Faith is...

"Faith isn't the ability to believe long and far into the misty future. It's simply taking God at His word and taking the next step." - Joni Eareckson Tada

I think this is an appropriate quote for Compass Church. We are simply taking God at His word and walking step by step in faith. In fact, our pastor's blog is even named "The Next Step"!

Cool.

Leverage

I read a post today from Jason Berggren who has made a recent announcement about changing careers to pursue his passion. Here is a paragraph:

"Truth be told, the thought that in 10 years I could be looking in the mirror wondering why I didn’t try to pursue my passion more aggressively also haunts me. We have one life. Let me say that once again. We have one life. One life to leverage all that we can to make a difference with all that we have."

The above paragraph - especially the last sentence - really hit home with me. Not because I am realizing that there is something more that I am supposed to be doing - but because I'm doing it now. My entire life up to this point has been preparing me to do what I'm doing now. I am absolutely certain that God has put me in the place that I am "for such a time as this". (I've been really taken with the story of Ruth lately - incredible story - you should check it out.)

The underlying passion throughout my life has been music. I'm pretty sure I couldn't survive without it. Over the last 3 years (especially this last one) I've been learning how to worship through music. Really worship. When I'm worshiping in that way it's like I'm doing what I was always meant to - like it's the reason I was created - and that I'm preparing for eternity when I'm singing to God in worship. I am constantly amazed at how much I'm learning in the middle of this ministry. I am just SO honored to be a part of it. I don't understand why God has allowed me this opportunity - but I am definitely going to give it everything I have - for as long as He lets me do it (forever would be fine with me).

I've also never felt this sense of urgency before - that if I don't tell them about Christ - no one will! My husband and I prayed last night that God would give us scripture to pray for the people of Roanoke - we were drawn to the story of John the Baptist and the calling of the first disciples. When God said, "follow me" - they immediately did. Not because He looked cool, but because they already knew who He was and when He came to town they were ready to give their lives to Him. John the Baptist came first. To tell them. There was something different about him. He was wild and obviously passionate. He was constantly saying "I am not the Christ - but I can tell you that He's coming - and you won't believe how wonderful He is!" That's my passion right now. I want to connect with the people of Roanoke in such a way that they will know that I have passion - that there is something different about me. That there's something different about Compass.

I have gone off on a tangent - I know. Here's one last verse from Jason's blog. At Compass we've come across this verse a few times in the last few months - it's really meaningful to me.

“And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.” 2 Corinthians 8:10-12

Purpose for Today

On the Monday Morning Insight blog, there are a few recent quotes from Rick Warren, one of which really caught my attention:

"It doesn't matter how much you accomplish. If at the end of the day you don't know God a little bit more and you don't love God a little bit more, you have just wasted your day."

What a simple statement. But I'd never thought of it that way before. Any day not spent pursuing God is a waste. Cool stuff. What a great reminder that the only purpose I have is to know God and love God more - and to give Him all of me - all the time.

The Complexity of Jesus

I read a blog today from Randy Bohlender that was both intriguing and inspiring. Here's a small taste...

"I spent some time in John 2 this evening and found myself grinning at Jesus. We have simplified him so, primarily to make our Vacation Bible School songs rhyme and our stories to end in fifteen minutes…but this is one complex man...

...This great teacher – this complex man – was continually seeding the minds of his followers with a seeds of understanding that wouldn’t fully bloom until months and even years later. Even when he was confusing most people, he was teaching them. While most of us will do anything to be understood here and now, He invested his effort in maximum impact toward the purpose of launching a revolution in the spirit of man. He was willing to be misunderstood now if it meant being respected and honored later. He personified – even deified – delayed gratification.

This is not an ordinary man. I must know him better."

Check out the whole blog here.

What it's all about...

Tony Morgan had a post today about the incredible weekend they had at Granger Community Church. I was moved to tears looking at the pictures of the 400 people they baptized yesterday. 400 PEOPLE! That's it. Right there. The whole reason I'm a part of Compass. 400 people now know God that didn't before they came into contact with Granger. Those people have experienced a life change - they will never be the same. I pray that the communities in the Alliance, TX area will come to find something different at Compass. That we, as individuals and as a group, can lead them to the One that can heal, the One that cares, the One that can change EVERYTHING! That's what it's all about. Changed lives. I am just so grateful to be able to be a part of it - to give testimony of my own changed life. I know that we can make a difference. How could I not get excited about that?

