Father who carry the son in marathon

http://www.teamhoyt.com/about/index.html

very inspiring

How to Plan yearly

1. Last Year in Review—this part is a simple summary of the high points and great moments of the last year of ministry. This always provokes deep gratitude for what God has done, and challenges in areas that need improvement for the next year.

2. Personal Life Section—this section covers family and personal items like walking with the Lord, reading, studying, preparing for writing and teaching/preaching, family nights, vacation, date nights, and get-aways with my wife.

3. Twelve-Month Calendar—one page per month, but each month has been worked on carefully. All of the church events are in place. Each trip, activity, and critical season is mapped out. This ministry and personal calendar drives much of the rest of the planner. Of course much of it changes over the year, but it’s good to start with a twelve-month overview.

4. Months-at-a-Glance Project Lists—this is a one page per month list of the major projects of each particular month. It’s really a summary of the whole planner, by month. Each area of ministry is listed with the primary projects for that month. It’s a help to read this list every few days to make sure things are on track for the month.

5. A Section for Each Area of Ministry—in addition to a personal section, the planner includes a tab for every major area of ministry. For instance, mine includes youth, publications, etc. Each section contains the following: Vision, goals, projects, details. That’s a critical sequence—vision, goals, projects, details—because they flow one to the next.

6. Vision, Goals, Projects, and Details for Each Ministry—start with vision (given by God through time with Him). Then develop goals that realize the vision—make them measurable. Then create projects or events that fulfill the goals. Finally, put details like dates and steps to the projects. For example—a vision for youth ministry might include the transfer of biblical truth. A goal for that vision might be to lead a weekly Bible study time. A project to realize that goal might be to begin a teen Bible study or to teach the Ten Commandments. The details would include the step by step of when and how you will prepare those lessons or launch that new effort.

7. Particular Planning Tools for Each Ministry—for music ministry, this includes twelve months of music schedules. For youth ministry this includes a curriculum plan for what each class is teaching and when. For a radio ministry this would include the broadcast schedule. Each ministry has its own unique planning needs.

8. Flow Charts—each area of ministry usually has a team (even if they are volunteer). This chart shows who does what and how the work and ministry flows.

9. Ministry Budget—each area of ministry or each major event needs a budget—planning out the income and expenditures.

Why Planning?

Planning Ahead Ignites Fresh Vision and Passion. There’s something very exciting about asking God to enlarge your vision for your next twelve months of life. Asking the Holy Spirit to give you His heart and then writing down that vision really causes you to anticipate the future!

Planning Ahead Takes A Lot of Pressure Off. One of the keys for survival in a busy world is getting as many details out of your head as possible. The more time and energy (emotional and mental) that you spend “remembering things” the less time you can actually spend focused on what is most important in the moment. Creating an annual plan gets most of it out of your head and into a system—and that’s very energizing!

Planning Ahead Makes You More Productive and Effective. I would guess that the simple exercise of creating a plan helps us accomplish probably twice as much in a given year. Having a road-map makes the journey clear and the work more manageable and executable. Because you’ve thought through the details, you’re really able to give your best focus and energy to todays projects.

Planning Ahead Makes Family and Ministry Work Together in Balance and Harmony. A big part of my planner is my section on family. Creating the planner forces me to sit down with Dana and talk through every month of the year. In that appointment/date we look at every month in light of major events, school events, etc. With a Senior graduating this year, we looked even more closely at every month. In this exercise, the Lord allowed us to plan balance for our family as well as passion for ministry. We spent several hours on this and both came away a little emotional, but also very excited about all the opportunities ahead as we plan to serve the Lord and enjoy our family in the new year.

Planning Ahead Helps You Prepare for Busyness. Everybody has busy seasons of life, but too often those busy seasons catch us by surprise. They shouldn’t. Sometimes we’re too busy because we failed to plan. Other times, we’re busy by design—by God’s will. Having the whole year in view helps you see when the busy seasons will be and helps you plan for them before they arrive.

