We’ve been working our way through Jesus’ most famous message, “The Sermon on The Mount.”
Last week we looked at giving of ourselves to others- in Matthew 6:1-4.
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Speaking is tough.
I love it, but it is not easy to craft a fine tuned message every week.
It takes a great deal of study, research, prayer… and practice.
Yep, Practice.
So, when I went to speak at the church I first worked at, I knew I had to bring my “A” game.
Real Life was the place I learned to let my ego go.
During those 7+ years of ministry I became a better leader.
I released a lot of anger issues, made plenty of mistakes, and received a lot of grace.
I love Forefront, but it was nice to see some old friends and speak about “Temptation.”
Want to listen to how it all went down? Check out the message below or click here to download the mp3
What if everything we used @ Forefront worked like normal, but was as small as this…
Our set-up would take no time at all.
And our set-up crew would throw a party if our gear was this tiny. Ha.
What is the future of the portable church? How will it adapt to the new technology coming out?
There are all kinds of tech ideas out there waiting to be used in their fullness.
It’s a very cool time to be a portable church.
Even cooler to be a part of Forefront.
If money was no object…
I. LOVE. STAR. WARS.
My wife refuses to watch them with me.
I recently came across this website featuring TK455 and TK479, Stormtroopers in the Galactic Empire Army.
They take photos of themselves doing ridiculous things.
It’s awesome.
If you’re bored right now- it’s a great way to loose time looking at photos.
Jason *over and out*
From a conversation I had a couple days ago…
“So I noticed recently you haven’t been blogging. Aren’t you afraid your traffic will slow down? What about your readers, don’t they need to hear from you? How do you stay connected with them? Just curious. I thought a big blog rule was to post every day and keep people coming back.”
I laughed out loud as they asked this. I know that sounds pretty rude, but it just made me laugh and I’m not one to hide my emotions. I informed them I don’t blog entirely for readers, I blog because I need a release and love to write. I also blog to allow the people who come to Forefront a glimpse into my life, to get to know me better. If people read, super. If they don’t, that’s cool too. I love the interaction of social networking, but I had to stop worrying about that awhile back.
If my worth comes from readership, blog stats, people affirming my thoughts/opinions, and feeling a burden to constantly stay connected to a digital world- I’m screwed. Luckily, I find my worth in what matters. Or better yet, who matters.
Unplugging allows me…
to focus on the important things.
to lead my family.
to invest in my wife & daughter.
to pour into my relationship with God.
to give direction and encouragement to our staff.
to act a fool just because I need a release (just actin’ goofy with no reservations).
to sit and contemplate the future.
to listen to the voice of God.
to allow God to cleanse my spirit.
It felt good to unplug for the last couple of weeks, but now I’m back and ready to roll again.
If it doesn’t feel good to unplug or you just cannot bring yourself to do it… you’re addicted and need to tell someone. RIGHT NOW.
Jason *over and out*
Two years ago…
You’re mommy and I were still processing the loss of your sister.
We were unsure of ourselves.
We were wrestling with God and His movement in our lives.
Then we got the news.
You were inside of mommy.
God put you there to change our lives.
Your smile. Your eyes. Your beautiful little walk you do.
I love the way you tell me you’ll hold me.
Even though it breaks my heart to see you cry when I leave, I’m glad you miss me.
One day, you’ll be too cool to want me around.
So, for now I’m eatin’ it up.
You’re my “Little Pookie.”
Thanks for teaching me about the love God has for you, mommy, and me.
Thanks for giving us two years of gazing into the love of Jesus.
Love, your Daddy.
Came across this post awhile back, stuck it in a folder for a future illustration, but never used it.
Definitely got me thinking…
Washington, DC, Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes, a middle aged man noticed there was a musican playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried to meet his schedule…
4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and without stopping continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3-year-old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money, but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro Station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities. The questions raised: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…How many other things are we missing?
What have you noticed lately?
