(Great short teaching by Perry Noble that i wanted to pass along…)

10 Things that cause Fear – by Perry Noble

One of the most frequent commands in the Bible is “do not fear.”  (Once again…it is a command, NOT a suggestion!)

And yet every leader I know (including the guy I shaved with this morning) deals with fear.  As I’ve traced my own journey through fear in leadership I wanted to share 10 things fear causes in our lives.

(When I speak of fear in this post I am speaking of fear of man – see Proverbs 29:25 – and irrational fear.)

#1 – Fear causes us to reduce the size of God and elevate the size and opinion of man.

#2 – Fear causes us to lead people in the wrong direction.  (Remember when the Israelites wanted to GO BACK TO EGYPT and being slaves because they feared going into the land that God had promised them?)

#3 – Fear causes us to stay quiet when we should clearly speak up.  (Mostly because many times we are OBSESSED with what others think about us, see Galatians 1:10)

#4 – Fear causes us to be passive about an issue that the Lord has clearly brought to our attention.  (As Edmund Burke once said:  ”The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing.”)

#5 – Fear causes us to seek consensus rather than really seeking the voice of the Lord.

#6 – Fear causes us to not engage the broken, the hurting, the misfits and the neglected because if we include them in our lives and actually invite them into our homes then it could get messy.  (I’m so glad Jesus didn’t have that attitude…if He would have then I would have been screwed!)

#7 – Fear causes us to refuse to embrace change because we care way more about being comfortable than being conformed into the image of Christ.

#8 – Fear causes us to control things and take matters into our own hands rather than trusting the Lord and trusting others.  (People who are control freaks really do fear when things don’t go their way!  BUT…remember, control is the biggest illusion in the world, I wrote about that here.)

#9 – Fear causes us to conceal sin and shame in our lives when God’s Word is so clear that we should ask others for help – James 5:16

#10 – Fear causes us to seek the easy decision rather than seeking the right one.

Recently, through meetings and brainstorming we have compiled a list of a bunch of different ideas for mens / womens events, youth events, small group or even church events. As a church we have already done many of these and so far they have all been successful. This master list is really handy with keeping all of our ideas in one place and we are always adding to it. I thought i would share it with you and hopefully you out there can use it to plan some events or maybe inspire you to come up with more ideas….enjoy

Events & Activities idea list

• Diner Hangout / local restaurant – visit a local restaurant to talk and meet people, More about conversation and getting to know each other.
• Bonfire / outside group – Giant smore’s night
• Hot wing night  / BBQ / Crab cookout / Hotdog night / Taco bar – lots of foot related ways to change the group up
• Root beer floats / Ice cream sundae’s with another small group or as a part of another event.
• Playoffs night (Football / Hockey / baseball / superbowl…etc)
• Combined RG (Girls with Guys Group) or (two adult mixed groups)
• Board Game night (catch phrase…life…etc) – have a bunch of tables each hosting a certain type of game.
• Progressive Dinner (use van to drive to 3 different houses having a different type of food ready at each)
• Coffee shop meetup (have time / place meetup at a local coffee shop)
• Prank (Safe and within reason) or scavenger hunt – Probably for younger teens
• Outdoors man hike –  host a day hike with survival challenges along the way… have a meal waiting when they get back.
• Philly trip  / trip to tony luc’s for cheesesteaks, or some other city landmark.
• Riversharks game / Phi Union Game / flyers game…etc – plan a sports trip for groups of people
• Bowling / Ice skating / roller skating (skate n’ flirt night for singles)
• Capture the Flag / Random outside games Frisbee night / Frisbee golf
• Rent out a Rock climbing gym or batting cages and have a guys night
• Have a grown up T-ball baseball game (game with only 5 outfielders on each team) players hit singles or homers off a tee. (make up your own rules for how much points stuff is worth (single – 1 pt Home run 3 points)
• Tailgate a sporting event (have a parking lot BBQ..)
• X box game night / madden / world cup soccer game / or whatever sport game is the most popular at the time.
• Putt putt / driving range @ mini golf course.
• Book night (have the group read something  previously (article, book, magazine, chapter..etc) and discuss next week
• Movies theatre or Drive in theatre
• Tournaments (guitar hero… wii bowling…dodgeball… ping pong…Kinect dance games…etc)
• Cornhole / pool / texas holdem / darts / milk pong… setup a mini man games night…
• Sports night / night street hockey / Basketball courts (3 on 3)
• Christmas Ugly sweater Party / Halloween costume party (annual party oct and dec)
• Night Swimming Party
• Theme Party (80s theme / cowboy Theme  / dance party)
• Car Bash / Firewalk / Bungee jumping – for the extreme group
• Organize a fishing trip / party / or scenic boating expedition / possibly a father son fishing day.
• Outdoor Movie night / or just movie night (projector?)
• Saturday snow trip (ski and snowboard)
• Concert trip /
• Action Day  service projects as a group (Spring Break) / Free Carwash (service Project)
• Sponsor a child or save money (change) as a group to accomplish a goal over one year.

