All About Me (Part 1)

"I'm following everything I'll ever need, Finally Giving up Being Everything, I'm falling for you for eternity, right here at Your feet, where I want to be, I am Yours. "

-David Crowder Band (Foreverandever Etc...)

So you guys voted for me to blog "all about me" this week. While I want this to be a fun blog series, I also want it to be one that encourages you to become a student of yourself.

I put the lyrics above up for a purpose. While I have by no means "arrived", I do believe I am in a place in my life where I am finally giving up being everything. I mean -think about it...don't we spend most of our lives trying to be someone we're not? Trying to be the people we envy, trying to fit into groups we don't fit into at all, etc.. We try to be everything to everyone and we end up cheating ourselves out of who God created us to be.I think I'm finally in a place where I'm becoming confident who God called me and created me to be and it is a wonderful place to be in.
So over this series I am going to cover things I've discovered about me: My strengths (at least what I think they are haha), my weaknesses, insecurities, pet peeves, things I love, etc.. It should be a lot of fun.

Today I just want to leave you with some quotes that I hope will encourage you to become a student of YOU! Who God called YOU to be! He has a specific call for You! You're not supposed to be like the person you constantly compare yourself to! It's a very liberating thing when you can finally give up being everything, and become the person God created you to be! Here you go:

• " The first and best victory is to conquer self."
  

• "You can never conquer the mountain. You can only conquer yourself."

• "God will help you become all you can be, but He will never help you be successful at being someone else."
  

• "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves

• "The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself."

At the end of the series - I'll provide you with some resources on how you can learn about yourself. If throughout the series you have any questions or want to know anything else about me - just ask! Love you guys!

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The Most Dangerous Prayer I've Ever Prayed

Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to the people? Who will go for us?" I said, "Here I am, Send me!"

Isaiah 6:8,9

I remember early on in my Christian walk singing a song by Ryan Phipps called Launch Me. It simply said: This is all I have to offer...me. Followed by: Here I am send me, here I am touch me, Here I am launch me. (It sounds a lot cooler than it does reading it on a blog).

Looking back on my walk with God, I realized that making this the prayer of my heart (I tell God everyday...God, I'll go where you want me to go, say what you want me to say, and do what you want me to do) has been the most dangerous, yet rewarding prayer I could ever pray!

Dangerous because it's caused me to:

• Make some of the toughest decisions I've ever made in my life
• Get persecuted for no reason
• Lose all my friends
• Not settle for mediocrity or take the easy road
• To be patient and trust God
• Have times where I feel like I'm the only one standing up and living for God (can anyone relate?)
  

Rewarding because:

• Since praying that prayer - I've lived a life that I couldn't even imagine living 5 years ago
• I love my life! I have peace, I have joy, I'm not empty, I can sleep at night!
  
• I got new friends that I wouldn't trade for anyone in the world
  
• I'm making a difference in peoples lives
• I never know whats next in my life... but I know it's going to be ridiculous because God is good!
  

I could list about a million other things in each category... I just want to challenge you to pray that prayer to God everyday. When you have an open heart and you're willing to give it all over to God. When you really put Him first in everything you do... it won't be easy, it won't always be fun , in fact it really can seem dangerous (stepping out in faith... not knowing what is ahead, while not leaning to your own understanding...tough stuff!). But I promise you . . . if you'll stick with it, if you won't compromise, if you'll trust Him...you'll be on your way to the most rewarding life you could ever live.

Get ready!

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Run Your Race and Don't Look Back

"You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn't God, for He is the one who called you to freedom. This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough!"

Galatians 5:7

Doesn't it seem like it's so much easier to get off track in our journey with God than to keep going? There are always a million things trying to get our attention can capture our hearts. In fact, in Mark 4 Jesus talks about how easy it is for this to happen. People get the Word in them get excited about God and to do awesome things do Him, but because of the condition of their heart they get off track in their journey with God.

