God will give you more than you can handle!

1 Cor 10:12-13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. NASU

 We have all heard the statement in church or probably even me quote it before. "God will not give you more than you can handle!"  Its very safe to say that this is not true!  Here are a few thoughts to make you think and ultimately challenge you to do something with what you were given!

If life was based on what we can handle there would never be a reason for Jesus to be the Lord & Savior of our life!

1. This life we live is the only hell a believer in Christ will ever face, but on a sad note this life we currently live is the only Heaven the non-believer will ever receive.
2. How many of us say we care about our friends that don't know Jesus yet we do little to show them the answer to their live's greatest need!
3. I have never heard of anyone accept Christ out of pure motive (as in they just want to be like Jesus and be holy). Most everyone I know gave Him a shot became their attempts at handling their own life were dismal failures!  Or they were scarred of hell!

Could Jesus handle the weight of the cross by himself? The Bible said He could do nothing without the FATHER!  We can do all things through Christ's strength!

1. When we have no righteousness, joy, or peace, could this be because we are trying to handle things on our own?
2. How often do we try to follow Christ and establish His Kingdom with our own strength?  
3. Its when I can't handle the weight of my cross that I realize it was my burden and not His.

A vision for our life that we can handle is an insult to God!

1. I believe its those"oh crap" moments that cause us to trust God and walk out supernatural faith!
2. We all believe at times that we are fighting for the victory, yet in Christ we have the victory!  God sees us fighting from victory! This is how we can handle our struggles in life!
3. Create a vision for your life that scares the crap out of you so you don't insult God by living a life beneath what incredible potential He put inside of you!

You are not who others say you are or even where your past failures have left currently left you!  Your story is yet been told!

1. Be OK with what you can't handle on your own, because through risk God is about to show you off as His trophy! 
2. Pay the price when others aren't looking!
3. Your past is forgiven and we serve the God of 2nd chances!

It's truly when we can't handle the weight of the vision that we get to see faith at work, walk with Jesus, and experience life changing miracles!  Do something everyday that you didn't have the courage to try the day before!  Never stop dreaming, 

10 Questions We Should Ask About Our Marriage!

#1 – Do you monthly access your marriage and ask each other hard questions?  (This means with no cell phones, Ipad,  TV, or books)

#2 – Have you taken a weekend in the last year alone with no kids and just focused on each other AND MARRIAGE?  (Kids will receive the biggest benefit because its proven that parents who are madly in love with each other, that there kids have higher self esteem!)

#3 – Do you take a weekly date night to be with your spouse alone for several hours? (Dudes, you were willing to pursue her before marriage, be a man and fight to find her captivating through marriage!)

#4 – Are we ignoring an issue, hoping it will go away rather than dealing with it? (Camp there till you can honestly talk about any issue freely!)

#5 – (For the men) – Dudes, where is your mind?  Are you finding things in other women more interesting and appealing then your own?

#6 – (For the ladies) – Am I spending more time communicating with men who are NOT my husband through facebook than I am spending communicating face to face with him?

#7 – Do you make work your obsession, or prioritize time at home with you wife (and kids)? (The church seems to praise being a workaholic, YET IT IS STILL WRONG!)  Maybe some pastors are more concerned with your tithe than your marriage?

#8 – How much do we daily pray for each other and the condition of our marriage? (God honors your pray life!)

#9 – Does the way that I speak about my spouse to others when they are not around make others think more highly of them…OR more lowly of them? (Ask your close friends what kind of spouse they think you have from how you have talked about them?)

#10 – AM I WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO HAVE A GREAT MARRIAGE AND AT ALL COST MAKE IT WORK?

The Balance of time!

#1 – I Must Be Available To Everyone

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, the leader who is always available to everyone at all times is seldom available to God.

Too many pastors/church leaders have what is commonly known as “The Messiah complex”…they feel like they are the only ones who can meet with people, pray with the sick, solve the problems and do all of the counseling as well.  (AND…in most cases I do NOT blame the people but rather the leader who has a need to be needed…who is more dependent on the people that he/she is the power and presence of God in their lives.)

