Spark2Flame

Some Email Forward Wisdom

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:37:51 PST

Don't forget that the Re:Charge worship conference is this week! Wednesday through Friday we'll have meetings every night at 7 PM at Breakthrough Church. It will be tremendous so come if you can and pray for us if you can't!

I can't say I normally do much with all the email forwards I receive. Many are beautiful, some are silly, while still others are just odd. I read this one today and thought it would be nice to share.

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Obedience & Relationship

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:19:13 PST

A lot of my blogger friends wrote about obedience today. In fact, you can find all the details and links by clicking over to Rediscovering the Church, Peter Pollock’s great blog.

It was after reading many of these amazing posts that I stumbled upon my own idea for writing about obedience.

Talking about obedience scares us many times. It scares us with people, but it also really scares us with God. It means a lack of control. We wonder if we are following arbitrary rules while trying to meet meaningless goals. Is it leading anywhere and why can’t I just do my own thing?

You probably had parents like mine who used to say, “I know what’s best for you.” Many times in their limited understanding, they absolutely did. You probably also heard, “Do as I say and not as I do.” That one was the impossible one.

See, obedience is formed out of relationship. We didn’t do what our parents said, we did what they did (for the most part). It wasn’t because we didn’t love them or appreciate them. The power of modeled behavior to shape us is often too strong to resist and unavoidable in influence.

Rule-following can come from fear of punishment, fear of failure, or disappointing an authority. Obedience is different. Obedience in its purest form understands the motivation of the authority and trusts it completely.

God says, “Do as I say and as I do.” That’s how Jesus lived, surrendering and passionately committed to obedience. There has never been nor will there ever be a time when the Father’s words and actions do not line up and lead us into the best for our lives.

We can read a written account of His words, but we can only see what He’s doing in the context of relationship. Amazingly that works itself out in both our spiritual relationship and relationships with others.

I want to challenge myself and challenge everyone reading this: what will your life look like if you do what He says and also do what He does? I know there will be a lot more forgiveness, compassion, miracles, giving, faithfulness, and much more.

The promise is true today that if we obey His commands then we will know the truth and the truth will make us free. That’s the relationship He’s after, the one Jesus died to secure for us. Jesus modeled obedience to the point of death on a cross (Phil. 2).

Don’t be afraid to model His behavior—the world can’t help but be changed by that kind of love.

Authority is Accountable

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:02:45 PDT

Just some quick thoughts for today:

Why is it so easy to abuse authority? By “abuse authority” I mean the person in authority abusing, not the other way around (though the other is prevalent as well).

In the Church, we have no excuse for such things. We are called to consider Jesus, His attitude and life, and be like-minded. He had every right to call a legion of angels to destroy the Roman armies and get Him off the cross, but He didn’t. His love overrode His rights. The King of the ages made Himself a servant of all and died on a cross that was ours to bear.

He didn’t throw His weight around because of His incredible anointing, gifting, talents, wisdom, etc. He didn’t abuse His authority just because He could. He was tempted to (because scripture says He endured the temptations we all do), but He didn’t.

We should be embarrassed that we command people or demand things because of our gifting when Jesus who had it all in fullness never did such a thing.

The truth is every authority to accountable. This is not just for the church leader, but every employer, parent, or in anyone in another position of authority. Understand who Jesus is, how He lived and how He died.

We may feel a little shame, but then we can move on in love and obedience.

Praying for You Today

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:16:16 PDT

Hebrews 13:20-21

Now may the God of peace—
who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great Shepherd of the sheep,
and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
may he equip you with all you need for doing his will.
May he produce in you,
through the power of Jesus Christ,
every good thing that is pleasing to him.
All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

For you, your family, your church, your city—so be it in Jesus’ name! He is more than able and always faithful to His Word.

Video Teaching- More Thoughts

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:51:00 PDT

Friday I offered some of my thoughts about Videoteaching.com, where you can download free teaching videos from a variety of speakers on a variety of subjects. If you didn’t get to read that post, it’s a good place to start.

