staff: kindness in action

the staff all got together yesterday to touch the community with kindness...we targeted the local school systems...some car repair shops, a skate board park etc. we paired up in teams and headed out with dozens of Krispy Kreme donuts...as we walked in the offices we received many smiles and and thanks...we attempt to do the event just before morning break...

the spin several people from the vineyard worked at a few of schools we touched...comments like wow you guys really do this stuff you talk about, to hey these people are from my church...it was good to hear about the positive comments and the buzz the kindness created in the staff rooms...simple, quick and fun...small things done with great love can change the world.

wow that's spelled wow

wow is worship on wednesday...as i mentioned wow is an experience in song...over 600 people showed up to give thanks and praise to the One and only...Scott and the band did a great job choosing songs and leading the way...marc read an email and interviewed a few people who have had dramatic progress in the arena of healing...lots of applause, cheers and high fives...

wow was wow

faith vs sight

the little booklet effective faith is out of print...over the years i've been encouraged by j.o. sanders writings...faith is one principle that every person experiences...even the writer of the new book The Jesus Papers about Jesus being married, not the son of God, not raised from the dead etc. is writing from faith...misdirected faith, documents quoted he has never seen etc. but from faith never the less...


Much distress in the lives of Believers stems from an unresolved conflict between these two principles. Sight is concerned with the tangible and visible. Faith is occupied with the invisible and spiritual. Sight is worldly prudence. Faith is other-worldly wisdom. Sight concedes reality only to things present and seen. Faith forms a solid ground for what is hoped for, a conviction of unseen realities Heb 11:1 Berkeley

Each principle strives for the ascendancy and the Believer chooses which shall characterize their life.

A craving for outward signs or inward feelings is a mark of spiritual immaturity...Abraham looked away from earthly dwelling to a 'city whose builder and maker is God. Moses, choose to leave the pomp and power of Egypt and 'endured as seeing him who is invisible.'

We walk, move forward, by faith. The ideal life is one of progress. A faith which does not walk may soon become too week to stand.

j.o. sanders

faith or sight

we walk by faith not by sight 2 Cor.5:7

"There is no such thing as faith apart from the object on which it is fixed. It is like our eyesight which does not exist apart from the object of vision. In looking at something, we see, not our eyesight, but that on which our vision is focused. So the object on which faith relies is not our faith, but that which our faith enables us to see. Jesus Christ is the savior, and faith is simply the eye that looks at Him and apprehends Him."

j.o. sanders effective faith

We are hosting a Worship on Wednesday or WOW this coming Wednesday night...90 minutes of focusing on Him in song, and music. At the end we will be offering healing prayer...last Wednesday a lady's back straightened, my friend toes began to move after 9 years of being locked up...and many were impowered to begin to walk forward from their painful past.

here is a ladies story...
Today xxxxxxxxxxxxx called filled with emotion and joy. She had attended the healing service on 3/15/06 and Marc Dupont and another woman prayed for her. She came only because she needed to make a decision on how to proceed with surgery for breast cancer – a mastectomy or a lumpectomy. She said she felt an intense warmth spread over her while they were praying and knew the cancerous mass was shrinking. Today her doctor confirmed that the lump is totally gone – she is healed of breast cancer!! As an aside, she said she has always been skeptical of religion and wavers between belief and non-belief. She no longer wavers.



WOW should be off the chart.

urgency vs sensitivity

bus run was a fun upbeat, adventure...yesterday we went to a low income apartment building on our circuit of stops planned over a year this was the 6th time we visited this apartment complex over the last 2 years...in june we will be throwing a community funfest for the 4th year...it is amazing how people remember the groceries and the prayer, the funfest...people are now more open, appreciative, and receptive...consistency i think is always the key...

one home a lady was recovering from a beating by her boy friend
a young man was recovering from a fall of 30 feet...the platform hydraulics failed he had a choice, jump or ride er down...he jumped and survived with bruising...needless to say he was very open to prayer
a young mom holding a baby in her arms was very appreciative
a guy going into recovery for his addictions was grateful for the counsel, encouragement and prayer
one person facing cancer was prayed for...

how do you learn to care? ans: by positioning yourself in situations where you can care...it's not rocket science, just a faith response to the heartbeat of God.

Faith Quote j.o. sanders

Faith is confidence, reliance, trust. It is the sixth sense which enables us to apprehend the invisible but real spiritual realm...It is a confidence in a God who is absolutely trustworthy, and utterly reliable.

