leadership, Ministry

CRAVEMAN – MEAT FOR MEN SERIES

We are continuing a new series in @ CRAVEMAN tonight called Meat For Men.

The entire study is based from 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 that says’

Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?

The last two studies have been great. and tonight will be just as good.

The study begins at 7:15 tonight @ Prescott First Assembly .

Also, there is a facebook group if you are interested in joining. Just go to http://www.facebook.com and search for CRAVEMAN.

I wanted to end this short blog post by giving this great quote by Leonard Ravenhill “Let me die climbing”.

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Just sayin', leadership, Life experiences, Ministry

The Earth Is Not Flat.

I can remember as a child in elementary school looking at the history book and seeing the map and pictures of what the world looked like back in Columbus day.
The picture in the history book was of ships falling off the end of the earth because the earth was believed to be flat. You remember those old maps with the sea monsters and the dragons and people hanging on to the end of the world.

(photos by Ed Miracle taken from google images)

Well, recently I had a situation that caused me to feel like my ship was about to fall off the end of the earth.
In fact I was explaining my emotions to someone. I was explaining how I felt that I had every anchor out in an attempt to keep from going over the edge.

With that, the person I was speaking to said very simply, “Hey Steve, you’ve got to remember, the earth is not flat, its round.” Wow, I had a moment where I felt at peace and realized what I was worrying about was basically conjured up in my mind and was not a real scenario at all.

Most of our fears never really come to pass.

The words of Jesus  still reverberate with truth. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34 NIV) He was teaching people who had ears to hear to learn to live one day at a time. The context of Jesus’ profound recommendation begins in Matthew 6:35, and concludes in the final verses of this life-changing lesson. “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:31-34 NKJV)

My situation was very real and had some serious ramifications if not dealt with  but we are all going to have problems and situations that are beyond our control….that is just a fact. But another fact is that we have a choice as to how we respond to the problems and situations in our lives.

The earth is not flat. That is so important because of this one important thing. If the earth was flat we would eventually fall off the edge. But, because it is round we can keep going forward.
What a great feeling to have hope and a future.

You can keep going forward Don’t let fear keep you from sailing– the earth is not flat it is round.

This is our world and it is round meaning we can keep sailing around it and not fall off it.

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leadership, Ministry

Quotes From AZMR 09′

Here are some bullet point quotes from Mark Batterson and others at the Arizona Minister’s Renewal this past week that took place here in Preskitt..

batterson

“an extended shelf life is determined by how much you renew yourself.”

“It is easy to get “stuck”  and “faithful” mixed up.”

“Your ultimate destiny is determined by your daily disciplines.”

“Love people when they least EXPECT IT and when they least DESERVE IT.”

“The Bible is the greatest deterant to sin and the greatest accelerant to faith.”

“The office is the place where I get nothing done.”

“Change of PACE + change of PLACE = change of PERSPECTIVE.”

“As leaders we are engineering atmosphere and designing experiences.”

“Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do it to just hang in there.”

“Leadership is about those situations where you don’t know where to turn and what to do.”

“Sometimes God leads us to a place where the only place to turn is to Him.”

“When you don’t where to turn…turn to scripture.”

“Everyone wants a miracle…but we just don’t want to be put in a place that necessitates one.”

“If you are going to see something you have never seen before…you need to be in a situation you have never been in before.”

“Don’t let the arrows of criticism pierce your heart unless it first passes through the filter of scripture.” – Erwin Mcmanus

“The printing press is God’s greatest act of Grace.” – Martin Luther

“Most of the time we cannot get people to a point where they are offended by the cross, because they are so easily offended by us.”

When someone ask Sam Walton how he became an overnight success he responded; “It took 20 years to become an overnight success.”

“Contextual intelligence = success.”