Here are a few more thoughts on this resource:

Doesn’t mean you can neglect your gift—if someone is called to preach and teach, it takes lots of practice, prayer, and study. This is not an easy way out or a reason to get down on yourself that you’re not good enough and should let the “pros” handle it. We are each responsible to obey, which means standing up to fear, doubt, or any number of enemies. The guy with one talent in Matthew 25 buried what should have been invested out of fear. He messed up and the Master told him so. This is not an easy button that lets you off the hook! Obey God!
Doesn’t mean someone else carries the vision—Mark Batterson, as great as he is, does not to my knowledge have a vision for my church and my city. Craig Groeschel does not have a specific plan that takes into account our context and local needs and abilities to reach my community and neighborhoods for Christ. Someone has to be the man or woman on the ground. Someone has to carry the vision and pay the price. This can be a great tool, but it is a tool nonetheless.
It’s a great sign that the Body of Christ can work together—I love that this is free, not only from my own small church limited budget standpoint, but because for so long, many ministers have tried to make a buck off the Bride of Christ. I’m not judging anyone in particular because only God knows the motivations of people’s hearts. This being free though points to the fact that we are all in this together. The abilities I have I can share. The great teaching that’s going on in these fine churches, I can freely share with my local body. We need each other and we need to be more accessible. If that happens through travel, wonderful. If it happens through technology, great. Just as long as it happens, we’ll all be strengthened for it.

With that, if you are a pastor or leader, I encourage you to check out this resource and consider using it. There are plenty of applications beyond a Sunday morning as well, but you owe it to yourself to investigate it and find out for yourself whether it will work for you. Just keep your heart open to the Holy Spirit and follow His voice!

Any more thoughts I haven’t considered? Anything you want to add to what I said? What’s your take and view on this? Look forward to hearing from you.

Video Teaching- Some Thoughts

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:21:00 PDT

I wrote recently about a new resource that excites me—videoteaching.com. It’s been put together by the great folks at lifechurch.tv and features some tremendous speakers, pastors, authors and some of their messages. Did I mention that it’s completely free?

I wanted to share some quick thoughts on this because some people may see this as a bad thing or at the very least a who cares thing, but there are some amazing opportunities presented in this.

Some may be resentful—to this I have to respectfully say, get over it. By and large (and perhaps all of) these speakers pastor large congregations which makes them “experts” and “authorities.” Lots of pastors see something like this and think these are trying to “tell me what to do and how to do it.” I pastor a small church that is is in the process of relaunching. I’m not familiar with all these leaders, but the ones I am, I know they are genuine and real. They are preaching the gospel and teaching powerful truths. If you want to cut off a source of refreshing out of some misguided notions, go for it but it’s only hurting yourself.
Some think it’ll break down community—I don’t see how this argument holds up because people are still participating in church, still have access to local leaders, pastors, and elders, still have the accountability of others in the church. To me this argument reeks of control issues, like the pastor who will discourage members to go to community events or events with other churches for fear they may lose someone. They don’t want another teacher/pastor to have influence in their lives (even if it’s only through a video and your 3000 miles away from that church).
It allows pastors embrace their strengths—I love preaching. It invigorates me, challenges me, inspires me, humbles me, etc. I recognize though that I am not the best teacher. When I preach, it’s more inspirational—to stir up faith, challenge, and encourage people. When it comes to breaking things down, it can get sketchy. The congregation needs what I have, but they also need insightful, creative Biblical teaching as well. That’s why we invite guest speakers and that’s why I see this as an amazing resource. For me, it won’t totally replace my preaching and teaching, but I’m excited to use it in supplemental ways to keep moving into all God has for us a body of believers.
It could allow more churches to be planted—not every leader is a great preacher. Not every pastor is a great administrator. Another reason this is exciting to me is that the potential is there to have more churches planted in more areas through the aid of this medium. It’s not the video preacher can or will be the pastor. Local leaders still have to be in place, still have to reach out, still have to live the gospel. This just frees up someone who’s not gifted to preach and knows it to do what God has called them to do.

These are some initial thoughts and I’m continuing this with a few more thoughts on Monday.

Are you a pastor/leader? What do you think of this resource and will you use it? If you’re a member of a congregation, how would you view this? What positives/drawbacks do you see? I would love to get a discussion going!