...It is a child like, effortless trust which is never betrayed.

Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen...

there is always a corresponding fact to which it gives substance. Nor is it merely passive. Every true act of faith is followed by an activity of faith. it grows with exercise, but atrophies through neglect.

steve is an encouraging, inspirational, outwardfocued speaker... to book steve for your church just send an email

outflow update

good conference in cincy...always a challenge when i go there, spiritual warfare last night... dreams of failing, not being good enough, smart enough, fill in the blank enough,________________ enough bla bla bla etc.etc. etc. ...usually happens just before encouraging 50
+ leaders in workshop setting encouraging outwardness...hummm wonder why?... part of the cost i reckon

...learning once again pretty good church is a good place i find myself to be...

great to be able to speak on the 3 main issues confronting outward focusedness...and the leadership response...seasoned with story and video clips...

issue 1. no outward vision...epidemic in the usa church...more of a receiving than a giving attitude...
response is inspiration...bringing clear outward focused vision and why the church exists...to know God and make him known...when we focus on anything less than the main thing the main thing gets lost...inspiration is the leadership quality that causes a spark that creates what could be...an outward focused church...when we lose sight of the great commission we lose sight of our great prophetic purpose in life virgo...

inspiration is communicated through a vibrant, passionate, clear life using story, word pictures, and clear forward looking lifestyle... i showed http://www.mosaic.org/ chasing the light promo from erwin mcmanus...a must see for creative setting up a new series at mosaic church in la series available on podcast.

issue 2. not taught how to care. most people don't have eyes to see...most people think caring for the least, the lost, and the lonely only comes through prayer...

the leadership response is information...by creating outward focused opportunities planned and available to help people position themselves to see, and do outward focused service...our information is created on a yearly running track...to allow people to run in the game


3. time...beware of the busyness of a barren life...don't waste your life away one day at a time...don't drift on the river of routine...time waits for no man...we live on a terminal planet...we are all destined for the grave...

leadership response is using influence...helping people focus on the things that matter see
tim mcgraws video live like you were dying...he in song
see http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2644715 for the song and video...

my mom died at 59 my dad at 62 i'm 54 look at the odds...we don't know when or where we will meet our maker...one thing is for sure...many people in my sphere of life need my influence...my family, my church, the people i connect with everyday...i also plan intentional outward focused field trips for myself and my church...tomorrow get on the bus will take us out there...we will touch 50 families and offer prayer...a connection to the life that is within us...this outflow brings positive influence and opportunity...if we don't intentionally plan and go ... many missed opportunities is the reality...a sad thought...


in the end i told true unembellished stories that illustrated the ideas above...good 2 workshops cd available on www.servantevangelism.com

more signs and wonders

last nights wed meeting was another good night at the vineyard...we prayed for many people and saw some pretty incredible stuff...backs straightened, feet bones mended, and many people encouraged to move on and let go of the past...letting go seems to be a theme, as well as pressing forward...can't go forward and look backward at the same time you'll hit a wall for sure...

still reading stand against the wind and praying most ams with pattie...we've seen some good things as a result of our time together...one lady, that we and an army of people have been praying for, just received word that she was cancer free...it was more than a relief to her and her family...

we have a verse we hang onto...pursue your enemies until there is not one left...this means keep praying, believing, until the answer is final...or until God has the final say...

j o sanders has a good little booklet out of print called effective faith...over the next month i'll be dropping in a quote of the day.

outflow

gearing up for outflow a servant evangelism conference in cincy at the cincy community church...some great people will be there sharing their experience...it should be a good time...

see...http://www.servantevangelism.com

for details...

also getting ready for get on the bus a monthy venture to the outer spaces of dayton...serving the less-served a bag of groceries and offering prayer...about 20 of us head out at 9:30am and return 11:30am... we bring a little light into the lives we touch...

a day in the life...

Woke up, fell out of bed,
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup,
And looking up I noticed I was late...
a day in the life... beatles

that was the beginning of my day...hung home for a few minutes with the wife...just about to get ready for a late arrival at work...went in to grab another cup... smoke everywhere... opened the doors and windows...ran down stairs and hit the circuit breaker to turn off the stove...ran back up stairs to still smokin stove more like bellowing smokin stove...called 911 8mins later the fire trucks arrived...they came in...Grabbed a co2 bottle...it wasn't charged...sooo...out they go to another truck to get another co2...this time it worked...smoke everywhere...

what happened...here is a tip, next time you decide to use the self cleaning stove option...Remember to remove all pans, especially pans with grease in them...the self cleaning option heats up to over 500 degrees enough to melt any pan and to start a honkin grease fire...

second story...

family has to evacuate the house soooo the dog has to go somewhere...my son has an idea, let's put him in a car and lock the only set of keys in the car...that's a fun game...2 hours later...AAA solves the problem...barking dog is released...