Planning Ahead Makes Room for the Unexpected. God is sovereign and just as sure as the sunrise, my life and ministry will be filled with things I could never have predicted. Crisis, urgent needs, and emergencies cannot be planned. But planning ahead actually makes you able to be more immediately responsive to the needs of the moment without losing your bearings on the big picture. Planning well actually enables you to step away from your plan to meet unexpected needs.

Maybe these thoughts will compel you to take some time, perhaps with your spouse, to sit down and plan your new year according to God’s will. Look at all of your roles and responsibilities and ask the Lord the help you put them on your calendar in appropriate proportions. Pastor Chappell said tonight, “What gets scheduled gets done.” That’s very true. If it’s not on your calendar, then it’s just not important to you—no matter how “warm and fuzzy” you feel about it. 

We have about four weeks before another new year dawns. Now is a great time to lay out all twelve months before the Lord and make a plan that honors Him.

Psalms 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Spiritual Thirst video - illustrate point on worship

http://powertochange.com/itv/spirituality/thirst/

Killing us softly

Rap to challenge prosperity gospel

Prayer is like Basketball

Taken from my friend Vivian who has a M.Div in Spiritual Formation 

Prayer for the Lost

As a church, we are burdened to pray for the unsaved or backsliding loved ones. It seems that many pray in a spirit of fear and worry instead of faith.  We need to pray with the promise from God's Words in faith.  It seems that salvation of some seems to be an impossibility, thus we need to know in Mark 10:27, "All things are possible with God"

When we pray and serve, we engage using the mighty power of God.  In reality, Christ has redeem all mankind.  Each person is actually God's purchased possession, although he is still held by the enemy.  We must pray by faith for the person to be redeemed.  We pray that the work of the enemy be defeated in the person.  Our prayer must be persistent.  Our prayers are against the powers and rulers of darkness.  We will find that as we pray, the Holy Spirit will give new directions.  It takes faith, patience, and persistence in knowing and experiencing how Christ is far above all authority of the rulers, powers, and forces of darkness.

When we pray, we are to present the person by name to Jesus Christ as His purchased possession.  We pray against the powers of darkness that claim a hold on this person's life so that this person will have the freedom to choose to accept or reject Jesus Christ apart from Satan's interference or bondage.  We pray that they Holy Spirit will draw this person towards Christ, convict them of their sins, and reveal to them the truth of salvation.  We pray that God will bring circumstances, people, and events into this person's life in order to reveal to them their need for Christ.  We pray that God will use us as instruments to being this person to Christ.  We pray that the Holy Spirit will guide our word and deed.  We pray that Christ's life, character, and nature will be formed in the person.

Power to Change videos

The following link is a video about the effects of sharing our faith.

http://powertochange.com/itv/spirituality/strangers/

http://powertochange.com/itv/family/other-six-days/

Inspiration Talk Natalie Warne: - Invisible Children

On being successful

Being successful is about having access.  It is about building a network of relationships.  When you help others, others often help you.  Success is about working with people and not against them.  We are to look into how to add value to the people we serve.

We are called to connect with one another.  This is achieved by the process of giving and receiving.  We are not to focus on keeping score and make sure that we can break even with the help we provide.  We gain trust by asking not what people can do for you, but what we can do for others!

It is better to give than receive.

Today's work ethics

Overcoming Procrastination

I suggest to do it with group effort.  There is nothing wrong with overcoming procrastination with a group.  You become who you spend time with.  If you hang out with motivated people, they will push you and help you grow.  If you hang out with unmotivated people, you won't get pushed and challenged.  I have to take the initiative the join a group of motivated people.


Let's get together with people who are pursuing the same goals as you.  It is easy to procrastinate when I am alone.  


 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

Overcoming discouragement

I am reminded in my devotion to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.  We are all part of the body and each member is indispensable.  The question remains how do I overcome discouragements?

