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.