Leaders Always Ask the Right Questions

Never stop asking the right questions.

Fortunes Begin with Ideas - Think and Grow Rich Tuesday 102423

Think & Grow Rich Tuesday

"Ideas are the beginning of all fortunes." - Napoleon Hill

How to Maximize Going for Your Goals in 1 Year

Plan to reach more goals this upcoming year by changing how you look at your time.

Se things differently in order to achieve more in less time.

My 4 Favorite Fintech Stocks for the Future

The future of finance is fintech.

Innovations in lending and banking along with other direct to consumer services have changed the landscape of personal finance. Consider the impact of Cathie Wood and Ark Invest influencing the realm of investing.

Fintech is the future of finance.

Learn How to Know Who is Playing on Your Team or Just Plain Playing You

Don't go by what they're saying.

Just keep your eyes on how they're playing.

#success #journey #tips 

2021 30-Day Prayer Challenge Launch

Always pray and never give up. - Luke 18:1 Pray without ceasing. - 1 Thes. 5:17 Join us for the 2021 30-Day Prayer Challenge this September as we endeavor to engage in a spiritual movement through the power of prayer. Join the 2021 30-Day Prayer Challenge here: https://tremendous-painter-8063.ck.page/8c11aff5d4

3 Essentials for Joining the Gig Economy Despite the Pandemic

 In the latter part of 2020, about 6 months into the pandemic, I shared via YouTube some insights into making changes in your life and kick off some new ventures in the remainder of 2020. It was befitting for Coffee & Chat with Rev Bruce because the overall theme of the livestream is to inspire people with information and interviews that help dreamers become doers.

Today I cover 3 essentials for joining the gig economy despite the pandemic. Why do I say "despite the pandemic?" In ties like these, people operate differently. They see things differently and they respond to things differently. 

For many people, the common factor boils down to fear. So, as I talk about taking a leap or pushing forward with a launch, fear has no place in the equation. Push fear aside. Allow yourself to think and act boldly rather than to sit back and cringe in a corner based upon fear.

3 Essentials for Joining the Gig Economy

Here it is:

• Competency
• Capacity
• Confidence

That's what you need. Those are essentials for joining the gig economy. Those are necessities for developing and doing your side hustle with success and for sustainability.

Competency

Competency has various meanings and definitions based upon what we are talking about at any particular time. Don't get caught up in semantics. Consider competency in the context of your side hustle. In this case, competency is your skills, know-how, and hands-on knowledge. 

In a gig economy, the greater amount of competency that you are able to develop and distribute within that economy means that you have a higher degree of leverage. If your competency includes highly specialized skills that are in demand and few people can actually do on their own, then you have high value competency that can allow you to charge a premium in fees for your services.

During this pandemic, whether you have lost your job or you simply want to supplement your income, you need to increase your levels of competency to create more opportunities for you within the gig economy. Driving for a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft or delivering food for Postmates or DoorDash do not require a high degree of competency. But teaching others how to invest in real estate, flip houses, and employ the BRRR method will require you to have some experience or track record with real estate and some proven methods or strategies for implementing and capitalizing on real estate investments. 

To increase your competency, you should consider:

• e-courses or email courses
• webinars/ virtual trainings
• niche coaching
• college degree programs
• certificate programs/ licensing

Additionally, increase your competency by spending additional time reading books on both personal development and business or entrepreneurship as well as watching YouTube or Vimeo videos that offer how-to and tutorial information in bite-sized proportions.

By increasing your level of competency, you naturally increase your potential opportunities within the gig economy and provide yourself with the possibility of side hustle success and sustainability.

Capacity

Capacity is defined as how much you are able to handle. In essence, your capacity comes in different forms. In many cases, you find people arguing that they do not have enough time or money. 

Many people see themselves "at capacity," and that just is not true. Too many people limit themselves based upon both assumptions and excuses that do not merit attention. Capacity can be expanded based upon the maximum utilization of what you already have under your control.

For many people, capacity seems finite. However, I dare you to follow me in the example of a daily time audit. There are 24 hours in a day. You currently work 8 hours or one-third of the day. You sleep another 6 to 8 hours per day. at maximum, that is 16 of your 24 hours. Let's say your exercise about an hour per day and your meals amount to 2 hours per day. That is another 3 hours. By simple calculation, you should at least have 5 additional hours to your day. Now, armed with this information from your daily time audit, you can begin to strategically and systematically identify how you will utilize those additional hours for your side hustle.