From Boring to Weeeeeeeeeeeee.....

I read a blog today (from Tony Morgan) that made me laugh out loud. Mostly because we (Compass) have talked about several of these ways to make church more boring on more than one occasion. In fact - we were guilty of # 4 at least a few times in the early days. And I really think # 8 is funny!! Hee, hee. I can laugh now because we've come SO far since then. SOOO far. Seriously.

The leadership team met up last night at Starbucks (Chai tea latte - yum!) and there was an excitement among us that I can't even explain. Not only are we closer as friends than we've ever been before, but we're more passionate about our mission than ever before. It's so cool to be a part of a group where during almost every meeting I can be laughing so hard my head starts hurting and then nearly moved to tears just moments later. In one of Beth Moore's video series (The Beloved Disciple) she tells a story of her and her husband driving across a rugged terrain at a ridiculous speed in an open jeep screaming for joy at the excitement of the ride. Well - that's me.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

www.seejanerock.com

In case you haven't heard - I'm putting together a band. The website is up - although there isn't much there yet. Let me know what you think.

If you know of any drummers - guitarists or other musicians that are looking for a place to rock - send them my way.

Compass Rocks

I've decided that Compass Rocks.
Hey, but don't take my word for it. Come see it for yourself. We're launching in January.
Can't wait 'til January? Me neither. That's why we're having Preview Services in November and December.
Still too anxious to wait? Me too. So we're planning a pre-launch, see what we're about, worship and fellowship together service in mid-October and one in a few weeks, too!

Cool, huh? I'm so excited - and I just can't hide it. Okay, maybe I should save the 80's lyrics for another time - sorry. But really - I AM excited. For a number of reasons. Here are a couple:

1) Our message is authentic & relevant. Really. I mean it. I know that churches are always talking about relevance. But how many talk about authenticity? At Compass - you'll find the real deal. We are who we say we are. We really DO love people. We really DO want to help you with REAL life situations. We really are committed to kindness and compassion. I can't wait for you to come check it out in person (you can only learn so much from a website).
2) Our music is different. On purpose. I'm so excited to report that the kind of music that you would normally hear at a "contemporary" church in our area - you won't in ours. Our music is not only rockin' - it is in words that the normal person can understand. You won't hear too much "church language" in our music. There's a reason for that. There is a huge amount of people in our area that have never been to church. They don't understand the lingo that most churches use on a regular basis. Don't get me wrong. Those words are important to me too. I love to sing songs that talk about the worthiness and holiness and magnificence of God - but if you've never been to church before - chances are that you don't. Compass Church wants to connect with those people. We want to help them connect with who God is. We also want to make sure that our music is not boring. God isn't boring. God hates boring. Why shouldn't we sing to Him in a way that echoes back the creativity that He models for us? God is not contained, defined, or limited - neither should our music be.

Would you like a little sample of the stuff we play at Compass? Some of the music you'll hear is music from The Benjamin Gate, Newsboys, Starfield, Tree 63, Jennifer Knapp, Switchfoot, Lifehouse, Planet Shakers, the David Crowder Band, Hoobastank, Coldplay, Audio Adrenaline, Rock N Roll Worship Circus, Gavin Degraw, and anything else that we can honor God with (which, by the way, is a pretty big selection of songs).

Check out our website. Check out our pastor's blog. Check back often. So much is going on - I hope you'll stay in touch.

Blogger Laziness

Yikes! Has it really been 8 days since I last blogged? Sorry. It's been a busy 8 days. Here's the rundown:

* My sister got engaged! Cool!
* We're going to Cancun for the wedding - even cooler!
* I had a very cool weekend in Corsicana with my friends, the team, at Compass.
* I cleaned my house
* I watched INXS (I agree with Gary that Jordis is the next to go)
* I began writing a new song - it's almost finished.
* I played guitar while laying in a two-person hammock and watching the sun rise (definitely the coolest part of my week).
* I watched a few good (Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason - it made me cry) or not so good (Star Wars III) movies.
* I went with my sis and mom to look at wedding gowns - man she's beautiful!
* I ate at Logan's (yummy)
* I ate at I-Hop (for a wedding planning meeting with my sis and some other cool chicks)
* I got my voice back - YEAH!!
* I got some very cool new Office Depot gadgets at work
* I endured temperatures at work of over 90 and under 70 degrees (we are an office of extremes - apparantly)
* I decided that I must give up soda! (I'll start next week - how's that for wimpy)

That's all I got for now - I'll blog about real stuff later.