I’ve heard it said before…and I will say it again, if you NEED people you can’t LEAD people.

We cannot be available to everyone at all times…JESUS WASN’T!  Luke 5:16 (as well as numerous other verses) talk about the fact that Jesus OFTEN sought solitude so that He could simply pray, reflect and focus on the Father…we’ve GOT to do the same if we are going to be leaders that IMPACT God’s Kingdom.

#2 – I Can’t Be Available To Anyone

The problem in many cases when we try to fight lie #1 is that the pendulum swings to the extreme opposite and we actually believe that the leader could not and should not ever be available to anyone…at anytime…for any reason.  Thus the pastor/church leader becomes more of a king than a servant and completely loses touch with the people he is called to lead.

Jesus was the PERFECT model for this…if ANYONE had a packed and important agenda it was Him.  He knew He had three years…He knew He had a job to do, and yet we see Him quite often in the Scriptures taking time to hang out with little children, heal the sick, have dinner with some “sinners” and have a conversation with a woman who had a pretty bad reputation (see John 4).

We’ve GOT to listen to the Holy Spirit on this one…we’ve GOT to allow HIM to shape our agenda…and, if our agenda NEVER includes the people we are called to serve…then there is a good possibility that we are pursuing our agenda, not His. - Perry Noble

I found this very interesting because I was never taught the balance of boundaries!  Thanks to two of my mentors this has brought some much needed balance to the mentality of SUPER pastor!  I made the huge mistake of allowing people to get to close and for myself to share private things from my life with to many people. I love living a life of balance and wish that this was common talk around ministry.  I challenge you to ask your wife and kids what they want of your time and don't make the same error I did and listen to the cry of ministry, people, and leaders, over the always faithful cry of my family!  This is hard balance and is more of a tight rope act than instant solve.  The time I get alone now with Jesus and my family has been a lifesaver.  

N8's MIND!: Leaders Meeting notes from December

N8's MIND!: Leaders Meeting notes from December

Leaders Meeting notes from December

In business, life, marriage, etc we are all faced with the cry for change.  At the Fusion we are establishing a model for change at the very core of how things are done.  Everyone has heard if its not broke don't fix it.  To change the way things look or the model which we use doesn't mean it has to be broke or that its wrong.  The model many times was a good idea in its time, but times change and so must the models we use to teach His message of the Kingdom of God!  

Are you open to new ideas?  What kind of process do we establish to work through all ideas good and bad?  How do we let the younger generation get in on the process to share there ideas?

LEADERS CHALLENGE THE PROCESS!

·        Leaders must challenge the process!  It’s our nature to never settle.

·        Leaders change the process because they think their way is better.

·        Deep in your heart you feel you would change things if you were in charge around here! - Every leader thinks this way!

·        If you are a leader you think “I would do it better” because, that’s what leaders do!

·        As a leader I am limited to seeing the world through my filter.

Creating a culture of ideas!

·        The Mission & vision of the Fusion is permanent other than the wording, but our model is temporary and needs to be forever changing!

·        If someone can’t get on board with the vision or mission we need to be o.k. with encouraging them to talk to leadership.

·        Everything in leadership that’s in place used to be a good idea when it was 1^st created or in its time.

·        Everything eventually becomes status quo!

·        Don’t challenge the old without proper appreciation for its motive.

·        Progress is always preceded by change!  If you don’t want change then we can never have progress!

·        Any system resists change unless change is the system it’s built on!  The Fusion is built upon the foundation that the model and process is always open to change!

·        There must be constant challenge to the status quo because every good idea eventually becomes status quo!

·        Every new idea in time becomes status quo.

·        Everything currently in place was a good idea at one time

·        Follow through and debrief later, never verbalize your frustration with the process in front of others, this dams up the process which ideas flow through!

·        Raving fan publically & an honest critic privately prompts a unified vision!

·        Public loyalty creates private leverage; create opportunities where people can challenge the ideas with a creative process.