To increase your own level of capacity, you need to consider incorporating and implementing:

• daily time audit
• daily time allocation budget
• time and stress management apps
• daily journaling or diary writing
• morning meditation
• weekly self check-ins
• monthly money budget
• money bucket system
• monthly money envelope system

Start taking a different type of approach towards the very things that others say are limited. Broaden your own scope in regards to the possibilities of increasing your own capacity. By increasing your capacity, your increase your ability to handle opportunities presented for you within the gig economy. With increased capacity, you can withstand the highs and lows of the pandemic and still experience side hustle success.

Confidence

Here is a simple warning about confidence. You can build your own self confidence without the kudos or accolades of others, but you need to be sure to not let anything get to you. Romans 12:3 warns us to not think too highly of ourselves. It does not say for us to not have self confidence, so we need to be sure to keep a level head about us and keep our feet on the ground as we move forward with our side hustle in this gig economy.

Confidence is believing in yourself, your skills, your talents, and your abilities. You need self confidence to network and promote, even market and brand yourself, within this side gig economy. Nobody is going to toot your horn for you and nobody should be a bigger cheerleader for you than you. You need to make the most noise about what you have to offer than anyone else. 

I know one of my holy and saintly friends will pop up and clap back with the words from Proverbs that say for us to let another man praise us and not ourselves. Marketing and promotion is not self praise. They're part of a formula of building brand awareness that any business needs to undertake. If you do not share what you have to offer, how will someone know that you have the talent, skills or know-how to do a job for them or someone else who they know?

Combine These 3 Essentials for Success and Sustainability

Your increased levels of competency and capacity will help to feed your self confidence. This will fuel you to withstand the storms of the pandemic and its aftermath. You can still develop and launch a side hustle in the midst of all of this mess. your confidence will carry you through the closed doors in your face and emails and DMs without any reply. Allow your self confidence to give you the drive to share your skills and know-how.

By combining your competency, capacity, and confidence, you will see new opportunities and even older opportunities in a new light. You will have armed yourself with assets that make you more than marketable. Your resume and portfolio of skills and know-how will stand out as your polished confidence speaks volumes with every presentation and meeting.

This gig economy is growing. If you are not doing the essentials to take the leap and jump in, then you are limited yourself and your opportunities. In fact, you might be setting yourself up to do one of two things. You might be setting yourself to hire someone else who is engaged in the gig economy with skills and know-how that you need in the form of services and products. Or, you might just be setting yourself up to work for one of the people who is in the gig economy and has expanded and enhanced their services to the point where they need additional hired help.

Tune in for more on this topic. . .

 Blessed to Bless Somebody

And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive - Acts 20:35

The Christian has a distinct duty to support the needs of others. It is part of what the faith upholds as we espouse to be of one accord and having all things in common. How we treat others is an indication of what we think about God's creation. It says a lot about us, too.

Download our FREE tip sheet on giving to the poor & needy

The Book of Proverbs offers us an indication about the blessing of the Lord. "The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it" (Proverbs 10:22). It is a blessing that indeed offers to make "one rich," but it "adds no sorrow with it." All the worry and fuss that consumes our time is worthless and pointless. Our blessing from the Lord is not meant to serve as a burden to us.

Giving is a key to understanding the truth about the blessing of the Lord. You can freely give of what you have been given if you have the proper perspective and understanding of God's blessing on your life. Combine that with the passage from Acts where the Lord is quoted as saying that it is more blessed to give,

Have you been blessed by the Lord? If so, then you are one step closer to becoming a blessing. 

Coffee & Chat with Rev Bruce today includes a special guest Mz. Sharifah, a cancer survivor who advocates for and supports other cancer patients along their cancer journey. Her fundraisers include raising funds for chemo kits that are designed and delivered to local hospitals and cancer canters for patients undergoing treatment for cancer. Tune in live at 10 AM PST and hear more of her story and you can help her help others by being a blessing.

Here is a short list of tips on blessing others:

• Prepare your hearts before you place it in another's hand.
• To freely give, you must release what you are giving from both your heart and your head as much as from your hands.
• No blessing is meant for you to boast or brag about your wonderful work; offer praise to God for blessing you.

He who gives to the poor shall not lack . . . – Proverbs 28:27

God's Issue with Israel

 Join us for Live @ Lunch Bible Study at 12 PM PST 11/18

LIVE on YouTube

See the past week's study an introduction and overview of Malachi.

Rethinking Our Systems

If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing.