1. Man Games Event – A day event full of “Man Games” that participants would get points for placing in each of 10 events and at the end of the day the winner would be crowned the “ultimate man” & Win the ultimate Trophy.

• - 2 person wood Sawing
• - BBQ Contest
• - Hatchet toss
• - Hot wing eating contest
• - Tire throw
• - Frisbee Golf
• - Car Bash (most damage in 5 hits)
• - Dodgeball tournament
• 2. Man Games Sports : Dodgeball Tournament, Ultimate Frisbee, Cornhole / Washers , 3 0n 3 basketball,  Ping pong tournament…etc. Could do one of these as part of another event or on it’s own.
• 3. A Summer BBQ Competition – The men have a cookoff – we could also sell tickets and have people have an all you can eat sampling and vote for their favorite.
• 4. Northmens Breakfast Buffets @ The Point – Host a Mens breakfast at the point with all the breakfast fixins.Just a great opportunity to invite people out, engage in conversation.
• 5. True North Open – Spring Golf outing / tournament – 4 person scramble teams, prizes for the top 3 teams. Hole in one challenge, long drive challenge, long putt challenge. We would have sponsors? And an entry fee to be in the tournament.
• 6. Monday Night football party @ the Point – Nov 6^th the eagles are playing, have food, drinks and prizes, giveaways, arm chair quarterback… Could also maybe do a playoff football party, or Superbowl party…etc. Also could have a Thursday night football party… (would need NFL network.)
• 7. Riversharks Game trip / Flyers  / Phillies  / College football -
• 8. Progressive Dinner – have 3 or 4 host homes lined up and people would carpool from one to the other to complete a meal. Each home would have a portion of the meal for 30 minutes. The evening could start and end at the point and would probably total around 2 hours. Could do a winter or summer version.
• 9. Wilderness Hike – Plan a day hike up in some wilderness country…Possible a summer river rafting adventure in PA.
• 10. Northmens Fantasy leagues -  Baseball, Football, Golf…etc (Free leagues and also pay leagues for those experienced that would have bigger prizes. Could also do a March madness pool for College basketball playoffs in march.
• 11. Mens Conference Trip – Possibly find a Good mens Conference to send a large group of Guys to…
• 12. Guest Speaker… – Simple evening midweek or Saturday lunch service just for guys with a theme and maybe a special guest speaker…
• 13. Demolition derby or car race event….  – south jersey speedway…
• 14. Father – Song Fishing trip – find a good fishing spot or stocked lake and organize a day event.
• 15. Dave & Busters Trip –
•  
• 16. charter Fishing Trip
•  
• 17. Big league Dreams – wiffle ball tournament for grownups / rent the facility
•  
• 18. Elite Rock Climbing – rent the facility and have a guys rock climbing event.

