Don’t Punt::Vince Antonucci

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Great post by Vince Antonucci, planter of VERVE, a church on the strip in Las Vegas. ?He talks of a High School football coach in Arkansas that has punted only one time in the past two seasons…and is the coach of a state championship this year! There has been LOTS of talk about high profile coaches “going for it” on 4th down and it not working. ?This coach thinks the “numbers” lean toward “going for it” on 4th and “whatever” equals success!

Interesting concept. ?Much like The Dip by Seth Godin. ?The secondary title is “A little book that teaches you when to quit (and when to stick).”

There are times in our lives when we simply need to “go for it” no matter what! ?I think the most difficult time to continue on is when you feel like giving up.

I love what the back cover of The Dip says:

what is the dip?

It’s the fifth job interview where they never even call you back.

It’s the garage band playing to an empty club in the middle of nowhere.

It’s the seventh time you fall on your butt while learning to snowboard.

It’s the middle of the marathon, when the excitement of the starting gun is a dim memory, and the joy of the finish line is a distant dream.

It’s any rough patch you have to get through before achieving your big goal . . . if in fact you’re chasing the right goal.

What else?

Oh yeah, it’s also the key to your career, your company’s future, and maybe your ultimate happiness.

We are at that place (possibly) at FP Carthage. ?We have been here in Carthage for a couple of years and some of our team is tired and feels like needing a rest. ?Things just aren’t like it was “in the beginning.”

It reminds me of the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980 when the USA Hockey Team beat the Russians in the semifinals of the Olympics to eventually win the gold medal. ?Part of the backstory of the 1980 Olympics is the coach, Herb Brooks, was cut from the USA hockey team that eventually won a gold medal. ?He came back 20 years later and led a group of college players to beat the best hockey team in the world. I love these kinds of movies that bring a group of people together to do amazing things that were though never possible!

I pray that we would “go for it” and “dig deep” and all of those other sports cliches and see amazing things happen in all of our lives. ?Paul said it this way ?in Philippians 3:12-14 “12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Here’s the trailer for the great movie “Miracle.” ?Enjoy!

Vince Antonucci: Dont Punt.

Google Wave for our leadership team

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GoogleWaveI am really excited about getting my “invite” to Google Wave!? Check out the demo video–short version (they had a 1 hour 20 + minute LOOOONNNNGG explanation video as well) to see what it is all about.

Aaron Stockton, Kevin, and myself were doing some brainstorming the other day on Google Docs and love the whole real time experience.? When one person writes a sentence, it shows up on the other two people’s screen—amazing!!? Well, from what I can tell, Google Wave is like Google Docs on steroids!! It is also similar to some of the applications our staff has tried before at 37signals.com like Basecamp. We loved Basecamp, but it was a pay service and we are a ministry.? Any time we can save money on administrative costs, we can use that money in the ministry or for missions–for the Kingdom.? I am looking forward to experimenting and implementing Google Wave with our team.? Now off to look at the LOOONNGG Version.? You can check out the short overview in the meantime!

YouTube – Google Wave Overview.

FP Carthage KidCity Movie Night

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fp_kid_city_orange_mediumWow, what an awesome night at FP Carthage tonight!? We had our annual Christmas movie night!? We watched the movie “UP!” and the whole evening was themed around the movie.? We had lots of popcorn, cupcakes, balloons, laughter and fun!

Allow me to brag a big on one of our KidCity volunteer leaders.? Randa Dysinger is one of our volunteers with our elementary aged kiddos.? She and her husband Matt basically took on this event and boy did she run with it!? She had balloons tied to “sticks”(rolled up brown paper) around a short sheet that summarized all of the things we learned about this year so far.? She did an awesome job…here is what was written on the “stick.”

The movie UP is filled with wonderful expressions of many of the virtues we have learned throughout 2009.? Here are a few?

Compassion

The ?Spirit of Adventure? could be the Spirit of Compassion

God showed the greatest compassion to us when He saw our need for a Savior,??? He gave us His only Son ? Jesus!

?For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.? John 3:16

Hope

?Cross your heart?

Jesus promises forgiveness and eternal life in heaven if you believe in Him and invite Him into your heart.? He gives us hope.

?I am the way, the truth, and the life.? No one comes to the Father except through me.? John 14:6

Faith

?Grand Adventure to Paradise Falls?