- William Edwards Deming

Chat on Systems Thinking

If you want to see real change, there's some work that you got to do. You won't be able to conduct an overhaul or upgrade of your current systems without the right data and analysis. You will need to get down to the nitty and gritty of your purpose and priorities.

The problem with most systems is that we get attached or we grow complacent. We say that if it ain't broke, then don't fix it and don't mess with it.

On Saturday, July 18th, tune in to a live stream video chat on systems thinking with Dr. Jose Manuel Villareal, Principal of Oceanside High School in Southern California. His systems approach will give you insights into rethinking your current systems and how to get to the point where the results speak volumes. 

Watch the live stream: 

https://youtu.be/25bhXVmKoRk

Coffee & Chat with Rev. Bruce June 13th 10 AM PST

Watch it LIVE on YouTube

Saturday, June 13th

10 AM PST

Podcast available on Spotify and other podcast networks

June, 15th

What the Church Could Learn from Comic Con Part 2

"I look upon the whole world as my parish." - John Wesley

I learned a lot in just a few days at Comic Con 2019.  My eyes are always open to the different opportunities to glean a little something in the realm of marketing and promotions as well as customer engagement and overall experience.  In a nutshell, Comic Con offers all of that.

Build a Buzz

Comic Con does a great job of building a buzz.  They hype up panels with the Q&A sessions and the sneak peaks.  Plus, the fans keep the buzz going with trending streams of social media content, sharing selfies and quoting the panels with inside information.

Mayans MC panel in Hall H on Sunday offered an exclusive sneak peak of the season opener.

You got to love the way that it all plays out to fit into a media campaign that keeps buzzing before, during and well after the event itself has packed up and moved on to the next city.  People enter the event with an expectation, and their expectation turns into an experience that they feel compelled to share via social media.  

Imagine if the church generated that type of buzz about its special events.  Picture how much of a difference it would make to have streaming video of more than pulpit preaching for seekers.  It could truly turn out to help us in engaging the public.  If people have an idea of what type of experience to expect when interacting with our church, then they could make an informed decision about checking out the local church.  That opens the door for the gospel to be preached or taught.

We have to build a buzz to build up expectations of the experience.

Use Events as a Means for Recruiting Others

The event itself does not need to recruit many people.  However, the exhibit hall and streets are filled with opportunities to download or sign up for this or that in order to get a discount or an opportunity for a special experience.  There are numerous ways to play it, but playing it safe is definitely not the mantra here.

"Jesus turned everyone into recruiters." - Laurie Beth Jones

As the local church, we need to see our mission as recruiters as well as ambassadors.  We want people to feel a certain level of connection that they cannot get simply streaming church worship services on the Internet.  We want to tap into the inner yearning that drives people to seek to do so much more with their lives than simply sit through church.  We need to serve as a conduit for people to give more of themselves in order to make a difference in the world around them.

We need to see that every event and service is an open opportunity to get people involved in what we are doing within the community.  If it is a golf tournament, what is the charity that benefits from having foursomes fill the golf course? If it is a food giveaway, how are we adding value to the lives of those receiving food beyond just the food itself? Yes, Jesus met the need but He also professed to be the Bread of Life that would make it to where they hungered no more.  We need to recruit people by helping them attach to more than just doing something.  We need to recruit people to make a difference where they fit in and offer their best.

Face the Feedback

Like any organized event, sometimes people drop out and do not show up.  The showrunners of "Game Of Thrones" did not make it, leaving some of the cast to defend the final season that did not go over with much fanfare.  Cast members took the negative feedback from fans in Hall H, but the truth is that we all need to face the feedback.

The truth is perfect, but the people who are followers of the truth are nothing but imperfect.  Therefore, we need the Savior.  If that's the case, the same people who run the local church are just as imperfect as the people who make decisions about episodes and camera shots to bring those story boards to life on the screen.

Facing the feedback is not easy.  It reveals our imperfections.  It stings a little bit, even a lot at times.  Yet, if we take it in, we can begin to make some necessary changes and provide some quality that matches with expectations.  Plus, it boils down to something super simple: people are able to vent and feel that they have been heard.  I learned early on in ministry that we cannot truly help them if we have not truly heard them.  Accept the feedback and act on it accordingly.

After 50 years, Comic Con appears to still be going strong.  It initially started with 300 people.  Nowadays it just takes over the entire downtown of San Diego with swarms of cosplayers and gamers as ell as geeks and super fans.  Add to that the people watchers and the onlookers as well as the freebie chasers.  That's an entire melting pot of folks.

