someone like nancy

part of my job here at newpointe is to lead small groups for students. i love it. seriously, the meetings with our small group leaders are one of the highlights of my job. it's so cool to see our small group leaders get involved in the lives' of students and really help them grow in their relationship with god and each other.

one of our small group leaders, nancy bell, has been involved with student ministries for awhile - long before i got here. she's been so faithful in loving her girls and walking with them through hard times in their lives. in the last year her group has gone through some pretty serious and heavy life changes and she's been right there with the girls. nancy embodies what we expect out of small group leaders. she loves the girls, relates to them well, spends time with them, and ultimately points them to jesus.

i could go on, but there are some people who can say it better than me...

Someone Like Nancy from NewPointe Community Church on Vimeo.

tell the story...

i'll admit it...i love a good story. i do. it doesn't really matter how it's packaged, just give me something compelling that speaks to my humor or heart.

Law & Order.
30 Rock.
Extreme Home Makeover.
Everybody Loves Raymond.
Friends.
The Office.

all of these tell a story with the goal of making you laugh, cry, change the way you view the world, or just help you suspend belief for awhile.

the church has similar goals. we want people to change the way they view the world or view themselves. we even want people to be compelled enough to tweak their behavior.

if you look at jesus you notice that he usually taught in stories, parables, and real life examples. jesus used the power of a good story to get to the heart of those who were listening. he used compelling examples that spoke to the lives of every person. in the end - he was successful at helping people change their views and behaviors.

as a church we need to be
vivid storytellers who paint scenes
not
sterile communicators who transfer knowledge.

what's gettin me excited...

these are exciting and crazy times here at newpointe.

god is showing up in a huge way. he's changing people's lives and letting them experience community like they've never know.

heck, god's changing my life and teaching me more about community every day...

check this...
easter sunday was a huge day at newpointe.
the halls were packed.
















also, this sunday 11 people are getting baptized! how exciting is that?
some of the staff got a little preview this afternoon...
you won't want to miss baptisms this sunday...

















there's nothing better than being a part of life change.

books and movies...

you've heard the saying "don't judge a book by it's cover..." but do we really live life giving others the freedom to be who God intended them to be? i don't. sometimes i fall into the trap of looking at someone and assuming they will act a certain way, say a certain phrase, or look at life in a certain way.

we all know it's wrong to judge people in this way.
sometimes our assumptions are right.
sometimes are assumptions are dead wrong.

i love when my assumptions are blown out of the water.

check this video to watch your initial assumptions get blown out of the water...

use it or lose it...

have you ever seen those assessment tests? you know, those quizzes where you answer questions to find out what you're going to be when you grow up. how about the test you take to find out what spiritual gifts you have? or how about the quiz on facebook to determine which "Friends" character you are? okay, maybe not the last one...

now, i'm not dissing those quizzes because they can be very helpful. i mean, i took them when i was younger and some actually helped me see things in myself i hadn't before. but, i think sometimes we spend so much time taking the tests and quizzes about ourselves that we actually miss out on living and serving.

want to know how i really found out about myself? want to know my secret? i DID something. i got in the game. i learned more about my giftedness and my serving abilities while i was actually serving. i learned more about my personal goals and passions while i was doing something - anything - even if it wasn't the ideal.

you want my advice? if you want to know what God wants you to do; if you want to figure out how you're gifted - start doing something. seriously, stop analyzing and evaluating and start serving.

it's when we're in motion that God can use us - danger comes in stagnant living.

friends...

gonna continue with the fans vs. friends topic.

most people like the fans - and they get the friends and fans confused, i do too. fans come and go. they swoop in your life and tell you want you want or need to hear - and do it with boldness. after all, they have nothing to lose. we admire their courage, but they are risking nothing.

a friend gives you advice or a kick in the pants, but they are slow to speak and quick to listen. quick to listen - slow to speak. you see, when you're a true friend you are doing life with someone. relationship must move from professional to personal. you know their other person's personality and still like them. sometimes you hurt each other, but at the end of the day you'd do anything for the other person.

i don't want to be a swooper. i don't want to come into someone's life like a tornado and tell them truth, give them advice, mess them up and leave. i'm in it for the long haul people.

doing life together is hard.



think about this - are you giving more time and trust to the swoopers?
or - are you looking to the friends to do life with you?

in a lifetime you'll have hundreds of fans, but the friendships are what will really matter.

fans and friends

read a great blog this week by steven furtick about the difference between a fan and a friend. have you ever heard of this? he combined a bunch of teachings he's heard in his blog post. i've been thinking about it and thought i would share.

whenever you're in a position in the public eye - leading an organization, working at a church, involved in the community, etc... - you have two types of people in your life. fans and friends.

a fan is someone who is there for you. fans love to be around you because of the energy you bring. they love you because you both love the same things - and the minute they find someone else who loves the same things, but they can be with them at a limited personal expense - they are gone.

a friend is someone who is there with you. a friend is someone who is doing life with you. friends celebrate with you in your success - but more importantly they are with you in times of defeat. a friend knows you in a real way and they still like you. when the charisma and the energy wear off they are still there - and it seems like there is nothing you can do to run them off. they are committed.

man, we all need more friends in our lives. sometimes it seems we give more attention to the fans because of the way they make us feel. the fans make us feel like we add value. but, we all really need to pay more attention to the friends in our lives. we really need to work hard to prioritize the people in our lives who are willing to walk along with us through the ups and downs of life.

fans aren't bad. they can help you and encourage you, but in the course of a lifetime fans will come and go - friends will always be there, no matter how hard it gets or how hard you push.

Check it.

a few things...

just a few things before i leave the office for the weekend...

-my mind hurts. i have been thinking really hard this past week. it's been really good, but it's tiring.
-i love newpointe. we are growing and we have to add another service! exciting!
-i am surrounded by great leaders. dave, kevin, dwight...all great leaders.
-this week i was reminded of god's love for me. if you believe it and live it your life will change.
-a good friend reminded me to find my confidence in god - and nothing else. good reminder.

it's been a big week and i am tired, but it's a good tired.

voices carry...

when we go through certain circumstances and situations in our lives we often turn to family, friends, and coworkers to give us some advice or encouragement. if you're anything like me you realize that God uses these people in a great way to guide us towards decisions or give us wise words. many times people offer us advice that - while good intentioned - can leave us confused, or take us down a path we never intended to go. on the other hand there are people who consistently offer good advice that is logical, Godly, and wise.

here's the important part. make sure that the voices you listen to are pointing you to the character of God, giving you wisdom, and have good intentions. sometimes there can be so many voices coming at you that you are confused, but you need to choose which voices are louder. it is up to you to make sure the people who you love, trust, and know are pointing you to God drown out the voices that speak in haste or plant thoughts you know aren't wise.

someone asked me today, out of all the voices you hear 1. who's is the loudest 2. and who's are you choosing to believe.

people are always ready to give you their two cents, but remember to turn up the voices that speak God into your life, then believe that what they say is true.

after all, voices carry.