This past Saturday night I had a dream that had profound spiritual significance. I shared it with my congregation Sunday morning, but I thought it would be good to blog about it for those who may not have been there.
In this dream I was with our congregation for weekend services. I saw many of our current congregants as well as many new faces I had never seen before. (Hopefully this represents future growth at FLI). It was also in a different building which gives me hope that one day we will outgrow our current facility.
As the service progressed, an individual whom I had never met came into the service and began moving one by one to individuals ministering to them. With each person, this ministering individual was transformed into a dove which obviously represents the Holy Spirit. The wingspan of the dove stretched outward and the feet of the dove were placed directly on the person He was ministering to. At the same moment, those being ministered to were transformed into little children with fathers, mothers, grandfathers, etc... laying hands on them and speaking blessing. This went on for a long time as many individuals were touched in the same way.
Here's what I believe God is saying to you and the congregation of FLI through this dream. The Holy Spirit is about to visit you and this congregation in a very real, tangible way and the promises and blessings that have been locked up in your life and household for (in some cases) many generations will come to pass. There are many that have had words of prophecy, and blessings pronounced on them by their spiritual fathers and grandfathers that have not yet been realized and many are losing their confidence in what has been spoken and promised. The Lord says not to lose heart for He has made these promises to you and even to your children.
So to quote Bishop T.D. Jakes, "Get ready, get ready, get ready, get ready, get ready."
I pray this is an encouragement to all of you.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Set in Stone
Last week I began a series a messages at Fountain of Life that I have been preparing for months titled "Extreme Makeover - Home Edition." I was really disappointed that because of a technical glitch, only the last 6 minutes of the message got recorded. With that, I thought I would post the sermon transcript in its entirety here on my blog page for those who may have missed the message and want to get the foundational priciples I laid down for this series. Bear in mind a transcript may not flow in perfect wirting style. Enjoy!
I think the danger in starting an entire 8 week campaign about family life is that as soon as I say the word “family,” people automatically have images that come to their mind of what a family is. You may hate your family or you may be ashamed of them and want to hide them away. The old saying is, "you can pick your friends but you’re stuck with your family." Quite honestly, from my observation, the church has traditionally viewed the subject of family and home life through the highly filtered lens of 1950’s and 1960’s Television.
I think the danger in starting an entire 8 week campaign about family life is that as soon as I say the word “family,” people automatically have images that come to their mind of what a family is. You may hate your family or you may be ashamed of them and want to hide them away. The old saying is, "you can pick your friends but you’re stuck with your family." Quite honestly, from my observation, the church has traditionally viewed the subject of family and home life through the highly filtered lens of 1950’s and 1960’s Television.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Things I Don't Get
Ah, the joys of getting older. At (almost) 42, I am roughly at the half way point of my life. From this vantage point I have now seen multiple generations - how they act and how they think - and even though I understand a lot of what culture brings to the table with each generation, there are still some things I don't get. I've been chewing on this for a while and some of the things on this list you may be able to attrtibute to my age, but have fun and enjoy this mid-summer vacation rant of mine.
The Backward Baseball Cap
When I was in Little League, the hat being worn backwards was a way to unify the team around a cause like coming from behind to win a game. We would say "Rally Cap Time!" and all turn our hats backward to spur the team on to victory. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't but over the years the backward ball cap has become some kind of renegade fashion statement (see Tom Brady in the pic to the right) that supposedly looks cool.
Now the way I understand the construction of a cap, the purpose of the bill (or brim as it is sometimes referred to) is to shield the eyes from the glare of the sun or lights, thus to aid the process of "seeing." It seems to me that wearing the cap backwards defeats the purpose of wearing the cap in the first place. Wearing the cap backwards? I Don't get it.
Pants on the Ground (Also known as "Letting the World See Your Underwear")
Long before Larry Platt made the phrase into a song during American Idol Season 9, guys (and some girls) have gone to great lengths to insure that the world gets a great view of their underwear - usually boxers or boxer briefs and normally plaid or dark in color. Admittedly we used to let the fringe of our boxers hang out the bottom of our gym shorts which usually led to a few extra laps, but he first time I remember seeing the pants-on-the-ground phenomena was at a youth camp in Prescott around 2003 or 2004. Unverified rumor has it that the style became vogue from the prison culture where they supposedly issue one-size-fits-all clothing, resulting in smaller inmates having baggy pants and, thus, showing their chonies for all to see. As the story goes, when prisoners were released they liked the look so much they kept wearing it and soon it became a cultural fashion statement, much like the aforementioned Backwards Ball Cap.
Yes, I know that soccer is the world's game and I'm keenly aware of its popularity among America's youth (at least among the mom's who want a safe sport for their kids), but to me, watching a soccer game is about as exciting as watching 2 mimes play pretend chess. Since I was in the 2nd grade I have been told of how soccer will one day take over in America as the #1 professional sport and we will finally be in step with the rest of the world. Hear me now folks - It ain't gonna happen.
