December Baby

I've been married a year this month! What an awesome year with my super-awesome wife!

I also rode the train and skateboarded to work today and it was awesome! I feel great, and a little sweaty. This may become a regular thing though -- it's way more fun than sitting in my car!

A lot of notes this month...

• Find a group of people on an adventure and join them. All you need is: an adventure, a map (bible), a tour guide (someone who's been where I want to go or lives there).
• Paul was still trying to take hold of that for which Christ took of him (Philippians 3:12) -- he was never "there." We should never "arrive" either. If we have, we're just coasting (moving off of past momentum and wanting progress with no effort).
• Telling God "I want" can be the first and most important step of faith.
• 2 Corinthians 10:5 "We Demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
• I heard a sermon that touched on this from the Ecclesia series, Cultivating the Christian Life. What impacted me was the idea of taking thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ. I hadn't thought of doing that to thoughts I shouldn't dwell on.
• Fear makes us powerless. Faith gives us power.
• If you keep doing what you're doing right now, will you end up where you want to be?
• Can you keep doing what you're doing for decades?
• What you are saved for is more important than what you were saved from.

I asked for God to light a fire under my butt and spur me onto action. The next day I listened to this by Christine Caine. Soo good!

• It is amazing how many of us get saved from something, but it never comes out of us.
• Doubt dies unborn if it's never spoken.

GIVING

• What has God done for you -- love, faith, provision? Now give it away!
• This is always done in the context of RELATIONSHIP.
• What do others notice in you?
• If you have something to offer, reach out.
• Don't offer advice first, just listen.

 PEACEMAKING by Tim Chaddick

• Sin is the vandalism of shalom
• The Beatitudes are about lifting us up and sending us out:
• 1st half is lifting us up
• 2nd half is how we deal with others
• A peacemaker is one that is working for healed relationships.
• It's intentional, to bless.
• Pursuing peacemaking:
• Prayer ("...love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..." - Matthew 5:43-45)
• Greeting ("And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?" - Matthew 5:47)
• Greeting = engaging in a hospitable recognition of another
• Reconciling (""Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift." - Matthew 5:23-24)
• We take responsibility to initiate
• Greatest need = reconciling to God. 
• The best way to be a peacemaker is to introduce people to the Prince of Peace.
• Does not mean peace at any price, or offering "cheap peace."
• Must always be in the presence of love, but never in the absence of truth.
• Never pursue conflict.
• As much as it depends on you, be at peace with one another (Romans 12:18).
• What in my life depends on me?
• The Problem for Peacemaking
• Persecution
• Opposition
• Cost

THE JESUS MODEL Four-Part Series by Dann Spader.at the Christian Surfer's Groundswell Conference

• Never less than God, Jesus chose to live never more than man.
• Jesus was man as God intended Him to be.
• Hebrews 2: Examples of why Jesus had to be fully human.
•  Walking with God = realigning and re-prioritizing my life to the way Jesus lived His.
• Because we think it's about us, we only ask God for a little more than we think we can accomplish. It's not about us though, but God working in us. So when we ask of God, we need to depend on Him to do really big things through us and not limit ourselves.
• Summary: in order to do big things, I have to remember it's not about me!
• Personal note: I LOVE this because I want so badly to do big things in life (probably partially for recognition from others), which makes it difficult sometimes to take the back seat and simply contribute to a greater cause rather than lead it. Sometimes I'm uncomfortable with "He must become greater, I must become less" (John 3:30). However, if this is how I view things, then God will do big things through me and I don't even have to worry about recognition or my own ego because it's not about me! It's win-win.
• CORE VALUES OF A CHRIST-FOLLOWER
• Holy Spirit P-O-W-E-R:
• Holy Spirit: everything Jesus did was through the Holy Spirit
• Prayerful guidance: Jesus often went off to pray
• Obedient: obedience is God's love-language. Remember that it's short-term suffering for long-term joy.
• Word-centered: Jesus had the entire scripture memorized, as a human. He taught from the Word.
• Always Exhalted the Father
• Relationships of love and integrity
•  Which of these 6 areas am I strongest in? Where do I need to focus more time?
• http://walkingasjesus.com

REACHING PEOPLE FOR CHRIST

1. Accept personal responsibility -- there is no plan B. He's entrusted us with the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).
2. No more difficult than developing a personal relationship. It's all about LOVING PEOPLE.
3. Share your personal story
4. Give a personal invitation to church -- the pastor can't know your friends, but he can explain Jesus in a good way for them.

And here's a cool video for you, just for fun:

Thanksgiving? - watch more funny videos