Rap and Hip Hop may not be your thing. That’s ok.
Lecrae is a Rap/Hip Hop artist I really like both because of the music and the lyrics. But, I didn’t know his back story until I saw the video below on I Am Second. Listen to him tell about his life.
Now, listen to a little bit of his music.
Lecrae is using his experiences and his back story to reach others that have the same background and the same struggles.
What is your back story?
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is a different view of success and how people become successful. The commonly accepted formula for success is hard work + talent/skills + time = success. Gladwell goes against that grain. He asserts that success is actually a function of cultural legacy, opportunity and advantages not available to others. From Canadian hockey players to Bill Gates; Jewish lawyers to Silicon Valley moguls – success is more than hard work and talent/IQ.
At first, my reaction to this premise was negative. Everything I had learned about success seemed to be thrown out the window. But, the longer I read, and the more I pondered the ideas put forth by Gladwell, I began to warm to the idea. His theory explains why everyone is not successful in every endeavor. It makes sense.
I believe this same theory also applies to churches and ministry. Not every church is successful at every ministry attempted. But, why? It certainly isn’t due to a lack of trying. It is directly related to a mixture of opportunity, talent and advantages. A couple of examples.
My take away from this book is simple. As an individual or a group: identify your strengths, review your opportunities and determine your hidden advantages. Where these intersect will be your area of success.
A competition for advertisements promoting a ban on all religion? hmmm….
In all fairness, the clip was accompanied by the following disclaimer:
THIS IS A SATIRICAL SEGMENT. ABC TV and the ad companies involved do not think that invading New Zealand, banning all religion etc are actually good ideas.
Well enough.
How would you respond to the points made by the two producers that actually agreed to take on this challenge?
What about the judges?
Notice I asked how you would respond, not how you would react. A reaction is an emotionally, driven action. A response is guided by reason and consideration.
Thoughts?
Prepositions.
You remember those from English class don’t you? Unfortunately, my kids have not experienced the joy of diagramming sentences and determining where the prepositional phrases belong on the diagram. Is it true that schools no longer teach the parts of speech and drill students on how to diagram a sentence?
According to dictionary.com prepositions are defined as:
“any member of a class of words found in many languages that are used before nouns, pronouns, or other substantives to form phrases functioning as modifiers of verbs, nouns, or adjectives, and that typically express a spatial, temporal, or other relationship”
Prepositions indicate relationships between words or ideas. Common prepositions include: at, to, above, behind, through and between – among others. Effective communicators need to understand the differences, both in theory and practice, when using prepositions. Prepositions are both parts of speech and actions.
During my career I have participated in many meetings, lectures and seminars – some led effectively, some not.
There is a difference in the following phrases.
Talking to employees versus Talking at employees
Communicating with a client versus Communicating to a client
The first example in each set implies an engaged relationship while the second implies a disengaged relationship.
Remember the power of the preposition
Communicate effectively.
Be engaged.
I like this verse.
The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
Acts 4:13 NLT
It reminds me that God uses uneducated, common people to serve and reach others. Here we see that the crowd perceived that Peter and John were uneducated and common. Perceived is defined as “detected by instinct or inference”. In other words, it was obvious that Peter and John were common. Perhaps it was their speech, or mannerisms or clothing, but their common, uneducated state was clear.
The cool part? The crowd was astonished (filled with surprise or shock) at Peter and John’s boldness. The last sentence is key:
“And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”
It was obvious these were common, ordinary, uneducated men. They did not have the “knowledge” or “training” of the religious leaders and spoke with boldness. The only answer? They had been with Jesus.
Jesus was the source of their boldness.
HT to Church Mag for sharing this video.
What if some people in church truly sang what was in their heart? What they really felt or believed?
Ouch.
I am a Christian. I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and that by accepting His free gift, I am forgiven.
But, don’t be like me.
I’m still broken. I still sin (to use a church term). My faults and character flaws are many – just ask my family. As a result, some may call me a hypocrite. While I claim to be a Christian, I don’t live up to the “hype”.