• Some people hear the Word and ignore it

• Some people hear the Word, receive it with joy, but don't build deep roots and fall away as soon as problems of persecution comes

• Some people hear Gods word but it gets crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the lust of the flesh, so no fruit is produced.
  

In the verse in Galatians it says that a little yeast spreads through the whole batch of dough. As I've been growing up spiritually I've realized that if we open a door, even a little bit, to anything that God hasn't led us to, it will lead us off track. Maybe we think God's word isn't true so we ignore it, maybe we get persecuted a little bit or run into so problems and we draw back in fear and give in to the pressures of pleasing others, or maybe we get so busy in our lives that we're constantly worrying, constantly wanting to chase things that will never fill the void in our hearts, or we just aren't willing to give up short term pleasure for long-term joy.

However there is one more condition of the heart:

• Those who hear and accept God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!

I want to be someone who produces so much fruit in my life that it is ridiculous. I know if I am ever going to do that I am going to have to stay on the path God is leading me down. I've gotten of track dozens of time, but I refuse to not make the right corrections in my life and get right back on track. I will run my race and I know that when I look back on my life I'll be able to say that I fought the good fight of faith and I've finished my course. I'll close with these verses in Hebrews to encourage you:

Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

Hebrews 12:1,2

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Are You on the Path?

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (clearer and brighter) until (it reaches its full strength and glory in) the perfect day (to be prepared.)

Proverbs 4:18

It is so easy to hit a season in our lives where everything seems out of whack! We don't know what the next step will be in our lives, we're confused, scared, and worried. So many people get thrown off track during these times and let the troubles of this world overwhelm them.

One of the greatest lessons I've learned is found in the verse above. The path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter and clearer and clearer. I've learned that as a Christian, God did not intend my life to be this bumpy ride where I'm constantly getting knocked around, constantly in fear, and never knowing what to expect. No, God said that He will direct my steps and make my path clear.



So what am I trying to say? If your path isn't getting clearer and brighter... you're not on the path! Jesus said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. When we're on the path it should be easy and you should have a peace about where you are!

One way I've learned to evaluate if I am on the path is by this standard:

If it's good it's God, if it's bad, it's me!

So let me ask you... Is your path getting brighter and brighter? Is your path getting clearer and clearer? Are you in a good place right now? If it's not . . . you may need to look at your life and realize where you've missed it. You may even need to go back to the last thing God asked you to do and make sure you were obedient. If you weren't, repent, and jump right back on the path!

God is so good!!! There really is no better feeling than knowing you're on the path and knowing that as you continue in your journey with God that the path is only going to get brighter and better! I am pretty fired up about being on the path! Are you? God has some amazing things in store for you.... get ready!

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Words of Wisdom

Last night I was at a wedding and the brides dad (Scoot Phillips) gave a wonderful speech that I thought was filled with perhaps the simplest, but some of the most profound advice for life.

He said that in his lifetime he has made millions of choices, but only three stand out. If he were to die he'd only want people to remember these three decisions that he made in life:

• Making Jesus the Lord of life

• Marrying his wife

• Deciding to have children

He said that although his life hasn't been perfect, because of those three decisions, his life is full. Then he encouraged the newly weds that if they'll do those 3 things with consistency, they'll live a full live.

Loved it..... hope it helps you recognize what is important in life.

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God's Plans (Part 1)

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the Heavens are higher than the earth, so amy ways are higher than your ways, and so my thoughts are higher than your thoughts."

-Isaiah 55:8, 9

If you've gone to church for any period of time, I am sure you've heard Jeremiah 29:11 (which seems to be the new John 3:16 lol) that says God has an awesome and specific plan for our lives. While I think we'd all (who know the Word) would agree that God has a plan for our life, I believe few of us know how to draw that plan out and watch it come to pass in their lives.

In my short time going after God I've learned and continue to learn some things about God's plan for our lives. I'd like to share them over the next few days and hear from you along the way.