The Backward Baseball Cap
Now the way I understand the construction of a cap, the purpose of the bill (or brim as it is sometimes referred to) is to shield the eyes from the glare of the sun or lights, thus to aid the process of "seeing." It seems to me that wearing the cap backwards defeats the purpose of wearing the cap in the first place. Wearing the cap backwards? I Don't get it.
Pants on the Ground (Also known as "Letting the World See Your Underwear")
Again I have to look at design intent. Underwear, by definition, is to be worn "under" the outer wear, thus invisible to the eye. When I was a kid, just the mention of underwear was funny and elicited a chuckle from my neighborhood buddies. Who doesn't remember the playground chant "I see London, I see France, I see (name inserted) underpants." It was humiliating then to have your underwear seen and now humiliation is lost as underwear is readily available for viewing at schools, shopping malls, and city streets. And must I mention that a pant's waist size is measured around the actual waist and not the lower hips or thighs? Pants on the ground? I don't get it.
Smart Cars
Maybe this is purely a result of being an American and liking big things, but I just can't wrap my mind around the concept of driving a car that looks like a toy out of a Fisher-Price Catalog. Actually, Smart Cars go back to the early 90's when Dailmer-Benz and the makers of the Swatch watch got their heads together to come up with a car that would blend the engineering genius of Mercedes-Benz with the funky design creativity of Swatch. Obviously European and heavily touted by the environmental community, the Smart Car boasts fuel economy of 33/41. I would love that gas mileage, but for someone who has 5 kids, this vehicle isn't even an option.
When I see these things I wonder how they would ever survive a crash against, say, an American Ford 350 Pickup truck. I couldn't find a picture of that, but when I saw this next pic, it sealed the deal for me that I would rather take my chances in a bigger car. Smart Cars? I don't get it.
Soccer (AKA Futbol)
Yes, I know that soccer is the world's game and I'm keenly aware of its popularity among America's youth (at least among the mom's who want a safe sport for their kids), but to me, watching a soccer game is about as exciting as watching 2 mimes play pretend chess. Since I was in the 2nd grade I have been told of how soccer will one day take over in America as the #1 professional sport and we will finally be in step with the rest of the world. Hear me now folks - It ain't gonna happen. I could devote an entire blog to this one thing but if soccer hasn't caught on in this country beyond elementary school by now, it's never going to happen. Yes, there is a passing interest every 4 years when it's World Cup time, but once the USA is bounced out of the tournament (usually by Ghana or Usbekistan or some other country with a population the size of South Dakota), the interest is gone. A few quick reasons why I don't get soccer:
- Scoring (or better yet, the lack thereof). The reason the announcers go crazy - "Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllll" is because it happens so rarely.
- Extra Time. What's up with that? No one knows how long the extra time is, it just goes until the referee waves his hand and calls it a day. Fans and announcers are in the dark.
- Fouls. Apparently in soccer a ref can call a foul on someone and not explain what the foul actually was. Even in the NBA which is the worst officiated sport on the planet, the ref has to indicate what the foul was. If I was playing and had a foul called on me, I would want to know what is was so I didn't repeat the offense and potentially cost my team a "Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllll."
Soccer (Futbol)? I don't get it.
I'm sure I could come up with a few more things I don't get such as Lady Gaga, Hip Hop music and Reality TV, but I guess I will save some things for another mid-summer vacation rant. I would love your comments and maybe to hear a few things you don't get. Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Face Time
Gen 3:8"...Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden."
NKJV
Sunday morning during an amazing worship time at our church I received a revelation about relationships. For thousands of years the only realy way to communicate with an individual in a relational context was to speak face to face. Letters could be written but could not replace sitting with someone face to face, dialouging about life and growing in knowledge of one another.
Over the years, communication tools increased through the use of the telephone, email, text messaging, Skype and internet social networking tools such as Facebook. All of these are great tools but cannot replace old fashioned face to face communication. Now I am an avid user of technology to communicate with people but when it comes to deepening relationships and growing in the knowledge of another person, nothing replaces face time. There is something about sitting down with an individual live and in person that is special and can never be replaced.
Communication today is fast and easy. Recently a young man started attending our church and I had not yet had an opportunity for face time with him. I was at a Phoenix Suns game with one of our church leaders and this young man sent a friend request to my Facebook page which was alerted to me on my phone. I accepted the friend request and within minutes he sent me a text message asking for a meeting. We replied back and forth and within 5 minutes had set up a time and place to meet so we could become better acquainted. Not one phone call had been made and not one word had been spoken yet a meeting had been set up. Still, everything pointed to the eventual face time we would have. Many people, however, are content to live their relational lives hiding behind Facebook, My Space, emails and text messages to satisfy their relational needs and then wonder why there is no depth of commitment or satisfaction. People tend to hide from face time and find their relational lives lacking in fulfillment.