The Real Deal

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:57:29 PDT

I was reading the Bible this morning and because I’m fairly odd, I was reading it in a British accent. Please don’t ask me why, I have no idea why my brain works the way it does.

I suddenly started thinking, What if I went in one Sunday morning and preached an entire message in a British accent? It didn’t take me long to come to the conclusion that this would be silly and most assuredly a distraction, especially if I just launched into it without any explanation.

People would probably think it was funny at first, then move to thinking how odd I was, then probably begin to be uncomfortable because they know me (I’m not British) and I’m not letting up on it.

I think the same applies with our relationships, walk with God, church, and everything else. Anything that’s not genuine and not backed up with truth comes off as a distraction, annoyance, or even makes people uncomfortable. The truth may make people uncomfortable as well, but that's a different story (and it's hard to shake that kind of uncomfortable). If I make you uncomfortable because I'm fake, you can write me off easily.

I love listening to people from England. When they preach the word, it sounds regal, commanding, and authoritative in my view. If I simply try to mimic that sound to gain an effect, I’m not doing anyone any good.

You can be yourself and help direct people to God if you’re willing to be genuine and vulnerable. When we try to help the hurting by throwing out clichés and Bible verses we don’t believe or haven’t experienced for ourselves in our own lives, we add to the hurt and may even cause confusion and further aid the enemy's plan.

If you don’t have an answer, say nothing. If all you can do is weep with someone, weep with them.

Don’t fake it ‘til you make it! Let’s be the real deal and not settle for anything less.

Trouble with Headlines

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:50:31 PDT

Have you noticed that the headlines to stories these days are intentionally sensational and misleading? Of course, you have. It’s been that way for a while.

Some are misleading while others essentially lie to get you to look. One I saw said Jamie Spears Wants Britney to Run Wild. Not going to lie, I clicked. It was a few paragraphs about Britney Spears’ dad, who has had control of her estate during her troubles, getting close to turning it all back over to her. Hardly proves he wants her to “run wild.”

Another was a “where are they now” type thing that’s just rude. Headline reads, Wow, You Got Old: The Facts of Life. It tells where the stars of the TV show are today.

These tactics are used in covering politics, entertainment (especially), religion, health, and everything else under the sun. Make it sensational, even controversial, so you can grab the attention and focus.

Sadly, it happens in churches as well. Let’s teach on a controversial subject in a sensational way so people who wouldn’t normally come will come.

The headline may draw someone, but it won’t keep them there. There is so much fighting for attention, demanding our focus. If the sensational claims of the best sex and great wealth don’t hold up, where does it leave us? It leaves us with a tabloid church that doesn’t genuinely care about people, but needs them to stay open. Someone has to buy what they’re selling.

Also, it sets up a constant struggle to one-up the last one, get more outrageous for the simple sake of being outrageous. It perpetuates the attractional model of church where we bring them all in instead of every believer taking responsibility to live the Gospel for the world to see.

I’m not saying the Church can’t add to the discussion about sex, marriage, parenting, finances, etc. but if all we’re after is get someone in, there’s something wrong. I’m also not saying that everyone who does a controversial series at their church has the wrong motivation, but does it work ultimately? Are lives radically changed? Is the Kingdom of God advanced?

Here’s a great headline: My Life Has Been Forever Changed by Jesus. I overcome by the blood of the Lamb and my testimony. If I haven’t experienced it, no one can fully get it from me.

Even so, I don’t want to just have headlines—to throw something out hoping people will come see me. I want to be ready to go and share the hope I’ve found every day of my life.

What do you think about this? Feel free to agree or disagree!

RE:Charge Worship Retreat

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:25:49 PST

For the past three years, Spark2Flame has held an annual retreat in Juneau, AK. Every time it has been a tremendous time to seek God, be renewed in our worship and focus, and grow in our relationship with Him and those attending.

This year again, I am excited to announce that we will be holding a similar event from Nov. 11-13 at Breakthrough Church in Juneau. If you would like to have a flyer to print for you or your church, please click here.

