Jul 13 2011

Dark Side of Leadership

If you lead in any capacity:

Business person
Pastor
Entrepreneur
Husband
Wife
Stay at home mom

Buy this book.  Read it.  Thank me later.

It is that good and I know you will love it.

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Jul 11 2011

Finding your idols…

We kicked off a series yesterday entitled Counterfeit God.  It’s all about helping us find the idols that exist in each of our lives and replacing them with something far better.  Before you can replace them – you have to find them.  Here are a few questions that can help you do just that.
  • What am I most afraid of? (finances, loss of control)
  • On what do I spend money? ($ flows toward our greatest love)
  • What makes me feel stable and secure?
  • Where do I run for comfort?
  • What do I complain about most?
  • What makes me happiest?
  • How do I explain myself to other people?
  • What has caused me to be angry with God?
  • What do I brag about?
  • What do I want to have more than anything else?
  • What do I sacrifice the most for in my life?
  • If I could change one thing about my life, what would it be?
  • Whose approval am I seeking?
  • What do I want to control/master? (If I could just or if they would just than I would be.)
  • Where does my imagination habitually take me? (career advancement, dream home)

I encourage you to pick up this book that opened my eyes to some of the things we will walk through during this series.  You will love it.

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Jul 8 2011

Counterfeit God

On Sunday we are kicking off a brand-new series entitled Counterfeit God.

I believe this will be one of the most life-changing series we have ever done at Freedom Church.

The preparation for this series has impacted me greatly and I know that it will do the same for you and those you are bringing with you this weekend.

See you Sunday at Barber Middle School (right next to Acworth Elementary) at 9:45 or 11:30.

 

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Jul 6 2011

Discussion Domination

You can gain significant insight into the lives of people by observing what they do and listening to what dominates their discussion. The Bible talks about this very thing.

In Acts 4, Peter and John were seemingly larger-than-life.   They saw miracle after miracle occur right before their eyes.  Theirs was a world full of wonder and amazement at the miracle working power of God.  People were intrigued by their words and what they were able to accomplish – even those who were in direct opposition.

Acts 4:13 – Now as they (their enemies) observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

The lives of Peter and John were distinguishably different. These men didn’t have extraordinary talent, education, or ability.  What they did have was an unwavering commitment to speak about what they had seen and heard (Acts 4:20).  And people took notice.  It was evident by observing their deeds and listening to their words.

What can people learn from observing your actions and listening to your conversation? What dominates your discussion?  What’s most important in your life?  The conversations that you have and the lifestyle that you live will reveal the answer.

 

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Jul 5 2011

More than Mediocre

Many marriages are mediocre.  They aren’t terrible.  They aren’t great.  They are somewhere right in the middle.  Normal.  Average.  Mediocre.

It happens to the best of us. Bills are due. Economic pressure builds.  Demands on your time increase.   It can feel like you are just trying to keep your head above water.

Spending time together now consists of rushing home from work and collapsing on the couch to watch a few hours of TV before going to bed.  Add kids to the mix and busyness goes to a completely different level.  At this point, survival can become the name of the game.   There is barely time to stop and think much less spend quality time with your spouse.  Welcome to the normal marriage.  Not bad.  Not great. Mediocrity at its finest.

Sound depressing?  It does to me.  Don’t worry.  There is hope.  Your relationship can turn the corner.  It can thrive, but not without some planning.

The old saying goes “the failure to plan is the plan to fail.”  If you want to have a great marriage you are going to have to work a plan that will move you from where you are to where you want to be.   The plan doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, here is a plan just for you.

Plan to make time for just the two of you with a date night at least three times per month.  Not the two of you and your kids.  Not the two of you and your friends.  Just the two of you.  It’s not earth-shattering but it could be the difference between a mediocre marriage and an extraordinary one.

It sounds too easy but you might be surprised at how few people actually make this a priority in their lives.  Just because two people live in the same house and sleep in the same bed does not mean that they really know each other.  Our tendency is to drift apart.  Date night is a chance to recalibrate, ask questions, connect with one another, and have fun together!

Refuse to allow your mind to be flooded with excuses on why you can’t make this happen.  You can do this!  Don’t settle for an average marriage.  Average is overrated.  You were created to be far more than mediocre.

 

 

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