See, I'm in another season where I don't know what the next step in my life is supposed to be. I know I'm where I am supposed to be now, but isn't it easy when you don't know what is next to start guessing or planning your own next step instead of waiting for God? It can be frustrating and scary at the same time . . . but I'm learning that if we'll just take God at his Word, wait on Him, hear from Him, obey Him and trust Him... then we'll live out the specific Will of God in our lives and stand back in awe at how amazing our lives are as a result of what He has planned for us.

What I know about God's Plan for my Life:

• He has one for me! (Jeremiah 29:11)

• Through it, He wants to do super abundantly, far above, all I could dare ask, think, or imagine in my life. (Ephesians 3:20)

• It's God's will that I know His will (He's not hiding it from me) (Colossians 1:9)
  (I Cor. 2:9,10)

• I have free choice in life... just because God has a plan for my life doesn't mean He makes every decision for me... I have to cooperate with God's will. (Psalm 127:1)

• God has a permissible will... this is where I think so many Christians settle for a good life... when God created them and has planned for them a GREAT life.
  

• If I'll learn to hear from God, if I'll be willing, and if I'll be obedient... than I'll live out the plan that God has for me! (Isaiah 1:19)

• The ultimate purpose of the specific will of God for my life is to have an impact on everyone around me for the Kingdom of God. People's lives should never be the same as a result of seeing God in and through me.
  

I think I could go on forever, but these are just a few things I want to cover over the next few days (could be a long series). This subject has been on my heart for a while.


What about you? What are some things you've learned about God's plan for your life?

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5 Years Can Change Everything (Part 1)

I am finally entering my last semester of college! Other than anxiously awaiting not having to come back here in January, I've taken some time and reflected on my college experience. Although I've been in college longer than a lot of my friends, I realize I am a completely different person today than I was when I graduated high school in 2003.

Over the next few days I want to talk about where I was 5 years ago, what I've done over the past 5 years, and where I see myself going over the course of the next 5 years. Hopefully encouraging you that anything can change over time!

5 Years Ago:

• I graduated high school with a 1.6 GPA (667 in my class of 708) as Pastor John would say, "I made it possible for people to be in the top half of the class!"

• My mom passed away

• I had no purpose, plan, or direction for my life

• I thought if I were lucky I'd get to be a janitor or truck driver (nothing wrong with that, it just isn't in my heart to do)

• I was drinking all the time and doing all kind of drugs

• I had gotten fired from every job I ever worked (Sheetz, McDonald's, Bob Evans)

• I felt so lost and alone as all my friends were going off to schools and about to move on with their lives as a result of hard work and I was staying home with no clue on which step I should take next.

• On the positive side: I had tons of friends, I was homecoming king, got to experience a lot of cool things in high school...football team, wrestling, dances, etc.

Tomorrow I will go over how my life got changed forever my senior year and how I've intentionally lived my life over the past 5 years to get to where I am today.

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Putting in the Miles (Part 3)

Both Life and Ministry are a Marathon, Not a Sprint

In a few hours I am going to be running my first 18 mile run with Pastor Larry. When I actually think about that...it's insane!

As you know I'm training for the Chicago Marathon on October 12th, 2008. As of today that is 49 days away! We've been training since March, so it has been quite the journey and I am pumped about it!

This is going to be my third installment of lessons I'm learning while training for the Marathon. I just want to focus on one thing I've been learning in life and ministry and that is: Life and Ministry are a Marathon, not a Sprint. Here are just a few thoughts concerning this:

• So many times we want to be in a season we're not ready for or equipped for yet

• The best thing about the future is that it happens one day at a time, so if I can just handle today right, my tomorrow's will turn out how I want them to.