One confirmed speaker is Paul Hollifield who has an incredible ministry (REI Ministries) and is able to teach on worship as a lifestyle like no one I have heard. Click here to read an interview I did with him.

Theme:
RE:Charge has two different meanings in my view. As I have prayed about this, I feel like this will be another amazing opportunity to recharge, soak in more of Him, and be refreshed as we spend some time together in His presence. The other side of that is the Regarding Charge—I believe God is positioning us for great victory and it is time to get stirred up in faith. I believe this conference will do just that!

Our verse is 2 Corinthians 2:14, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” We are following the Victor!

Accommodation Details:
Due to response, we will only be having the night services this year at Breakthrough Church, but you can come and worship, seek God, and be blessed by all that God reveals to us. Come Expecting for each service- Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 7 PM.

Registration:
There is no registration required to attend the night services. There will be no fees, just an offering will be taken to cover our speaker's travel and ministry expenses. Simply come and experience God!

This page will be updated every time new information is available so be sure to check back often.

Right now I just want everyone to be able to save the dates and make their plans for coming. You don’t want to miss what I believe God is going to do and impart to us.

Can’t wait to see you there and experience His presence together!

Have a question or comment? Please feel free to respond below or if you prefer, use the contact page. I’ll get back to you either way—Thanks!

Exciting New Resource: Videoteaching.com

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:58:39 PDT

Just found out there's something great coming down the line from the folks at Lifechurch.tv. It's called videoteaching.com and offers high quality videos for a myriad of uses.

Go to the site and check it out. You can't get access until July 21, but it's free and once you register there'll be a library of videos to browse.

As I said, great resource that I'll probably be writing about again once it's available to use. Consider this your heads up!

Michael Jackson & a Lesson to Christians

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:06:02 PDT

Everyone is talking about Michael Jackson. They have been for a while, of course, but I read an article about him on CNN.com that really intrigued me.

It was an origin story—sort of like those of superheroes but this one was about a single glove that became a trademark. What interested me about this is that according to the article, it was born out of necessity not fashion.

Michael Jackson has been widely reported to have had a condition known as vitiligo, which causes skin to lose its pigmentation. Apparently, it normally happens in splotches and often begins on the hands. Such was the case with Mr. Jackson, and mystery solved—there was a reason for the glove.

I boiled it down obviously, but the point that stuck out to me was fans all over the world copied this “style” to emulate their idol without even knowing why Michael was doing it.

I could take this in several directions at this point, but what I want to illustrate is copying Christianity whether as a congregation member or a leader is not enough. If we simply think something looks cool or will make us fit in, then we are missing the point.

As leaders, I feel it’s very important to explain why things are important. Why study the Bible? Why pray? Why worship? Why discipline ourselves? Without the why we create rule-followers and self-righteous sheep.

Now on the flipside, each believer has the responsibility to pursue God and find things out for themselves. You don’t have to take someone else’s word for it. Read and study the Bible. Experience for yourself the truth that the preacher is preaching. Learn to distinguish which is a leader’s personal preference and which is God’s truth (and love the leader no matter what).

I think all those people who mimicked MJ with their glove would have felt pretty silly if they had known it was simply to cover a skin condition. Now, Michael certainly dressed it up, but its purpose remained unchanged.

We have the same opportunity to live passionately for either leader’s ideas and “fashion” statements or passionately for God’s Kingdom and purposes. We definitely can follow them as they follow Christ, but we need to know for ourselves the God who amazing, wonderful, abundant, and transcendent.

To maintain pursuit is the only way to continually live with purpose, determination, and joy.

Quickest Way to Stagnation

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:16:00 PDT

You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. –Galatians 5:7-8

This is sort of a continuation of Monday's post, but as I continue reading through Galatians, I keep being hit by these things (in a good way).

I think it’s interesting that we blame God for so many things. Often chief among them, when our spiritual life falters. We may attribute it to God not giving us what we wanted (even though that thing seemed like His will). We may think it’s the disappointments and discouragements we’ve faced that aren’t fair.