It has to start with me and inside me.  I have to take responsibility for and ownership of my attitude towards life.  I have to feed my soul and make sure my identity is firmly rooted in Christ and not in my performance.  I have to embrace the truth that my worth to God is not dependent on my abilities and the size of my youth group.  I am to focus on the mission, which is to make disciples.  In the kingdom of God, size does not equal success, and growth is not the same as God's blessing.  Let's bless and celebrate with one another in prayer.  We must do a better job of breaking down the walls of competition between churches.

Called by Jesus into discipleship

"When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die" said Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  The word disciple appears more than 264 times in the New Testament.  In secular Greek, the word meant an apprentice in some trade.  As followers of Christ, we are called by Jesus.  The initiative began with God.

Imagine that someone is chosen to represent his country for the Olympics, his whole attitude and approach to his event will be quite different from someone who has himself chosen to go as a spectator. With the first, there will be a total and sacrificial dedication to the task, partly because of the privilege of having been chosen.  There will be a strong sense of responsibility which even the most enthusiastic tourist will not have.  The Christian church suffers from many who thinks that they have "made a decision for Christ".  Such attitude breeds spiritual death.  It is only when we begin to see ourselves as chosen, called, and commissioned by Christ that we shall have any real sense of our responsibility to present our bodies to him as a holy living sacrifice.  We are not to take on the challenges of discipleship on our own, Jesus Christ promised us the Holy Spirit as a guide for us.  It is the relationship we have with Jesus Christ that enables us in the discipling relationship.

Practical Advices to overcome financial worries

1. Do not over budget and plan.  It is unnecessary to plan everything down to the finest detail.  This would just increase more stress.  Rather, set financial goals ie) saving for college or a house, and then save according to the goals.

2. Set a time limit each day for worrying.  It is commanded by God for us not to worry.  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?  Allocate a reflection time each day to share the worries and burdens.  Be discipline and only worry about things tomorrow at that set time.

3. Give generously.  When we give to help the needy, we become who we are called to be.  Realistically, we are very rich relative to the rest of the world.  Let's be good steward of the resource God entrusted us with.

Reflections on heaven

Heaven has everything to do with the human environment.  We see God acted in the Old Testament through Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Joseph,... David... etc.  The yes of the Lord run back and forth across the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. (2 Chron. 16:9).  In the New Testament, Jesus Christ being God himself dwell amongst the people is a reflection of what heaven is like.  Heaven is translated from the word sky or air from the Old testament Bible.  Ancient people look at sky more as a limit than as a place.

Practical Christianity look at heaven as a place in distance or a far place in outer space.  Instead of heaven and God also being always present with us, as Jesus shows them to be, we invariably take them to be located far away and most likely at a much later time.  No wonder most people feel alone in their faith.

Experiences of God in space around us are by no means restricted to the Biblical record.  God is alive and He is at work at all times.  This may leave people to be uncomfortable, but this is necessary for us to have authentic faith in God.  The presence of God may not be a visual experience, it may be hearing or touch as well.  Heaven is right here and right now, and it will be fully realized when Jesus return for the 2nd time.

Phychic Fair Fail

Why would you put trust in psychics?

Why is there no maximum wage?