Life is a grand adventure when you have your faith in Jesus.? The adventure ultimately takes you to our ?Paradise Falls? ? Heaven!

?In my Father?s house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you.? I go to prepare a place for you.? John 14:2

Love

?A Wilderness Explorer is a friend to all? ?

Jesus is our friend and He will be a friend to all who believe.? In turn, you can? show love and compassion to anyone by becoming their friend.

?Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.? This is the first and greatest commandment.? And the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself.? Matt 22: 37-39

This year, we have learned about the virtues of Love, Hope, Faith, Fairness, Wisdom,? Obedience, Forgiveness, Conviction, Individuality, Cooperation, and Compassion.? Take these virtues and instill them into your heart and mind and invite Jesus into your life.??? When you do, Jesus will lift you UP when you are down.? He will help you UP when you fall.? Jesus will cheer you UP when you need a friend.? He will hold you UP during difficult times.? Jesus will take you UP to live an eternal life with Him!

Become UP with compassion and care enough to see someone?s need and then care enough to do something about it!? When you do, you will be a reflection of God?s love and compassion.

How about that?? I am so thankful for a great group of people that I have the opportunity to serve with at Forest Park Carthage!? Great job Randa!

Lessons from a Razor>>Joey Shaw

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Pastor Sam Shaw’s son, Joey was in India recently and was cut with a straight razor while being attacked during a robbery.? Here is what he wrote about the incident:

On November 8, 2009 in South Asia, I and two other pastors from The Austin Stone, were robbed and attacked by a small gang of South Asian youth. Unexpectedly, one of these youth sliced my left cheek with a straight razor. The wound was 5 inches long and an inch deep. It spanned from about my left sideburn to the left corner of my mouth. Fortunately, the two other men with me were physically unharmed. We ran for safety in the middle of the city, pleaded with locals for help, and finally ended up in the emergency room at a local hospital where a doctor stitched up my face with three layers of stitches.

After arriving back home, I realized that this attack was a catalyst to great spiritual and emotional growth. After a week long of reflection, I have outlined below the lessons that I have learned. I hope my story and these lessons will encourage others to radical obedience to Jesus and mobilize them to the mission of God.

Amazing stuff!? Make sure you read the rest of the lessons here.

ASCC – God Gospel Mission Blog.

Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity

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Mark Batterson has a new book coming out later this year called “Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity.” His book “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day” was an extremely influential book in my personal leadership and spiritual pilgrimage. I read it all the way through in the middle of the night…I couldn’t put the book down. ?It came at a time in my life when I was extremely open to the concepts and I really did take some risks that I felt God was calling me to do.

I am currently reading through his second book, “Wild Goose Chase” on my Kindle 2. ?Really enjoying his book on the Holy Spirit along with a companion book, “Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit” by Francis Chan. ?I have been studying and learning about the doctrine of the Holy Spirit lately.

The publisher, Waterbrook-Multnomah is giving away 500 copies of Primal to bloggers who would review the book. ?I would hardly call myself a blogger of any significance. However, I love books…and Mark Batterson books…and Batterson lived in SGF for a while in college…and I lived in SGF for a long time–and college too! ?Anyway, a guy can hope for a free book, can’t he?

Amazon.com: Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity (9781601421319): Mark Batterson: Books.

Sox H8r ? My Soul Friends

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Great post from one of my soul friends, Daryl Eldridge.? Got to hang out with him for a while this afternoon at an Emerging Leaders Group that meets each month.? Great conversation today and a great post here!

Sox H8r ? My Soul Friends.

Question: Much like an orange being squeezed produces orange juice, when life squeezes in on you, what comes out?

Making It ?Their? Church

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I came across this post from the Lifechurch.tv/Swerve folks and it made a lot of sense in regards to my recent post, and particularly John’s comment.

Interesting post.? I have had the same statements from people…especially when they are “checking us out.”? You can always tell when people have left their old church and are reluctantly looking for another place to worship–not necessarily a place to serve and sink their heart into for the long haul.? They have a lot of expressions like, “well at our old church, we did X…you ought to do that…that might be a good idea for you to do.”? I believe it was Rick Warren who said at a church planting conference I attended, “just respond back to those people, ‘Why don’t you just go back to your old church, be reconciled with them, and we will all be better for it.'” That takes courage to actually say that, but it is true.