Growing Pains

My daughter, who just turned five yesterday, woke up this morning complaining about an aching leg. I told her that it was just growing pains (although it was probably just that she slept funny) and that because she is five now, she must be getting bigger. She asked if that meant she would need to go to work like Mommy and Daddy.
Isn't it funny that she thought that because she was getting bigger - she must already be "big". I tried to explain to her that there was much more growth that needed to happen before she needed to get to work. She asked if there were some things she could do now. "Of course" I told her - she can do chores and feed the cat. There are lots of things she is ready to do now - the size that she is.
I wonder if that applies to me? Just because I'm growing doesn't mean I'm ready for everything God has in store for me just yet. But I AM able to do SOME things. I just need to make sure that He is the One deciding what I am able to do - and not me. I also hope that I am able to do those things He's entrusted me with as enthusiastically as my daughter does her chores. She is so excited to be able to do things for me - hoping to make me proud. She never thinks about the things she is not able to do yet - because she considers it a privilege to do things I let her do. God is so much smarter than I am - he knows what I'm ready for and what I'm not. I need to remember that it is such an incredible privilege to get to do the things He allows me to do. He obviously doesn't need me. I'm not THAT important. But how great it is to be invited to be in on the God things that are happening around me.

Wisdom from a 4-Year Old

My 4-Year old has a unique understanding of things. Sometimes I wish that I thought the way she did. She started Kindergarten last week and is learning this week about Creation - specifically the first few verses in the Bible. So, she has been asking a lot of questions - and I am loving it. Yesterday, on our way to school, she asked me if Jesus was God - and if so, how.
Well, I explained to her that yes - Jesus was also God - and then gave her the ice/water/steam analogy in the simplest way that I possibly could. She then said - very matter-of-factly - "Oh, I see - His first name is Jesus and His middle name is God."

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for choosing Compass Airlines...

Most of you know that I am part of a church plant in Roanoke, TX. We've had a number of challenges over the last couple of years, most of which have turned into major advantages. Check out Johnny's post for specific examples.
I've been thinking alot lately about the upcoming months and how we will design our services to really make an impact in our area. I've come to some conclusions:

I read an article about how before we put together our services we need to know who we are - personalities, etc. I think that up until now we've been trying to figure out what will reach people - what people will respond to. Well, if we first figure out what WE respond to, that will help us communicate with passion, excitement and actually reach the people God means for us to reach. God put our personalities together for a reason - and it's not so that we can do church like we always have. I think we are supposed to play on our strengths, passions, preferences, and styles and then - ONLY THEN - will we reach the people God is calling us to reach. Lets design a service - or Weekly gathering - that WE would be able to get excited about - and want to invite people to. Let's take the church goggles off and dream a little. We CAN have fun with this. Church is supposed to be fun - it's supposed to be creative - it's supposed to be different. People will respond to us if we're genuine and real - we've talked about this a million times. I think that it's time to put our worship service where our mouth is. It will take major dedication, creativity, excitement, passion, time - but we can absolutely make it happen.

It's like all of the sudden my eyes have been opened and I see things not for what they were or what they are, but for what they could be. It's the DUH moment. Actually I've had a lot of DUH moments over the last couple of weeks. I feel so stupid that it never occured to me before. God chose us - who we are - our personalities, etc. for this area at this time. We don't have to wait and see what God will do. HE's called US to do something. To reach out in an exciting and real way to the people in THIS area and tell them about Him. When we're obedient to do that - He'll move in a mighty way. It all seems so simple, now. God has given us the opportunity to be creative - to get excited - to be passionate and to have a blast at the same time. I've been saying that I'm learning what a privilege it is to be in ministry and to be a part of God's will.
It's like my first airplane ride - I expected something really cool. I knew that it would be great. But when the wheels of the plane left the ground for the first time and I realized that I was FLYING - Words couldn't express how I was feeling. My mind was expanded at that moment - suddenly the world was a lot bigger - and I was a lot smaller - and it was WONDERFUL! I finally saw a glimpse of the Big Picture - and I will NEVER BE THE SAME.