If that is the five-day frenzy over comic books and related media, we should accomplish so much more with the truth of the gospel.  

What the Church Could Learn from Comic Con Part 1

For a few years, I have attended Comic Con San Diego. #sdcc  

2019 is no different. #sdcc2019

There are certain aspects of Comic Con that could teach the church a thing or two.  I am not saying that the church needs to change its principles.  On the contrary, I believe that the church could learn some lessons on how to engage both the public and its own flock.  With an open mind, some church leaders might be able to see beyond all of the cosplay and Dungeons & Dragons mixed in with the Avengers, anime and Stranger Things exclusive sneak peeks to discover some real marketing and engagement gems.

So, the master praised the dishonest manager for being clever. 

Yes, worldly people are more clever with their own kind than spiritual people are.

- Luke 16:8 (NCV)

Offer an Experience

Part of the lure of Comic Con is the overall experience that it offers fans of all kinds of interests.  The long lines to enter Hall H and the fan frenzy for the network and studio experiences throughout the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego are all part of the wave of fans and freaks seeking the ultimate fan experience during Comic Con.  There is a heightened sense of anticipation buzzing in the air.  There is an atmosphere of being in the present moment as well as being on your toes for any sudden surprises.

AT&T's Game Of Thrones Experience in Chicago, another example of an engaging experience for fans.

The church can learn something here.  How much build up and hype do we create with our outreach and promotions, even our advertising and marketing? 

Create a Sense of Community

Comic Con allows folks to interact on a wide variety of levels.  It lets the fans feel like they are part of a broader community than just being loyal and dedicated X-Men or Avengers fans.  Those attending Comic Con get caught up in this groundswell of being part of a larger community.  

• They share an experience.
• They sense total acceptance, whether costumed or not.
• They openly share where the freebies and worthwhile experiences are throughout the area.
• They feel like this experience could go on forever if possible.

When was the last time someone felt all of that in church?

I have been going to church for years, and I have been preaching for a while, too.  Yes, I get the typical "That was an on-fire sermon, Rev" and "You really touched my soul with that one, brother." But I have never heard or viewed church folks filled with the type of elation and jubilation that entry into the San Diego Convention Center provides Comic Con attendees.

Where We Need to Focus and Pray

When we learn to generate that type of experience and sense of community, we might be catching up with the cleverness of the "worldly people" Jesus mentioned in Luke 16:8.  

We need to gather as spiritual leaders of local denominations and houses of worship, and then pray over how much of an experience we provide through Sunday worship services and special events.  Included in that same prayer, we need to consider how much of an inclusive experience we offer visitors, guests and seekers.  We also need to check out what type of community we have created in our local churches.

Do people feel accepted and connected?

Once we purge the type of thinking that everyone outside of the church is demonized and needs to be exorcised by a priest with a crucifix, we might be able to stomach that Comic Con presents an opportunity for outreach.  It does not mean that the people who are a captive audience in line are beaten down with Bible verses until they cannot fathom any more.  It means that we might offer hotel concierge church marketing and outreach materials just in case some attendees ask about local worship services.  We might even talk with local wait staff at downtown eateries in case someone asks about worship services or Bible study. 

In Part 2, we will dive deeper into what else the church could glean from Comic Con 2019.

Prayer Pointers for All

"God answers the mess of life with with one word: grace." - Max Lucado

God has answers.

God grants us access.

God gives us answers.

We just have to accept God's answer.

Prayer is more than just telling God what you want.  Prayer allows us to also hear from God.  It is more than what we take to God.  It also involves what we take in from God.

"Prayer is humbling work." - E.M. Bounds

Prayer is about Access

God grants us access to His throne of grace.  Max Lucado said that God's answer to all of our mess with grace.  With access to God, we have the Almighty attentive to our supplications and petitions.  Let us go to God with our cares and concerns, releasing them to Him and His will as we lay them at His feet and under His authority.

Prayer is about Answers

David's agonizing pleas in Psalm 13 appear to be scribed in the midst of frustration.  It sounds like David just could not get God's attention and an answer from God.  Much like David, we may not get the answers that we want but we most assuredly get the answers that we need.  Even if those answers do not come in the form of a booming voice from heaven, God can still answer as a whisper in the wind or a burning bush to give us the answers that we need. 

Prayer is about Acceptance

At the end of all of our efforts to give our prayers over to God, our work is not done.  We have to take action once we have an answer.  We have to accept God's answer.  Our acceptance comes by both our attitude and actions.