31 day challenge

Prov 2:10
10 For wisdom and truth will enter the very center of your being, filling your life with joy.

There are seasons in our life that God allows to test, strengthen, and even produce in us things we maybe didn't know we were lacking, in need of pruning, or even coming to a maturity.  Truth is something I personally have tried to center my life around.  I like to call it honesty!  I have always been that kind of person that would give you a straight up honest (not politically correct) answer.  If asked I don't know how to speak what maybe others want to hear, but what I know as truth.  In times past it was this being honest that would cause me to share my honest thoughts on situations that now I know I should have keep my mouth shut.  Right or wrong I like it when truth is shared to me face to face and I know where I stand.  It is this truth (Honesty) that has brought the most joy to me in my life.  By being honest with myself and those closest to me, it has allowed me some very real and authentic relationships of true Godly Joy!  I have no problem asking God the tough questions and being willing to ask myself tough questions as well.
In my marriage I am so thankful for truth (honesty) and a wife that can handle it and give it. This has been my greatest asset in life!  There is nothing that Heidi and I could not talk about or share with one or another!  This freedom has been one of my greatest sources of Joy!  I truly don't know how most marriages make it or thrive if the husband and wife cannot be honest with each other.  We have such a joy together because we know were we stand and then both passionately go after this together.
I personally believe that marriage is the greatest covenant that a man and wife make with each other apart from our covenant with God!  I also believe that your marriage is a direct reflection of your relationship with God.  Show me a marriage that is struggling and I will show you a life not hidden in Christ! This is where you can find true joy.  If you are married and were granted a wish to hang out with anyone besides Christ who ever lived and go anywhere you wanted to go, who would you hang with and why!?!?  Is this a trick question?  No, just and honest assessment of where a marriage stands.  How someone would answer this would question would show you were there joy lies and where they hid there passion.
These assessments of my own life in a pursuit of wisdom, & truth are what I have found personally to bring the most joy!  Be hidden in Him and hid your relationships in Him for true wisdom, truth, and joy!  Because at the end of every day there is more opinions to sort through than honest evaluations of life anyway!  Who needs opinions when the truth sets us free!

The applause of one!

John 2:24
24 But Jesus didn't trust them, for he knew mankind to the core. No one needed to tell him how changeable human nature is!  TLB
This is personal to me and has been a promise and a standard that in transitions remains my guide. My wife wrote a song about the applause of one!  It reminds me when you choose to find your praise from Man and not your Daddy that you will become discouraged and compromising to regain there praise when its lost!  What I desire I become, so Jesus you are what I desire!  The Kingdom of this world and everything in it is changing including the praise and disappoint of people daily. Yet I live in a Kingdom that cannot be shaken! (Heb. 12:28)
Now my story:

I set out to lead a ministry according to Gods pattern(The KINGDOM OF GOD) and not the pattern that I have seen or been taught.  Although to some, a 35 year old  man may be to young and to others to old, I never let age determine anything I do!  The purpose was clear, PREACH THE KINGDOM OF GOD! (Luke 4:43)  This needed no thought or discussion! I will heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead~!  But I knew I needed a mission that fit my personality and the personality of those I felt God wanted  to use the Fusion to reach! I didn't want to reach church  people cause they were already reached, so what was the point in making them feel comfortable! I wanted the lost! (Matt. 28:18-20)  to be quite honest I don't want people at the FUsion who don't want what I feel God wants to do with the Fusion!  As a team we heard the Lord tell us three words when it canme to the mission, (Relevant, Real, Reproduce). We looked up all three words in the dictionary and were sold. Then the funniest thing happen!  Those who knew God had called them to the Fusion were sold on the vision! Then another not so funny thing happen,  all of a sudden I begin to hear rumors of negativity about the word relevant in The Fusion from the people who should support you the most, Christians.   As i talked to people who don't go to church they loved the vision! I was so tired of not being able to invite friends to church because they felt judged or didn't fit in.  Of all places in the world this should never happen is in the body of Christ, yet oddly enough it does!  " I was beging to hear words like post modern church, emergent church, relevant church and they were used in a very dishonoring way!  I have to admit I was a little naive and had never read any of the books or heard of names like Rob Bell or Mars Hill Church!?!?!  So like any good person i googled it, watched a few YouTube videos, read  a few reviews both positive and negative and was shocked at the dishonor baby Christians showed towards men of God and church leaders.  Why does this have to happen in the body of Christ!  I have tried to create a culture of honor and feed myself with such sermons, books, and materials.  So this was an eyeopening experience when you live contrary to such mockery, ridicule, and dishonor from others!  Of course with every movement of God there are a few bad people out there and a few people like us with wrong theology in some areas but I liked what I saw as a whole and the testimony's I had heard from the people touched by it! I have yet to read any books.  I will say after hearing out both sides, I then all the more wanted to keep the word relevant in the mission statement.  How could people be so upset over a good word or something being relevant to the people of there day?  If this meant I had to water down theology or not offend or preach something other then the Kingdom message if I used the word, then obviously you don't know me!  I like wearing jeans and a t-shirt to service!  I like a place where seekers feel welcome, I love rockin worship, I love videos and fun people, I love a place of creativity, I love the word of God being preached, I love where people are free to love Jesus at there own pace and rate!  I don't like dress codes or arranged seating, superficial people, swallow relationships, mockers, hidden rules not in the bible, music only my grandma would like!  So the funny thing in all this is God told me to do it and I never new a word could cause such upheaval in peoples honor of there brothers or sisters in Christ!  Hear is some synonyms of the word and you decide!
               rele·vant· adv.

Synonyms: relevant, pertinent, germane, material, apposite, apropos
These adjectives describe what relates to and has a direct bearing on the matter at hand. Something relevant is connected with a subject or issue: performed experiments relevant to her research.
Pertinent suggests a logical, precise relevance: assigned pertinent articles for the class to read.
Germane implies close kinship and appropriateness: "He asks questions that are germane and central to the issue" (Marlin Fitzwater).
Something material is not only relevant but also crucial to a matter: reiterated the material facts of the lawsuit.
Apposite implies a striking appropriateness and pertinence: used apposite verbal images in the paper.
Something apropos is both to the point and opportune: an apropos comment that concisely answered my question.

The CHURCH is not a building, but a bride!

So i hear all this talk about the church as a building! We go to church, how big is your church what is your church like?  It spurs me to write this! The Church is not a building, its not a denomination, its not a style, its not a preference, its what Jesus died for! Its the people of God! Matt 16:18 "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.  The church Christ was talking about was His (ekklesia), a people!  His peole come in all colors, shapes and flavors!   Must we get upset because there are differnt styles of buildings, why must we feel like we have to pick sides?  Styles are for each minister to hear from GOd and do according to there heart!  Styles change and need to be relevant to the need of a culture in order to change it with the culture of the Kingdom of God!  The message is the real issue!  IF WE PREACH, TEACH, OR EQUIP IN ANYTHING BUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD IT IS SIN! Gal 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- Paul says don't listen even if an angel preaches it! Christ came for one purpose to restore what was lost! Luke 4:43 Our salvation wasn't lost but the Kingdom of God and the DOMINION man had over the earth was a lost revelation when, Adam ate the grapefruit! Noah wasn't granted dominion because it was lost! (Genesis 9:1)  Christ restored dominion and then died for an imperfect people (church) so we could be made right before God to live out the Kingdom of God on earth!  We must realize we are a people, and not just any people but when we are born again, we are born into perfection, sanctification, holiness, power and so much more! YOU ARE NOT LIKE ANYONE ELSE! YOU ARE DIFFERENT!!!! WITH DIFFERENT GIFTS, DIFFERENT PASSIONS, DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES!  YOU ARE GODS FAVORITE!  You His (church) carry a unique piece of Gods heart that was not granted to another, but the same message to carry it out!  The message will sound different from different vessels but it has to be the same message.  We must recognize we are ONE CHURCH with ONE MESSAGE!  This will eliminate all divisions create a unity the world can't stop!

