• Carlos Whittaker talked about The Problem With Being Safe this week.  Short, but really good!
• I really appreciated Perry Noble’s post on Experts.
• I believe we all have divine appointments that God sets up in our life. Pete Wilson tells us a cool story about one of his Divine Appointments.
• Tim Stevens had a great post on Making Decisions In The Midst Of Chaos.  Every leader needs to read this!
• I appreciated Mark Waltz’s words in his post “How Did I Miss It?” this week. I was in the First Wednesday service that we had, and was moved by the service, by Jason Miller’s words and the Arts Team led by Trace Rorie.  Go to Mark’s post and read it, and then watch the video either there, or here:

40 from Granger Community on Vimeo.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

• Pete Wilson asks the question, “Do you want to lead or boss people?”
• Tim Stevens gave some great Twitter Advice in his posts “Twitter=How can I add value to others?” and “Twitter: How to manage lots of folowers.” Not that I need to worry about the second one!
• Tony Morgan gives some thoughts on Seth Godin’s new book in this post: “Are you a linchpin?”
• Ed Young Jr. and his father share some great thoughts in this video from C3 entitled: “What they don’t talk about in seminary.”

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 -  “Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!”

I love the way that “The Message” puts it here! Look at what he says:

• “Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people…” I am free, yet I voluntarily place myself under the preferences and expectations of others, so that I might reach them.  Most of us (I am speaking to myself here!) spend more time defending our rights than we do trying to reach people.
• “…nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized…” Most of these types of people are people I was taught all my life to stay away from because they would ruin me.  Funny thing is, these are the very people Jesus sought to have a relationship with.
• “—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view.” Where did we ever get the idea that we were to stay out of the world?  That thought never came out of Jesus’ mouth.  In fact, He prayed “Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one.” and “I am sending them into the world, just as you sent me.” (John 17)  That kind of sounds like the opposite of what a lot of churches teach today.
• “I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ” It is possible, as Paul says here to be in the world, but keep your bearings in Christ.  In fact, it is expected of us to do that!  Is that not what living the Christian life is all about? People outside of the church are not looking for holier than thou, perfect people.  They are looking for real people, with real struggles who just happen to have found all the answers they were looking for in a relationship with Jesus Christ and His church.  That is what makes impact.  That is what gives influence!
• “I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life.” Wow!  I have no where near become “about every type of servant there is…” to reach people.  Lord, give me the humility to serve people better… whatever it takes!
• “I did all this because of the Message.” We have the most important message that there is to share.  The influence of the message in our life should compel us to take it to others.
• “I didn’t just want to talk about  it; I wanted to be in on it!” People outside of the church are tired of people inside the church talking.  They want to see us doing and being!  As Christ-followers, we need to realize that all of our talk is no match for a life lived for Him.  We need to live a life that says we are in on it!

I want to be in on it!  How about you?

• Tim Stevens talks about institutionalism and moving forward in his post: “One thing that scares me.”  He also had another great post this week that you need to read called “What Do You Measure?”
• Pete Wilson talks about being “Seduced into idolatry” in the church.
• Probably one of the funniest I read this week is Mark Beeson confessing, “I’m a stranger in these parts.”  All about Texas!
• Tony Morgan asks the question, “Does The Church Need A Building?”
• And finally, Scott Hodge talks about “Worship Leader Essentials.”  Great post!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

• If the ministries you are doing now are not producing any life change in people, you need to get rid of it.
• If starting a new ministry means another job for an already stressed out, overloaded staff member, you probably do not need it.
• If your idea of growth is doing something else, and not spiritual maturity in people, you likely do not need to do anything else.
• If you think that keeping your people busy is more important than letting them get out into the world to make a difference and have influence, you do not need another ministry.
• If you have to get up and beg people to attend a ministry event every time you have it, you do not need it because it must not be producing life change in people, or they would come.
• If you have to guilt people into doing something, you do not need to do it.  It obviously is not an effective means to life change for your people.
• Just because the church down the street does it, does not mean you need to do it.
• Just because you have always done it, does not mean you should still be doing it.

So, what are your thoughts?  Do you think less is more or more is more?

• Tony Morgan talks about “Change”… there are some great take-aways from this!  I had to edit this post less than 5 minutes after posting to add this one from Tony on How To Start A Movement. What a great post on leadership, and most importantly, being a “first follower.”  WOW! Just WOW!
• These posts were from last week, but Mark Beeson had an awesome post on the talent pool in your church, and, he gave an awesome overview of the persecution Christians went through under Nero… one of the best I have heard!
• Perry Noble speaks some encouraging words to pastors.
• Rob Wegner shares about the poor not being helpless – great stuff!

That is enough for today!  Enjoy your weekend!

Not a lot of time as I am in the middle of moving my family across the country, but here are a few great posts from this last week:

• Mark Beeson had a great post on “Eight Reason Good People Volunteer.”  Awesome read!
• Pete Wilson posted a great thought on “Impression Management.”  And he had another great post on “Why Pastor’s Should Blog.”
• Perry Noble talks about “How to get buy in from your staff” here and here.
• And of course, this post from Scott Hodge, because my pic is in his post!

Have a great week everyone!

So, the Israelites forget all that God had done for them in the past, and they measured the task by their own strength.  We also see that…

• They viewed things in their own perspective rather than in the light of God’s promises.

In Numbers 13:33, the Bible says that the Israelites “saw the Nephilim,” compared themselves to those giants, and decided that compared to the giants, they were like little bugs.

God had already promised them the land, yet the Israelites lived as if this was all going to depend on them to accomplish.  NEWS FLASH: God has already won the victory!  What He says he will do, He will do!  He is faithful!

We can get so wrapped up in things and our circumstances around us that we forget that God has already promised to take lead us to a determined end.  If we are going to be “Giant Killers” and not “Grasshoppers,” we have to remember the promises of God.”

Ok, one more!

• They were more concerned about their circumstances that they were God’s will.

In Numbers 13: 27-28 the Israelites said, “It is all like God promised it would be…  It is good like God said…  It is just as He promised…”  And then they said, “But…”  (vs. 28) .  They recognized God’s will and then saw it in the light of their own circumstances (the people that were in the land) and they decided God’s will was just not worth it.

I know many people that have done the same thing.  They think they want to follow God’s will until they see the circumstances around them as they step out to follow God.  Then, they just decide it is not worth it to follow God’s plan for their life.

It is not always easy to follow God’s plan, but it is always worth it!

If we are going to be “Giant Killers” and not “Grasshoppers,” we have to focus God’s will, not the circumstances around us.

Let’s strive to live like Giant Killers, not Grasshoppers!

Early Bird deadline is THIS THURSDAY, January 28th.  You can Register here.