enthusiasm is contagious!

Check out this video and watch what happens when one guy dares to be different (be sure to watch the whole clip):

 

I love it when people just go for stuff—regardless of what others might think. Don’t let your pride keep you from starting a revolution! Be bold and courageous! Be you! Enthusiasm is contagious!

unlock the fullness of life

We’re less than a month from Thanksgiving and my family and I have begun making plans to visit my sister and her family in the Chicago area. I love Thanksgiving: the food, the good times spent with family, the onset of the Christmas season, having a couple days off to just hang out and reflect. I want to be a more grateful person. If you’re like me, you have a tendency to take things for granted. I don’t want to live like that. I don’t want my kids to be like that—I’d like to see us get “unstuck” in this area (if you know what I mean).

If you’d like to get unstuck in this area, too, here’s something that might be of interest to you:

Psychologists Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough asked people to spend a few moments each week carrying out one of three writing tasks. One group listed five things they were grateful for, the second group listed five things that annoyed them, and the third group wrote down five events that had taken place during the previous week.

The ‘gratitude’ group wrote down anything from seeing the sunset on a summer day to the generosity of their friends.  The ‘annoyed’ group listed things like taxes and their children arguing. And the ‘events’ group wrote about making breakfast and driving to work. 

The results were amazing. Compared to those in  the ‘annoyed’ or ‘events’ groups, those ones who expressed gratitude ended up significantly happier, much more optimistic about the future, physically healthier, and they even exercised more.

Wanna be healthier and happier? Spend some time each week thanking God for the blessings he’s given you. It’ll change your life.

come watch us shoot dwight

That’s right, we’re shooting Dwight this week. In fact, we shoot him every Thursday at 4:00 p.m. And you’re invited!

Of course, I’m talking about the recording of the Sunday message for our Louisville and Millersburg campuses. Every Thursday at 4 p.m. we roll tape in the main auditorium and record the Sunday message for playback on Sundays.

Feel free to join staff as we get a “private screening.” Just make sure you’re there by 4…and then we’ll wrap things up by 4:35. The more, the merrier. It’s always good to have an audience there for Dwight to communicate with.

sunday’s scuds (october 25, 2009)

Part three of the “Stuck” series brought us a case study on how to get un-stuck. Dwight taught about King Josiah (2 Chronicles 34) and his approach to breaking out of tradition, family history, and stuck-ness in general. Here are some of the scuds:

• Some of us have not had things modeled for us in a healthy, biblical way. That’s why you need a new role model.
• Quit focusing on what you don’t want to become. Focus on what you DO want to become.
• You and I need to take personal responsibility to purge things from our lives that have a tendency to pull us back to what it is we’re trying to break free from.
• That means that you may need to purge some of your relationships.
• In light of your future hopes and dreams, you may need to take some drastic measures now.
• Ask the question: In light of my past experiences, my present circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise choice?
• You will never change that which you tolerate.
• How do you set God’s Word as that standard for your life? Commit it to memory.
• You and I memorize things that are important to us.

Josiah’s three-steps to getting unstuck:

1. Choose a new role model (look to someone who’s ahead of you, spiritually, relationally, etc.)
2. Purge your world of things that can pull you in the wrong direction.
3. Establish Scripture as the standard for your life.

spongebob, is that you?

A couple years ago, the kids made up a drawing game. The object of this game is to have a “describer” describe a drawing to the artists. The artists, without looking—just going off of the describer’s instructions—must recreate the drawing to the best of their abilities on a big whiteboard.

It’s harder than it sounds (and especially hard to describe what to draw). It’s important to be VERY detailed when describing.

Saturday night, I was the “describer” and the girls were the artists. The drawing: Spongebob Squarepants.

These are the results:

Like I said, it’s harder than it sounds. And it’s a lot of fun.

a peek inside the npcc service programming budget meeting

Okay… we didn’t spend the WHOLE meeting eating…but Mrs. Bunn did hook us up with some amazing grub.

As for the budget, it’s almost done. We got a lot done today (and the food along with the company made it, dare I say, enjoyable?).

catalyst 2009 (part six :: chuck swindoll)

It’s been two weeks since Catalyst…and I’m still working my way through blogging about the speakers that impacted me the most.

Today: Chuck Swindoll. Two passions have directed the life and ministry of Chuck Swindoll; an unwavering commitment to the practical communication and application of God’s Word and an untiring devotion to seeing lives transformed by God’s grace. Chuck has devoted more than four decades to these goals, and he models the contagious joy that springs from enthusiastically following Jesus Christ. And these are some of the scuds he fired off:

• When God wants to do an impossible task, he takes an impossible person and crushes him.
• Leave room in your life for the crushing.