That’s ok, I will never be a perfect Christian. They don’t exist.
This passage captures it pretty well:
12 I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his. 13 Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead.
Philippians 3:12-13 (NCV)
Just as Paul wrote in this letter, I know I’m not what God wants me to be, but I’m still trying. I keep moving forward. Paul’s counsel in verse 13 is the key to it all in my opinion. “I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead.” He consciously turned the focus away from his storied past. He used to chase down and kill early Christians – he was even there when Stephen was stoned to death. He strained – which means to exert the utmost effort – toward the goal of becoming more like Christ.
So, don’t be like me. I’m not the example to follow – Jesus is.
Work toward being more like Him.
Working with teenagers over the years, I have watched so many struggle with self-image. Our media-centric culture makes this especially tough on teen girls. Photo-shopped celebrities, plastic surgery and teams of makeup and hair artists consistently create an unreal image that many girls believe is the norm – even if only subconsciously.
In the past few years, you may have seen one of the Deidox films which are produced as a short documentary about someone and their faith. I came across this one today and it was so moving that it brought tears to my eyes. Alyssa has been blind from birth. She always wondered what she looked like until God spoke to her one day and reminded her of something.
“He is the only one that can tell me what I look like; the mirror can’t.” – Alyssa
Deidox | Alyssa from Deidox on Vimeo.
I have a teenage daughter.
My wife and I want her to know she is beautiful as God made her. No media outlet, magazine, celebrity or “friend” has the right to tell her otherwise. As Alyssa said, God is the only one that can tell her what she looks like.
The same is true for all of us.
From the archives: This is a post I wrote in early 2008 which I edited and wanted to share because I believe it is still valid.
Are we trading the sobering truth of the Gospel for “Eye Candy Christianity”? This is the Christianity too often “marketed” to people in various ways. From purpose to prosperity to high energy “events”, I believe it is an empty message offered as the solution to a world in search of truth.
People are looking for answers, for truth, and the church – the people, not the building – has the answer. But, in an ever more politically correct world where we are indoctrinated with the fear of offending anyone, we are choosing to take the easy way out. Therefore, back to my question, are we trading the sobering truth of the Gospel for “Eye Candy Christianity”? First let’s define eye candy:
Webster’s Dictionary defines eye candy this way:
“something superficially attractive to look at”
I kept searching and found another definition which I believe defines eye candy more completely, from WordNet:
“visual images that are pleasing to see but are intellectually undemanding”
To give context to the definitions, web designers refer to the animations, graphics, video and other such tools as eye candy. None of these things actually accomplish much other than to entertain the user while more mundane tasks are taking place in the background.
Is that what we have done with Christianity?
Have we watered down the gospel or done away with it altogether in an attempt to attract the “lost”? Turn on the TV and spend some time watching a few of the on air ministries. While there are some that are doctrinally sound, there are many others that have opted for this Eye Candy Christianity. Where the truth about our sinful nature and God’s grace should be, motivational speeches have become the norm. Church, now known as an “event” or “experience” has become a place to be motivated, encouraged or pumped up. We are afraid to challenge people in their daily walk with God, to help them really study the Bible and understand what the Christian life is all about.
What kind of Christianity are you showing your neighbors, co-workers, friends and family? Is it Eye Candy Christianity with no depth and substance, or are you showing them that your faith goes much deeper?
Catalyst is just around the corner! What is Catalyst?
Well, this is my fourth year attending and it is still hard to describe. It is an amazing leadership conference for pastors, church planters, lay leaders, teachers – really anybody involved in leadership. Unlike other conferences I have been to, this conference focuses on ACTION. Don’t just sit there, absorb and recharge. Instead, absorb, learn and then ACT. Be the church!
The one thing I DO know is that it has changed the way I view “church” and serving others.
Catalyst Atlanta 2011 {Be Present} Preview from Catalyst on Vimeo.
There is still time to register.
Will you be present? I will.
