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Speed of Change

Recently at one of my business meetings, we reviewed a video from Havard Business School’s John Kotter.  He’s an expert of chnage management.  One of the things he spoke about was the accelerated speed of change that we are now experiencing, and for the most part will continue to experience in our lifetimes.  He compared the speed of change 100 years ago to driving down a country lane and through the last century the speed of change increased to driving on a Nascar speedway.

The thing that I have been thinking about is how this impacts the lives of those who follow Christ.  I think it has major impacts on they way the church thinks and operates and how Christians need to work.  I just have not completely figured out what this impact is.  Look for more thoughts on this in 2010.  (thats the second teaser in the last week).

The one thing I am sure it means however, is that followers of Christ must mobilize and leave the comfort of the padded pew.  Yesterday I mentioned not staying in Bethlehem, and using the celebration of His birth as a springboard for service, and today that thought it still on my mind.  Things are changing.  Followers of the Christ must change their behaviors as well.  Well, thats a funny statement actually, as I think at the root of it all, followers of Christ just need to do what they were ask to do by the Christ all along.

 18-20Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, The Message)

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Don’t Stay in Bethlehem

Luke 2:52 (New International Version)

52And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Well its over!  Christmas has come and gone.  I sort of feel like Garfield today.  Anyway, we can’t stay in Bethlehem.  Just as Jesus left Bethlehem and grew and served, so must we.  So as you wind down the holiday and move into the next year, make plans for growth. Make plans to leave Bethlehem with a passion for the lost.  Make plans to grow in wisdom, and stature and in favor with God and men. 

I would love to here the ways the ideas you have to grow and serve.  What are you thinking about.  I will share some ideas over the next few weeks.

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Merry Christmas

star

Merry Christmas All! – Peace on Earth , Good Tidings to Man!

Matthew 2:10-11 (New International Version)

10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

When those magi saw the star they were overjoyed, and they worshiped HIM.  Today, check out these stars from the Boston.com’s Hubble Advent calendar.  Be amazed at the mighty works. Let these stars lead your thoughts to the SON, and worship with great joy.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing!

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Unmeasureable Joy

After all there’s only one more sleep to Christmas..Day

-Kermit the Frog

Its herxmastreee.  Set out the cookies and milk – the big guy with the presents comes tonight. You can track him with your little ones with help from NORAD.  For several its a tradition to pass the time away on this night before Christmas driving around viewing the lights.  Well, today, thanks to The Sacramento Bee, the lights are coming to you from around the world.

It only seems right that we travel back to Luke 2 for today.  Enjoy the time with your family exchanging gifts and loving each other, but take a little time and remember the greatest gift – a Savior.

Luke 2:8-14 (New International Version)

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.

Wow, his favor rests with men.    I don’t know about you, you may find this all to be craziness, but I find this all to be a source of Joy, unrelenting, unmeasurable Joy!  And for the next few days, I will praise God and thank God for sending his son to this earth, and for all the blessing it has brought to us.

Merry Christmas! – Glory to God in the highest!

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Blindside

This past weekend I went to see The Blindside with my family.  What a great movie and a great story.    If you don’t know, its a movie based on a true story about a Memphis family who takes in an inner city boy, provides him with a family and guides him through college and into the NFL as a number one draft pick.

Its a great story of a family doing something that requires faith – reaching out of their comfort zone to impact a person.  What a chance they seem to have taken to open up their home to a complete stranger from a really really difficult background.  Its a great movie that, for me at least, challenged me to continue to move my faith out of the “church building” and into the streets.  If you have not seen this movie, I would recommend that you head over to your favorite theater, get the number one special ( a large refillable popcorn and two 73,434,384,379 ounce refillable drinks) and watch this one, and then contemplate what you are doing in your life that requires you to live out your faith.

Then as this week heads right into its grand crescendo ( did I mention that there are only 3 more days until Christmas), consider this:  God loved you so much that he sent his son to this nasty sin-filled Earth.  He sent him from Heaven to become a man.

1 John 3:16-20 (New International Version)

16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

God loved you, he sent his Son, who then died on the cross, because he loved you.  How can these things move us to put our faith into action – to put love into action.

Let us love, let us find a way to live out our faith.  Take a step today towards  action.   I think God will be protecting your Blindside.