“Ten things I’ve learned in 50 years of leadership”

1. It’s lonely to lead
2. It’s dangerous to succeed
3. It’s hardest at home
4. It’s essential to be real
5. It’s painful to obey
6. Brokenness and failure is necessary
7. My attitude is more important than my actions
8. Integrity eclipses image
9. God’s way is better than my way
10. Christ-likeness begins and ends with humility

• The best things you do are not up front.
• Get rid of the habit of reading your own clippings.
• We must be willing to leave the familiar methods without disturbing the biblical message (we get these backwards).
• TRADITION is the living faith of those now dead.
• TRADITIONALISM is the dead faith of those still living.

“Five statements worth remembering over my next 50 years of ministry”

1. WHATEVER you do, do more with others and less alone.
2. WHENEVER you do it, emphasize quality not quantity.
3. WHEREVER you do it, do it the same as if you were among those who know you best.
4. WHOEVER may respond, keep a level head.
5. HOWEVER long you lead, keep on dripping with gratitude and grace.

another cool, creative music video

I like to post stuff that I see online and makes me go, “Shazaam! That’s hot!” This video is one of those. Oh, it’s a pretty hip song, too.

catalyst 2009 (part five :: dave ramsey)

I love Dave Ramsey. He gives out the best t-shirts at Catalyst. He gave me an iPod at last years Catalyst (and he gave one to Wes Feldner this year). He also helped Jenny and I get out of debt. Thanks to Dave’s Financial Peace University, Jenny and I have been debt-free for almost four years.

Dave’s Catalyst talk was strong. He’s certainly not afraid to say what’s on his mind. Here are some the scuds he launched:

• When you have momentum, you look better than you are. When you don’t have momentum, you are better than you look.
• Momentum is created. It doesn’t occur randomly.
• Focused intensity over time multiplied by God equals unstoppable momentum.
• Focus is lost for two reasons: Fear and Greed.
• When we’re not focused other  things distract us and we experience burn out.
• We tend to pray like it depends on God or work as if it depends on us.
• To be an inordinate success, it takes 10,000 hours. (Malcolm Gladwell)
• You don’t become a significant leader by accident, you pour yourself into your calling and your craft very specifically and momentum is created.
• Excellence dissipates when we take our eye off the goal and look into something we haven’t already earned.
• You have an unbelievable opportunity when you focus because no one else in culture is.
• Nothing moves unless there’s intensity behind it.
• Figure out the course, stay the course. Slow and steady wins the race all the time.
• If you think you’re going to be an automatic success; if you are, be very scared because you might not have the foundation to carry it.

Financial Peace University is a life-changing program that teaches you how to make the right decisions with your money. You'll be empowered with the practical skills and confidence needed to achieve your financial goals and experience true financial peace! Learn More

sunday’s scuds (october 18, 2009)

Dwight continued the STUCK series this week with a powerful (and bothersome—in a good way) message about facing up to the truth about why we’re stuck. If you missed it, you’re gonna want to hear it. Listen online @ www.newpointe.org or pick up a CD at the church.

Here are some of the scuds:

• We all have our ideas of what we don’t want our families to be like. We all have good intentions.
• There’s a gap between our good intentions and the way things really are.
• There is no magical prayer for getting unstuck.
• You can’t change what you can’t control.
• Eventually, everything you’ve taught your kids will show up in their adulthood (both good and bad).
• In your home, class is ALWAYS in session.
• More is caught than taught.
• Coming to church will not change you. You’ll never be the parent you want to be unless and until you embrace God’s principles and process.
• Church does not work. Obeying God’s Word is what works.
• It’s amazing what God can do when you humble yourself.
• If you’re going to change, you need to quit making excuses.
• Quit playing the blame card.
• When you place blame, you’re not in control of your own life.
• We end up giving control to people in our lives to people that we don’t even like.
• Some of you are dealing with the same marriage problems you were dealing with five years ago.
• You need to own up to the problem and say, “enough is enough.”
• We defend our actions intellectually but they’re fueled emotionally.
• Jesus Christ cannot be the Lord of your life if something else is controlling you.

