I Love FB!

I love Facebook! It's so cool to catch up with people from the past and find old friends. The best part is discovering what people are doing with their lives. In recent days I have seen where friends are doing ministry all over the world, planting new churches, adopting children, developing leaders and making an impact for the kingdom. It's awesome! God is using so many of my friends to do so many great things. 

I love Twitter! With it I get to see what is happening and how God is using them right now. I just got a tweet from someone who is preparing a sermon for Sunday, another who is on her way to be a counselor at camp, one who is working with Student Life all summer and another who is gathering with a group of kids for a night of fun and fellowship. Again, it's awesome!

I am so thankful that God has used me in a small way in many of their lives but I am more grateful for how they continue to impact my life. Each Facebook posting and each tweet is like fuel in the tank. They encourage me and give me energy for each new day and task. 

God is in the multiplication business. He uses us to multiply His kingdom. That's why we are here. Each post each tweet is an opportunity to continue that process of multiplying and growing the Kingdom of God. We have so many tools available to us today. Never take for granted the opportunity God is giving each one of us. So post, post, post and tweet, tweet, tweet and let God use who you are and what you are doing for His glory! 

The Power of One

This fall BridgePoint is beginning a campaign that we hope will turn into a movement. We are calling it One. The longer version would be The Power of One. Before I go further let me say I know there is a campaign out there called One. It was started by U2's Bono. It is a campaign to fight extreme poverty and disease. We in no way are trying to steal their thing. In fact we will be encouraging our people to get involved with One. If you would like more information go to www.one.org and see what they are doing. What we are doing at BP is expanding into the spiritual truths of One. The power of The One, Jesus Christ.

I really am excited about where we are going and will from time to time be blogging about our experience.

Today I was thinking about the power of one and how I could illustrate that for our people. I am sure you have all heard the example of taking a penny and doubling it every day for 27 days. If you do that at the end of the 27th day your 1 penny would become $1,320,417.20. WOW! The power of that one penny reproducing itself is incredible.

Another example is one I have used in youth talks for years. I found it in a little book called "Boiling Water in a Paper Cup and other unbelievables." It was a book I checked out from the Winter Haven High School library in the 10th grade and never returned. I'd hate to see that fee!

In the book is another example of the power of one. Suppose it were possible to cut a large sheet of paper in half, then in quarters, eighths, sixteenths and so on for 53 cuttings. If you then piled up all of those pieces of paper, one on top of the other, how high would your pile be? The answer is hard to believe. That pile of paper would be 350 million miles high!

Now, you might be saying what does that have to do with one? You're talking about many more pennies and pieces of paper than one. What I'm talking about is the power of that first, one. The power of the first penny. The power of that first piece of paper and it's first cut. If you and I would realize the power we have to begin a movement simply by duplicating or reproducing ourselves and then teaching those who we produce to do the same and so on and so on, we can quickly discover that we can be a part of changing the world. It's that whole "pay it forward" idea.

For those of us who are Christ followers this idea has awesome power. Often times we feel overwhelmed at how far our world has moved away from God, and I am sure if you are like me, you have said "but what can I do about it?", or "it's too big for one person." But when you look at it like the penny or the paper it becomes much more doable. There's power in your oneness!

All we have to do is focus on the "one" opportunities that God gives us. We need to take advantage of that one chance, have that one conversation, take that one step, share our one story and make that one effort. If we do, and then teach others to do the same, we will see the power of one. We will reach our world and make the impact God wants us to make.

I'm sure I will visit this idea many more times in the future. Remember, there's power in your oneness!

Tim

Ordinary People Extraordinary Lives

At my church, BridgePoint, we are doing a summer series called Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives. We are looking at individuals in the Bible who while they were quite ordinary God used them in extraordinary ways. It's a fun series but also comforting because I have spent most of my life fighting the "ordinaries" 

As I continue this journey of pastoring a church and spending a lot of my time preparing weekly messages I am amazed at how God confirms and colors each weeks message by the things I see and the experiences I have each week. Tonight is another one of those.

I am watching the All Star Game on TV. There is nothing like the mid-summer classic. I really do love baseball. During the opening ceremonies they of course honored the ballplayers who were voted into the game. By the way this years group is great. But, in addition they honored ordinary people who have gone above and beyond. Ordinary people who have tackled problems, issues and needs in their communities. Ordinary people who have accomplished extraordinary things right in the middle of their everyday lives.

This Sunday I am sharing a message about an ordinary man who while going about his daily tasks allowed God to use him. He didn't do anything spectacular or that would even be noticed. He just allowed God to use him how he was and where he was. All he was doing was carrying water. But in the act of carrying that water God used him to pave the way and prepare the world for Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.

I think that is what God is looking for. Not people with extreme talents or abilities. Not people who can hit a baseball 400 feet or throw a 95 mile per hour fastball. Not people who can speak eloquently or who can sing. Not people who have tremendous amounts of money, power or influence. Those are all good and if you have those abilities you must recognize who gave them to you and give them back to Him. But what I think God searches for are those of us who are willing to give our everyday, walking around, ordinary lives to Him and let Him do whatever he wants with them. Knowing that what He wants is to make our lives extraordinary.

That has certainly been true in my life. I thank God everyday for how he takes ordinary me and allows me to partner with Him. That's extraordinary! I'm glad I get to be a member of the Order of Water Jar Carriers. Will you join me? Will you allow God to take you right were you are and do something extraordinary with your life? 

Whatever It Takes!

Tim

UP!

I am preparing for a series we are calling Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives. We will take a look at different individuals in scripture who God used in extraordinary ways to do extraordinary things for Him. 

While I was in Jacksonville last week my family and I went to see the Pixar movie, UP. It was a great movie and I highly recommend it even if you don't have kids.  I don't want to steal anything from the movie but there is this one part that really struck me. You see the main character in the movie has grown old, lost his wife and in his mind has failed to succeed in the great adventure of his and her life. He is consumed with the fact that he and his wife never accomplished their life's dream.

As the movie goes on he discovers that the things he most values and the things that he thinks are keeping his dream of adventure alive, are actually the things that are keeping the adventure from happening. Only when he is willing to let go of those things does he experience the life he dreamed of.

How many of us are missing out on the adventure of a life time because we can't let go? How many times do I miss out on opportunities to experience that "life abundantly" that Jesus offers because I can't let go of what I perceive to be the things that are going to give it to me?

Jesus said "Do not store up treasures on earth... But store up for yourself treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." 

Lord help me to let go of that which I treasure. Help me to give up to you everything that I am and all I hope to be, knowing that in your hands I can experience the adventure and life I dream of. 

Go see the movie!

Tim