That's where we are as a church - the wheels are leaving the pavement. Just like in the airplane - I held on a little tighter to the armrest as the nose of the plane pointed toward the sky and the ground got farther away - we need to do the same now - hold on tighter. There is a natural excitement that we'll feel just knowing that the plane is going higher and higher and pointing more and more toward the sky - and the higher we get, the looser our grip will be on the armrests. The higher we go - the more we will trust the thing that is holding us up. The higher we go - the more of the picture we'll see. I'm so ready to fly. I've never been more ready.

I'm the mom of a Kindergartener

Today was the first day of Kindergarten. I think I was WAY more nervous than Elisa was. She was excited. She even picked out a special gift for one of her classmates that she knew from pre-K to give her on the first day.
I just have to say that some days I am busting with pride over my child. Those of you that hate it when parents brag on their children - look away...here it comes:

I LOVE MY KID! I can't hardly believe how great of a person she is shaping up to be. Every day she gives me so many reasons to be proud of her. She is kind, thoughtful, generous, SO smart, creative, loving, trusting, accepting, inquisitive (which I think is a great thing), brave and all those other things I wish I was all the time. Isn't it weird how we can learn to be more Christlike from our children. She struggles with obedience and patience, but so does everyone. I wonder if my Heavenly Father every feels for me the way I feel for her. I suspect that He does. I look at her and am so proud of how hard she tries to please me and at how much she learns and applies every day. I hope that I can make God as proud of me each day. Gosh, my kid rocks!!

God & M&M's

I overheard an argument earlier this week that got me all fired up. It doesn't matter what the argument was about (but if you really want to know, I'll tell you). What matters is what I re-realized about my God as a result of that argument.

I really love M&M's. I do. The best thing about M&M's is that I like them all equally. Not like skittles. I don't like the yellow skittles, and the greens are not my favorites either. But M&M's - yummm! Even the ones that are deformed - or have an M on both sides, or the ones without an M at all. I LOVE THEM ALL.
We are to God as M&M's are to me. He loves every one.

My God does not discriminate. He does not pick and choose. He wants everyone to know Him. He is a God of MERCY, GRACE, FORGIVENESS, LOVE, KINDNESS, DID I MENTION GRACE & LOVE?!

God chose to send Jesus as a sacrifice for the sins of the WORLD! Not the sins of a chosen few. God sent Jesus for ME!!! and for YOU!!! ANYONE that calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. (that's scripture!)

TALK ABOUT GOOD NEWS!!! (You can now assume that the caps means that I'm shouting!)

If you understand nothing about God - understand this: He Loves You. He Chose you. He Wants you. He sent His ONLY son to save you. No matter who you are - or what you've done. You have the opportunity - the choice - to accept His gift of forgiveness. You have the opportunity to accept Christ's sacrifice - and to know God. EVERYONE HAS THIS CHOICE.

Christ came for you - because He couldn't imagine eternity without YOU!

DUDE - that IS good news! Spread it around.

Personal Growth Plan update - Ministry Goals

I mentioned a while back that I've developed a personal growth plan for myself for this Fall. As a part of my growth plan, I've written out ministry goals. I based them on the 5 purposes of the church and of the believer as penned by Rick Warren in The Purpose Driven Church. Here they are:

CONNECT: To use music to connect with people and to reveal God's love, grace, and invitation to them to partner with Him in life and join Him in eternity.

GROW: To constantly seek to become more like Christ in every are of my life and ministry.

SERVE: To invest in and meet the needs of the people I come in contact with through work, church, everyday life, and any other way in an effort to display Christ's accepting and servant-hearted character to the people He came to save (that's everyone!)

SHARE: To use my music, my testimony, and my life as a tool to share what God has done in and through my life, and to shine brightly as a light in the darkness so that others may see the light and want what I have.

WORSHIP: To live every moment of every day in testimony of God's goodness and to give my everything in response to His greatness.

This is all just a beginning. In the coming months and years, these might change as I learn more about my part in the Big Picture. Right now, I'm just so grateful that I am a part at all.

I found a blog today - very cool blog...

I found a blog today - very cool blog. You gotta check out his project. I love the idea. I think I might steal it a little bit.

GOD BIG, me small!

