Planning Ahead

Nothing is more frustrating for me than a lack of planning. Being in a creative field, I cannot stress the importance of planning ahead enough. Nothing is usually done right the first time. At least nothing is done the best the first time.

You may be able to pull something together at the last minute, but that will show in the end. When putting a production or message together it is a must to know more than a week in advance what you will be talking about and what you will be needing in terms of media elements.

Creativity takes time and to get the very best illustration takes trial and error. Plan ahead. Do things this week for next weekends service. This weekends service should already be planned and ready to be executed.

Small last minute tasks are what volunteers are for. You would not want to be planning a major portion of your service two days before.

You don't make up your battle plan two days before you go to war!

My Bible Journey

In Genesis chapter 4 we see the story of Cain and Abel. Cain grew up to to a farmer and Abel became a shepherd. When harvest time came Cain and Abel brought the results of their work before God. Abel brought the best of his firstborn lambs and Cain brought some of his crops. The first thing I notice here is the words best and some. Abel brought his best, Cain brought some. On top of that Abel brought the first born of his livestock, this shows thought.

How often when God blesses us do we give our best in return? I think most of the time we seem to give him some of our harvest without giving it any thought. We are to give off the top, the first fruits, of our harvest, not the leftovers.

My Bible Journey

The other day I picked up a new book to begin reading. About half way through the first chapter it hit me that I have spent lots of time in the past months reading several different books, but was not reading the bible nearly as much. After upon further reflection it became even more clear to me that I have never really read the bible all the way through. So I put the book down that I was going to read and opened the bible. Genesis Chapter one. I was off and running. It is amazing how the word speaks to you when you read it without looking for anything. In times past I have always read the bible to find someway in which my life could apply. The word should be applied to my life, not my life applied to the word. And what a journey it has been so far. I will be posting about my bible journey over the next several post. I am already in the middle of Exodus so I will try to get you all caught up with how the word has been affecting my life.

TheMix08

Here it is the new promo for the Mix08.

The Search

Why is it that we search around looking for answers to life's question on television, school, books, and friends? When everything we are looking for is found in the bible. Really, how is that we can sit and watch two hours of American Idol or two hours of fat people trying to lose weight, but we are unwilling to get off the couch and exercise our spiritual bodies? Was it not Jesus who said in Matthew 26:41 that we are to watch and pray? I am just as guilty as anyone at this, but I'm going to change. I'm ready to watch what God's about to do in this country, and I'm going to take the action to pray now, and as it happens. Praying is our involvement in what God is doing, that's the only action we can take. We can't do anything but pray for His will to happen. I believe God is saying "Pray, get out of my way, and watch what I can do." I'm getting out of the way, I give up my agenda, and I'm letting God take over. I want to watch what he can do.