… This post is simply the notes i wrote when we were recording the voiceover of a CD that we put in a packet along with a Bible & notebook for people that make a decision in any of our services. I thought i would share the content. It basically answers the question of “what do i do now”? in 7 steps…. the Recorded CD ended up being about 11 minutes long. This is a longer post than normal but i thought it would be helpful for finding answers or looking for resources to share….there is probably content for about 20 messages in here.

Decision Packet CD Voiceover (10 – 12 minutes)

Track 1

First of all, we the staff of true north church would like to Congratulate you on the decision you just made.  This is definitely a reason to celebrate, and we are so excited that you have made what is the most important decision that you will ever make.

- More important than who you marry or what job you have.

This is truly why we exist as a church to connect people like you to Jesus Christ…. You are worth it.

Whether you were rededicating your life to Christ or this was the first time you have ever accepted Christ as your lord and Savior, Your heart was probably beating a little faster than normal and it may have taken some boldness for you to raise your hand and repeat the Salvation prayer out loud.

We are so pumped that you have taken this step to begin the incredible journey of being a Christ follower…

(Read Romans 3:23 & 6:23 & 5:8)

- Jesus stepped in and Died on the Cross to take the punishment that was meant for you.

Track 2

Salvation means that you are choosing to repent of your sins and accept the gift of being reconnected to your creator. This Connection is only possible because of the Crucifixtion and resurrection of our lord Jesus Christ as well as your heart decision to give your live to him.

(Read Romans 10:9)

Remember that following Christ is far more than just that one time decision. We must daily decide to put aside our own selfish desires to pursue what God would have for us.

You made a decision to make Jesus Christ the lord of your life. Your heart has now changed but the world around you has not. We as Christians live in a fallen world that desperately needs to be reconnected to their savior.

It is important to see Salvation not as the end but the beginning. The bible says that you are a new creation and your sins are forgiven. It says that they are as far as “East is to West”, and you are now in a position to have an incredible relationship with your loving creator, and heavenly father.

————————–

The rest of this CD we will discuss 7 important things for you to understand about what happens next and what actions you should take to become an effective and influencial Christian. There are many people in the world that claim to be a Christian but do not live a life that is worthy of that title and the difference between them and you will be what you choose to do next.

Track 3

1. Read the word, be in prayer

it is so important build your personal relationship with Christ…

- You must remember that nothing is as important as your relationship with Christ. The way that you build your relationship with Christ is the same as how you would build a relationship with anyone else. Learn about them, talk to them, listen, align your thinking…etc.

We encourage you to begin to keep a journal to take notes in as well as write down things that you are praying for. Also begin a daily bible reading and devotional time. There are many good devotional programs out there and we would love to help you find one if you would like.

- Make sure that you set aside time each day to invest into your relationship with Christ. This short time each day will help you to live out your Christianity the rest of the time in a bold, confident and effective way.

Track 4

2. Get into a reality group

We cannot stress enough the importance for you to get into a reality Group. These small groups of people are separated by age and/or gender and allow for you to meet like-minded people, build friendships, discuss the messages, get any questions you may have answered, as well as have fun and enjoy your Christian life. Groups provide a close group of friends who can encourage you, pray for you and help keep you accountable.

- Much of the growth that we see in new believers and the development of leaders takes place because of these groups.

- The people you surround yourself with will encourage you, as well as help you continue to be moving forward in your growth as much as you will allow them to.

-        You will only be as effective and successful in Christianity as the people you surround yourself with. Many people try to live out a Christian life on their own without building up Godly relationships, and we have found that someone who does this Cannot live a successful, effective Christian life the way that God intended it to be.

-        The success of the local church is based largely on what we are able to do together because we have become unified. This incredible impact is only possible because people like you choose to build relationships with others in the church.

Track 5

3. Be consistent and committed

-        Being Consistent and Committed does not happen by accident. Christians must choose to place showing up week in and week out as a high priority in their life.

