F@ith_Life

What I'm Reading 12-10-09

Walt Disney's org chart from way back in 1943. What I like is the focus on their purpose of making movies...everything revolved around that.

In 1943, five years after it was founded and during the height of World War II, Walt Disney Studios put out an organization chart to explain how the company functioned. What’s fascinating is how it differs from org charts issued by most corporations. Typically, corporate org charts are hierarchical, with each operating division isolated into “silos” showing job titles according to reporting chain of command and ultimate authority. The CEO and SVPs get the higher positions and bigger boxes; the little boxes represent the expendable worker “bees.” The Disney org chart, on the other hand, is based on process, from the story idea through direction to the final release of the film.

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The title says it all..."lazy people don't need vision to be lazy"

Churches who decide to go multi-site often do so by adding campuses in nearby cities. Sometimes, churches will promote these new locations to their attendees as a convenience: “Now you can get to church in half the time!” Those same churches are somewhat surprised when the evangelism temperature for reaching the lost doesn’t seem to be the same at the new locations.

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Tiger Woods need I say more?

The epic saga of Tiger Wood’s fall from being touted as a model citizen and athletic superstar to a reckless, self-centered, out-of-control sex addict serves as a leadership lesson for all of us. The following are important principles we need to take seriously for ourselves and those we are leading

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Brother Randy has the best written blog on the interwebs...

I nosed the Montero out of The Compound gate about 9:15pm, and as I drove past the mailbox on the way to the move of the Holy Spirit, I had a thought. The thought was “I hope those shoes I bought on eBay arrive tomorrow….”. Just being honest. I’m that spiritual. I’m on my way to the most significant move of God that I’ve ever been near and my mind is consumed with a pair of second hand Doc Martens that I bought on eBay.

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Pastor Carl talks about revival culture...

In revival culture we seek to extend the ministry of Jesus: heal the sick, cleanse the leper, raise the dead, cast out demons. In revival, we seek to further the purpose of Jesus: to seek and save the lost, by healing the sick, cleansing the leper, raising the dead, casting out devils.

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It's That Time Of The Year...

A sure sign that a new year is about to spring forth is when I make my annual trek to the local bookstore to pick up a new Moleskine Planner.

This time I got a Red Moleskine Weekly Notebook Planner.

Keep Your Latte Warm And Computer Dry...

I bought one of these bad boys after I got my MacBook Pro...

We love a good insulated travel mug, especially when the mercury starts to drop. This auto-sealing mug from Contigo keeps our warm beverage close by and ensures you don't spill it on your lap when driving or your keyboard while working.

Auto-Sealing Insulated Mug Keeps Your Drink Toasty, Won't Spill - Drinks - Lifehacker

Morning Meditation 11-09-09

Started a new series Sunday called "the blueprint-downloading the plan of God". It's about getting Gods plan for your life and walking in the light of it. Should have it edited and uploaded later on today.

I had my notes for the whole series ready but didn't get to them until the last few minutes of the service. But when talking to some of the folks after service I know why, the Holy Spirit knew the needs of the people in the room and spoke to those needs directly during the message.

I had a opportunity of attending a meeting at HBCC last week with Dr. Ed Dufresne and there were a bunch of preachers from all over the bay area there, in fact you couldn't swing a cat without hitting one. In those 4 nights my life and ministry were changed. The Spirit of God used him to confirm some things He had been dealing with me about and in general it was just a great time of refreshing.

The fire of God is starting to burn in California.

Pastor Hacks-Money Or Ministry Minded?

Luke 8:1-3 (New Living Translation)
1 Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, 2 along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; 3 Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.

When confronted with the realities of starting a ministry from scratch it is easy to be distracted by the money issue.

But this is the truth. Effective ministry does not follow after money, money follows after effective ministry. Limit yourself to doing only that which Jesus has commanded and believe Him for the supply. You will never lack a good thing.

When you have lack issues in the ministry it's always a capacity issue on your end and never a supply issue on His end.

Increase you capacity to receive and He'll increase the supply. Increase the capacity of your spirit with prayer, fasting and meditation in the Word and He'll send more people and the money required to minister to those people.

Philippians 4:19 (Amplified Bible)
And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

When you see every necessity as yet another opportunity to believe God you'll be unstoppable.

Pastor Hacks-Post Ministry Recovery

John 7:38 (Amplified Bible)
He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water.

When your minister the Word of God you are literally pouring our your life to the people, (assuming the your ministering out of your spirit instead of your soul) so it's vitally important that you build yourself back up spiritually after preaching.

By praying with your spirit.

Jude 1:20 (Amplified Bible)
But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;

By speaking the Word.

Joel 3:10 (King James Version)
Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

By waiting on the Lord.

Psalm 27:14 (King James Version)
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Pastor Hacks-Praying And Obeying

After praying about and reviewing all my website options I didn't have much peace about any of them.

So one day it just came to me, use the Typepad account you already have and create a basic website.

So I did that and 30 minutes later I had a basic site that told people who we are, what we believe, where we meet and included the typical goofy head shot of the Pastor.

For 5 bucks a month we got our own domain name and web hosting. Which includes IMAP email. I'm using Google Voice for our Church phone and voice mail system.

The point is I could have spent many hours and thousands of dollars or I could just pray and do what the Holy Ghost says to do.

The Holy Spirit knows what you have to work with and He knows what skills you have. If you'll just listen to Him He'll hook you up.

When you pray and obey, the grace will be there to get the job done...

Pastor Hack # 1 pray and obey

Start From The Beginning

Ephesians 2:10 (Amplified Bible)
For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

The whole process of starting a Church from scratch can sometimes be daunting especially when one starts pays to much attention to what you do and do not have.

When you do what wisdom requires and count up the cost of doing a new endeavor before starting you can sometimes become distracted by the so-called facts.

"Okay whose going to pay for all this?"

"Who is going to come to a Church Pastor by me?"

"The Lawyer just told me she wants 250 bucks a Hour!"

"Lord is this you or that pizza I ate last night?"

Don't let what you don't have stop you from using what you do have. People are delaying their destiny waiting for some perfect moment when everything they (think) need will be laying there right in front them.

That moment may never come.

If the dream that's burning in your heart is God given, He'll lead you into the fullness of it by one seemingly small step of obedience/faith after another until you wake up one day and find your standing in the glory of God.

So start from the beginning and take the first step. When it's time for the second step what you (really) need will be there waiting for you and now your in position to receive it.

Grace Grows The Church...

I've done a lot of stuff in my over 12 years of serving here in the Bay area.

Prayed on a mountain tops, literature drops, vacation Bible schools, hits the streets (really hard), prayed on street corners, knocked on doors, laid hands on the sick, played the drums, ran the sound board, taught Sunday school, preached, cleaned bathrooms, more preaching, put together office furniture, visited the sick, bible studies at half way houses, more hitting the streets, all night prayer meetings (okay we got out at midnight) and the list goes on.

But in the midst of all that activity the only things that produced anything of lasting value were inspired by the Holy Ghost and empowered by the grace of God.

So after 12 years of much activity I've come to find out that this whole Church thang can be a lot easier if you let grace grow the Church.

1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (New Living Translation)
6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.

Legal Issues For Churches

Some good Baptist brothers have put together an overview of the legal issues that you have to deal with to start a Church in California.

It's in PDF format and includes links to most of the required IRS forms.

You can check it out here.