If your perspective on life and people is what needs to change 1st then you are not walking in unity!

Eph 4:1-6
walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. NKJV

My question is what about that verse above do we as "Christians" not understand!  Maybe we should see ourselves as "SONS" instead of "Christians"! Sons truly live with the family in mind and do what benefits the family, bastards think only of themselves and do what they can to compete and tear down anyone who is better, different, not equal to them!  We are part of a fatherless society in every way and it has preceded to change the church culture instead of the church changing the culture around us.  The salvation message has left us fighting about how saved we are in the body of Christ instead of takin DOMINION!!!  I believe it's for this reason alone Paul warned us of preaching anything other than the Gospel of the Kingdom of God! (2 Cor. 11).  Jesus came to glorify the FATHER, do only what He saw the FATHER doing!  Who are you glorifying? I know you are radical like me, but shut up with that self righteous crap and ask yourself and GOD who are you really glorifying?  Stop and dare to ask God the tough questions, you might be surprised to find out what is really going down! Does that little jerk satan get more glory than God in our lives?  When we go through a trial do we praise GOD or blame the enemy for our pain. Do we worry about money, house, what style of clothes we have, etc...? (Matt. 6:30-34) Most "christians" are really just practicing pagans in there prayers and thoughts!  You don't need to pray about those things, it is a pagan prayer! Let's just celebrate and be thankful for what we have!  Hebrews 12 says we are receiving a KINGDOM that cannot be shaken! Take that to your bank account!  Let us have the attitude of Christ and see ourselves as God does and do the actions God would do.  That means serve a world we don't understand!  Love HIS CHURCH!  Not your idea of the perfect church but love her into perfection!!!  She will take over world!  She is the answer to the question the world is asking!  She is the creative solution to what we need in business, healthcare, economy, marriage!  She is my friend as well as His and I want to learn how to live for Her since He died for Her!

Is Marriage worth it?

Mark 10:6-9
 For from the very first he made man and woman to be joined together permanently in marriage; therefore a man is to leave his father and mother, 8 and he and his wife are united so that they are no longer two, but one. 9 And no man may separate what God has joined together."
Marriage happens to be like my favorite pursuit and subject in the Kingdom of God!  It might be that I have so much to learn or that my wife after 13 years marriage still at times can be a mystery to me!  I find it compelling how Christ refers to us as His bride and the correlation He makes between marriage and (my other passion) His church (people!) not a stupid building!  Marriage is a thing of loose interpretation in today's culture.  Many are worried about what will happen with the constitution of marriage in politics. I will not talk on these things because they are really a manifestation of the breakdown of marriage in the body of Christ!
As a young man just born again and looking at life through a new perspective and trying to follow Christ in obedience daily, I would observe marriages in the Body of Christ. (sounds like me still today)!  I begin to realize that true Godly marriages were lacking!  Very few men then and today lead there homes well.  You say how can i make such a statement?  I say open your eyes and look, open ears and listen, all you have to do is see how husbands treat there wives and children and what kind of men they are.  Its as if we live in the dark ages and fear a strong woman and have sold out to entertainment over training children!  As goes the marriage so goes the family, church, and the world. So should we hold a sign and boycott Disney because of gay day! or should we dare to lead or homes with conviction, passion, and purpose?  You tell me what will make a real change!
I am in no way a perfect husband and father!  All you have to do is ask my wife and kids, but they will tell you also of my passion for GOD and how i lead the home with purpose and priorities!  All we have to do is look at a woman and listen to her speak and we can tell what kind of husband she has by her actions.  If she is insecure her husband doesn't validate her.  If she struggles with her beauty, her husband doesn't find her captivating!  If she is ill tempered to others, her husband doesn't know how to respond gently to her emotions, if she is emotionally religious(spooky spiritual), her husband is not a spiritual leader in the house, if she is exhausted and stressed from raising children, her husband in not a dad to there kids!!!  Yes these are God almighty statements and if they bother us its because our pride as a man says, "who is he to tell me?".  I would then say that is exactly why we are in our mess and may the Holy Spirit change your heart to hear the voice of our Daddy!  We sholdn't put all the blame on men or women for this but our spiritual leaders!  All you have to do is look at church in recent history to see our error in marriage! I know that no one trained them and so goes the curse!  Yet its time that Real Men rise up and say "AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE WE WILL SERVE THE LORD"!  Guys God gave you a pair for a reason so use use them to lead your home.  Its time for the Kingdom of God to put a zeal in us for the things that are a zeal in Gods heart!  We want revival in the church, how about revival in a passion for the institute of marriage!  The next few questions are in no way to say I've got it figured out but questions I believe need to be asked? When was the last time you heard your pastor talk about the value of sex in marriage?  When does he validate his wife from the pulpit?  When does he use his own stories to equip you and others to do the same?  Can he say follow me for I follow Christ and you want his marriage and his children?  If you were to die would you want him to be in charge of your kids and father them?  Does His wife radiate the joy of th Lord or the bitterness of ministry?  Would you want a marriage like his?  Just some questions I know because of political correctness we should never ask, but to hell with political correctness!  We should ask ourself these questions and if you are a leader you still should be asking yourself some of the same questions!