-         People always have time for the things they value. If you value your relationship with Christ then you will value his plan; “the local church”.

- Some of the ways that God speaks and directs people is through the bible and through the teachings that happen at church.

If you are inconsistent and don’t value showing up for church then you are basically deciding to not hear what God is communicating to you that week.

Psalms —– says that those that are planted in the house of God will Flourish.

We want you to flourish in life, in finances, in leadership, influence, compassion, wisdom, in relationships, and every area of your life.

Its is so important for you to choose to value being in church each week and setting up your schedule to reflect that Church is a top priority and not just a “if it fits in” thing.

Track 6

4. Resource yourself

 – We always have said and it holds true that leaders resource themselves. And Since all Christians are called to lead in some area then it should say that “Christians resource themselves”.

There are so many great resources out there that will help you gain knowledge, increase your creativity as well as what you can pass along to other people. Along with the Bible there are many great Christian books, magazines, and websites.

Another great resource that we recommend for every Christian to do is to take a new believers class offered by the local church. Here at True North we offer a 5 week course called “Align”. This course is a great way for people to learn about what we believe as a church, what our vision and direction is as well as explaining our culture and why we do what we do.

Another resource that we went over earlier was reality groups. Along with going over the messages Reality groups are a great resource for asking questions and getting clarification on anything that may seem confusing.

We also offer past messages online for you to listen to and catch up on the teachings that the rest of the church has been taught over the last year.

Track 7

5. Go Public

- Get baptized…. Declaration to the church body, your friends and family that you are serious. It is an outward declaration of what happened on the inside.

- Share the Gospel – tell people about Jesus. Use whatever place you are in, Your job, your school, your family as a starting point for spreading Gods love with both words and Actions.

- Stretch Yourself – step out in faith, refuse to just be comfortable, find ways to challenge yourself and continue to become more and more like Christ.

- Now that you are part of the body of Christ, find out what your specific funcion is in that body. The body needs every person to do their part, using the gifts and talents that God has given you.

Track 8

6. Invest (time & finances)

- Once True north is your home then you should begin to invest financially… tithes & offerings. Remember that whatever you give to the church is an investment into what God is doing. You are partnering with other Christians to build Gods house and make an impact in the surrounding community.

- Remember that you were reached with the Gospel because others before you decided to give and build the church with their finances.

Its been said that in order to determine what a person holds most valueable you need only to look at their checkbook and calendar. Meaning that whatever we truly love and value we always set aside time and money for.

- I would also encourage every Christian to Get involved with a team, serving somewhere at church. We are always looking for people that will step up and use their God given talents to serve on team.

- Christ, our example came to serve, and not be served.

- Choosing to give some of your time to help build the church is a valuable step in learning to be selfless and to see the bigger picture of what God is doing in the church. Christians who give of their time and money to the church will have much more invested and have taken ownership of the church and are much more a part of the growth of the church.

Track 9

7. Pass it along

-        Help someone else along their journey the same way someone else helped you.

-        Someone may have invited you to church, encouraged you, shared a verse with you, picked you up for church, answered questions for you, and now it is time for you to pass that along and do that for someone else.

-        The Bible calls this process discipleship. We are each called to become a disciple in some way by passing along the knowledge, wisdom and encouragement that was shared with us.

Track 10

I hope that this CD has been helpful to you. Be sure to listen to it again if you need to.

Write down any questions that you have or something that you would like more clarity on, and take them to your reality group leader. They will be happy to discuss anything further and answer your questions.

So are you ready to begin this new chapter in your life? We will be praying for you as a church that you would seek God with all your heart and pursue him and what he has for you.

Make a decision to never never go back to your old life or give up on God… … Because he will never give up on you…. and no matter what happens…we win.

Read John 6:33 (seek first the kingdom of God….