Matthew 10:16 “shake the dust off” – (The dust of offense)

1. Don’t share the dust of offense

2. Don’t spread the dust of offense.

3. Don’t take on the dust of offense.

4. Don’t keep the dust on you.

“We are so prone to un-intentional blindness”

Great two days put togetherby the AZ leadership team .

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leadership, Mountain biking

LEADVILLE 100 MTN. BIKE AMAZEMENT

Leadville 100 Cycling

Lance Armstrong of Aspen, Colo., navigates a trail on his way to winning the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike cycling race in Leadville, Colo., on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009.Also, (note to self) take a look at at the  vitical climb and think next time you feel like whinning during or before a climb Steve.

leadville-100-profile1

THAT IS 12, 500 FEET TO THE TOP.

Here is a great link that covers the story.

http://singletrack.competitor.com/

Great video from the 2008 match up.

http://www.superhumanmag.com/content/view/763/48/

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Football, leadership, Ministry

WHEN YOUR VISION GOES INTO OVERTIME

overtime

Sometimes our vision seems to linger in the waiting room for too long. When I am feeling like the wait is unbearable I’ve got to lean on the old biblical term called “perseverance”.

I like what Bob Gass says about perseverance.

Perseverance means:

1. Succeeding because you’re determined to, not because you’re entitled to.

Achievers don’t sit back and wait for success because they think the world ‘owes them.’ No, if you’re wise you’ll ask God for direction, stand firm on the word He has given you, go forward and refuse to quit. You must adopt the attitude of the man who said, ‘We are determined to win. We’ll fight them until hell freezes over, and if we have to, we’ll fight them on ice.’ Recalling the trials he’d faced, Paul said: ‘”I started, and I’m going to finish. I’ve worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death’s door…And that’s not the half of it”‘ (2 Corinthians 11:23-28 TM). One word describes Paul; relentless.

2. Recognizing that life is not one long race, but many short ones in succession.

Each task has its own challenges and each day its own events. You have to get out of bed the next morning and run again, but it’s never exactly the same race. To be successful you must keep plugging away. It’s said that Columbus faced incredible difficulties while sailing west in search of a passage to Asia. He encountered storms, experienced hunger, deprivation and extreme discouragement. The crews of his three ships were near mutiny. But his account of the journey says the same thing over and over: “Today, we sailed on.” And his perseverance paid off. He didn’t discover a fast route to the spice-rich Indies; instead he found new continents. The scriptural key to success is running the race each day (Hebrews 12:1-2). So, this year; persevere.

Last week during an NFL playoff Game Brenda and I watched the San Deigo Chargers play Paton Manning and the Colts in a game that went into “sudden death” overtime with 17 – 17 tied up game. As the teams came out the play in overtime, John Madden said as he was commentating the game something I think anyone in leadership can use when it seems like your vision is in “sudden death overtime”.

 

gameijohnmaddenalmichaels

John said that “Phillip Rivers is a seasoned quarter back and he knows that in situations like this he has to do four things:

1. DON’T HURRY.

2. STAY CALM.

3. DON’T FORCE ANYTHING. 

4. DON’T DO ANYTHING STUPID.”

What great advice to anyone who feels the pressure of a “vision in overtime.”

By the way, Philip Rivers drove his team down the field and Darren Sprouls the “lightening bug” ran in for the winning touchdown.

 

“We will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 NIV

 

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leadership

ἐνθουσιασμός – en-theos

I love this quote on leadership.

“Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next without losing your enthusiasm.”

Winston Churchill

Enthusiasm (ἐνθουσιασμός) root – en-theos = in God. An enthusiast is a person inspired by god. *see: Biblical inspiration – (inspiration Greek – θεοπνευστος – Theopneustos = literally God breathed) When the early Christians would see someone convert to Christianity there was this overwhelming joy that followed the gift of Salvation but they had a problem there was no word to describe this feeling so they combined the two words (in God) creating the word (entheos) from which we get the English word Enthusiasm.

Long term leadership requires lots of “en-theos”!

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