I’M BACK! I took a much needed break from blogging to focus on our Easter Weekend Worship Experiences and it was AWESOME!  I just put the finishing touches on my new series: “Supernatural.”

Read on…

What you see is not all there is. The Bible says, “We are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world…” (Eph 6:12, NLT).  Scripture says, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons that we fight with are not the weapons of the world.”  Though we live in a physical world, there is another world.

The Lord’s Shifting…Are You Spiritually Ready?

There is a spirit world, where there is a war raging.  There is the Kingdom of Light versus the kingdom of darkness.  And when we engage in the spiritual battle, we don’t fight with the weapons of this world.  Tonight during Bible Study I’ll share a preview of my forthcoming series “Supernatural.”

Here’s a brief overview:

Is the third Person of the Trinity a distant Mystery, a vague cosmic Force?

Many believers acknowledge Him as a component of faith – but perhaps not as a reality in their daily spiritual walk.  Yet the Bible is clear: the Holy Spirit is a vital, equal part of God, promised by the father to all Christians

In “Supernatural – Walking in the Spirit,” I’ll reveal the inner workings of the Spirit with simple, straightforward wisdom.  During this series you can better experience this awesome gift of God and learn how the Holy Spirit helps us during this war.

You’ll discover:

Spiritual Warfare
Angels & Demons
What Holiness is – and is Not
Seven Works of the Holy Spirit in Your Life
Three Potentials God Desires You to Develop
How to Remain Full of the Holy Spirit
Four Great Questions to Ask God Everyday

If you are faltering, or easily fall prey to temptation, maybe you’ve forgotten to rely upon the Power of the Holy Spirit and begun to rely only on yourself.  The Christian life is meant to be increasingly dependent on His power working within you.

Are you spiritually prepared for warfare?

On Saturday, April 3, 2010 @ 9am, I’m heading to the Apple Store to pick up…you guessed it…my iPad.

Don’t blame me, the Logos iPhone Bible app MADE ME DO IT!

One of the great features in the Logos iPhone Bible app is the ability to share Bible verses with your friends, family, and followers on Facebook, Twitter, and by email.  Not only does the Logos iPhone Bible app make this easy to do, it does so in a way that is easy for your friends and family to engage with God’s Word (See, we all blame God @ some point).  More than just sending a scripture reference, the iPhone app uses http://ref.ly to convert the verses into clickable links.  The advantage is that you offer people an easy way to get right to the verse you want to share.

Check out this demonstration:

So, will you yield to temptation like I did or will you remain strong?

A leader must develop a disciplined and prudent character so that they will do what’s right, just, & fair.  The rub comes when the leader doesn’t know what is just right, and fair.  That’s why Solomon cautioned that ‘inexperienced’ leaders need wisdom.  Proverbs isn’t a decision-making textbook, but this wisdom-packed book is God’s gift to help us make the best decisions possible.

Proverbs 1:1-6 informs us that the proverbs to follow will help the reader develop the mental sharpness needed to process complex information.  Even though technology helps us gather and manipulate information, a sharp mind must still apply solid logic to that information in order to make good decisions.

The proverbs help us to accomplish this goal in a godly manner.  They sharpen the mind and reveal God’s insight to ensure that our decisions may be in sync with his eternal perspective.  Therefore, I encourage to read these verses again, this time including verse 7.  Then study the Book of Proverbs as a foundation for exceptional decisions making.

Question: Have you ever made decisions without consulting God?  If so, what was the outcome?

In carpentry, measure twice cut once means you’ve only got one shot at cutting a sheet of drywall.  Therefore, be positive you have the right measurement or you could end up with too short of a piece.  When a sheet of drywall is cut to the wrong length, it’s hard to find another use for it.  Additionally, it’s impossible to regain the lost time.  Consequently, the more valuable the materials and time-consuming the process, the more important it is to get it right the first time!  As a young man, my father pounded this into my head – “always double check all of your measurements just to be safe.”

You measure and “cut” into your resources every day – your time, your team, your money, or your church.  So getting it right the first time is critical.  Before committing yourself to a course of action, take time and analyze the costs and benefits (measure twice, cut once).  If you’re recommending something new, research the impact it will have on other people, your church, your company, department, or group.  In each case, “measuring twice”  (by making sure you’ve gotten all the information you need before you spend resources) you’ll actually save time, energy, and money.

Have you ever had to do something over because you didn’t measure twice?  If so, what did you learn?

We think we know: Each was a natural who came into the world with a gift for doing exactly what he ended up doing.  Guess what, I found the secret to their success and because I want you to succeed, I’m ready to share my discovery with the entire world.  I’m about the let you in on a secret that has the potential to revolutionize your life!

Shhhh…Lean Closer….

Here it is:

THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO SUCCESS.  PERIOD!

Nobody is great without hard work!

Researchers have identified what they call the ten-year rule when it comes to becoming a world-class performer.  In 2006, Fortune Magazine published, “What It Takes to be Great” which coined the phrase “Performance Principle.”  The Performance Principle says that it takes a long time to be an overnight success.  Furthermore, the author goes on to say, “Even the most accomplished people need around ten years of hard work before becoming world-class…”  This pattern is so well established researchers call it the ten-year rule.  In short, what they and others have discovered: There are not shortcuts!

The best people in any field are those who devote the most hours to what the researchers call “deliberate practice.”  It’s activity that’s explicitly intended to improve performance, that reaches for objectives just beyond one’s level of competence, provides feedback on results and involves high levels of repetition.