Read verse about “ the old has gone… the new has come”

(I loved this article that i read by Ps. Mark Driscoll… lots of great stories within stories here and inspiration to be bold in the way we talk about the Gospel. I also love what he says about the differences in “Tribes”…)

FAQ: Why do you preach in strange places?

by: Pastor Mark Driscoll on Sep 27, 2011

I like to preach. No, I really like to preach. So, I preach pretty much wherever.

I’ve preached in a college bar during happy hour, at the Crystal Cathedral, at Saddleback Church, multiple Desiring God events, an African casino, in a park, at Gospel Coalition events, rock concerts, a college dorm, multiple churches, hotels, and conference centers, various college campuses—including one of America’s most liberal schools where hacky sack and pot-growing seem to be popular majors, a few stadiums, and I’ve co-hosted Loveline with Dr. Drew. At various Christian events I have spoken with and for people from the whole spectrum of Christian conviction.

Admittedly, this can be confusing. But, there are four reasons why I tend to accept certain speaking invitations. Each can be summarized with a question, and I list them here in no particular order.

Can I learn something by going that I cannot learn elsewhere?

When we started Mars Hill Church, I had never been a pastor in a church or formal member of a church. At the time I also had not been to Bible college or seminary. Furthermore, the church was fully independent, with no denominational connections or traditional heritage. I had a lot to learn. As we’ve grown, the list of what I have to learn keeps changing and growing.

So, I sometimes accept speaking opportunities to get out of our church and go see and learn from other people. My hope is to remain teachable and always be growing as a leader, by God’s grace. Too many leaders turn their tribe into their prison. They only read books and get ideas from people who already agree with them on everything. This is a guaranteed way to hit your ceiling prematurely as a leader. I love our church, and I want to learn anything I can to better serve the people Jesus brings to us.

Is there an opportunity for me to influence Christian leaders?

If I’m invited to speak at an event where some Christian leaders with whom I disagree on some issues will be speaking, I often like to go because I will have an opportunity to meet them personally and perhaps even to begin building a friendship that can continue after the event. In this way I get to speak to people privately rather than speaking about people publicly. As I’ve done this, I’ve seen most people respond very positively. Some have become genuine friends and, on such things as theological issues, they tend to call or email to run stuff by me privately, which is a great honor. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, but if there’s a way to help serve key Christian leaders as a friend, that is a great joy.

Is there an opportunity for lost people to meet Jesus?

I don’t believe evangelism is my strongest spiritual gift, but it is somewhere in the mix. I have never gotten over God saving me at the age of 19. I want to be used by God to introduce as many people as possible to Jesus. So, as I am able, I tend to speak at evangelistic events, and God has been gracious every time to compel people to make a profession of faith. This sometimes means I speak in places I normally wouldn’t, but it’s for an evangelistic reason. As a general rule, I never accept an honorarium for such events; I simply want to serve lost people by preaching Jesus as a gift and not receiving anything in return.

Can I build bridges between Christian tribes?

I like to venture outside of my tribe. I like to meet leaders from other Christian tribes. I like to see what things we may have in common and possible ways I could help network tribes to be speaking to one another rather than always shooting at one another.

Some tribes are “kingly,” which means they are great on systems, fundraising, and doing things big and well. Other tribes are “priestly,” meaning they are strong at loving people, building community, and caring for the outcast. And still other tribes are “prophetic,” meaning they are skilled at theology, precise Bible interpretation, and doctrinal defending.

Most tribes also have a weakness or two. So, the kings are often soft theologically, the prophets are often soft relationally, and the priests struggle to maximize their care and multiply their leadership. Sometimes, the conflict between two tribes is really one criticizing the other for not being strong where their tribe is.

As I am able, if I can learn from and connect with tribal leaders, I like to attempt to introduce them to one another. In this way, my hope is that various tribes can learn from one another and be biblically rooted (prophetic), relationally loving (priestly), and organizationally effective (kingly). If so, then we’d see the most people helped in the most biblical way with the most love.