I read a post today by Tadd Grandstaff who is the Spiritual Development pastor at Ridge Stone Church in Georgia that made me think. I love it when things inspire me to think. How else would I ever get smarter? Here's the snippet I most enjoyed:

"I am once again challenged to search my life, to search my heart, to dig deep inside myself to find out where my focus is. In the midst of all the success, in the midst of all the mountain top experiences, it's easy to forget my first love. I want to renew that relationship, to fall back in love, to fall to my knees and realize in all of God's extraordinary plans I am just a small piece. I am dime a dozen, He could easily plug someone else in my place and have the same finished product. I am never bigger than His plan. It's amazing what God can do you when you just get silent and listen!"

God always does an excellent job of reminding me that I am never bigger than His plan and that He can accomplish it without me 100% of the time. BUT - God is an inviting God. He always gives me the opportunity to be a part of His plan. If I always remember that it is a privilege to be a part of God's will and to serve Him in whatever He calls me to do - then I will be able to be a part of much more than I could ever experience on my own - SO MUCH MORE!

Very cool, Tadd - thanks.

Input vs. Output

I've discovered today that my good intentions mean nothing to God. You've heard the old phrase, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions", well I've decided that is not far from the truth. Although, as a child of God, I'd have to say the road to disconnect is paved with good intentions. Or the road to discontent or distraction. I have been completely distracted over the last week, and for the life of me I can't figure out how it happened. I'm sure I can give a big fat list of excuses, but the truth is I allowed myself to get distracted. My intentions were good. I am thinking all the time about scripture I'm memorizing or prayers I need to pray, or even how great God is. I'm getting a lot of spiritual input, but no worshipful output is happening on my part. God doesn't want me to just learn all I can, memorize His word, listen to sermons and "be fed". My purpose is to worship God with my life. My goal is to live my days in a way that brings glory to His name. I'm not sure I did that this week. I will make it my focus today.

I Discovered My Strengths

After all the buzz about the Now, Discover Your Strengths book I had to go and check it out, literally. I didn't want to buy it because there are SO MANY books I want to buy right now, that I wasn't sure this one should be the top of the list. SO - I flipped through it - reading a little of this and a little of that and decided to go ahead and take the test. I know, I know - I should read the whole book. But I'm reading several other books right now and I really wanted to just get to the conclusion. Enough talk. Here are my results:

Positivity - "People strong in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do." "They are generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation." "They inject drama into every project...and celebrate every achievement." "They can't quite escape their conviction that it is good to be alive, that work CAN be fun, and that no matter what the setbacks, one must never lose one's sense of humor."

Woo - "People strong in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over." "Strangers are rarely intimidating to you...you want to learn their names, ask them questions, and find some area of common interest so that you can strike up a conversation and build rapport." "Not only are you rarely at a loss for words; you actually enjoy initiating with strangers because you derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection." "In your world there are no strangers, only friends you haven't met yet - lots of them."

Belief - "People strong in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life." "You are family-oriented, altruistic, even spiritual, and value responsibility and high ethics both in yourself and others." "These core values give your life meaning and satisfaction...provide you with direction, guiding you through the temptations and distractions of life toward a consistent set of priorities." "Your friends call you dependable...your belief makes you easy to trust. It also demands that you find work that meshes with your values. Your work must be meaningful; it must matter to you. And guided by your Belief theme it will matter only if it gives you a chance to live out your values."

Connectedness - "People strong in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason." "You are considerate, caring and accepting. Certain of the unity of humankind, you are a bridge builder for people of different cultures. Sensitive to the invisible hand, you can give others comfort that there is a purpose beyond our humdrum lives....Your faith is strong. It sustains you and your close friends in the face of life's mysteries."

Strategic - "People strong in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues." "The strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. You can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make decisions."

Happy Anniversary To Me!!

I've been blogging now for 2 whole months! WOOHOO!
Happy anniversary to me!
Johnny got me started, so go see his blog.

My sister is standing over my shoulder and thinks this "blog thing" is ridiculous - or actually just that I am ridiculous. Just wait, though. I'll get her blogging before long - you'll see.

Happy Sunday to you all!