Fortune magazine gives this example:

Simply hitting a bucket of balls is not deliberate practice, which is why most golfers don’t get better.  Hitting an eight-iron 300 times with a goal of leaving the ball within 20 feet of the pin 80 percent of the time, continually observing results and making appropriate adjustments, and doing that for hours every day – that’s deliberate practice.

Have you ever been tempted to take shortcuts?  Did you?  What were the results?

The author describes the main subject of his book as “thin-slicing:” our ability to gauge what is really important from a very narrow period of experience.  In other words, spontaneous decisions are often as good as—or even better than—carefully planned and considered ones.   Gladwell explains how an expert’s ability to “thin slice” can be corrupted by their likes and dislikes, prejudices and stereotypes.

Whew, that was pretty heavy.
Take a deep breath…relax…are you still with me?

Here’s what Gladwell is saying:  People rarely make decisions as a product of long deliberation.  They make take weeks to announce a decision but often make the decision in minutes, perhaps seconds.

People do not gather data to make a decision;
they often gather it to JUSTIFY their decision!

They are not accumulating understanding; they are seeking comfort and support.  Most decisions are made, and then justified, rather than the other way around.

Therefore, that leads me to one obvious implication: “First impressions are really lasting impressions.”  The first impression, with startling frequency, is also the FINAL DECISION.

HERE’S THE POINT:
The first thing to plan for is your first impression.
Why, once a mind is made up, seldom does it change.

Has anyone judged you based on their first impression?

Have you ever judged someone based on your first impression?

Our leaders met this past Thursday to discuss and discern what God would have us to do corporately regarding the tragedy that rocked Haiti.  Although there are some conservative Christians labeling this as “God’s judgment,” we, however will take the high road & pray prayers bold enough to “WAKE… GOD UP.”   Please click the link for more information & join us!

MHBC Response to Haiti Tragedy 2010

What specifically will you do to respond to this tragedy?

Here’s a fact: Those who are comfortable with the status quo do not grow!

This is because remaining in a comfort zone encourages people to do the BARE MINIMUM.  Thus, their only goal is to keep things the same way they’ve always been.  To become successful (according to your predetermined standards of success) you must be willing to push yourself outside your safety zone over and over again.  In other words, you must plan to escape from the “Prison of Comfort.”

Realize that your comfort zone is holding you back – then step outside of it!

Pushing your limits is like stretching your body.  You will know it’s working when you start to feel uncomfortable.  When you feel that twinge, be assured that you are inching your way closer to your ultimate goal.  Let this be the year you decide to break free from the “Prison of Comfort.”  I know you may be afraid, but, I’m encouraging you to be bold and courageous.  I once heard someone say, “Courage is not the absence of fear; It’s moving ahead in spite of your fears.”

What would you do if you knew for sure that you would not fail?

So Who Are You?

Like every organization, every person has a dozen good stories that reveal that person.  Stories move people. Stories excite people. Stories change people.  Your task is to write your story – the true story.  Ask for input from someone who knows you well; someone who can give you perspective.  Start there.  Get help, if necessary, but do it TODAY!

What Do You Do?

Most banks (Pre-Mortgage Crisis Meltdown) almost always ask this question of organizations that come to them for money.  It’s a simple question, but the answers often are not.  You must answer simply, too.  Otherwise you will confuse people.  If it sounds like you do many things, or too many seemingly unrelated things, people will assume you cannot do any of them well.  Here’s an assignment: Ask and answer “What do you do?”  Show it to four people whose opinion you value and ask them:

1. Is it clear?
2. Is it simple?

What Difference You Are Making?

Can you describe what difference you are making in three sentences or less?  Are you ready for this challenge?  Marketers often refer to the necessity of defining one’s “point of difference.”  You must not merely answer what makes you different, but how what you do makes a difference for others.  Ask and answer “What difference am I making?”  Show it to four people whose opinion you value and demand they be ruthlessly tough with their answers.

There are other questions, too; I doubt this list is exhaustive.  But I think I have covered the major ones.

Question: What other life-changing questions do you currently ask?

People all over the country are choosing to move their money out of bigger banks and into smaller, community-oriented financial institutions that generally avoided the reckless investments and schemes that helped cause the financial crisis.

Fueled by the personal initiatives of thousands, it’s a grassroots effort that has the potential to shift power in the financial system away from Wall Street and to Our Street.  Keith Olbermann of MSNBC got behind the Move Your Money campaign on his show.  He believes: “It’s time to make those Too Big To Fail banks just a little bit smaller by moving your money to a local credit union or community bank.”

Stephanie Frost decided that she had been mistreated at her big bank for too long and enough is enough — she’s switching to a small financial institution.  She filmed herself going to close her account and posted the video to YouTube:

The Move Your Money Movement
…For the people, by the people…

Dr. Reynaldo Anderson, my fraternity brother posed this question on Facebook: What would happen if churches got behind this movement?  As I pondered that question, I estimate church goers give BILLIONS to their churches each year.

Additionally, I’m sure most of it is deposited into bailed-out banks – the same banks that refuse to lend to our members & their small businesses.  Imagine what would happen if Protestants, Catholics (net worth estimated @ $1 trillion or more), & all other religions were to band together and MOVE OUR MONEY!  I guarantee they’ll call us in for a congressional hearing.

Rey, I’m on it!