In conclusion, simply because I am speaking with or for a person or group does not automatically indicate my endorsement of them. As an obvious example, when I debated Deepak Chopra on Nightline, it was not because I agree with him on perhaps anything.

Furthermore, I am never muzzled. I speak freely and without restraint. One of my conditions for coming to speak is that I have no conditions on what I say. As a result, I often don’t get invited back. But it’s fun while it lasts.

Here are ten signs that you are near a burnout and/or meltdown…

#1 – You are beginning to despise people and your compassion for them is continually decreasing rather than increasing.

#2 – You OFTEN think about doing something other than ministry…and your biggest desire isn’t to honor God and reach people but to simply find relief from the pressure that seems to be building daily inside of you.

#3 – You cannot remember the last time you simply had fun with family and friends…and joy is something you talk about but are not experiencing for yourself.

#4 – You are disconnected at home…when you get there you do not want to engage with your spouse or your children, you cannot enjoy being around them…you spend more time online than you do with your family…and you find yourself wanting to sleep all of the time.

#5 – You continually tell yourself and those you love that “this is just a really busy season and that you will slow down soon.”  (However, the truth is that you have been most likely “singing that same song” for years!)

#6 – You are continually becoming obsessed with what others say about you…and one negative comment from someone who does not like you can put you in an incredibly deep valley and cause you to feel hopeless.

#7 – You begin to make easy decisions rather than the right ones…because the right ones take too much work.

#8 – There is no hope in you…and, you actually despair life.  You have actually thought of death…and some have even entertained suicidal thoughts.

#9 – You are experiencing unexplained depression and/or anxiety.  You are even having panic attacks and you can’t explain it!

#10 – You are increasingly becoming withdrawn from family and friends.

(Great article by a friend of Our Church … Joe Sengl)

B-R-O-K-E is a plague that has pervaded the American church. I 100% believe it comes down to the leader taking responsibility for this. I have worked with hundreds of churches and see this exact pattern again and again:

B-R-O-K-E church leaders do the following things:

B – Beg for free stuff

I am NOT against shopping for a deal or looking for bargains, but I am against the bottom feeder mentality of thinking stuff should be free or cheap just because you are a church leader. The churches I work with that believe in paying a fair price and loving to bless people have in abundance! The beggar always remains a beggar. Nothing will ever change unless YOU do! Move from begging to a blessing mentality today. If your first reaction to the price of something ministry related is to ask for a discount, you’ve got BROKE thinking.

R – Refuse to know the numbers

Church leaders that have great financial reporting systems do better financially. It is absolutely ridiculous in this day and time to not have a weekly financial dashboard to review. Most broke leaders refuse to confront the brutal facts and say, “We don’t have any extra money so we just can’t spend.” That is like the family that just lives at zero each month and thinks there is more month than money. It’s a lie… If you KNEW THE NUMBERS, you would create margin.

I’m doing a webinar this month called BROKE PROOF to help you with these systems. Whether you are a large church or small, this will be so helpful. 500 spaces available starting now! Register for your spot below.

O – Operate with no margin

I can’t believe the amount of churches that create NO MARGIN! The good people at Church Of The Highlands do this and have showed that a church can operate this way from day one. How much are you putting back each month for obstacles or opportunities? If nothing, that is concerning.

On the webinar next week, I will teach you HOW to create a real church budget that has built in margin. It’s SO SIMPLE, but EXTREMELY powerful. And it works!

K – Keep doing what you have always done

Churches remain broke because leaders refuse to learn. “We just keep listening to other broke people and “hoping” things will get better…” It doesn’t work!

E – Educate themselves very little about money

Some of the healthiest churches I work with have financially savvy leaders. It doesn’t mean they hoard money, it means they understand how it works. Money works for or against you. You have to start now educating yourself on how money works… Oh… by the way… If you keep saying, “I don’t have high capacity donors in my church.” That means you don’t understand money. When you start understanding how the real world works, you will attract and pastor these people

If your church is planning a series, or themes for the fall quarter… I have a something maybe that can help you to organize a way of being efficient with this process.