15 Years Ago vs. TODAY

50 Ways to Become the Answer to Our Prayers » practical resources » the simple way

1. Fast for the 2 billion people who live on less than a dollar a day.
2. Contact your local crisis pregnancy center and invite a pregnant woman to live with your family.
3. Ask your pastor if someone on your church’s sick list would like a visit.
4. Join an open AA meeting and befriend someone there.
5. Adopt a child.
6. Mow your neighbor’s grass.
7. Volunteer to tutor a kid at your local elementary school. (Try to get to know the kid’s family.)
8. Grow your own tomatoes—and share them.
9. Ask a small group in your community to meet regularly for intercessory prayer.
10. Build a wheel chair ramp for someone who is homebound.
11. Read the newspaper to someone at your local nursing home.
12. Plant a tree.
13. Look up the closest registered sex offender in your neighborhood and try to befriend him.
14. Throw a birthday party for a prostitute.
15. When you pay your water bill, pay your neighbor’s too (they’ll let you… really).
16. Invest money in a micro-lending bank.
17. Ask the next person who asks you to spare some change to join you for dinner.
18. Leave a random tip for someone who’s cleaning the streets or a public restroom.
19. Write one CEO a month this year. Affirm or critique the ethics of their company (you may need to do a little research first).
20. Start tithing (giving 10%) of all your income directly to the poor.
21. Connect with a group of migrant workers or farmers who grow your food and visit their farm. Maybe even pick some veggies with them. Ask what they get paid.
22. Give your winter coat away to someone who is colder than you and go to a thrift store to get a new one.
23. Write only paper letters (by hand) for a month. Try writing someone who needs encouragement or who you should say “I’m sorry” to.
24. Go TV free for a year. Or turn your TV into a pot where flowers grow.
25. Laugh at advertisements, especially ones that teach you that you can by happiness.
26. Organize a prayer vigil for peace outside a weapons manufacturer such as Lockheed Martin.  Read the Sermon on the Mount out loud. For extra credit, do it every week for a year.
27. Go down a line of parked cars and pay for the meters that are expired. Leave a little note of niceness.
28. Write to one social justice organizer or leader each month just to encourage them.
29. Go through a local thrift store and drop $1 bills in random pockets of the clothing being sold.
30. Experiment with creation-care by going fuel free for a week – ride a bike, carpool, or walk.
31. Try only reading books written by females or people of color for a year.
32. Go to an elderly home and get a list of folks who don’t get any visitors.  Visit them each week and tell stories, read the bible together, or play board games.
33. Track to its source one item of food you eat regularly.  Then, each time you eat that food, pray for those folks who helped make it possible for you to eat it.
34. Create a Jubilee fund in your Church congregation, matching dollar for dollar every dollar you spend internally with a dollar externally.  If you have a building fund, create a fund to match it to give away and by mosquito nets or dig wells for folks dying in poverty.
35. Become a pen-pal with someone in prison.
36. Give your car away to a stranger.
37. Convert your car to run off waste vegetable oil.
38. Try recycling your water from the washer or sink to flush your toilet. Remember the 1.2 billion folks who don’t have clean water.
39. Wash your clothes by hand, or dry them by hanging to remember those without electricity or running water.  Remember the 1.6 billion people who do not have electricity.
40. Buy only used clothes for a year. 
41. Cover up all brand names, or at least the ones that do not reflect the upside-down economics of God’s Kingdom.  Commit to only being branded by the cross.
42. Learn to sew or start making your own clothes to remember the invisible faces behind what we wear.  Take your kids to pick cotton so they can see what that is like (and then read James).
43. Eat only a bowl of rice a day for a week to remember those who do that for most of their life (take a multivitamin).  Remember the 30,000 people who die each day of poverty and malnutrition.
44. Begin creating a scholarship fund so that for every one of your own children you send to college you can create a scholarship for an at-risk youth.  Get to know their family and learn from each other. 
45. Visit a worship service where you will be a minority.  Invite someone to dinner at your house or have dinner with someone there if they invite you. 
46. Help your church congregation create a Peacemaker Scholarship and give it away to a young person trying to avoid the economic draft, who would like to go to college but sees no other way than the military. 
47. Eat with someone who does not look like you.  Learn from them. 
48. Confess something you have done wrong to someone and ask them to pray for you. 
49. Serve in a homeless shelter.  For extra credit, go back and eat or sleep in the shelter and allow yourself to be served.
50. Join a Yokefellows ministry at a prison close to you. Remember that Jesus said he would meet you there (Matt. 25).

50 Ways to Become the Answer to Our Prayers » practical resources » the simple way

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