People speak things to us that confirm our suspicions and feed our anxiety until we stop pursuing and wallow in our self-pity and confusion. At least that happens for me. Sometimes I don’t even need other people to help. I look at the “signs” and decide they all point toward God leaving or giving up on me. The longer I indulge the faster I lose my footing.

But I want to get this truth down deeper inside me—who has held me back from following the truth? Certainly isn’t God! He’s the one who called me to freedom in the first place. He’s the one who sent His Son to take my sin, guilt, and condemnation. He’s the one who made me righteous and offered relationship.

God does not cause our walk to stagnate, we allow such things to enter. I’m just so glad that once we see what’s going on, we can return to life in the Spirit and quit trying to please Him with our rule-following.

If we are hungering, thirsting, and pursuing righteousness then following the rules and following the truth lead us to different places. Why? Because if we could follow all the rules, we’d be able to boast about it and make our own way and wouldn’t need Jesus. As it is, working so hard to follow rules will leave us more frustrated, more anxious, and more complacent.

He called us to freedom and wants us to stay in freedom. We face dry and hard times, but with the certainty that they will not endure forever and it’s all part of the race we’re running.

It’s so important to see God in the light of truth, not the dimness of human understanding or frustrated experiences. Once we embrace this, the work of transformation begins.

Why is this so tempting?

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:50:41 PDT

Each of us is built differently. I probably like things that you don’t and vice versa. That ultra-rich dessert is tempting to some while others shun it for various reasons.

One thing that seems to be universally tempting at one point or another for Christians is trying to achieve something by keeping a set of rules. Paul told the Galatians in chapter 3,

How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?

Do you ever ask yourself, Why is this so appealing? The experience of God’s grace and truth meeting us as we accept the free gift of salvation that we didn’t earn and will never deserve but are able to receive because of His love—that’s incredible! Once it’s made real by the work of the Holy Spirit, why do we want to live any other way?

The short answer in my view is pride. We start feeling we are important to the process, and while we make decisions, obey or disobey, we need to see ourselves in the proper perspective.

It always happens subtly. I may be leading worship, preaching, or just praying or reading the Bible—thoughts start creeping in that point me back to myself and my inherent awesomeness (quit laughing) then I start buying the lie that I had anything to do with what God is doing.

The key is catching those thoughts before they get away from us. If we don’t act quickly, they breed like rabbits and Paul’s not just talking to the Galatian church anymore. He’s talking to us.

I want to live in the Spirit and not fall prey to trying to earn it or follow my rules to gain acceptance. I’ll fail, maybe even today, but I appreciate and am thankful that He is always there to lead me back.

The more I resist the temptation, the more I allow freedom to work. What a great hope we have!

Update on ReCharge Worship Retreat

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:51:28 PDT

This is just a quick update- we are postponing this event!

We have some scheduling conflicts and other issues so we need to reschedule. The tentative dates now are November 12-14 and we'll be changing the venue as well. The event page will be updated very soon to reflect all of this and the new information so stay tuned.

If you can be here for it though, I know it will be a powerful time. We have been so met by God over these past three years as we convene together to seek Him and grow in our worship.

Though some of the information is not accurate now, please check out the event page for more details and like I said, I'll be explaining the changes more in the next week.

Have a blessed day!

Weekend Burning Question

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:02:05 PDT

I don’t think Friday is long enough so let’s stretch it to the whole weekend! Here’s your question for this week,

What cereal that they no longer make would you want to bring back?

For me, it would definitely be the Smurfs cereal and I would pay actual money to have some right now. It was delicious!

So how about you? what do you say?

Everybody Sacrifices

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:38:22 PDT

I have a secret. It’s not something I usually volunteer, but probably a lot of guys would agree. Wondering what this deep, dark secret might be? Okay here it is… I think it would be great to have six-pack abs.

And that pretty much sums it up, “I think it would be great…” I do exercise, but not enough to cultivate that sort of thing; and I try to eat right (mostly) but I know there are certain foods that enhance or detract from developing the washboard look. No, I don’t follow the rules (and really am only vaguely aware they exist because I’ve never looked into it). I’m just not that committed so it remains a distant, nice thought.

People who really want that sort of thing really have to work and sacrifice for it. It may be easier for some with “good genes” but even then, they don’t just magically appear.

