Cancer Facts:
More than 10 million Americans are currently living with, through or beyond cancer.
More than 1.3 million people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer this year.
Of adults diagnosed with cancer today, 64% will be alive five years from now.
One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime.
Three in four families will care for a family member with cancer. (American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts and Figures 2004)
One famous cancer survivor is Lance Armstrong. His live strong bracelet has become a symbol of the fight against and the celebration of victory over this deadly disease. But as you know, Lance did more than just survive. He excelled. He was given a second chance at life and that motivated him to go beyond anything he might have accomplished without having gone through the valley of the shadow of death. Not only did he excel on the bike, he established a world wide organization to fight Cancer, support those fighting the disease personally, and include survivors in the mission. His organization is called the Lance Armstrong Foundation and it’s symbol, the LIVESTRONG™ Bracelet.
-Approximately 55 million people across the globe wear a LIVESTRONG™ wristband in support of people living with cancer
But there is a disease that is more deadly than Cancer. 100% of humans suffer from this disease. It is a sure thing that those who die with this disease will continue to carry the effects into eternity. Of course I’m referring to the disease of sin. There is a cure, and there is a world wide movement designed to offer that cure and to support those who fight the disease around the world. We champion a mission of leading people to receive the cure for sin and death. Those of us who are survivors of the disease have a responsibility to support the afflicted and to encourage one another to LIVESTRONG.
I want to issue a challenge to all of us this morning to live strong. We, like Lance Armstrong, have been given a second chance at life. This should motivate all of us to not settle for anything less than our best in return. 2 Timothy 2:1 contains Paul’s challenge to Timothy. Listen to what He wrote: "You then my son, be strong (LIVESTRONG) in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."
LIVESTRONG What if we brought the same intensity to our mission, dreamed with the same worldwide vision, acted with the same burning passion as that of Lance Armstrong toward His mission? Would God use us to impact this world in a practical and positive way ?
Paul gives us an action plan to LIVESTRONG in verses 2-7 .
Verse 2 "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others."
Reproduce: make new leaders. Do you have someone under your leadership that is reliable, able to teach others also? Are you modeling reliability and aptitude in their presence? Are you entrusting, mentoring, delegating? Are you encouraging and allowing them to try their wings under your tutelage? In other words, are you reproducing yourself? How can we grow as a church if we do not grow and develop our leadership base. You are the key to that. If you are not reproducing, you are not LIVE(ing) STRONG
Verses 3-4: "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs -- he wants to please his commanding officer."
Re-enlist: in God's army. What does it mean to be a good soldier? It means you follow your leaders. It means you trust your fellow soldiers with your life. It means you defend your mission to the death. It means you maintain your focus in battle and believe in your cause even in the midst of criticism. Are you a good soldier? Do you believe in and support those who lead you? Do you trust and support your fellow leaders? Do you present an enthusiastic positive message to those you encourage to join you? Are you a uniting and positive force in taking ground from the enemy? LIVESTRONG! Be a good soldier. Don’t get distracted or discouraged. LIVESTRONG
Verse 5: "Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules."
Recommit: to God's rules. If you play golf with Paul Waldo, you will see someone follow the rules. A key ingredient in his ability to do that is his knowledge. He actually has read and studied the rulebook. He doesn’t push the rules on you, but if you ask, he will tell you what the rules are. In order to follow the rules, you have to read and study the rulebook. Want to be a great leader? Study the book! Want to develop other leaders? Study the book. Examine the leadership principles found in the Word of God. From time to time we offer leadership development courses in the HILL, like the one beginning Sunday night. Are you encouraging potential leaders in your influence to attend? Are you planning to attend. Are you LIVE(ing) STRONG?
Verse 6: "The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops."