Guys show up while i'm in the middle (1hour) of attempting the ole coat hanger trick on car lock...we laugh, they help move now defunct 1 year old stove out to garage...

now I'm cleaned up ready to go...we buy a new stove on 18mos interest free...it will be delivered on thursday...

on the way home we stop by a burrito at qdoba shop...guy asks, how's your day been?, really, do you want know?...so i told him my sob story... cool thing... it touched the guy... he gave me a chicken burrito, free and for nothing!...

you know what?... small thing's done with great love can change a day...

signs and wonders

wednesday night was a great night ... marc dupont was on form and in his element... many people were prayed for... we are now beginning to hear reports from the people who were touched, by the Holy Spirit... this coming Wednesday at 7pm is part 2 with Doug Roe speaking... expectation should be encouraging faith with many people returning for the evening...

signs make us wonder... signs are part of the Kingdom bringing the not yet into the now...

i was fly fishing on Lock Leven in Scotland many years ago... i should have said my friends were fishing, i was laying down in the front of the boat reading a book...i came an interesting passage and said, 'listen to this...the writer is saying the kingdom of God is a hidden kingdom, like a dimension in the not yet, and we can by faith reach into that kingdom and bring what we need into the now' when i finished reading the passage a trout jumped into the boat and flipped all the way down to my feet...we were all stunned and thought woooow! it was a sign that made us wonder...

Wednesday night will be a good time to reach out by faith for what we need.

give em the bag

good day with a new person now helping with the outreach prep at the vineyard...packing small purple and green bags the vineyard people will take away from the services this weekend...we call it kindness to go...it elevates the outward value for all who attend on the weekend and ties into the message...the visual is amazing...pic to follow...the potential is to touch thousands of people...the idea give the bag to a serving team at a restaurant...or a team of workers at fast food eatery's or a check out person at a grocery store etc. the effect is like throwing a pebble into the water...the influence of kindness spreading out from the small thing...the bag...to many people who spread the news through story...it is a great outreach

to be or not to be?

as a staff we all took the DISC personality profile...it was interesting...the last time i took the test years a go i was an off the chart d c personality...this time and after being back in the good ole usa for 8 years i now chart a s c or a c s personality...i look back and think where did my d go...that part of me that took risks, was assertive, planned well, explored spiritual gifts and faith...

thoughts: 1. I've actually grown in my team player role, one for all an all for one...i'm less confrontive (actually i see it as a potential weakness which i'm now having to adjust, learning to speak the truth in love...

2. i have a patient wife...and patient friends, thanks thom, david, mike, early leaders

3. I've had the snot knocked out of me(a kentucky term) by being part of the USA culture and working for high-off-the-chart un-balanced D personalities or as one writer calls them 'productive narcissist'... in the distant yet near past...not here by the way...

so i think i've changed... i'm more of a compliant person, seeking to mend fences, coach / walk through inevitable conflict...that works sometimes,and sometimes not, help keep / maintain unity, and a maintain clear focus on my job description i.e. ...help others embrace an outward focused life through: life style exampling, creating many opportunities to play in the outreach game, inspirational speaking / story telling and communicating a Biblical perspective...and being more of a people person.

I liked the experience of taking the profile...i like the fact that Jesus is still in the process of conforming me to His likeness and that i'm not finished yet...life has a future...to be or not to be? remains the question

notice the un-noticeable

just found out my back discs are aok i have an inflamed nerve...so i'll be experiencing idd a 20 session disc decompression back stretching program...the doc reckons i have 85% chance of getting better...

gearing up for kindness to go for this weekend...packing 250 bags for people to take to stores, restaurants, check out counters, fast food places etc...lots of work to get things up an ready but worth the effort...

had lunch with a couple of friends today...a lady was sitting next to us at cracker barrel...i did a double take and had a slight impression to buy her lunch...thought she needed some encouragement...so we grabbed her bill...as she rose to leave she said thanks, i mentioned we thought she needed the encouragement today...she then began to cry and tell us her son had died and has good days and bad days today was a bad day...i offered to pray with her...i held her hand and prayed...more tears and then thanks she said something like i thought you guys were nice people...i'm learning to notice the un-noticeable...i some how think it is important...

back in the saddle

great to see doug back in the saddle...i liked his comment 'i'm back in the saddle until i get thrown off'...he is a high drive kind of guy and told the story about what he learned in the hospital...great message you can download from daytonvineyard.com media.