Did you stop and enjoy it?
“Do you trust me?”
Well, it depends… on what kind of beard you have.
Wanna get schooled on how to know what beards to trust when???
Check out the complete graph of beards here. [ht: j_rocka]
Jason *over and out*
I had the opportunity to spend some time in our large group children’s worship on Sunday. They were incredible. I was so impressed with the team down there. The kids just blew me away with their excitement and love for God. Here are a few things I learned:
1. Kids Put Adults To Shame When It Comes To Worship. There’s a reason Jesus holds the innocence/passion of children so dear. They were singing at the top of their lungs. I loved it. Almost got hit with this kids dreads as he swung them around. It ruled.
2. Kids Aren’t Afraid To Let Go. As I watched them, they just enjoyed the moment- without any concern what anyone else thought. How many times do we think about doing something, only to immediately wonder what others will think? Yeah, I’m talking to you.
3. Kids Are Listening. Really Listening. When asked what kind of choices they make, they screamed “WISE CHOICES!!!” Now we might say as parents they don’t always do as they know, but they’re listening. I’ve talked to too many adults who ask what to do, and I think “Have you listened at all in the last 6-12 months as we’ve discussed God & Jesus and how to live?” Kids are listening. We could take note.
4. Kids Get Jesus And His Love. They all signed shirts for a bunch of leaders (including myself). The shirts had 80+ kids signatures and on the back it said, “A True Friend Has Your Back.” The adults & kids talked about how Jesus died for our sins and essentially had our back. The kids wanted to let us know they had our back and were praying for us and thanked God for what we do. It was so cool.
5. Kids Take Pride In Loving People. One kid after another came up after service to tell me two things: “Pastor Jason, I signed your shirt. I have your back.” and “Mr. Jason, I love what you do for my mom and dad. Thank you.” They were proud of themselves for loving others. I wonder what it would look like if every adult was just as amped on loving other people??? Hmmmm.
6. Kids Are Excited About The Volunteers In Children’s Ministry. If you want to thank someone for the change in your kid- thank God. If you want to thank who God is using to help lead your kid- thank a volunteer. Those kids LOVE the volunteers down there. They are amazing. They don’t get paid a cent. They simply love your kids and want to help them love Jesus. They are “Grade A” Amazing.
7. Kids Need Someone To Engage Them. While worshiping & teaching- they were great. But, it was due in large part to a group of loving volunteers to kept them engaged, focused, and on track. The thing is, they love it when adults show them attention. If you have kids, come home and drop what you’re doing. Take time to play, wrestle, laugh, join in their world. Engage them. You won’t regret it, I promise.
8. Kids Are A Vital Part Of God’s Church (RIGHT NOW). I’ve heard some people equate children’s ministries across the country to “day care.” I would disagree. Especially with the format our team provides for Forefront. They plan specifically to your child’s age to help them understand basic biblical concepts and ideas. They work pain staking hours to make it happen. Because your kids are important. It’s not a day care, they are vital and we love and teach like the world depends on it.
9. Kids Need To Know Their Parents Love Jesus. As a kid, my parents were involved in the church. Teaching. Leading. Building Maintenance. Whatever They Needed. Now I didn’t always listen in church, like going, or believe what I was learning as a kid. But, I watched as my parents loved Jesus. Now, they didn’t always get it right, but they modeled it. I attribute that as a major factor for me being a Christian now. Parents, show your kids you love Jesus.
10. Kids Need A Team Effort. The church is great. We’re teaching your kids about God, Jesus, love, joy, and redemption. But, we are with them for one hour a week. You have them for the other 167 hours during the week. The church doesn’t have near the influence parents do. It’s a team effort. The church is here to help, but we cannot be the only influence. If we are…
“God, please be with this rising generation. May we teach them and lead them to love and follow you. Push us to be better leaders, adults, examples, and followers of Jesus.”
Amen.
Jason *over and out*