Re-examine: your work ethic. Lance Armstrong didn't just develp the ability to break every record in the book, he worked hard. Lance was driven, focused, and had a tremendous work ethic. Paul talks about the work ethic of the farmer. I have experienced some of that . Some years we work ed hard and there was little to show for it. Other years the harvest was great. The work level was consistent however. As a Bible study leader, are you farming or are you squatting. A squatter just takes up space on the land in hopes they can stay around long enough to make it theirs . A farmer works on the land he has taken ownership of, and reaps a harvest. Those who LIVESTRONG farm their ministry and help it to bear fruit. They contact absentees. They develop connections with new members. They create new groups as often as possible. They have fellowships, make calls, cook meals, plant the seeds of Scripture, and work hard. They plant, water, and watch as God gives the increase. They LIVESTRONG!
That is the challenge. Live strong as a sin survivor:
Reproduce yourself in at least one other leader.
Re-enlist in God's Army and commit to stay focused and faithful in battle.
Recommit to study the rulebook and live by the rules.
Re-examine your work ethic and work the ground in which you are planted as a leader.
Reflect on the meaning of Paul's charge to live strong. (See verse 7)
2 Timothy 1:7 "Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this."
Showing posts with label Random Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Random Thoughts. Show all posts
Monday, February 26, 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Momentum
Jim Collins has a whole chapter on momentum in the excellent book, Good to Great that illustrates how an organization (yea even a church) becomes a force in the life of a community, or a nation, or the world.
He asks the reader to imagine an enormous flywheel--a great rock balanced on a huge wooden rod. A large work force begins pushing against the rock. After a whole shift, owing to the enormous mass of the rock, they are only able to move it one foot. The next crew comes in seamlessly building on the work of the first crew, they move the rock two feet. After many days, each crew is moving the rock a quarter of a turn, then half a turn, then a celebration as a full revolution is accomplished in one shift. Eventually there is a full revolution per hour and so forth. Each shift builds on the momentum of the last and is able to push the rock faster and faster and faster until finally it is moving with a force so great so that a whole shift could miss a turn and momentum would keep the wheel moving.
The whirling flywheel is a picture of kinetic energy. Until all the pushes were applied, there was potential energy in the organization but no movement. It pictures all the effort necessary to create forward motion in a plateaued organization, not to mention one in slow decline (you have to stop the wheel from going in the wrong direction first!) The giant wheel pictures the idea that once some success is created, success tends to breed success. Now, imagine someone sees this whirling fly-wheel and says, "Which push was the key push that created this success? Which was the key push? Tell me how I can make my flywheel spin like this!"
The question itself makes the point and needs no answer. There is no one thing that creates momentum for a business, for an individual or for a church. It is the successive effort of thousands and thousands of pushes--those thousands of efforts to move that wheel just a bit that creates the enormous, unstoppable, whirling momentum. It is the hundreds of touches and contacts with neighbors or co-workers or prospects that finally yields a decision to follow Christ. It is one person's changed life that impacts another and another until the multiplication factor kicks in and the great flywheel is spinning on it's own. It is that casserole to a sick friend, that kind and listening ear at work. It is the volunteer stuffing envelopes or the faithful Bible teacher. It is the children's worker or the server in the church kitchen. It is the guy making coffee and the greeter handing out gift bags. It is the upward coach and the nursery worker. Those are all pushes of the giant wheel until people are coming to Christ in numbers you never imagined when you were first taking your turn pushing on the flywheel. Lives being changed, needs being met, disciples being formed like never before.
Every organization has those who stand and watch the progress, waiting to see what happens next. There are others who watch all the effort and say, "That's much to do about nothing." Still others choose to oppose the effort saying, that won't work, the wheel will never move like that! I'm going somewhere where the wheel is already spinning so I can enjoy the ride!" The more people who put their hand on the wheel and push, the more it will move.
It is so easy to look at a growing dynamic church and ask the wrong question: "What is the key? What was the change that created all this? What was the push that made it possible?"
There was no one push. Thousands and thousands of individual, heroic efforts by ordinary people over a long period of time made it possible.
Gradual, slight, incremental pressure, if consistently delivered, can result in monumental change over a period of time.
Will you put your hand on the wheel? Will you add your push? Will you lead the way to the wheel so others can join your crew? Let's consider these things as we approach the Leadership Summit in Salado.