I often question 'do we really learn lessons from things that test us severely?'


...i have several friends who endured some real painful situations and they didn't remember the lessons within 6mos...they reverted back to their past behavior...i think i'm probably the same...

i think we as humans have the ability to forget to soon...that's why we need to set stones of remembrance, journal, have close friends who will throw caution to the wind and tell us the truth in love...i think a key is to ask for the truth, no matter what it feels like...takes guts to live dangerously...

we just finished beginnings...tons of people completed the 8 week course... big fun telling stories and encouraging some outwardness yesterday...

starting point...had some great questions...like how can you tell when God is speaking to you...how do i know my conscience is accurate...is hearing a growing ability...what about justice and love...how do they play out in faith...

great thoughts from open hearts...

to turtle or not to turtle that is the question

life is a battle...have you discovered that the war that rages for our being is common to all people on the planet...when the battle rages our tendency is to turtle, duck our head in our shell and hope the issues pass us by?...in other words our battles seek to turn us inward rather than outward...

the natural tendency of the human heart is to turn inward...lately, in the midst of battles i've been kicking up my outward focus...1st upon God by daily worship, contemplation, and prayer...i also have set aside some daily am moments to pray with pattie my wife...last, i seek ways to touch others with kindness...i figure if battles are common to life, why not make the most of the moments by keeping my head out of my shell and using influence as a tool to touch others and turn outward...

big mo!

big mo at the vineyard this weekend...place packed...new people...a case of fresh start booklets given away and a great message by scott and doug...i'm always amazed how many people seem to find the vineyard...our parking lot was overflowing...we always hope people are nice to each other as they attempt to make their way out...we have one way in and one way out...it's a problem and will probably resolve itself when we make a new entrance and exit point...

thinking 5i's of leading
identity: secure in who you are leading from confidence
inspiration: vision communicated clearly brings inspiration using inclusive language
influence: our only leadership tool every leader has influence
information: clear communication brings security, what to, how to, where to and why brings help to followers
integrity: who we really are is who we really are...the messenger is the message

all keys...

walking it out

great day today...we touched lot's of people to day on 1st saturday outreach...a small group came together...also a church planter showed up and a sprinkling of families...great to see the teens involved...the we pay for your car wash at a coin carwash went well...we also wipe down the cars with terry cloth towels...good time at the nursing home...i find this outreach to be extremely hard for my brain...a one room trailer in fl looks better than a nursing home...saying that the residents love it when we come...today we gave away tissues the good ones not the generic rough ones...got to pray for many people...we also went to the strip malls up by wright state lots of good connections...

saw sjogren yesterday...he is sharp...clear thinking...and looks good...enjoyed the lunch and the talk...


i'm pretty well convinced that the way of the cross has a message of humility for all who lead ... Inclusive language...teaming with others regardless of position or who gets the credit etc...bring humility...i often feel my pride, ego rise up and when it does it reminds me i'm not where i need to be...a life long walking it out...

dreams

had some interesting dreams lately...most have to do with pushing forward climbing higher...needing the help of others to succeed...responsibility increasing...how leading is important...what is done in private can have an effect on others...

dreams job says are sometimes given for warning...encouraging us to turn away from bad behavior and encouraging us to respond to God's voice...the bible also mentions that a dream is like straw compared to God's word to us...

at the beginning of the year i purchased a new testament...i am marking wherever there is a dream, angel, or a supernatural event...God speaking via dreams is evident even through a casual read through the gospels...

Faith is the inevitable consequence of hearing God's word...james ryle hippo in the garden

pattie and i are still reading stand against the wind in the am it is a good exercise for us...

burdens?

day by day...life in the fast lane...ever noticed that life is life that the same issues and concerns are passed from generation to generation and from day to day...

car breakdowns, not enough cash flow, pressure of sickness, the usual life stresses...

add growing up and 23 years old and somehow it makes life difficult...

only way to deal with the issues is to connect to someone who understands, cares, has a listening ear, and can help carry the burden...i help with my family, but i need someone stronger than me...