One of the great dangers of our day is treating our relationship with God the same way. How nice would it be for God to text us His plan and purpose for our lives? How awesome would it be to receive God's daily blog customized just for us with a full outline of what we needed to do that day. It would save time, right? Perhaps. But it would cost us something in the long run - a deepening relationship with the Almighty.
Adam and Eve hid themselves from the Presence of the Lord. The word "presence" is found over 2000 times in the Old Testament and literally means "Face." So after the fall, instead of seeking face time to restore the broken relationship with God, they hid themselves from face time much like we do today. Sermon podcasts, Pastor's blogs and devotional books are no substitute for real face time with God. Don't buy into the relational culture of our day that is content to hide from face time. God still wants it and so should we.
2 Cor 3:18
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
NKJV
NKJV
Over the years, communication tools increased through the use of the telephone, email, text messaging, Skype and internet social networking tools such as Facebook. All of these are great tools but cannot replace old fashioned face to face communication. Now I am an avid user of technology to communicate with people but when it comes to deepening relationships and growing in the knowledge of another person, nothing replaces face time. There is something about sitting down with an individual live and in person that is special and can never be replaced.
Communication today is fast and easy. Recently a young man started attending our church and I had not yet had an opportunity for face time with him. I was at a Phoenix Suns game with one of our church leaders and this young man sent a friend request to my Facebook page which was alerted to me on my phone. I accepted the friend request and within minutes he sent me a text message asking for a meeting. We replied back and forth and within 5 minutes had set up a time and place to meet so we could become better acquainted. Not one phone call had been made and not one word had been spoken yet a meeting had been set up. Still, everything pointed to the eventual face time we would have. Many people, however, are content to live their relational lives hiding behind Facebook, My Space, emails and text messages to satisfy their relational needs and then wonder why there is no depth of commitment or satisfaction. People tend to hide from face time and find their relational lives lacking in fulfillment.
One of the great dangers of our day is treating our relationship with God the same way. How nice would it be for God to text us His plan and purpose for our lives? How awesome would it be to receive God's daily blog customized just for us with a full outline of what we needed to do that day. It would save time, right? Perhaps. But it would cost us something in the long run - a deepening relationship with the Almighty.
Adam and Eve hid themselves from the Presence of the Lord. The word "presence" is found over 2000 times in the Old Testament and literally means "Face." So after the fall, instead of seeking face time to restore the broken relationship with God, they hid themselves from face time much like we do today. Sermon podcasts, Pastor's blogs and devotional books are no substitute for real face time with God. Don't buy into the relational culture of our day that is content to hide from face time. God still wants it and so should we.
2 Cor 3:18
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
NKJV
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Below is an article I wrote for The Pentecostal Messenger which was published in the June, 2010 issue.
When we moved into our current home in 2005, we inherited 3 trees that graced our back yard. Problem was, with half the yard taken by a rather large swimming pool, we needed more space for our 5 kids to have room to play. Since the next door neighbor wasn’t willing to give us any of his backyard space, it was obvious that two of the trees had to go.
The first to get the pink slip was a rather healthy fig tree. It was a beautiful tree but an easy choice because we don’t like figs. (I tried a Fig Newton once and, uh, well….anyway) The next choice was harder because it came down to a lemon tree and an orange tree. We like both fruits, so we chose to keep the orange tree based on the amount of shade it provided for my BarBQ area – which in Arizona is extremely important. The three trees were all different in which type of fruit they bore, but there was one common thread between them: Not once did I ever have to stand in the backyard and say to the trees in my best preacher voice “BEAR FRUIT, O TREE OF MINE.” (That would have been weird and provided unnecessary entertainment for the neighbors) It was in the DNA of the tree for fruit to come forth, a byproduct of what the tree was.
Patience
When we moved into our current home in 2005, we inherited 3 trees that graced our back yard. Problem was, with half the yard taken by a rather large swimming pool, we needed more space for our 5 kids to have room to play. Since the next door neighbor wasn’t willing to give us any of his backyard space, it was obvious that two of the trees had to go.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Low Flow Leaders
A few weeks back I was walking throug Home Depot and saw an end cap display promoting low flow shower heads. My mind went back to a Men's Camp our church did several years ago in Prescott. The campground had these low flow shower heads installed to suposedly save money on water. My brother-in-law, who is in the plumbing wholesale business had been to this campground the previous year and remembered how frustrating it was to take a shower with one of these shower heads. Right before camp started he went to his truck, pulled out a new Delta shower head that was normal flow, and installed it on one of the showers in the bath house. I don't mind telling you that guys lined up to use the "high-flow" shower head.
OK, before anyone accuses me of not being green, let me say that we do have a responsibility to steward the planet. God gave us that mandate in the beginning but in reality, I'm not convinced that low-flow shower heads are an end-all to conservation. In fact, as I have travelled over the years I've been in numerous hotels that have these devices, and they have been nothing but a source of frustration for me. (I may be the only one, but this is my blog)
As I left Home Depot a thought hit me. I sent it out on my Twitter www.twitter.com/jonj8368 and here's the thought:
"Poor leaders are like low-flow shower heads. They take twice as long to get the job done and frustrate everyone underneath them."
