We are now in the 3rd week for the year 2012. Many people have made New Year Resolutions and many have not. Many are doing well with those resolutions and already many are struggling to keep them.
How are you doing with your 2012 resolutions?
Blessings
Kris
Just wanted to let everyone know that I will not be posting much if at all on here for at least the rest of the month. I am currently at Camp Atterbury, Indiana demobing after spending a year in Afghanistan.
Once I am home and settled, I will begin to post regularly on here
Blessings
barefoot 4 Jesus
Kris
Yesterday I had the awesome privilege to worship with Pastor Ken Patterson and Grace International Church in lovely downtown Baltimore. This was the first time meeting Ken and Grace International Church. Ken is very passionate about the Gospel and about his relationship with Jesus. Kens’ passion overflows into his vision for Grace International and his passion to preach a unified Gospel message for all. What makes Grace International a unique church in my opinion is that they desire to be a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural church in the Baltimore area. Kens’ message yesterday was out of Joshua 3. Ken made a profound statement that really struck me and has really got me thinking.
In Joshua 3, we read about the tribes of Israel crossing the Jordan River. The unique thing here is in Joshua 3:13. “And when the “soles” of their feet….shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing.” The people were able to cross unharmed. Ken encouraged the listeners to find out what “your “Jordan” is” and what is it that God wants you to possess?
Ken shared further that the passion of Grace International (@unthinkchurch) is that everyone will feel welcome and that we can become barefoot for Jesus and worship him together, leaving our differences at the door and worshiping together as one body.
I think that this is the beginning of an awesome movement of worship, where all people of all races, all life backgrounds, all walks of life can come together, united as one and worship our one true living Savior.
Will you join me and @unthinkchurch in becoming “Barefoot for Jesus” this year?
love God. love people
Kris
As I am writing this post, I am 32,000 feet above somewhere between Incirlik Airbase, Turkey and Ramstein Airbase, Germany. It was a little less than a year ago that I was in the same area only headed in the other direction. A lot has gone on over the last year. I have been in Afghanistan since 18 December 2010. I have traveled all over Zabul Province in Southern Afghanistan. I have made many new friends and seen a lot of interesting places. This trip was a little bittersweet as I knew that it would be the beginning to the end of my 12 year military career. My contract is up in early 2013 and I have decided that I will not re-enlist for a 3rd time. I have spent 3 years in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past 10 years of serving in the military. I am excited to see what the future holds and I am also excited to announce that for the first time ever, I have developed a Game Plan for Life. This plan includeds aspects of where I am at now in my life and a direction and guidance on where I want to go and be in as much as 3 years. I have developed a Vision Statement for my life in 2012 that will help my to stay on track with my Game Plan. I have also developed 7 Core Values that I believe are a neccessity in my life. I have also enrolled in school full-time for the first time ever and look forward to furthering my educational knowledge. I will share my Vision Statement and Core Values later in another post. I just wanted to share these things with you while I was 32,000 ft in the air.
Blessings
love God.love people
Kris
I ran across this and thought I would share it!!
–Avoid riding in automobiles because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents.
–Do not stay at home because 17% of all accidents occur at home.
–Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14% of all accidents occur to pedistrians.
–Avoid traveling by air, rail or water because 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation.
–You will be pleased to learn that only .001% of all deaths occur in church
–Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is church!!
Because People Matter
Kris
I am usually not much of a reader, but I have recently found a new appreciation for reading and here is what I have picked so far for my summer reading list.
Weird by Craig Groeschel
Crazy by Francis Chan
Plan B by Pete Wilson
Simple Church by Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger
Radical Together by David Platt
The Millennials by Thom & Jess Rainer
12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching by Wayne McDill
Communicating for A Change by Andy Stanley
7 Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley
What is on your reading list this summer? What other books do you recommend that I put on my reading list?
Because People Matter
Kris
Just food for thought-
In Thom and Jess Rainers’ book “The Millennials: Connecting to America’s Largest Generation,” They suggest that the Millennial Generation (those born between 1980-2000) has become the most influential generation. Over 78 millions births occurred between 1980-2000.
What does this mean? This means that people from the ages of 11 years old to 31 years old have surpassed the Baby Boomers and have become the leading influence in America today.
What are you doing to reach this generation? Churches can not afford to miss out on the opportunity to reach this generation. I believe that if we are going to reach the world for Christ, we must start with reaching the Millennial Generation.
Share your thoughts!!!
Because People Matter-
Kris
We are getting ready to start the second half of the year.
As I think about the fact that we are almost to June, I look back over my life to reflect how my life is different now than what it was at the beginning of the year. I look back at the "Spiritual Markers" in my life to be able to see where I have grown and where I have not grown.
What is your spiritual growth plan?
How is God using you this year?
Will your life be any different at the end of the year than it was at the beginning?
What are the spiritual markers in your life?
Do you know how to recognize them?
How are you keeping track of your spiritual growth?
Because People Matter,
Kris
With the release of the iPad 2 a few months ago, the buzz among pastors recently has been about utilizing the iPad from the pulpit.
Many pastors have found that the iPad proves very useful for sermon preparation as well as delivering the sermon from the pulpit using the iPad.
I have an iPad myself and I can see where it would become very useful for the pulpit.
Various programs such as EverNote, GoodReader and Dropbox make it possible to store and access all study and sermon notes by organinzing them in folders with a central location accesable via any internet access.
What about you? How do you prepare your sermons? What "tools" do you use? Have you ever thought of utilizing an iPad within the pulpit?
Share your thoughts!!!!
Because People Matter
Kris
Aiming for 2nd place
At a family dinner last week, I overheard one cousin ask another one
this, about her recent dance competition:Was it one of those competitions where you competed? Like for 1st or
2nd place?The conversation then proceeded as normal. She just wondered
whether it was a competition with prizes or one where “everyone wins” or one
where there are rankings when you’re done. I get that. But in the
moment, I was struck by two words: 2nd place.
Nobody competes for 2nd place, do they?
If that’s your goal, any good coach would tell you you’ve sold
yourself short. Even if you’re not that good, you always
start out competing for the grand prize. No NFL team says, “We hope to
lose the Super Bowl game this year.” Coaches are honored
and revered because they won the Super Bowl, not
because they lost it. Pitchers are remembered because they
won the World Series.Nobody dreams about ‘winning’ second place.
So why in our churches do we think it’s ok to aim for second place
in areas like
- leadership
- church events
- Sunday’s music
- Sunday’s announcements
- the resources we produce
- the small groups we lead
- the trainings we offer
- the meetings we plan
- the blogs we write
- the conversations we have
- our sermon series
- our outreach initiatives
- community impact
Does the Gospel make it ok for us to shoot for
second? Because the message is so powerful, are we then given the
freedom to not give our best effort to all areas of
our life and ministry? It’s tough to see how God is honored when we put
forth half-hearted efforts. Ever.So let me be your coach today. Don’t compete for 2nd
place! Give it all you’ve got!I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly
prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. – Philippians
3:14
via www.benreed.net
This is a great article from Ben Reed Director of community groups at Grace Community Church
krislogsdon.com 