Rock Star: INXS

I missed the elimination show last night!! Man was I bummed. But I did log on to the INXS website to find out who went home. Shocker of all shockers it was both Daphna & Heather. I was not suprised that they were eliminated, just suprised that they were both eliminated on the same night. Normally I have issues w/ singing shows (American Idol) because people are eliminated for weird reasons - which is why they end up with mediocre finalists and why the audience loses interest in the show near the end (at least I do). But, I must give credit to the INXS people (whoever they are) because almost every week I've cheered the decisions made (although I think Wil might have left too soon, and Daphna & Heather not soon enough).
I thought I would give you some predictions - or actually my opinions of how things should go:
Next to leave: Jessica (a long time coming)
After Jessica (in no particular order): JD, Tara & Deanna
I think the last six should be: Brandon, Jordis, Marty, Mig, Suzie & Ty
Then Brandon & Ty should go.
Right now my fav's are Mig & Suzie.
Mig really nailed the Aerosmith tune - not very many people can say that!
Suzie has the most vocal talent in my opinion.
I think Brandon, Jordis & Marty are great performers, but their vocals are not the best.
As of now, I'm not sure who I think will win it - I think it will be between Jordis, Marty, Mig & Suzie (my pick would be Mig or Marty). I think Suzie is the most talented, but probably not right for INXS.

That's all I got for now.

Scripture of the Week - Week 4

"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

A good friend of mine forwarded a story to me today - normally I do not read forwards, but felt inclined to read this one. It was about the process involved in refining silver. I have heard about this process before, and it always affects me the same way. The story references Malachi 3:3 ("He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.") and is comparing God to a silver refiner. Here are some quick highlights:

He (the silversmith) explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."

Neato story - to think that God has that much control over our circumstances, and that he allows just the right amount of "fire" to mold us into who He wants us to be - into little Christs (Christians).

It's good to know that no matter what happens to us, God is in control and will use it to make us more like Him.

A quote from my devotion today:
"Jesus is your victory for every battle you will encounter. Call on His name."

Compass Church

North Point's website is in the process of a major overhaul - check out the progress here.

In case you haven't heard, our name is changing to Compass Church!!

This is an exciting time for North Point - check out Our Story.

More, oh so much more, to come in the months ahead - stay tuned!

More on Success

Here's an excerpt from another daily devotion that I read -

There is a distinct difference between the believer who operates based on living in the Promised Land versus the one who operates in Egypt. In Egypt, the believer sweats and toils to generate an outcome. The final objective is foremost in their mind. Outcome is everything. In the Promised Land, we learn that obedience is the only thing that matters.
We are called to execute, and leave outcome to God. Sometimes that outcome is very positive, yielding a return. In other cases, we may not yield a corresponding return. We may even get a negative outcome. The difference is that we know that we have been faithful to what God has called us to and we yield results to God. God may call each of us to be obedient to situations that may not yield immediate, positive results. It is in these times that our faith must be obedience-based versus outcome-based. What if Jesus had considered the immediate ramifications of whether he would go to the cross? Based on the immediate outcome, the decision would have been an easy one. Who wants to die on a cross? However, for Him there was a higher purpose in that obedience. We are called to this same kind of obedience. This means putting our own flesh on the line daily, dying to our own self-will. This is what it means to be faithful. Pray that God will make you faithful today.

More cool stuff!

What is Success?

I've struggled with this question many times during the last couple of years. Mainly because of my part in a church plant. In the beginning of my relationship w/ North Point (soon to be Compass Church!!) I didn't really know what a church plant was, and I most definitely didn't know what I was getting into. I DID know that God was giving me an opportunity to get involved with what He is doing by being a part of this new venture. Throughout our church's journey (see our story here) we've asked ourselves many times how we define success. I think the closest I've come to a definition is "Being obedient to what God has called me to do" - that's success. I must be obedient to God and the success of my efforts is up to Him - isn't that comforting? - God is in control of the success or failure of the mission.

I found a verse today that I had read before, but not from this perspective - "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ ." 2 Corinthians 1:21.
Here's a quote from the bible study:
"The lesson I have learned from my failures is that I don't have to succeed. I have to do the right thing under God's guidance, and leave success or failure in His hands." - isn't that cool??
My part in God's plan is to stand firm in Him - to be obedient, to do the right thing - He'll take care of the rest.
I love this verse because it helps me to concrete in my mind a kingdom mindset, or a Big Picture perspective - I am not even able to stand firm in Christ apart from His guidance. I cannot even obey on my own. However, "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength" - with God's guidance - I can do my part! I can stand firm! My success within this church plant is dependent not on my own talents, abilities or hard work - but on God's abilities. My part is to be obedient and to always do the right thing according to God's guidance - and His plan will succeed.

Proverbs 3:5-7 (New Living Translation)
5Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.

Very cool stuff indeed!