#558 - YOUR SEARCH ENDS HERE

Relationships won't. Wealth won't. Influence won't. Sex won't. Power won't. Vacations won't. Clothing won't. Electronics won't. Success won't. Straight A's won't. Recognition won't. Religion won't. 

None of these things will fulfill, satisfy, and please you like you think they will.

They won't because they can't. 

But after 35 years of living, my search is over. Deep and lasting joy no longer eludes me. I have come to discover and believe with every fiber of my being:

All I've ever wanted, God has always had.
All I've ever needed, God has always been. 
All I've ever longed for, God has always held.

God's love will. God's peace will. God's grace will. God's forgiveness will. God's holiness will. God's righteousness will. God's strength will. God's wisdom will. God's mercy will. God's compassion will. God's discipline will. God's faithfulness will. 

God will because God can.

God, in His holiness - accessed solely through faith in Jesus Christ - will satisfy completely.

My search is over. 

#557 - KEEP PLANTING

It can be frustrating.

Serving. Giving. Investing. Volunteering. Risking. Sacrificing. Forgiving. Persisting.

With no visible return. With no tangible "fruit." With no immediate results. 

Sometimes you just want to stop. 

But, you can't.

If a "harvest" is what you want, a "seed" is what you'll need.

If you want the "harvest" of a healthy body, a passionate marriage, disciplined kids, good grades, thriving leaders, a fulfilling career, committed disciples, a profitable business, a strong organization, etc...

You are going to need to plant the "seeds" of time, effort, energy, work, consistency, showing up, love, long-suffering, practice, etc...

There's no harvest without the seed.

Don't grow weary. Keep planting.

#556 - ON GETTING BETTER

Whether it's something personally or professionally, one obvious (but many times overlooked) key to making significant improvements is this:

If you want to get better than you are, you have to get yourself around someone better than you are. 

Someone more experienced. More skilled. More savvy. More talented. More proficient. More gifted. More excellent. Someone better than you.

Humble yourself. Find a way to work your way into their life. Get close enough to observe. Get close enough to ask questions. Get close enough to be able to take notes.

Notice the nuance. Watch the way. View the variance. 

Though this will take intention, it will be worth it.

But, just in case you're not willing to put in the work and effort to position yourself around someone better than you, here is a picture of the alternative.

1. You will hit a ceiling created by your own unawareness of how it can be done better.

2. Then, you will get stuck doing it "the way you've always done it."

3. Unfortunately, the people who need you to be better will miss out.

4. Finally, your full potential will go unrealized. 

I don't want this to be me. I don't want this to be you.

Get around someone better, and get better.  

#555 - WHAT'S NEXT?

January is complete. I have led myself and our church through a 21-Day Fast that has been both eye-opening for me and fruitful for our church family. The question now is, what's next?

As I aim to make 2018 the most fruitful, productive, and God-honoring year of my life, I must be able to answer the question, "what's next?" with clarity and conviction. If I don't, focus is absent, days are wasted, and time is lost. As a leadership mentor of mine (Andy Stanley) poignantly states, "Leadership is a stewardship, and you will be held accountable."

Here are a list of questions (along with my answers) that I am asking myself that are helping me to focus that I encourage you to ask yourself as well. 

Next major, short-term self-leadership activity goal?

Blog, read Bible, and journal prayers of praise daily. 

Next major, short-term organizational leadership activity goal?

Diligently study/prepare for the 3 messages in our upcoming "SEXOLOGY" series. 

Next major, short-term self-leadership productivity goal?

28 new blog posts. Bible Reading Plan completed through Deuteronomy 20 and Psalm 59. 28 new journal entries. 

Next major, short-term organizational leadership productivity goal?

225 people at our March 11 Sunday Service for Part One of "SEXOLOGY."

#554 - HOW THIS LAST FAST REVEALED THE DEPTH OF MY DEPRAVITY

Many of the lessons I learned through my latest extended time of fasting and prayer are both damning and freeing to me all at the same time. Maybe I will take the time to explain these lessons in more detail in a future post, but for now here is an overview of some of my most significant "AHA" moments from the last 30 days. 

• For a majority of my life, my actions, as a Christian, have communicated that I believe that God exists primarily for me. 