The same is true in our relationship with God. He is not the one holding out on me. He waits for me to come, while I decide whether it’s worth it or not. Seems sort of silly when I put it that way, but every day I make decisions to live in grace or indulge my selfishness.

We sacrifice for what we want. Sometimes that has very negative consequences as we can sacrifice our health, finances, relationships, etc. for what will make our lives “better.” Then we look at God and think, “I know You’d like me to read my Bible right now but I don’t want to—I don’t have enough me-time.”

A reality check may be in order—all time is “me-time.” Each of us decides what is important and what our priorities will be for a given day. I believe our goal is to keep turning more and more me-time into God-time so that He lives His life through us.

There are probably only a few things in life that we sacrifice greatly for and find out it’s worth it. I may not be able to answer definitively whether six-pack abs is one of those things, but I do know that seeking God with reckless abandon certainly is. The hardships, sacrifices, and difficulties we walk through lead us somewhere.

Many may not understand or see what you see, but our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all (2 Corinthians 4:17). It may not be easy or what we want to do, but once we engage we discover that the real sacrifice was already made and we are recipients of this great gift.

I hope you have experienced this as I have. We turn around, in that moment flooded with grace, and we realize that it wasn’t a sacrifice God was after but a surrender.

Friday Burning Question: 6/5/09

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:33:51 PDT

Today's question:

What do you do when you can’t sleep? Any tips, tricks, or old wives’ tales that actually work for you?

I will read a lot of times or do some deep breathing, but I haven't found something that works every time.

What do you think? Have any ideas?

Adding Value

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:39:00 PDT

I like to talk about technology, social media, the Church and how they all can coexist and work together. Sites like Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, and so many others can be wonderful tools in the hands of people with a heart for ministry and expressing the love of God.

As you look into reaching a wider audience, there are lots of “rules” out there for how to do it. I don’t want to talk about all that, but I do want to talk about one of the big ones that I see over and over.

I feel this one has great merit and needs to be examined.

Am I adding value?

This is an important concept in the use of technology in a Web 2.0 world.

Whether in that tweet your sending, article you’re linking to, post you’re writing—it’s important to determine if you are adding value to those who will see it. People sometimes pan social media because they feel like it just losers talking about their boring lives and who would want to know about that? For the most part, I agree!

You can, however, present things going on around you in interesting, unique, funny, or insightful ways—thus adding value. And yes, in case you were wondering, I do think that something funny just for that sake alone can add great value.

We don’t want to fill the world with noise. There is plenty out there already (and inside our own heads). Though it may seem subtle at times, there really are great things accomplished when we are able to add value in big and small ways.

We share our hearts. We share resources. We share Bible studies and church messages. We share ministry ideas and opportunities. We share a laugh or a funny picture. The operative word is obviously share.

It’s the same in our church, family, personal relationships—we add value by being there for someone when they need us, pointing them toward a great deal, telling a joke, or something as important as sharing a testimony or our faith in Jesus.

This is my point. What if our lives were governed by this thought, “how am I adding value”? What would we stop doing? What would we do more of?

These are questions I’m asking myself today, and I invite you to do the same. Whether it’s in our social media outreach endeavors or our everyday encounters and relationships, we need to allow God to search us as we ask this important question.

We can add value, but are making the most of our opportunities?

The Domination Trap

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:51:20 PDT

2 Corinthians 1:24”…that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.”

There is a trap that some leaders fall into, it seems. They end up dominating people’s faith with their own personality, agenda, vision, preferences, etc.

The sad reality is that some people don’t mind at all. They want to be dominated so they don’t have to think for themselves or take responsibility for their life of faith. You tell me what to do and I’ll do it. There is no relationship with God, they simply want to follow along and belong.

Other leaders intentionally dominate to maintain control and influence. When have you ever seen that escalate or blow up in people’s faces?

Paul seems very concerned in stressing that how the Corinthians put their faith into practice needed to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Leaders can offer suggestions, practical ideas, guidance, and more—but when it moves into that gray area of control, we had better step back quickly.