He asks the reader to imagine an enormous flywheel--a great rock balanced on a huge wooden rod. A large work force begins pushing against the rock. After a whole shift, owing to the enormous mass of the rock, they are only able to move it one foot. The next crew comes in seamlessly building on the work of the first crew, they move the rock two feet. After many days, each crew is moving the rock a quarter of a turn, then half a turn, then a celebration as a full revolution is accomplished in one shift. Eventually there is a full revolution per hour and so forth. Each shift builds on the momentum of the last and is able to push the rock faster and faster and faster until finally it is moving with a force so great so that a whole shift could miss a turn and momentum would keep the wheel moving.
The whirling flywheel is a picture of kinetic energy. Until all the pushes were applied, there was potential energy in the organization but no movement. It pictures all the effort necessary to create forward motion in a plateaued organization, not to mention one in slow decline (you have to stop the wheel from going in the wrong direction first!) The giant wheel pictures the idea that once some success is created, success tends to breed success. Now, imagine someone sees this whirling fly-wheel and says, "Which push was the key push that created this success? Which was the key push? Tell me how I can make my flywheel spin like this!"
The question itself makes the point and needs no answer. There is no one thing that creates momentum for a business, for an individual or for a church. It is the successive effort of thousands and thousands of pushes--those thousands of efforts to move that wheel just a bit that creates the enormous, unstoppable, whirling momentum. It is the hundreds of touches and contacts with neighbors or co-workers or prospects that finally yields a decision to follow Christ. It is one person's changed life that impacts another and another until the multiplication factor kicks in and the great flywheel is spinning on it's own. It is that casserole to a sick friend, that kind and listening ear at work. It is the volunteer stuffing envelopes or the faithful Bible teacher. It is the children's worker or the server in the church kitchen. It is the guy making coffee and the greeter handing out gift bags. It is the upward coach and the nursery worker. Those are all pushes of the giant wheel until people are coming to Christ in numbers you never imagined when you were first taking your turn pushing on the flywheel. Lives being changed, needs being met, disciples being formed like never before.
Every organization has those who stand and watch the progress, waiting to see what happens next. There are others who watch all the effort and say, "That's much to do about nothing." Still others choose to oppose the effort saying, that won't work, the wheel will never move like that! I'm going somewhere where the wheel is already spinning so I can enjoy the ride!" The more people who put their hand on the wheel and push, the more it will move.
It is so easy to look at a growing dynamic church and ask the wrong question: "What is the key? What was the change that created all this? What was the push that made it possible?"
There was no one push. Thousands and thousands of individual, heroic efforts by ordinary people over a long period of time made it possible.
Gradual, slight, incremental pressure, if consistently delivered, can result in monumental change over a period of time.
Will you put your hand on the wheel? Will you add your push? Will you lead the way to the wheel so others can join your crew? Let's consider these things as we approach the Leadership Summit in Salado.
Monday, February 12, 2007
The Beatitudes for the Apathetic
It is my contention that the #1 sin of modern believers is apathy. We aren’t bad people - we simply live disengaged lives. No matter how much the apathetic Christian might say “It’s not about me,” deep down they know it really is. Christ called us to live engaged lives. He used action words like, love, encourage, go, make disciples, forgive, care, give, pray, lift up, exhort, etc. The apathetic want a life free of risk. If you love, you could be rejected. If you encourage you could be rebuffed. If you go, you could get hurt. If you make disciples you could be disappointed. if you forgive you could be manipulated. If you care at all, you take a risk. The beatitudes teach that reward always follows risk. Here are the beatitudes rewritten for the apathetic believer. The risk has been removed, but also the reward. They might make you smile, they might make you groan, or they might make you cringe, but if they make you do anything at all, perhaps there is hope for you!!
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they don’t seem to bother me much.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they usually hide in a corner and I don’t have to deal with them.
Blessed are the meek, for they don’t get in my face and cause me grief.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness as long as they don’t expect me to.
Blessed are the merciful, for they are easily exploited.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they usually do whatever I ask.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for someone has to clean up my messes.Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for they take the heat off of me!
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