• Tomorrow is the scorecard on how you handled today

• The Secret of my success is always found in my daily agenda

I guess what I'm learning is that I can only do so much in a single day. There will always be more I could do, there will always be more work, and if I don't see the big picture I'll get buried and miss out on so much of what life is really has to offer. However, if I do the best I can each day with the time I have, when the day I've been waiting for comes, I'll be ready.

As Abraham Lincoln once said, "I will prepare, and one day my chance will come."

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Back When I Knew it All (Part 5)

"Man I Don't Know, Where the Time Goes, But it Sure Goes Fast"

I remember back when I knew it all, I thought I was immortal, thought I'd be in high school forever, and I thought I'd be friends with the people in high school until the day I die. I remember on my senior trip walking the beach with my boys and vowing that we'd be boys forever! Then we graduated, talk about a wake up call!

In Psalms, David asks God to teach him to number his days, to allow him to realize how short his life really is. In James, it says that our life is but a vapor, we're here and gone in the blink of an eye. I think everyone needs to live life with this perspective: That before we know it, we are going to stand before God and be accountable for our lives. John Maxwell has a quote that rocked my world in getting this perspective:

• "People will summarize your life in one sentence, pick it now."
  

I've gone to several funerals this year and purposefully listened to what people said about the person that passed. Often and sadly I would hear things like, "He or She was a nice person" or "They were so funny, man could they tell stories." I began thinking to myself... how sad. Their lives are summarized by telling a few jokes and being nice. God created us for a much higher purpose than that.

What is it God put in your heart to accomplish while you here? What sentence do you want people to summarize your life with? What will that dash in between 2 dates stand for on your tombstone?

I encourage you to pick the sentence you want people to summarize your life with and do everything you're can to pursue that purpose in your lifetime.

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Putting in the Miles (Part 2)

As most of you know I'm training for the Chicago Marathon in October with Pastor Larry. It's been an amazing experience so far. I've run nearly 300 miles since March! Insane! Anyway... I said I'd keep you posted with some lessons I'm learning along the way.

• Both life and success are both a marathon as well as a journey, not a sprint or a destination.
  

• Motivation to do anything in life will never strike you like lightning... just do it and the motivation will come.
  

• In training for a marathon, I've realized that the 6-7 months you spend training, no one is there patting you on the back for all your hard work or pushing you to run harder. It is often the same in life and ministry... they can both be "thankless" jobs, but that is why we find our worth and affirmation in God!

Just some thoughts.... learning so much... I'll have a volume of sermons after October!!

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The Intense Life

When I had to make a URL type deal, I had trouble thinking of something. In fact, it will probably change as time moves on, but for now I stuck with The Intense Life. I was actually reading over someones profile on facebook once and when it asked to describe the person, they just put... I live life very intensely. That really stuck out to me, seeing that this guys was also a big achiever. I thought to myself... that is awesome! I want to live life with intensity. Every action, thought, and idea lived out on purpose.

I began to think of some of the leaders and people in my own life whom I both look up and admire. As I evaluated their lives . . . I realized a common theme in each of them was they all lived very intense lives. Another way of saying it could just be: They live their life on purpose and work very hard to reach their maximum potential. If there were any factor or characteristic that I see that separates the good from the great, the successful from the unsuccessful, and the overachievers from the under achievers, I would submit that it is their ability to live their lives on purpose and work hard.

As I grow older I am beginning to see a split between the people that will be successful and accomplish great things in their lives and the people who will only dream and wish their lives away. Even some people that have great calls on their lives can and will miss out on everything God's put in their heart as a result of not living an intense life. My high school football coach always used to say that "Day to day intensity with week to week consistency, builds champions." That is an absolute truth.

If we can learn how to handle each day correctly and be consistent then we'll get all of our "Ephesians 3:20's" (Our super, abundantly, far above all we can dare ask, think, or imagine)
in life. God wants us to have an Ephesians 3:20 spouse, family, career, and life, but that will only be accomplished as we learn to be live life daily with intensity.

"The Secret of Your Success is always found in your daily agenda." -John Maxwell

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