Just bringing it REAL, N8
*** I write and don't edit so forgive me for not being a good writer but a better preacher!

Todays meditation

1 Timothy 1:8-17
Paul says - that the law is not made for a righteous person,....
I find it interesting that we as Christians put laws and rules on each other for all sorts of things from what we wear, to what we watch, to how we worship God, Etc.......(the list of judgments and rules go on and on) I know I need rules when My time with my daddy is limited or done being busy in the name of MINISTRY!  The first thing to go is my attitude which then leaves honor for other and righteous judgments up to my discretion. I find it funny or sad that leadership has put itself up in a high and lofty meeting to execute rules on others with out relationship?  It is of no wonder people have a bad view of what Christianity looks like, I understand others will always persecute, but I ask how much is persecution and not right connection in relationship with Him!  Lets face it we are all down right jerks at times!  I need relationship with God and then others to help me become what God has called me to become.  How can I as a leader or anyone legislate "christianity" apart from relationship.  Its sad we are teaching others under us to put people under laws and rules without ever hearing or knowing there heart! I recently had to deal with a situation that I could have destroyed two peoples lives if I just choose to deal with it according to how I have seen it done or hold them accountable to the rules. Yet I understand there is a greater law it is called "RELATIONSHIP"!!!  I am by know means perfect at this but just royally ticked off at how others and myself  have been treated by those relation-less leaders casting rules!  I told everyone around me I want to do what Jesus did and that is glorify the father not the judge, do only what the father is doing not the judge. Chruch is about FAMILY and not a little club we have turned it into!  What Christian leader in there right mind can make a decision without first hearing out the party being tried or forgot or ETC... just put your situation in there! Why can't we talk about the sacred cows or the elephant in the room! EVERYONE knows its there yet if you say something you will be from the devil!  Lets let relationship and fathering be our tool for judgement, dare to hear someones heart and then have balls enough to stick with them and love on them!  We are not to make laws or rules they are for the sinners not the church!  We are to make spiritual families and glorify the FATHER!  If this makes you mad, I say good!  I dare to push buttons to see leaders do relationship right!  We all got issues because of people like us and and need people like us who hear God and listen to what He says to walk them out with.  Just some thoughts I had that God told me he was mad at as well.  He loves His kids and wants to get to know them not just give the laws to live by!

Fusion plant

I must say there are a few things in life that share the same enthusiasm, joy, fear, passion, intensity, etc. as I feel now for leading this new plant! It has some of the same feelings as getting married, the birth of a child, buying a house for the first time, building a house( this probably is the best representation)! Must say I am very excited to lead this Kingdom Culture and family into greatness!