Ultimately, there will be resentment (even if the person seemingly wanted this), but Paul says “we want to work together…so you will be full of joy.” Joy springs from work and faith that is experienced and personalized.

I can’t stand firm by my mentor, childhood pastor, parents, or anyone else’s faith. I have to develop it for myself. As a leader I feel that responsibility to show and live the truth and allow God to lead each person into that truth. Once I try to force it or a person, there’s something wrong.

This certainly doesn’t mean that leaders get it right every time or are perfect. As leaders we have to watch for this and for everyone else, don’t look, expect, or allow your faith to be dominated. We all have to follow the Holy Spirit and put our faith into practice as He speaks in His word and how He shows us in the day to day.

What do you think about this?

Friday Burning Question: 5/29/09

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:40:51 PDT

I know you can feel it. It's time for another Friday burning question! Let's share a laugh as we explore,

What’s the funniest misheard lyric to a song that you’ve heard- from you or someone else?

One of the best I heard was from a friend. It was Melissa Ethridge's I Want to Come Over. He thought it said, "I want to come over/to hell with the concert plans" where it really says, "to hell with the consequence." Great- I got you started!

Also if you have some time to kill, check out this site dedicated to misheard lyrics because you will laugh your butt off.

Share, laugh, and heal- it's your turn! Tell on yourself or someone else- can't wait to hear from you.

It’s Not Useless

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:41:53 PDT

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. -1 Corinthians 15:58

Why is this so hard to remember? Why do we work enthusiastically (as Paul says) for a little while and then get so discouraged?

I think the main problem is that we rely too much on what we see, feel, and think. Paul wasn’t reminding the Corinthian church for no reason. I’m sure they struggled with this like we all do.

It’s hard sometimes to commit our work, days, and lives to Him because secretly (or not so secretly) we want the credit and recognition. We want the world to take notice or at least the city or neighborhood. Would one little parade kill anyone?!

To be strong and immovable, we have to understand why we work and who it’s for. I may think I’m doing God all kinds of favors while never scratching the surface of a true life of obedience and it causes some shaky feelings and shaky situations.

When everything is committed to Him, I can be enthusiastic and optimistic. Then I realize that nothing I do for Him is ever useless. It carries eternal significance whether I can see it or not.

Seeds get planted, plants get watered, harvest gets reaped—what you do for Him is never useless and I wanted to encourage you and me today. Continuity and consistency is available—in Him.

You’re not just spinning your tires. You’re not falling behind. You’re not wasting your life, talents, gifts, resources, or anything else as you obey Him. God has great things in store for you and me and it is never useless.

Strange name, Great Browser (Google Chrome)

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:58:59 PDT

As you may or may not know, part of what I’m hoping to do with this blog is cover both faith and the Church as well as the technology used in spreading the message and how we do that. Today's post is another in the technical aspect.

Last week, I switched internet browsers. I’ve never used anything besides Internet Explorer since I started online way back with dial up and a “100 free hours with AOL” CD. To be honest, I had never thought much about it, but it’s all changed now.

Initially I downloaded Google Chrome to check out my sites on this browser (since I do that on firefox already). I was interested to see what it was like, and lo and behold, I like it—a lot.

Here’s a basic rundown of advantages for me,

It was reported to be faster and it really does seem to be true. The pages load more quickly from what I can tell, which would of course, make surfing that much quicker.
I’m enjoying the bookmark bar. It’s like favorites, but you can keep your most-used links right in front of you which is incredibly helpful.
Along with this feature, the ease of use is tremendous. To add a bookmark, click the star. When a link would normally open in a new window, Chrome opens it in a new tab.
Everything just seems very well thought out. I’ve heard some had problems when it first came out, but it seems everything is running smoothly now.
One last thing, the top bar is more condensed so there’s more room for the page. Since the navigation is laid out well, it presents things nicely (if that makes sense).

I’m not trying to convince anyone really. I had just never thought about switching and found that I really liked this option. Like I said, I’ve never really used firefox but know people who have so I’m not comparing the two (or three). I’m not here to prove Chrome is the best. I am enjoying using it so far (and when I downloaded it, I had no intention of making it my default).