The series continues this Sunday with part three. Come learn how to get “unstuck.”

why our family sponsors a kid through compassion

You’re about to watch one of the most amazing, unbelievable moments of Catalyst09. This video is a little long but it’s totally worth watching the whole thing. If you bail on it early, you’ll have missed out. If you skip ahead, you’ll have wished you didn’t. I encourage you to take the time to watch it and see if it does not do something to your heart.

Catalyst 2009 Compassion Moment from Catalyst on Vimeo.

And THAT is why we choose to sponsor a kid through Compassion.

Several years ago our family decided to sponsor a little girl from Guatemala. Someday we’ll meet her (and I’ll cry like Jimmy did).

If you would like to share a moment like that one day with a child whose life you have invested in, sponsor a child today through Compassion. $38 dollars a month can make an eternal difference in someone like Jimmy’s life.

catalyst 2009 (part four :: matt chandler)

Matt Chandler serves as Lead Pastor of The Village Church in Highland Village, Texas. He describes his six-year tenure at The Village as a re-planting effort where he was involved in changing the theological and philosophical culture of the congregation. The church has witnesses a tremendous response growing from 160 people to over 6,000 including two satellite campuses. Here are some of the scuds he fired at Catalyst:

• The Fall caused us to disregard the Creator and instead worship the created.
• Let's make war against the stuff that so easily entangles (sin).
• Somehow the idea of confession and repentance has a negative connotation.
• It seems to be put away in the dusty corner of the believer’s world as if we believe the longer we are Christians, the lesser we will need to repent.
• Every bit of hesitancy in obedience is God beckoning you to deeper waters."

You can check out Matt’s blog here: TheResurgence.com

catalyst 2009 (part three :: rob bell)

Rob Bell is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church. You may be familiar with his short films, Nooma, which we’ve used in different venues at NPCC. He’s written four books including Velvet Elvis. Here are some of the scuds he fired at Catalyst:

• When you obey God, you won’t want anybody else’s life. 
• The Ten Commandments: The first nine are commands, the last one is a reward (look it up).
• I need to properly care for myself so that I can do all that God wants me to do.
• “The Son can do nothing by Himself, He can only do what He sees His father doing…” Whatever the Father does, the Son does also. We don’t have to do anything we don’t see the Father doing.
• Does your spouse get your very best or does she get what’s left over from the thing that you’re building?
• Our children pick up on what really matters to us without us saying a word.
• God wants to set you free from the anxiety and burden you carry about feeling like you have to measure up to others.
• Your work and your family are inextricably linked. If it’s not going well with your family then it’s not going well with your ministry. We ignore one at the peril of the other.

Want more Rob Bell? Here’s one of his Nooma videos for your viewing pleasure:

Lump from Emi Gheorghe on Vimeo.

catalyst 2009 (part two :: malcolm gladwell)

Session two @ Catalyst brought us Malcolm Gladwell. Malcolm has been a staff writer with The New Yorker Magazine since 1996. In 2005 He was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people. He’s the author of three New York Times best-selling book. And his talk was strong. Here are some of the scuds:

• Miscalibration = thinking you know more than you actually know (overconfidence).
• Miscalibration is worse than incompetence.
• Incompetence irritates me. Overconfidence scares me.
• When we’re trapped by our overconfidence, the world around us can  change and we won’t even see it.
• When we start to get good at something we tend to believe we are better than we actually are.
• Sign of an overconfident leader: When the leader stops listening to those around him—cuts himself off from feedback.
• There is no room for pride or arrogance in life.
• In times of crisis we think we need daring and bold decisions from our leaders.
• In times of crisis what we need from our leaders is humility.
• Humility is the ability and willingness to listen to others.
• Leadership has to become collective after a certain point (a church of 120 is different than a church of 180 and it requires a different approach to leadership).

I highly recommend Malcolm’s books: The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers.  Here’s an Amazon link: Malcolm on Amazon

catalyst 2009 (part one :: andy stanley)

We took a busload of 41 people to Catalyst 09. Catalyst is an amazing leadership conference that takes place every October in Atlanta. I always look forward to going because I’m able to “get my tank filled.” The worship is crazy-good. The speakers are off the chain. And the community I experience with those who go with me is always worthwhile and helpful.

So imagine a bus trip with 40 of my favorite peeps, 12 hours each way. Epic (the bus ride through the night on the way home was epic in a whole different kind of way though).

