Great to be with Pastors Bryan & Crystal Sparks this weekend for their Leadership Conference. Splashing a few of my notes to my blog.
MAIN SESSION: Rhythm & Atmosphere
The greatest gift you can give your family, your friends and your world is an inspired, vibrant you
NOTHING CAN STOP YOU IF YOUR THINKING IS RIGHT. NOTHING CAN HELP YOU IF YOUR THINKING IS WRONG.
Your life has rhythm. Your life has patterns. Patterns don’t lie about priorities. Date night with your mate expresses priority of that relationship. In a digital world we must purpose human moments. Relationships with no rhythm of connection are like empty bank accounts. They may exist but have very little value.
Where there is no pattern there is no priority. Rhythm reinforces purpose. This is why worship is so significant.
Your life naturally has rhythm: Cymatic Video, “Everything owes its existence solely and completely to sound.” Dr. Peter Manners
All matter in the universe is 99%+ empty space. If the nucleus of an atom were the size of a marble, electrons would be specks of dust a ½ mile away. Inside that empty space is intelligence, frequency & rhythm. This is why music awakens the soul.
THE BIBLE IS MORE LIKE MUSIC THAN MATH. Religion tries to make the Bible more like Math.
In beginning God spoke and we existed. Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Psalm 33:6 “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made.”
I believe God didn’t merely speak the world into existence. I believe God sang it into existence.
Zeph 3:17 says God rejoices over us with singing.
All creation has rhythm revealed in cycles & seasons. Matter is made up of atoms and whirling molecules that are always in motion with a certain rhythm.
When you are in sync with God there is a rhythm about your life of confidence and momentum.
Nothing can stop you when your thinking is right. Nothing help you when your thinking is wrong!
Prv 29:18 If people can’t see what God is doing they stumble all over themselves. But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. MSG
Keep your song from God alive! Bopping head in the car and people think you’re crazy. If they were hearing what you are hearing they’d be doing what you are doing.
Hosea 9:7 says the prophet is considered to be a fool and the inspired man to be a maniac.
Daniel in the Lion’s Den – just keep singing
King Neb cranked up the fire – just keep singing.
Joseph betrayed neglected – just keep singing.
My boss is talking cutbacks – just keep singing.
Doctor’s report – just keep singing.
Actively rehearsing Scripture, like music, awakens soul & releases warfare! The greatest tragedy of indifference is the life we never live and the difference we never make in the lives of other people. Be awakened and get your song back!
ATMOSPHERE:
Understanding atmosphere greatly enhances our lives, our relationships and our church. Scrubbing the sides of the pool will clean the algae for a brief time. Stop wasting your time scrubbing the sides of the pool. Start treating the atmosphere that will truly produce the change.
Gen 20:2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. NAS
Gen 26:6-7 So Isaac lived in Gerar. When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister. NAS
Isaac finds himself in the same place telling the same lie his daddy did before he was ever born.
The history of the Moabites and the Ammonites:
Result of Lot’s sin with daughters – Gen 19
Place where we lose our sons and fathers – Ruth
2 Sam 11 David falls into sexual sin w Bathsheba.
2 Sam 8 3 chapters before David fought Moabites.
2 Sam 10 1 chapter before he fought Ammonites.
Lot more going on spiritually than any of us realize. We must cultivate spiritual maturity through the constant use of God’s Word – Heb 5:12-14 We must develop strong spiritual rhythms! TURN THE PAGE
Gal 6:1-2 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
CONTEXT = Gal 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grw weary.
Intercession is standing in gap.
Some of your battles are not your own.
Heb 5:12-14 though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food…But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use hv trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Some people are just easily sifted into the hands of the enemy. When God’s Wd produces humility & community in your life you
Stop trying to use God get ur way &
God can start using you. ?Others?Us!
Rom 15:1 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength… (NAS)
WORKSHOP: Ministry For Dummies Who Minister To Dummies
Phil 3:10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him… (AMP)
Jesus is the Master at taking less than we thought He needed and doing more than we thought He could.
Phil 3:10 All must resolve #1 reason we are doing what we do is so we become more like X as we help others become more like X.
GREAT DIFFICULTY BRINGS GREAT DEFINITION.
Ex 1:12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread… NIV
It will be your greatest sense of pain that leads to your deepest sense of purpose IF u don’t let the pain take control of your life. Our ability to lead is limited to our willingness to manage pain.
Character assassination attempts will be made. Jesus was falsely accused & he held his peace. Do you want to be like Jesus?
Just because somebody writes your obituary doesn’t mean you’re obligated to die. The fortitude of our faith is measured by what it takes to discourage our lives.
Negative comments and negative attitudes will test you. You were built from God’s perspective for God’s opinion.
Rom 2:11 …God pays no attention to what others say about you. He makes up his own mind. MSG
God’s purposes for you are more powerful than
other people’s opinions of you. Healthy spiritual attitudes keep us in right frame of mind!
The greatest gift you can give your family, your friends and ur world is an inspired, vibrant u
More about Christianity than your leadership abilities.
What we say makes a point. How we love makes a difference.
2 Cor 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal
What you thought was ministry wasn’t even half of what the ministry truly is. Agree?
Interruptns, conflict, frustrations, immature knuckleheads have to wk with, etc = the ministry
If these idiots would stop distracting me my ministry could really take off. Those idiots are your ministry!
Good leaders make you believe in them Great leadrs help you believe in you.
Most of Jesus miracles took place in moments of interruptions. It is entirely possible interruptions are opportunities missed because we classify them as distractions.
It’s easy to be kind when others give you kindness. When unkind that’s when must give what God has given you instead.
Personal ministry must be your focus not because of your call to ministry but because of your Christianity.
The doctrine of Christian hospitality is required of pastors places like 1 Tim 3 and Titus 1. It’s also required of all Christians in places like Romans 16 where Paul commands the whole church there to practice hospitality.
Hospitality is welcoming people into your life and at times your home, treating them in a gracious way, having a meal with them inviting another level of friendship. We all need to make room for relationships as highest priority!
The table of the Lord was pretty important to Jesus. He invited friends to eat, he ate w sinners and it seems his entire network of friendship was built around a meal. After Jesus died he rose from grave one of the 1st things he did was ate a meal with his friends.
Jesus invites us to his table through his body and his blood. We can now eat with God as friends.
Interesting that in the first few chapters of Genesis we see a meal eaten without God that ruined everything. In the last few chapters of Revelation we find the wedding supper of lamb.
Our cities will be transformed by Christian hospitality long before they are transformed by pastors preaching sermons. Christians tend to be more educated than obedient.
When people give you kindness its easy to give them kindness. When they give you unkindness you must choose to give them what God gave you instead. This isn’t about your devotion to Him as much as it is about your awareness of Him.
He didn’t love us back He loved us first and our response determined his reach. Our response continues to determine his reach.
The Kingdom of God is built on something much stronger than your religious devotion to God. The Kingdom of God is built on the God’s love for you!
Where you are coming from matters because your point of origin determines your frame of reference.
When we pray and don’t see the immediate results we hoped for its easy start coming from place of wrong conclusions.