Leaders are responsible for the flow of the organization or group they lead. It doesn't matter how well we delegate within our organizational structure, it all rises and falls on the leader. Those under the flow of our leadership deserve a flow that will get the job done effectively, efficiently and in such a way to move the organization forward. I am processing a lot of other thoughts along the lines of shower-head leadership. I would love your thoughts and comments as I unpack this further.
OK, before anyone accuses me of not being green, let me say that we do have a responsibility to steward the planet. God gave us that mandate in the beginning but in reality, I'm not convinced that low-flow shower heads are an end-all to conservation. In fact, as I have travelled over the years I've been in numerous hotels that have these devices, and they have been nothing but a source of frustration for me. (I may be the only one, but this is my blog)
As I left Home Depot a thought hit me. I sent it out on my Twitter www.twitter.com/jonj8368 and here's the thought:
"Poor leaders are like low-flow shower heads. They take twice as long to get the job done and frustrate everyone underneath them."
Leaders are responsible for the flow of the organization or group they lead. It doesn't matter how well we delegate within our organizational structure, it all rises and falls on the leader. Those under the flow of our leadership deserve a flow that will get the job done effectively, efficiently and in such a way to move the organization forward. I am processing a lot of other thoughts along the lines of shower-head leadership. I would love your thoughts and comments as I unpack this further.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Men's Camp Day 3 (Continued)
Jerry Zovne closed out camp with a talk about Lifestyle Breakthrough.
Our Lifestyle determines our direction which determines our destination.
Develop a militant attitude about giving. Find a need and give aggrssively, not when I....
(Ps 82:3-4) The Kingdom is found among the needy
Working for Whom? (Gen 2:2-3; Prov. 18:9)
God works - His work is all good
Jesus worked, we are made in His image so work is a gift. (John 9:3-5)
We should work hard; Our work sould be good; We are the light of the world at work;
Feelings, Yes you do! Now What? (Col. 3:12-13)
Burn the followng clothes: anger, hard-heratedness, offense, impatience. Replace with clothes of mercy, kindness, humility, patience and forgiveness.
Love is a Verb
Our Lifestyle determines our direction which determines our destination.
- Giving is not a Sunday Event
- Working for Whom?
- Feelings? Yes, you have Them
- Love is a Verb
Develop a militant attitude about giving. Find a need and give aggrssively, not when I....
(Ps 82:3-4) The Kingdom is found among the needy
Working for Whom? (Gen 2:2-3; Prov. 18:9)
God works - His work is all good
Jesus worked, we are made in His image so work is a gift. (John 9:3-5)
We should work hard; Our work sould be good; We are the light of the world at work;
Feelings, Yes you do! Now What? (Col. 3:12-13)
Burn the followng clothes: anger, hard-heratedness, offense, impatience. Replace with clothes of mercy, kindness, humility, patience and forgiveness.
Love is a Verb
Men's Camp Day 3
Marty Hatley opened the morning session after an great season of worship. Subject "Work."
Work by definition is an exertion or effort designed to accomplish something. God isn't going to do everything for us. We have to do our part in the relationship.
Prov 22:15 - We all have areas of foolishness in our lives that need to be driven out by the rod of discipline.
We exert effort with God, at work, our marriage, etc....
What is the process of work? (Gen 3:17) Nothing is accomplished without hard work. (Noah, Christ)
165 references and 149 verses specifically related to work. The rub comes in because we're lazy. What do we need to do?
Who's Your Lawnmower? (The person in your life who will kick your butt and sharpen us up) WE need to be open to give and receive constructive criticism. Peace at all costs breeds mediocrity. Speak the truth in love.
1. Have the Right Tone
2. Have the Truth
3. Have the Right Timing
Don't shy away from it. Put people around you who will mow your lawn.
Watch what we yoke ourselves up with. Take Christ's yoke upon you and learn from Him. What are some dangerous yokes?
Traditions
Self Justification
Work Avoidance
Addiction
Another word for yoke is "balance." So how do we do all this?
1. Evaluate (Things that get monitored get improved)
2. Ask
3. Act
Work by definition is an exertion or effort designed to accomplish something. God isn't going to do everything for us. We have to do our part in the relationship.
Prov 22:15 - We all have areas of foolishness in our lives that need to be driven out by the rod of discipline.
We exert effort with God, at work, our marriage, etc....
What is the process of work? (Gen 3:17) Nothing is accomplished without hard work. (Noah, Christ)
165 references and 149 verses specifically related to work. The rub comes in because we're lazy. What do we need to do?
Who's Your Lawnmower? (The person in your life who will kick your butt and sharpen us up) WE need to be open to give and receive constructive criticism. Peace at all costs breeds mediocrity. Speak the truth in love.
1. Have the Right Tone
2. Have the Truth
3. Have the Right Timing
Don't shy away from it. Put people around you who will mow your lawn.