Every year on  my blog, I post a few notes and “scuds” from my favorite Catalyst speakers. Every year my favorite speaker, Andy Stanley, kicks the conference off. Andy never under-delivers. This year, he kicked things off with a leadership talk on leaving your mark. Here are some of the scuds he fired:

• “What man is a man who does not leave the world better?”
• Every leader leaves a mark. What kind of mark will you leave?
• You will not recognize your greatest opportunity until after you’ve taken it…or missed it.
• You don’t know the thing you’ve done that makes the greatest difference.
• There is no greater joy in the world than to lean your leadership gift into the will of God.
• Am I a leader IN authority or am I a leader UNDER authority?
• Am I more concerned about whose side I’m on than who’s on my side?
• “God takes full responsibility for the life wholly devoted to him.” –Charles Stanley
• It’s really not about the mark you leave. It’s about positioning yourself so God can make his mark through you.
• God has not come to be a part of my story. God has come to see if I’m willing to be a part of His story.
• My responsibility is to be obedient to God and to trust Him with the consequences.
• For me, surrendering is a daily thing.
• We must decide once and for all—and every single day.
• You have no idea what God wants to do in you and through you.
• Living to make MY mark is too small a thing to give my life to.
• You are going to leave a mark. That’s what leaders do. The question is: Whose mark are you going to leave?

Catalyst Leadership is a new digital magazine combining the wisdom of Leadership Journal with the innovation of the Catalyst Conference. Sign up for your free subscription today at CatalystLeadershipDigital.com/subscribe/

a few pics from catalyst 09

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tony Dungy shares on leadership.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Catalyst worship experience is always amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Backstage with Perry Noble (yes, he really is that much taller than me).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Louie Giglio backstage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, of course, Dave Ramsey.

 

Highlights and scuds will be posted soon.

sunday’s scuds (october 11, 2009)

Sunday we kicked off a brand new series at NewPointe: Stuck. We all get stuck in life. Nobody has to stay stuck. This series is all about how to get unstuck. Here are some scuds from week one:

• Once you recognize the difference between man’s traditions and God’s Word, you need to decide which of those is driving you.
• When we hold on to man’s traditions above God’s Word, we nullify the Word of God in our life.
• Most churches are stuck (because of traditions).
• Husbands, God requires us to love our wives as Christ loved the church—not as your dad loved your mom.
• God requires unconditional mutual respect in your family. Instead we say, “I will honor and respect you as much as I think you deserve it.”
• What happens in your home has greater impact on your kids than what happens in church.
• Your home environment will shape your kids’ hearts more than anything else.
• If it’s not modeled in the home, then we’re wasting our time here on Sunday mornings.
• Student Ministries cannot undo what happens in your home.
• What happens in church will either be reinforced or undermined by what you do at home.
• Honor, respect, love:: if this is not happening in your home then you’re driven more by tradition than you are by God’s Word.

Throughout the rest of this four-part series, Dwight is going to help us understand the process of how to get “unstuck.” Don’t miss a single Sunday.

more from outreach magazine

In this month’s issue of Outreach Magazine, NewPointe made the list of the 100 fastest growing churches in America.

Dwight was quoted in one of the articles. If you’d like to read it, here’s the link:

http://www.outreachmagazine.com/09outreach100-questions.htm

And here’s the whole top 100 if you’re interested:

100 Fastest-growing

sunday’s scuds (october 4, 2009)

Dwight wrapped up ‘The Naked Truth’ series with an amazing message about the truth about God—how he desires a relationship with you and I. Great series. You can listen to the entire series online by clicking here: NewPointe Media Archive.

In the meantime, here are some of the scuds from Sunday:

• The truth is that most of us don’t truly believe that God really wants to have an intimate relationship with us.
• I don't want to be the father who just pays his kids' bills. I want to have a relationship with them. And so it is with your Heavenly Father.
• God desires a relationship with you that is characterized by intimacy.
• God has already taken the first step toward having a relationship with you: He's made himself vulnerable.
• Jesus didn’t come to make your more religious. He came so you can have a relationship with your Heavenly Father.
• Bette Midler got it all wrong. God is not watching from a distance. He’s involved in your life and he wants a relationship with you.
• You + God = the majority.
• When you and I were at our worst, God was for us.
• God doesn’t jump on and off of bandwagons. He’s AWLAYS for you.
• You’ve heard that God is for you but you don’t believe that God is for you.
• Thank God he doesn’t always give us what we ask for.
• God does not want you to feel guilty.
• Sometimes if we don’t get beat up in church we don’t feel like we’ve been to church.
• We think that guilt is good for us, so consequently, we think it’s good for other people. It isn’t.
• Truth and time don’t always run hand in hand.
• Do you know why you worry? You don’t understand your what you’re worth to God.