sunday recap

Set list:

• If Today Was Your Last Day
• Kingdom Come
• Beautiful Jesus
• The Stand
• Worthy Of My Praise

It was another great day at Freedom.  We had over 400 in attendance and, more importantly, I know of a few people that crossed from death to life by accepting Jesus as their Savior.  People are inviting their friends, coworkers, neighbors, and family members. Keep it up!  God is moving and let’s not let those people we run into go to Hell because we didn’t want to offend or were scared of what they might thing.

Cliff finished up the series “re:boot” teaching about unlimited potential.  This series has compared our lives with computers.  Here’s my notes:

• In the right hands, a computer can do pretty much anything.
• With the power of Jesus, we have unlimited potential as well.  NOTHING is final with him OR too hard.  Why do we live like there is something too hard for the creator of the universe?
• All of us come to Jesus humbly at some point.  Either you do it gladly or you will be forced to at judgment.
• Jairus was a leader of the synagogue and humbled himself in the presence of Jesus (Luke 8:41-42).  Jesus taught in the synagogues sometime and was, under Jewish law, lower in the hierarchy than Jairus.
• Despite the circumstances, God is in control, all powerful, and able to overcome. (Luke 8:40-56)
• We, as Christians, are powerful because God is and He is in us.
• Do people see power in you?
• Your potential is unlimited because God’s power is unlimited.
• The only limit to God’s power is our belief.  Jesus told the woman who touched his cloak and Jairus that because they believed, the woman was healed (Luke 8:48) and Jairus’ daughter was raised from the dead (Luke 8:50).
• So, what are we supposed to do?  Dream big.  Believe that God can do it.  Don’t let your feelings cause doubt.
• God can do immeasurably more than we EVER IMAGINED. (Ephesians 3:20)

dare to be different

Admit it – it’s always been tough pouring a soft drink from a 2-liter bottle.  You generally have to use two hands, unless you’re trying to act all macho and then you end up squeezing the bottle too much and the first pour ends up on the counter.

Introducing the new 2-liter “contour” bottle from Coke.  Now, they could have kept the status quo – after all, shelf space is ideally made for the old bottle – but they wanted to set themselves apart while creating a better experience for the consumer.

Are we willing to do the same things in our companies, organizations, and churches?  Dare to be different – but not for different’s sake.  Do it to enhance the customer experience and ultimately, your brand.

sunday recap

Set list:

• The Time Has Come
• Our Love Is Loud
• Center
• Stained Glass Masquerade

Notes:

• Cliff continued the series re:boot with a message on networking.
• We naturally need to connect with other people.
• Even though it seems the internet would isolate people, it has actually become a place to connect with individuals, companies, causes, and organizations.
• God has designed us to be in relationship with others.  (Genesis 2:18)
• Relationships don’t just help us meet our desire to connect, but it helps us reach our potential.  (Proverbs 27:17)
• God’s plan for His people has always included community.  (Genesis 28:3; Genesis 35:11; Exodus 12:3; Exodus 12:47)
• If we think we can live our lives in isolation, we will be spiritually weak and malnourished.
• If you are disconnected, you will never reach your full potential like you can when you are deeply connected.
• Think of what could be accomplished if we were a true community.  (Acts 4:32-37)

branding

Over the past ten years that I’ve been involved in branding, I’ve had people ask me time and time again, “Just what is branding?”  Most people understand advertising, and even marketing somewhat.  But branding seems to be somewhat of a mystery – often defined by the consumer as a logo or packaging or something else that is tangible.

While those things do contribute to a company’s brand, I believe they only scratch the surface.  If I had to sum up what branding is in one sentence, I would say it’s best defined as the answer to the question “Who is <fill in the company’s name here>?”

When someone thinks of you as a person, they don’t just think of your clothing, hair, shoes, or some other part of your outward appearance.  They think of everything about you – your personality, character, actions, everything.  That is your personal brand.

In the same fashion, a company or organization is known by everything that makes up that entity.  Like it or not, employees, everything you do reflects on your company’s brand and either enhances it or detracts from it. And, companies, every decision you make becomes a part of your brand.

Bottom line – a brand is the totality of all experiences.  Make the most of every decision and think before you affect your personal or corporate brand.  That decision will make a difference in how you’re perceived.

sunday recap

Set list:

• Running On Empty
• Spring Of Life
• Empty Me
• Let Me Sing
• Freedom Is Here

We continued our re:boot series today and the topic was “Maxed Out.”  As you can see, there’s a lot of info here.  But I think it’s worth it.  Here are my notes:

• What was your first computer? (Mine was a Macintosh Plus – yes, I was a Mac guy in the old days, too.  Loved it…rectangular mouse and all.  Hard to believe how far we’ve come.)
• On the older computers, especially, there was so much software pre-loaded on them that they would run even slower than the snail-paced processor was supposed to run.
• Our lives get “maxed out” like that, too, when we try to do everything or try to be everything to everyone.
• We substitute busy-ness for effectiveness.
• God has much more for me than for me to be just busy all the time.
• This is not a new problem (Exodus 18:13-26)
• Moses was the judge for 500,000 to 1,000,000 people and he did this every day from morning to evening.  (Talk about busy!)
• Jethro (his father-in-law, not the one who was a double-naught spy and swam in the cement pond) told him he needed to “select capable men…and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.” (Sounds like he created the modern form of our judicial system.) Exodus 18:14-23
• Everyone benefits when we are focused. Exodus 18:18
• Moses then had time to focus on God.
• God begins to reveal to Moses His plan. Exodus 19-26
• Being maxed out may mean there are other issues in your life.
• If I feel the need to be needed, that could be an indication of low self-esteem.
• If I think no one else can do it so I have to, then that could be an indication of my arrogance.
• So, we know we need to focus.  What do we focus on?
• Find my “one thing” – the thing that I am uniquely gifted for (my purpose).
• It’s about what I SHOULD do, not what I CAN do.
• The disciples were a good example of this Acts 6:2-7
• When I determine what my one thing is and I’m laser focused on that, God can maximize His purpose in me and the results will be far more than I imagined.
• Three things I need to be careful of.
• 1) Finish strong. Don’t leave commitments hanging.
• 2) Work smarter (I’ll still be working hard but focused on what my unique gift is)
• 3) I still need to pitch in to get things done.  Sometimes this is necessary prior to someone else coming who is uniquely gifted in that area.
• How do I find my one thing?
• Pray. Be patient. Ask my “Jethro” (someone I trust).
• I CANNOT find my one thing outside of Jesus.  I have to trust Him first.  How can I do His purpose if I’m not following Him?

Sunday

Here it is Wednesday and I realized I haven’t posted this past week’s set list.  Here it is:

• No Reason To Hide
• From The Inside Out
• God With Us
• Only You
• Awesome Is The Lord Most High

I’m not going to tell you this week’s songs, but I would get there early and in your seat before the first song.  I promise it’s going to be a treat.

Link love

Some of my favorite blog reads this week:

• Cliff had a great post on God’s timing that is a wonderful reminder of how God is in control.

• Pudge reminded me of some great lessons on communicating with others, specifically communicating vision.

• This post by Casey tells us what every person wants to hear.

• I loved this video Joshua put on his site that shows how the brain expects and anticipates logical progression.  (I promise – it’s much more interesting than I made it sound.)

Blogs

I read about 50 blogs on a regular basis, with varying topics (marketing/branding, church leadership, music, saving money, friends’ blogs, etc.).   I’d love to hear what your favorite blogs are.  Leave a comment and let us know.