• Attitude: How we respond to God's answer by our countenance and with our words
• Actions: How we respond to God's answer with our works

For all that God provides us, how we respond to the answer that God provides us says a lot about our expectations of God and our relationship with God.

We just have to learn how to accept God's answers to us.

Follow the Jeremiah Journey  #JoinTheJourney

Charity Challenge for 2018

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; 

but the greatest of these is charity.

- 1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV)

"Change requires action." - John C. Maxwell

Oftentimes, I find myself wondering why we struggle with letting go.  We refuse to let go.  We refuse to let God have His way.

We hold on to the wrong things for the wrong reasons, and then we wonder why we do not have what God promised us.  

The logic is simple, friends.  We cannot take hold of what we should have because we have not freed up our hands to let go of what we are holding onto for dear life.  Sadly, much like the rich young ruler who left saddened from the words of Jesus, what we have a hold on truly has a hold on us.  Perhaps, it even has a hold over us.

Imagine how much collective power we would have if we shared and pooled our resources like the brothers and sisters of the early church, having all things in common.

2018 Charity Challenge

"... but the greatest of these is charity." 

- 1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV)

Life Path Multimedia is part of the larger vision of Life Path Ministries & Services.  Our work consists of online multimedia content and a message-driven, mobilized outreach ministry.  This blog along with Rev Bruce's Blog serve as the cornerstones of content for Life Path Multimedia, but our online storefronts on Sellfy and Lulu (books and other resources) as well as Zazzle and CafePress (t-shirts, buttons and gear) are how we truly fund the ministry's outreach and good works.

During 2018, we dare to trust God for more support as we seek to expand and enhance our ministry's outreach and evangelism.  Our goal is to take the gospel on the go, taking it to more people on the streets and in all walks of life. One of our goals is to purchase a used SUV and trailer later this year for summer outreach at festivals and fairs, even local 5Ks and marathons.  Also, we want to distribute tracts, Bibles, and more.  We want to make the accusation in Acts a reality that we are turning the world upside down.

For 2018, all we ask is that you check out our storefronts and identify items that you might purchase in support of our ministry.  Consider it an act of charity (translated as "love") and help us help others.  While some of our publications are more secular, our profits go towards the work of our higher calling as Paul wrote in the New Testament.

Check out some samples below.  Also, check back throughout the year for more materials and designs as they become available.

Writing the Wrongs (poetry in protest)

Discover Words from the Underground by Rev Bruce Jackson

(poetry)

Subscribe to our mailing list

Loving Poetry Dark T-Shirt by LifePath
Find more & unique gifts at CafePress

Order @Prayer Always pin on Zazzle

@Prayer is designed to stir up inspiration Pinback Button
by Lifepath08

Counting on the Wrong Thing

Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless.- Psalm 108:12 (NIV)

Let's put this in perspective.

If you have a legitimate problem, then you are in need of some real help.

What some folks have to offer just isn't real help.  It is worthless.

The plea within this psalm is for help or aid against an enemy or foe.  Actually, it is a plea for help from a specific enemy.  The psalm says the enemy.  Thus, the enemy must be known by both the victim and rescuer.

We realize in the midst of our own turmoil and struggles how useless some types of help amounts to when weighed against what we are going through at the time.  

TALK IS CHEAP

Talk is cheap when you need to spring into action.  Mere words offer little consolation when you are in the heat of a major conflict that needs immediate resolutions.

MONEY ISN'T ALWAYS THE ANSWER

Money can do a lot, but it doesn't solve everything.  In all honesty, some of the "true riches" that the Lord spoke of were the things that stood out in life despite how much money one had accumulated.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY CAN DO MORE HARM THAN HELP

If someone is going to stab you in your back, they have to get close to you.  The attack is in close proximity to you.  No one can get any closer to you than family, even some friends.  Beware that it often hurts our hearts more that it someone we cared for and loved than the actual damage caused by the gossip, innuendo  and smear campaigns.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans. - Psalm 118:8 (NIV)

Get your help from the right source.  Know that your real help comes from on high.  Tap into the Lord's powerful ability and availability.  Let Him know your troubles.  Give them over to Him in sincere, consecrated prayer.  Allow Him to empower you with the Spirit of God that embodies every believer.

Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.- Psalm 146:3 (NIV)

If you tell Him, trust Him.  If you trust Him, take every ounce of what He offers to you in faith and with joy, knowing that He gives us what we do not deserve (grace) and that He spares us of what we truly deserve (mercy).

You can count on Him.