Watch what we yoke ourselves up with. Take Christ's yoke upon you and learn from Him. What are some dangerous yokes?
Traditions
Self Justification
Work Avoidance
Addiction
Another word for yoke is "balance." So how do we do all this?
1. Evaluate (Things that get monitored get improved)
2. Ask
3. Act
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Men's Camp 2010 Day 2
Barrier-Breaking Worship led by Jason Chavez and Mike Mrozinski. A great, extended time in God’s Presence. Sam Casey batted lead-off for the morning sharing from his heart 3 questions God asked him
Tim Condon was next, speaking from Deuteronomy 2:24
He had some amazing quotes.
“Faith is reaching into emptiness, grabbing hold of nothing and holding on until it becomes something”
“Faith is the ability to live without scheme”
“The Kingdom of God advances through a series of glorious victories cleverly disguised as disasters.”
After an extended altar time with significant ministry, James Roberts took over and spoke about the elements necessary to break the sound barrier. It took 50 tries in the F-1 to break the sound barrier. On the 50th time, Chuck Yeager broke through after years of determined effort and learning from the failures of those around them. We need to enlist the help of others who have broken through and with the right determination and perseverance, we can break through.
- What do we want God to do in our lives?
- What does God want to do in our lives?
- What’s in our life that’s stopping God from doing it? (Ps. 139:23-24)
- Rise Up (Be established, be fixed)
- Take Your Journey (Keep your eyes focused on God, not something or someone else) Ps. 73
- Cross the River Arnon (The obstacle that stood between Israel and the promise of God)
- Begin to Possess What God Has for Your Life and Engage the Enemy in Battle
- They Had an Identified Challenge
- They Had a Desire to Meet the Challenge
- They Had a Plan of Action
- They Gathered Resources to Accomplish the Task
- They Had a Determination to Finish the Task
Romans 15:4
Nehemiah rebuilding the walls in Jerusalem in 52 days.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Men's Camp 2010 Day 1 - Final
A major wreck on Hwy 260 delayed many of the guys for several hours. 10 of us went to dinner at a local dive called “Nik L Niks Fish and Chips.” It was really quite good and I think our tips were a blessing to the sole proprietor running the place. We came back to camp for some worship and sharing about our expectations for the weekend. Some of the thoughts were……
- God is setting the guys up for getting their lives in sync
- Some haven’t found their place in the house and this weekend they will find their connection point
- Cultivate an atmosphere in the house where men can flourish and thrive
- Deepening relationships with other men beyond Sundays
- If I die, I want there to be enough evidence in my life that I was a Christian
- One of our 20-somethings said he wants to learn and grow from watching the older men in the church live their lives out before him. (No pressure)
- God is raising up troops to surround the new leadership of the church
- God wants to entrust us with things that are way beyond what we’re doing now. We have to trust first before He will trust us.
- God is going to open our collective understanding to Peter Wendt’s movies
- Another 20-something wants to find his place – where he fits. Awesome!!
- One of our teens – “Go back as warriors with the armor on”
Men's Camp Day 1 Continued
A round of a modified version of "21" (Basketball) with BRandon Bowman, Matt Nord, Colin Wendt, and Brandon Painter. Young Mr. Painter wins. I feel old.
Men's Camp 2010 Day 1
I'm blogging this weekend from the FLI Men's Camp from Camp Shadow Pines in Heber. Keep checking back for periodic updates as the weekend progresses. We will also be posting updates and pictures on the FLI Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=110911168929875#!/pages/Phoenix-AZ/Fountain-of-Life-International/110911168929875
Had a great ride up with James Roberts, Peter and Colin Wendt, and Matt Nord. After lunch at El Rancho Mexican Restaurant in Payson (which I don't recommend - bad enchilada sauce), we arrived at the grounds around 3:00 pm. Ricky and Brandon Painter along with Brandon Bowman arrived shortly after.
Excited about our theme, "Breaking the Barriers." We are ready to rock!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=110911168929875#!/pages/Phoenix-AZ/Fountain-of-Life-International/110911168929875
Had a great ride up with James Roberts, Peter and Colin Wendt, and Matt Nord. After lunch at El Rancho Mexican Restaurant in Payson (which I don't recommend - bad enchilada sauce), we arrived at the grounds around 3:00 pm. Ricky and Brandon Painter along with Brandon Bowman arrived shortly after.
Excited about our theme, "Breaking the Barriers." We are ready to rock!
Friday, April 9, 2010
PCG Vision Quest Afternoon Session
The Four Faces of Me
Ps 139 – I am fearfully and wonderfully made
Prov. 30:24-28
Until we know who we are we will not know how to relate to other people.
We are in ministry because we love people. Some become bitter towards people over time but we have to remember what we are called to do.
Solomon wrote down the 4 personalities in Proverbs 30 – characteristics and how they function. A leader has to understand the temperament of his/her self and those on his/her team. Jesus understood the strengths and weaknesses of his disciples. People are all individual but how they act can be predictable based on their temperament.