A Message Plan that is CREATED  in 7 steps. (the acrostic is just to help you remember)

1. Choose Topic

2. Research Topic

3. Explore creative elements

4. Advertise and Promote

5. Train leaders and volunteers

6. Execute service teachings

7. Deepen and Develop through Group study and application.

… There you go.. a 7 step plan to have well organized and planned out themes / topics for messages.

(This is points 5 – 7, I’ll post 8-10 tomorrow)

5. (5^th simple truth about discipline) The Church God wants on earth is a disciplined church

- God desires that True North would be a disciplined church

Consistent, dependable, goal oriented, generous… wise, effective, influencial, creative,

- With our resolutions: our decisions… doing what needs to be done, sacrifice what needs to be…

- Our application of scripture…every week being disciplined to put his word  to work & Allow it to change us,

There is an Incorrect attitude sometimes with those Serving on Team, volunteering :

- I’m helping you guys out, I’ll fill this need you have, doing this for you, you owe me one…

You need to serve the church…. more than the church needs you to serve.

In order to become the person God created / intended for you to be… you need it more.

-       This is how God can refine you, build you, teaches discipline, teaches humility, learn how to serve.

-       When you build Gods house… he builds you in the process

There is a lack of discipline within the church as well as out In the world…

- Read the bible in a year; … got through three books then quit

- Praying for my friends;… prayed for a week… month…gave up (I guess it wasn’t God will)

- Resourcing myself;… got through a few chapters…(not enough pictures)

- Heard a great message…  wanted to apply it to my life… but forgot…(didn’t bring a good pen)

- Came out to help serve on team… for 6 months… (summer came…)

-       People that are incredible Christians, church builders, influencial people everyday lives…

People that God has been able to mold, equip, build  / disciplined in their actions, thoughts, words, time

-       I trust people that are discipled, self motivated… get stuff done, dependable, can speak into others

-       People that lack discipline are annoying… such a weakness, selfishness / character flaw.

6. We all have areas that we can be more disciplined in. No one has arrived.

You know what they are: Heath, working out, eating better, spiritual life, inviting to church, finances, habits attitude, saving money, cleaning, staying up reading, your thoughts, your goals, making time, relationships

How do we become more disciplined

1. Come to church

2. Surround yourself with people that are more disciplined than you as much as you can.

3. Recognize the area where you need to be more disciplined: Admit it… write it down… tell someone…

4. Make a plan, timeline, Goal…. End result…

5. Be accountable, be encouraged, … do it with someone else…

6. Reap the rewards, move onto another area, One down… 10 more to go…

7. Will never be disciplined until you want the result of discipline more than the results no discipline

Scenario: Thousand dollars a day for a month to save or hundred dollars a day to spend

-       Either save it for a Down payment on your dream house (30 thousand)

-       Or spend the hundred a day as you go along…small things (couple video games, party, trip,…)

-    Is Our desire for the Big item or collection of little items…?

What do we want more? God want’s something Big for each of us & True North Church

- Abundant life, awesome person, influencial, financially thriving, Salvations, Better / Bigger, excellence

We have an idea of what that is going to take to get there….

-       Hard work, sacrifice, giving of time & money, uncomfortable, stepping out…discipline

-       We have to want the Result of Discipline more than the result of not having discipline.

What do we want more?

- To sleep in Sunday Am or to come to church early to serve.

- Resource ourselves and read our bible, filled up… or watch an extra sitcom….

- Invite and bring people out to church, soul winner… or never invite people Because

- having to pick someone else up /  answer their questions might be bothersome

If they accept Christ, want to change directions

- I’m going to have to change how my example is to them, watch every little word I say.

- I’m probably going to have to answer their questions, help them…baggage, issues

What do you want more?… its something you need to ask yourself