot" (according to Lindsey).

02.  Our "...in Texas" theme.  Thanks, Annalee.

01.  Forsaking Cadre time with Jeanne and friends to have heart time with my team.  The best decision I made the entire week.

The Man of God

Here are a few characteristics of men of God in scripture (Abraham, Moses, David, Paul) .  He has:

An Unpopular Voice

A Lifestyle that is Set Apart

Concern for Others

Struggles

A Repentant Heart

Great Faith

Unstoppable Perseverance

An Insatiable Desire to Grow