Four Basic Personality Types (We have 2 dominant but all 4 are within us)
1. Choleric
2. Sanguine
3. Melancholy
4. Phlegmatic
In Prov. 30, Solomon outlines these 4 personalities with the animals he uses. You have to recognize your personality.
The Ant
This is the goal oriented personality. They’re strength gives them their determination. They are incredibly focused, yet temperamental. The ant is aggressive and confrontational. Rude, bossy, pushy, don’t care who they offend but they get the job done. 3% of the population has this and they get things done.
Biblical example – Paul (Acts 9:15)
We need people in our ministries like this who will have a fire in them and get things done even if we have to deal with their negatives
The Locust
The Party personality – the networkers. No one uniquely stands up to lead them but because of their networking they stay together. Locusts do no do well alone but they devastate land when they band together. They love to socialize and do things in a group. Talking is their main pastime. They would rather talk than work. Emotional, optimistic, and encouraging. Very demonstrative. Great at getting people together.
Biblical Example – Peter (John 18:10-11) (Matt 17:4ff)
The Conie
The team player. Conies are large rock rabbits. They have the ability to move very quickly. In the wild they will stand on guard and look out for the team in case anyone is in danger. They are comfortable and safe in the environments of peace and serenity. Nearly 70% of people have this. Loyal, team players, family oriented people.
Biblical Example – Barnabas
The Spider
The analyzer. The perfectionist. They are loners, and probe the crack and crevices of a dwelling until they get to the King’s place. They are high achievers and probe until they reach their goals.
Biblical Example – John
We have all four of these in us – 2 are dominant. We have to understand who we are and then understand who the people we lead are.
“Build on our strength, recognize your weakness”
This was a great session. You can unpack more of this in Florence Littauer's classic book "Personality Plus."
The perfect team is present when you have all 4 working together. As Pastors, we need to evaluate those on our team and use their personalities to the fullest by plugging them into ministries that fit.
There is an online personality plus test based on this book. Here is the link
Pers. Plus Test
Ps 139 – I am fearfully and wonderfully made
Prov. 30:24-28
Until we know who we are we will not know how to relate to other people.
We are in ministry because we love people. Some become bitter towards people over time but we have to remember what we are called to do.
Solomon wrote down the 4 personalities in Proverbs 30 – characteristics and how they function. A leader has to understand the temperament of his/her self and those on his/her team. Jesus understood the strengths and weaknesses of his disciples. People are all individual but how they act can be predictable based on their temperament.
Four Basic Personality Types (We have 2 dominant but all 4 are within us)
1. Choleric
2. Sanguine
3. Melancholy
4. Phlegmatic
In Prov. 30, Solomon outlines these 4 personalities with the animals he uses. You have to recognize your personality.
The Ant
This is the goal oriented personality. They’re strength gives them their determination. They are incredibly focused, yet temperamental. The ant is aggressive and confrontational. Rude, bossy, pushy, don’t care who they offend but they get the job done. 3% of the population has this and they get things done.
Biblical example – Paul (Acts 9:15)
We need people in our ministries like this who will have a fire in them and get things done even if we have to deal with their negatives
The Locust
The Party personality – the networkers. No one uniquely stands up to lead them but because of their networking they stay together. Locusts do no do well alone but they devastate land when they band together. They love to socialize and do things in a group. Talking is their main pastime. They would rather talk than work. Emotional, optimistic, and encouraging. Very demonstrative. Great at getting people together.
Biblical Example – Peter (John 18:10-11) (Matt 17:4ff)
The Conie
The team player. Conies are large rock rabbits. They have the ability to move very quickly. In the wild they will stand on guard and look out for the team in case anyone is in danger. They are comfortable and safe in the environments of peace and serenity. Nearly 70% of people have this. Loyal, team players, family oriented people.
Biblical Example – Barnabas
The Spider
The analyzer. The perfectionist. They are loners, and probe the crack and crevices of a dwelling until they get to the King’s place. They are high achievers and probe until they reach their goals.
Biblical Example – John
We have all four of these in us – 2 are dominant. We have to understand who we are and then understand who the people we lead are.
“Build on our strength, recognize your weakness”
This was a great session. You can unpack more of this in Florence Littauer's classic book "Personality Plus."
The perfect team is present when you have all 4 working together. As Pastors, we need to evaluate those on our team and use their personalities to the fullest by plugging them into ministries that fit.
There is an online personality plus test based on this book. Here is the link
Pers. Plus Test
Blogging from PCG Vision Quest Conference.
I'm honored today to be attending a confnerence with 3 up and coming leaders from my church. I'm going to post things as we go along today that hopefully will speak into your life. The guest speaker today is my good friend, Russell Hylton - Pastor of Bethel Family Worship Center in Indianapolis, IN. Hope you enjoy the thoughts.