If you do want an argument on which one is better, you can check out the Snagsta Blog for their take.

What do you think? Have you tried Chrome or use it already? What’s your favorite browser or do you fall in the “I-could-care-less-and-never-thought-about-it” category?

I'd love to hear from you as this is obviously a very important conversation.

Friday Burning Question: 5/22/09

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Fri, 22 May 2009 01:08:00 PDT

I know you’ve been waiting all week for this so here’s Friday’s burning question:

What’s the best fortune cookie wisdom you ever got or heard? What fortune would you like to see in your cookie?

Also you can check out this site where you can make and print your own fortune (no cookies) and read others. Here’s what I wrote: Plan for much spontaneity in your future.

This is a favorite I found elsewhere: It takes more than good memory to have good memories (now that is deep).

Your turn now! Tell me your favorite fortune or tell me why you’re morally opposed to these delicious cookies (I’ve known a few).

Don’t Judge Judy (or anyone else)

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Thu, 21 May 2009 01:45:03 PDT

1 Corinthians 4:5, “So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.”

I may start using this. “Has the Lord returned? Then stop judging me!”

We are good at judging—now, discerning? Not as much. We can whip out a judgment in the blink of an eye when someone looks at us the wrong way or behaves counter to what we think they should have done.

It's always interesting to note that in the preceding verses of chapter 4, Paul says he doesn’t even judge himself.

It is a constant battle to guard against being judgmental. Many times it does come from a place of wanting the best for someone, but we have to accept that we don’t know it all or see it all. God does and we can trust Him for ourselves, our loved ones, and our friends and church family.

The only time we see that judgment is okay is if someone says they are Christian and goes on sinning like there’s no tomorrow. They don’t feel conviction. They aren’t growing and changing, but instead justify themselves in the wrong they do. More than trying to ostracize someone, I think Paul tells us to flee these for our own good. It's a dangerous game being played and we don't want to get sucked in.

The fact is though that most people I see in church are of a totally different mentality. They are broken and working out their salvation with fear and trembling. They are not perfect, but they are growing and allowing grace to work.

Those people don’t deserve judgment when they struggle, fail, or screw up; and neither do I. When I become complacent and don’t want to do the work that has to be done, there is a problem. If I struggle with sin, but God is meeting me in the process, there’s no need to cast that judgment.

I read an amazing quote recently, “what other people think of me is none of my business.”

People may say lots of things, but it’s not my business. I won’t even judge myself because I’m screwed up and I get it all wrong. We can each choose to be different, removing the junk in our eye before we try to “help” someone else.

The saddest hypocrite is the one who judges everyone else but refuses to change. I just don’t want to be that.

Besides, Judgmental Christian has been done to death.

A Matter of Importance

burnfrequency@spark2flame.com — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:05:00 PDT

1 Corinthians 3:7-8, “It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.”

I’m not important, and that, my friends, is today’s “tough pill to swallow.”

The work I do—whether half or wholeheartedly, diligently or slothfully—is what will be judged by God. He put a gift and abilities in me to be used for His glory, and I have the choice to use and develop them or not. Paul goes on to say our work will be tested in fire to see if there is any value. This means it’s not just working for work’s sake. It is obeying and faithfully following Him that makes any difference.

The work doesn’t determine my salvation, but it does determine my reward.

I’m not important in the mix of all this. The more I get out of the way, the more He moves. The more I obey and practice faithfulness, the better the work that is done. It doesn’t matter whether things have lasting effect in this life because that is not how we’ll be judged. Our legacy is in the eternal realms, not in the great buildings or thriving (or non-thriving) communities we leave behind.

I can hear already some who might say, “You can’t say that someone's not important. You’ll damage their self-esteem.” At this point, I sort of feel like we’ve catered to self-esteem when we should be concerned with building a healthy God-esteem.

After all, what is important? God, who makes everything work and grow. I’m not important because people follow me. I’m not unimportant when they won’t or quit. I was never important to begin with!

My importance and value lies in what God was willing to give for me. The most priceless gift was given in Jesus. He is important, and I am not. I think I’ll just get over it and move forward.

Anyone with me?