Much like in a counseling setting; if you are not willing to work on it and put some of the things into practice, you are wasting the counselor’s and your time both!

I love this statement in the post:

I?m asking God to empower me to move people from ?going to church? to ?being the church.? When they stop going and start being, the church goes from yours to mine.

Lord, let that be our prayer as well!

Making It ?Their? Church – LifeChurch.tv : swerve.

Andy Stanley on Leaving A Mark

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I have never been to the Catalyst Conference, but I would love to go sometime.? I had hoped to go this year, but as Chevy Chase says in Fletch, “I’ve been foolishly squandering my money of heat and rent!” Silly economy!

Andy Stanley from North Point Community Church (Alpharetta, GA) has been one of my “heroes in the faith” for a very long time.? (Probably came around the same time I began following Louie Giglio around the country at Student Life Camps!) He spoke at the first session at Catalyst and from what I have read on many blogs and tweets, it was really good!

Several of my good friends (and family) are there in ATL enjoying the conference.? But it sure is a whole lot cheaper to sit in my office and log in than to hop on a flight to ATL and hotel, and … you get the point.?? Enjoy it Becks, Daniel Mc, and several others!

For us “foolish people” who aren’t there…here is a great post synopsis of his first session talk.

Andy Stanley on Leaving A Mark | churchrelevance.com.

I absolutely love the last few paragraphs…(emphasis mine)

It is not about your mark. It is about His mark.
It is not about who is for or against you. It is about who you are for.
When God does His greatest work through you, you will have no idea what happened.

Our mark isn?t worth our life. Living to make my mark is too small a thing to give my life to, but to somehow be positioned in a place where God can work through me is something worth giving my life to.

Leaders are going to leave a mark. But the daily question for you is, ?Whose mark are you going to leave??

Let’s leave a mark today…HIS MARK!

Camille and Kevin?s Weekend?|?Buckhead Church Blog

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Check this out! ?What a cool deal! ?This couple got married on Saturday and then were baptized on Sunday at Buckhead Church in Atlanta. ?Click on the link below and watch their baptism videos. ?I absolutely love to hear stories of changed lives!

I am waiting on a couple as I write for some premarital counseling. ?I actually enjoy hearing each couples’ story. ?I get to hear theirs tonight here in a few minutes.

Camille and Kevin?s Weekend?|?The Official Buckhead Church Blog .

The Right People in the Right Places–Perry Noble, The Nines

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Leadership Network had an awesome free conference that was 100% online on 9.9.09 called “The Nines.” ?The entire set of 9 minute or less videos are available here.

Kevin Stratton sent me a link to this video of Perry Noble from New Spring Church in Anderson, SC. ?He has a lot of great things to say…all in less than 7 minutes!

Some great nuggets from the message I really connected with are:

  • A movement of God cannot be planned, but it must be prepared for.
  • We try to strategize what the Holy Spirit is going to do….we cannot dictate what God wants to do.
  • Acts 1…leadership challenge.
  • Are you dealing with a leadership challenge? ?Do you have the right people, in the right places, doing the right things? ?OR do you have a benevolence ministry going on because you are afraid to have a hard conversation with someone that can’t get a job done? ?(OUCH! emphasis mine)
  • We as Christians are called to higher standards and if we want to prepare for a movement of God, we’ve got to have the right people in the right places…
  • And then all of sudden things like Acts 2 CAN HAPPEN!

The question isn’t whether each person on our team should be ON our team. ?The question is WHAT PLACE on our team should that person be. ?As Jim Collins writes in his book Good to Great, each person needs to be on the bus, but maybe some people need to change seats! ?That is really one of the most difficult parts of my job, I think…having the discernment and wisdom to know which person needs to be in each seat on the bus. ?Also, there is that crazy little thing called a poor self-esteem that rears its ugly head and causes me to, as Perry Noble says, “have a benevolance ministry” because I am afraid to have a hard conversation. ?I mean, I just really want everyone to like me! ?And maybe if I don’t say anything, they will simply move to the right seat…maybe?…hopefully? ?Probably not, David.

Question: ?Are you the right person, in the right place, doing the right things on your team? ?Gut check time.

Here is the full ?YouTube video…enjoy!