Psalm 127:1-5
Sons, Not Servants
If God doesn't build the house we are laboring in vain - our own natural efforts, no matter how great they may be will matter little in the big picture. A house represents a generational seed line that has come up out of our ancestry (ie - The house of David, the house of Abraham, etc...) God builds generations and what God builds, God guards. If he doesn't build it, he is not obligated to protect it.
There is a term for people who leave their father's house without a blessing and try to steal ministry rather than inherit it. Without submitting to the chastening (discipline) of the Lord - we are not sons - we become bastard ministry. Love that thought.
Three Ways God Builds
1. God Builds Revelationally
2. God Builds Relationally
3. God Builds Generationally
This next thought blew me away on relationships.
"Our destiny will rise out of the relationships that God puts into our lives."
I love that because sometimes we want to discard relationships when it just may be that God is strategically wrapping up a blessing in the relationships we have. We cannot have a disposable relationship mentality.
On Generational Building - God is a multi-generational God - the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
As a leader I am required to pass on vision and ministry and resources to my spiritual sons. God builds His corporate family by adding to the family.
Psalm 127:1-5
Sons, Not Servants
If God doesn't build the house we are laboring in vain - our own natural efforts, no matter how great they may be will matter little in the big picture. A house represents a generational seed line that has come up out of our ancestry (ie - The house of David, the house of Abraham, etc...) God builds generations and what God builds, God guards. If he doesn't build it, he is not obligated to protect it.
There is a term for people who leave their father's house without a blessing and try to steal ministry rather than inherit it. Without submitting to the chastening (discipline) of the Lord - we are not sons - we become bastard ministry. Love that thought.
Three Ways God Builds
1. God Builds Revelationally
2. God Builds Relationally
3. God Builds Generationally
This next thought blew me away on relationships.
"Our destiny will rise out of the relationships that God puts into our lives."
I love that because sometimes we want to discard relationships when it just may be that God is strategically wrapping up a blessing in the relationships we have. We cannot have a disposable relationship mentality.
On Generational Building - God is a multi-generational God - the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
As a leader I am required to pass on vision and ministry and resources to my spiritual sons. God builds His corporate family by adding to the family.
Friday, March 19, 2010
I'm Just Saying...
I love John Mayer's hit song, "Say." It has a nice melody and a catchy, smooth groove to it, but recently I examined the lyrics. Check this section out:
Think about the last 2 lines. I think JM was trying to declare that sometimes it's better to get the issue out than hold it inside and never deal with it. I could be wrong about his intent but, hey....I'm just saying.
Now that begs the question, "Is it really better to say too much?" The bible has a lot to say about what we say. After all we are relational beings who communicate every day in one form or another, so it would be in our best interest to know what God "says" about "saying what we need to say."
"Let your speech always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." {Colossians 4:6 NKJV}
As I started chewing on that verse I realized that we are smacked in the face with a huge paradox. The only way we can really know how to say what we need to say is to let what we say be full of grace and seasoned with salt.
Thanks, Paul.
Now that opens up a new reality: We actually have to say something with grace and salt (hold the pepper) to gain insight on how we need to say it.
Hmmmmmm.
On the surface that verse doesn't help much, but when you drill down deeper it makes perfect sense. Jesus taught us that it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks, so the condition of our innermost person will have a profound impact on what we say. Many of us (myself included) have "vomited" on people when the condition of our spirit-man is not in sync with grace and dare I say that many of us have also been on the receiving end of someone else's spewing. Oftentimes the spewing is under the guise of "I had to say it!" "I'm full of hurt, pain, disgust, misery and dog-gone-it someone needs to know. In Mayer's words, "It's better to say to much than never say what you need to say again."
Now understand this: by definition, grace is (Thayer's Lexicon)
Next, the verse says our speech needs to be seasoned with salt. I will continue on this in my next blog posting. Be blessed.
Have no fear for giving in
Have no fear for giving over
You'd better know that in the end
Its better to say too much
Then never say what you need to say again
Think about the last 2 lines. I think JM was trying to declare that sometimes it's better to get the issue out than hold it inside and never deal with it. I could be wrong about his intent but, hey....I'm just saying.
Now that begs the question, "Is it really better to say too much?" The bible has a lot to say about what we say. After all we are relational beings who communicate every day in one form or another, so it would be in our best interest to know what God "says" about "saying what we need to say."
"Let your speech always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." {Colossians 4:6 NKJV}
As I started chewing on that verse I realized that we are smacked in the face with a huge paradox. The only way we can really know how to say what we need to say is to let what we say be full of grace and seasoned with salt.
Thanks, Paul.
Now that opens up a new reality: We actually have to say something with grace and salt (hold the pepper) to gain insight on how we need to say it.
Hmmmmmm.
On the surface that verse doesn't help much, but when you drill down deeper it makes perfect sense. Jesus taught us that it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks, so the condition of our innermost person will have a profound impact on what we say. Many of us (myself included) have "vomited" on people when the condition of our spirit-man is not in sync with grace and dare I say that many of us have also been on the receiving end of someone else's spewing. Oftentimes the spewing is under the guise of "I had to say it!" "I'm full of hurt, pain, disgust, misery and dog-gone-it someone needs to know. In Mayer's words, "It's better to say to much than never say what you need to say again."
