I meet with a group of other men each week. While enjoying our morning coffee, we discuss scripture, family, work, and anything else life has brought to our attention that week. Last time we met, the topic of fellowship was brought up. I don’t mean fellowship as in, eating a casserole with some people you see for an hour each Sunday. We were talking about real fellowship. The kind where two people share an empathetic bond. David and Jonathan kind of fellowship.
Archive for Spiritual
More Than Brothers
Feeding Kids During School Break
Making a difference is something we can all do. Yesterday, a small group of people made a difference in the lives of 5 families with young kids who struggle to eat during times that school is not in session.
After contacting a local elementary school and speaking to their school counselor, it was apparent that there was a great burden on the hearts of some of the teachers for the children in their classes. You see, Edmond OK is thought of by many to be a relatively wealthy area and thus, people send any assistance they may give, to other areas and ignore the struggling individuals in their own back yards.
Don’t Compromise.
Compromise. You WILL be asked to do it. Today. The word sounds like a good, “touchy feely” thing to do. However, more often than not, compromising can be harmful. We’re taught as children to compromise in situations such as sharing our toys and compromising some of the fun we’d have with a toy in order to allow someone else time with the toy. In turn they might let us play with their stuff some time. Very soon though, life begins asking us to make less neutral compromises. In most cases it means allowing small doses of harm come into our families, our workplaces, or lives in order to temporarily experience pleasure, praise, or success.
Move On: In Your Spiritual Life
Once again this week we’ll be looking at Mark 6:1-6 and seeing how Jesus handled a certain situation. Then seeing how this example can be used in our daily lives. Heres a brief rundown of what’s happening in this piece of scripture:
Move On: With Your Health
This week we’re taking a look at the book of Mark, chapter 6, verses 1-6, and seeing how it relates to different areas in our lives. Yesterday we looked at a couple of ways it related to our work life, and tomorrow we’ll see how it relates to our walk with Christ, but today we’ll check out how it relates to our health.
Here’s a link to the verse so that you can read it. Basically here’s what’s happening here:
Move On: @ Work… Jesus Did
Sometimes it’s best to move on to new ground,new people, and new opportunities.
Let me explain before everyone tells their boss to “shove it”.
Many of us have been in a situation where those who knew us at a different time period were dragging us down. I’d like to take this week to show you a situation Christ encountered and show you how it relates to your work, health, and your spiritual walk.
Goal Motives
I was thinking this morning about my business goals. It’s easy to say you want to make “x” amount of money or accumulate “y” number of new clients in the next quarter. However, many times there’s more behind those things than meets the eye. A person’s goal motives are found in the motivation for those statements.
Holy Discontent
I often hear people talk about wondering what to do with their lives. I’ve even wondered myself. Now, I’m not talking about whether to spend my Saturday watching college basketball or roaming “children’s expo” to show my kids all sorts of cool toys they’ll never own. I’m talking about people wondering every day what they can do to make a difference. How can I leave a legacy. Everyone wants to have that feeling that once they take the long nap, their work will live on, either through their children or through the people who’s lives have been touched by their work.
The answer to this question is quite simple. Everyone should align their life toward their holy discontent. What is holy discontent? Oh, well that’s pretty simple actually. Pastor Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv is who I first heard speak of this. I’ve since heard people describe it in many ways and noticed that Bill Hybels has even written a book about it (e-version). I’ll describe it like this. – Holy discontent is different in every person. It’s a certain situation, injustice, illness, etc. that, when you witness it, makes you so angry or upset you could cry. Then when you happen to be witness to something being done about it, you are so touched and happy you get chills and cry. There, that’s a simple meaning of holy discontent.
All of us have some form of holy discontent. Put there intentionally by God, to pull at us and urge us toward a life of using the unique passions and talents that He has instilled in each of us individually. It is up to us to align our lives to leave a mark on the world in our area of holy discontent in the name of Christ. For some, it may mean changing careers to become a full time mommy, or work for a non-profit organization. For others, your full time job may seem to have nothing to with your holy discontent, but is a means of funding or allowing time to do the things needed to leave your mark.
See, that was easy. Now you know what to do with your life. Well, once you figure out what your holy discontent is.
Comments?
JC
Visiting the Tulsa LifeChurch.tv Campus
This past weekend, I took a visit to the Tulsa, OK area to visit one of my brothers. It was a great trip, and we were able to play some card games and visit while my daughters spent some time with cousins they rarely see even though we live less than two hours apart. After piling on sofas for our Saturday night slumber, we did what most Christian families do on Sunday mornings – argue with our kids about doing what needs to get done so we can get to church on time. Oh, don’t look so shocked. It happens at your house too. Anyway, one of the nice things about being a partner/member of LifeChurch.tv, is the ability to attend our “home” church in many cities around the country (or world using their Internet campus). We decided yesterday to visit the mid-town Tulsa Campus located on 41st street. Since we’ve only once visited a LC campus other than the Oklahoma City Campus that we call home.
Being a marketing minded guy, my mind always takes mental notes of my experience when walking into any business or organization that invites people in. That is, after all, a key determining factor that determines whether or not people will enjoy their visit and do business/visit your organization again. Following is a run down on my experience yesterday at the LifeChurch.tv, Tulsa OK Campus.
- The drive up: My wife and I are not familiar with the Tulsa area but found the campus easy to locate and, even better, the building appeared to be one of the best kept in the area. The signage and even colors of the building were uniform with what we recognized in a different city. These things made us feel good about pulling in.
Plan of Action vs. Goal
For many people, early January is always a time of goal setting. For many of those same people, by early February, those goals are set aside only to be tried and failed the next year. And, so the cycle continues.
I’d argue that the main reason people don’t accomplish their goals is because of focusing too much on the goal itself, rather than the action plan to reach that goal. They simply focus on their goal which seems far away and with “plenty of time” to achieve until one day, the deadline is upon them and they feel like a 5 year old about to clean their bedroom. The goal seems unreachable and they don’t know where to start.
