Tag Archive - Faith

Lessons From Fruit Ninja

Keeping with my life lessons from ____ posts (read those here & here), I thought I’d give Fruit Ninja a try.

If you’ve never played Fruit Ninja, the concept is quite simple. Fruit flies up from the bottom of the screen and you have to use your finger to slice the fruit before it goes back down off the screen. Occasionally, you get other stuff flying that isn’t fruit… it’s important that you don’t slice this stuff. If you do, the game is over. The object is to slice as much fruit as possible. That being said, here are 3 lessons we can learn from this addictive mobile phone game…

1. Know Your Target.

In Fruit Ninja, your target is the fruit. In life, we have to learn what our target (or calling) is. If we spend our time chasing everything that comes across as an opportunity, chances are, we don’t achieve anything. We have to know what we were meant to do. Where our passions lie and where our gifts are help determine what our target is. Of course, ultimately, we have to hear God speak and tell us our target.

2. Know Your Method.

When playing Fruit Ninja, the method is slicing. Touching the screen with your finger does not good, you have to make a slicing motion. In life or ministry, we have to pursue our target with the right method. It’s not just enough to know where we’re going, we have to have a plan and a strategy for getting there.

3. Know Your Limits.

Playing Fruit Ninja means you don’t slice anything but the fruit. If you try to do too much, the game is over. In life, leadership, and ministry, it’s much the same way. We all have limits. It doesn’t matter how talented or gifted we are, we’ll eventually run out if we don’t limit ourselves on what we do and how much time we spend doing it. It’s important that we take regular times to get away, recharge, and retreat.

If you’ve played Fruit Ninja, what can you learn?

You’re Not All That

I’m often surprised when I talk with someone or get replies on twitter about my honesty when I admit I struggle with a certain area of Christianity.

I guess people think because I work at a church or have the word ‘pastor’ in my title that I don’t struggle everyday with the same things everyone else does.
Or, maybe they’re more surprised with my willingness to admit that I don’t have it all together.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Christ, I just struggle sometimes…

  • I’m impatient
  • I struggle with faith
  • I try to make things happen my way instead of relying on God
  • I go through dry periods in my relationship with God

To be honest, I think more people should admit their weakness.

I think more church leaders should admit it.

It’s in admitting it that they can begin to deal with it.
It’s in admitting it that people begin to feel a connection with someone that’s a lot like them.

Dont act like you have it all together.
You don’t.
I don’t.

Admit it father.
Admit it pastor.
Admit it student.
Admit it church leader.
Admit it mom.

It may help someone else too.

3 Things Young Leaders Need to Hear

I have a great leader in Artie Davis. In the time that I’ve known him, I’ve grown incredibly as a young leader. I’ve learned some valuable lessons along the way and realized that young leaders need to hear these 3 things…

1. “I believe in you.”

Everyone needs to know that someone else believes in them. It’s no different as a young leader. As a young leader myself, I often wonder if I’m the only one that believes that I can make a real difference in the world. I get discouraged when I feel like I’m stuck or lack the ability to lead effectively. It’s important that every young leader hears that someone believes in them. There’s something empowering about hearing that someone who has been in more battles and leads successfully believes in you. Let your young leaders know that they’re not just projects, but powerful people.

2. “Make it happen.”

I love hearing this as a young leader. I know I can’t do it without God leading me through it, but I love knowing that a project, a plan, or a process is in my hands. I like the feeling of being trusted with something enough that my leader decides to leave it in my hands. It makes me determined to be successful. Trust your young leaders.

3. “It’s OK.”

Even though I believe in God’s anointing in my life and listen to God, I still mess it up on occasion. I drop the ball or say something that I shouldn’t have. I like hearing the words, “It’s OK.” See, ultimately the mistake a young leader makes isn’t near as big as the impact they’ll one day make. Believe in them. Trust them. Let them fail.

If you’re a leader, what do you need to hear?

How to Make Your Life Count… Beyond Your SS#

I talk a lot about “turning the world UPSIDE down.”

It’s something that I believe in.

It’s something that I truly believe God has called us to do.

It’s something that seems so irrational and bold,
but really only requires us living out the life God’s called us to.

It requires God living through us.

I thought I’d give you a few simple ways God has shown me to turn the world UPSIDE down since I began seeing it as a passion and calling on my life.

In order to turn the world UPSIDE down

  • We must GO against the norm.
  • We must LOVE at all times.
  • We must STAND for what we know is right.
  • We must GUARD our integrity in the face of it being tested.
  • We must BUILD relationships and grow them with purpose.
  • We must be BOLD.
  • We must be UNIFIED around the essential.
  • We must be IMPATIENT. – our time is EXTREMELY limited.
  • We must be PATIENT. – God works beyond time.
  • We must DESIRE MORE. – we are never done!

How do you turn the world UPSIDE down?

Where is God? In the Details

I was reading through Numbers 6 and 7 a few days ago and learned this…

God is in the details.

God was in the details of creation,
God was in the details of the tabernacle,
God was in the details of the sacrifice,
God is in the details of our lives,
God is in the details of our church.

God is a God of details.

We know that God has the hairs on our heads numbered
that he knew us before we were born.

God cares about the details.

It’s important that we do the same.

That we check the details of ourselves,
that we examine the details of what we lead,
that we notice the details.

  • When God seems far away, it may be in the details.
  • When God is blessing, it may be in the details.
  • When things are crumbling, it may be in the details.
  • When you’re gaining influence, it may be in the details.
  • When your faith is growing, it may be in the details.

I don’t know what the details are in your life, but check em,

because…..

God is in the details.

I’m Learning to Slow Down

I’m trying to learn to slow down.

I’m learning that I often do a lot of things, but few things well.

Instead, I run around,
thing to thing,
task to task.

The result is,
I accomplish a lot of “tasks” but have very little impact.

So,

I’m learning to slow down.

What are you learning?

The Rocky Path

When I was still living at home, my parents decided to remodel their kitchen.

They decided that they really liked tile floors and called the tile man.

I still remember how careful the tile guy was to be sure that he was laying the tile on a smooth surface.
Every few minutes, I’d see him smoothing out the grout to be sure that the tile would lay flat.
After he laid a piece of tile on it, he never smoothed it again, it had already been worked out.

“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.” - Frank Clark

The obstacles that are in your way exist because the path is not worn…
The grout hasn’t been smoothed out.
No tile has been laid.

Few have traveled the tough path,
the path that it takes real faith to travel.

  • The path that gets up everyday and lives out their faith even though the office they work in is filled with people that don’t.
  • The path that prays for their children even though their children ignore the faith they’re taught.
  • The path that loves when it doesn’t make sense… when it’s not easy.
  • The path that forgives because they’re forgiven.
  • The path that pastors even when the people refuse to be lead.
  • The path that prays for and obeys their parents even though they’re never shown love.
  • The path that is faithful to their husband even though he isn’t faithful to her.
  • The path that lives a vision from God by the voice of God and not by the opinions of man.

Those paths have obstacles because they haven’t been smoothed out… not many people have been there… not many people are willing to pay the price.

Today, welcome the obstacles.

The obstacles are evidence of the destination.

For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.- Matthew 7:14

Travel on and…

turn the world UPSIDE down.

Page 1 of 712345»...Last »