Now understand this: by definition, grace is (Thayer's Lexicon)
a spiritual condition governed by the power of divine grace.We all face times of crises in life where we get overwhelmed. The danger is not becoming the crises - not letting the crises become our identity, define who we are or shape the condition of our spirit-man. If I allow God's grace to govern my life and choose to live in a state of grace, it is grace that will define my life and become my identity. Then I will be able to say what I need to say with the knowledge of how God wants me to say it.
Next, the verse says our speech needs to be seasoned with salt. I will continue on this in my next blog posting. Be blessed.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Pentecostal Culture
Several years ago I read a book from Willow Creek titled “Becoming a Contagious Church” which illustrated the gaps that exist between the unregenerate (unsaved, lost, unchurched, far from God…whatever description you choose to use) and God.
The author described the vast cultural chasm that exists and has to be bridged before individuals will become open to hearing about the life changing message of the gospel. In our nation, secular culture has truly helped shape the worldview of this generation and when (according to this worldview) truth is now relative to individual interpretation and any lifestyle is acceptable, the Christian church faces the daunting challenge of proclaiming Jesus as the way the truth the life amid this popular outlook. Like it or not we, the church, have become another face in the crowd in the American psyche – persona non-grata – just one very "intolerant" way of expressing first amendment religious liberty.
I contend that there is yet another cultural chasm that exists and in many cases has to be overcome before individuals will be open to the gospel and that is "Pentecostal Culture." Pentecostalism (which I grew up in and love dearly) is unlike any other expression of Christianity. The past 100 years have seen a rapid rise of Pentecostalism across the globe and we are privileged to be a part of this great expansive movement. Pentecostals doctrinally believe that the Holy Spirit gives power for evangelism yet in America we see that many non-Pentecostal churches equal and in some cases exceed us when it comes to evangelistic impact. Why is this? Could it be related to the culture of Pentecostalism?
The author described the vast cultural chasm that exists and has to be bridged before individuals will become open to hearing about the life changing message of the gospel. In our nation, secular culture has truly helped shape the worldview of this generation and when (according to this worldview) truth is now relative to individual interpretation and any lifestyle is acceptable, the Christian church faces the daunting challenge of proclaiming Jesus as the way the truth the life amid this popular outlook. Like it or not we, the church, have become another face in the crowd in the American psyche – persona non-grata – just one very "intolerant" way of expressing first amendment religious liberty.
I contend that there is yet another cultural chasm that exists and in many cases has to be overcome before individuals will be open to the gospel and that is "Pentecostal Culture." Pentecostalism (which I grew up in and love dearly) is unlike any other expression of Christianity. The past 100 years have seen a rapid rise of Pentecostalism across the globe and we are privileged to be a part of this great expansive movement. Pentecostals doctrinally believe that the Holy Spirit gives power for evangelism yet in America we see that many non-Pentecostal churches equal and in some cases exceed us when it comes to evangelistic impact. Why is this? Could it be related to the culture of Pentecostalism?
Thursday, March 4, 2010
The Eyes of Our Understanding
This afternoon, Gwen and I were at lunch with a new couple from our church and I got a phone call from the school nurse where my two youngest boys attend. A call from the nurse usually means a stomach ache or a headache to which we can easily say, "Give him some Pepto or some Tylenol and send him back to class." Today was different. My youngest son, Chandler (who is the most accident prone of my 5 kids) was playing soccer, tripped and ran his thumb into his eye socket. Yikes! We cut our lunch short and wound up in the E.R. After a thorough examination from a wise-guy of a doctor (I won't go further down that road) it was determined that there was no cornea or retinal damage. Whewwww!
When I got home I started thinking about how badly his life would have been affected had there been serious damage to his eyesight. Every area of his life would be affected dramatically.
Paul's prayer for the Ephesian church was that
"...the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you..." (Eph 3:18 NIV)
Proverbs tells us that all issues of life spring up from the heart. If our spiritual eyesight becomes damaged, it can ultimately damage our heart and greatly affect all of the issues of our lives. We need to guard against that and pray the same prayer over our lives that Paul prayed for the 1st century Ephesians.
What are some things that can damage our spiritual eyesight and what can we do to make sure that the eyes of our understanding stay enlightened?
When I got home I started thinking about how badly his life would have been affected had there been serious damage to his eyesight. Every area of his life would be affected dramatically.
Paul's prayer for the Ephesian church was that
"...the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you..." (Eph 3:18 NIV)
Proverbs tells us that all issues of life spring up from the heart. If our spiritual eyesight becomes damaged, it can ultimately damage our heart and greatly affect all of the issues of our lives. We need to guard against that and pray the same prayer over our lives that Paul prayed for the 1st century Ephesians.
What are some things that can damage our spiritual eyesight and what can we do to make sure that the eyes of our understanding stay enlightened?
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