• Over the years, my reasons for fasting have been primarily self-serving. 

• I have believed, wrongly, that the more "extreme" of a fast I did, the more obligated God was to bless me.

• I have fasted because I've wanted to put God in a position where He owes me. 

• I have fasted more in an attempt to "unlock" the key to blessing rather than to bless God. 

• In times past, I have been more concerned with how I was fasting than why I was fasting. (And when I have been concerned with why, those reasons, though on the outside may have seemed noble, were just veneers for my true selfish motivations.)

• I was concerned primarily with "how" because the more "right" I did it, the more assurances I would have that it would get me the results I wanted.

• God cannot be manipulated.

• A god who can be manipulated by my actions is not God.

• I don't want to serve a god I can manipulate. That's a weak god.

• Because God's glory is the purpose of life, praise is the purpose of prayer and fasting.

• God doesn't exist for me. I exist for God. 

• Petition is the most common and comfortable way of communicating with God.

• When I praise God more thoroughly, I find petitioning less necessary.

• To praise God accurately, understanding His attributes is a necessity.

• God is worthy of my praise.

• Praise unto God is satisfying and fulfilling to the deepest parts of my being. 

• Leading myself and others to praise God in spirit and in truth is the purpose of my ministry.

• Ministry and discipleship that does not explicitly have as its end the glory of God will, by default, end up glorifying man.  

• I would rather have my fast be "less extreme" and done unto the glory of God than "more extreme" and done unto the glory of myself. 

• A life that is better for me void of a God that is beautiful to me is not a better life.  

• If you got God to do everything that you wanted Him to, but you don't get God you lose. 

• The main threat to the Christian life isn't "pagan" behaviors. The main threat to the Christian life is  "Christian" behaviors done with pagan motivations.

• I don't just need God's grace for all the wrong things I've done, I need God's grace for all the "right" things I've done for the wrong reasons! 

• I am a self-serving wretch. BUT...Jesus is my Savior!

#553 - A NEVER ENDING LOOP OF PRAISE

The purpose of prayer is UPWARD PRAISE.

• Worship for who God is.

• Thanksgiving for what God has done.

The benefit of upward praise is INWARD PEACE. 

• Rest in God's character.

• Satisfaction in God's blessings.

The outcome of inward peace is OUTWARD HOPE.

• Confidence in God's consistency.

• Expectation in God's faithfulness.

The impact of outward hope is UPWARD PRAISE.

• Worship for who God is.

• Thanksgiving for what God has done.

I encourage you to praise God Almighty with your prayers today, Put the loop in motion. Deep joy, fulfillment, and blessing awaits!

#552 - RIGHT NOW

Right now God is sovereign over all things. Right now God is working to accomplish His will in the earth. Right now, while you are working to accomplish one task (maybe two tasks at most), God is accomplishing an infinite amount of tasks. 

Right now, through faith in Jesus Christ, you are forgiven by God. Right now, through faith in Jesus Christ, you are justified by God. Right now, through faith in Jesus Christ, you are a child of God. 

Right now, you are unaware of all that God is doing to bless you, protect you, and make you more like Him. Right now, God is working on your behalf in ways you cannot even conceive. Right now, God is making moves to glorify Himself through you that you will never see coming.

Right now, you are known by God. Right now, you are loved by God. Right now, you are seen by God.  

Right now, there is not a single concern that you have of which God - the all-powerful, Maker of the heavens and the earth - is unaware.

With all this in mind, I encourage you, right now - REST.

#551 - 21 REASONS WHY I BLOG

FOR ME

To think critically about my leadership. To develop a reservoir of ideas. To create with words. To express my thoughts. To process my experiences. To document my life. To synthesize lessons learned.

FOR OTHERS

To equip leaders. To encourage believers. To inspire dreamers. To teach principles. To challenge paradigms. To remind of purpose. To convict of truth. 

FOR GOD

To honor His name. To extol His virtues. To steward His gifts. To glorify His majesty. To worship His holiness. To magnify His beauty. To please my Father.

TO GROW ME.
TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS.
TO GLORIFY GOD.

If these things are accomplished, the purpose of this blog is fulfilled!