Almost New Wineskins for the Same Old Ministry

Part of my experience as a minister has been working with young men and other men in the local church's men's ministry and through A.M.E.N. under Life Path Ministries.  I see a lot of young men who have made wrong or unwise choices when I preach at the Consolidated Brig on a monthly basis for their Protestant worship services.  I write a lot of poetry on my own experiences like I did in my last e-book of poems,  Writing the Wrongs.  Somehow, I know that something has to be used to help with our predicament.

I write this post with a heavy heart for what I have seen and heard from our men who are behind bars and down and out on their luck, whether it be on the streets on their own or still at home.  This is to provide young people and the people who work with them with some handy resources and information to do more in the same ministries.

National Network for Youth Ministries (NNYM) has been one of my favorite site's and offers great updates, newsletters and information for youth workers and youth leaders.  I discovered them when we started a mentoring program through our church's faith-based nonprofit agency.  I love what they offer those who serve youth.  They are seriously resourceful to many of us in the field of ministry.

The Body by Chuck Colson is a must-read.
Also, check out:

• Jesus Freak by DC Talk
• Crazy Love by Francis Chan
• He Chose Nails  by Max Lucado

Youth leaders could benefit from articles on compassion and caring for others as well as fundraising and leading groups.  Check out the article on youth leadership strategies that I had posted some time ago.

I pray that this leads to some new ideas and some innovations in the ministry.  I pray that we do not continue to see a decline in college enrollments and increases in prison sentences.

Perhaps, we will see a decline in our young folks desiring to live like reality TV stars and seek to live more like the real Jesus who came and died for the sins of the earth.  That can only come as we try to use some new wineskins or at least almost new ones.

Getting Down to the Nuts and Bolts of Evangelism

"He that winneth souls is wise." - Proverbs 11:30

Winning souls is of high importance.  It is a priority for the Christian and the local church.  In order to win souls, you have to be engaged in some aspect of evangelism.

In many cases, we have regulated evangelism to a few generalized activities rather than a broad range of diverse activities that impact and influence people to engage in a relationship with Christ.  Truthfully, evangelism is a mixture of both of these.

According to Vine's Expository Dictionary, "evangelize" means to proclaim glad tidings; preach the gospel (Luke 1:19; 9:6; Acts 21:8).  When we participate in activities that share the gospel, the "good news" about Jesus Christ, we are involved in evangelizing.

Our evangelistic activities should span beyond simply inviting people to worship services and events at our local church.  All that is saying is that someone has to come onto our territory in order to get what we have to offer.  That is not the type of evangelism that wins souls.  That simply gets them through the door for the pulpit and the choir to do the work of the soul winning.

Charles Spurgeon said it profoundly when he said:"Our main business is to win souls." Winning souls is work.  The Bible references good works as a means for opening the door for winning souls.  For example, in Matthew 5:16, we see that by letting our light shine, others will see our good works and call upon the Father in heaven.  As we do good works, we begin to get people engaged and interacting with the people of God for a good cause.  As we do more good for those around us, it will begin to get the people who benefited from those good works to look beyond us and to our source of support and strength.

In 2014, we will look at more of the nuts and bolts of evangelism.  We will begin to discover that we can do more and discover the power that God has given to us to influence, inspire and impact our fellow man, just by letting our lights shine before men.

Stay tuned for more on this topic as we engage in an ongoing effort to strengthen the church and the Christian to do more with what God has already given to us.

And So On and So Forth

“Hope itself is like a star- not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity. ” 

― Charles H. Spurgeon

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)

We can look at a new year in many ways.  most of us tend to take it one way or the other.  Either we see this new year as an immense opportunity to spread our wings and fly in new directions and to new heights or we see it as another 365 days to get through with a more-of-the-same type of attitude.  Some see adventure, while others see adversity.  Some see opportunities, while others see obstacles.

How will you see 2014?

Let's look at 2013 first, though.

What we did in 2013 included:

• Brush up our online bookstore in preparation of some new and upcoming releases for 2014
• Added some new articles about fundraising and churches doing good works
• Spent a great deal of time agonizing over poverty and its impact on folks around us and around the globe
• Wrote about unity and the power of working together to serve and save our communities
• Spoke up about youth leadership development in our churches and throughout our communities

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.- Colossians 4:3 (NIV)

I have been seriously praying for God to lead us in a new direction and steadily along the path that He has outlined for us to take in 2014.  Surprisingly, I have discovered that God has pointed out that I have yet to do many of the things that he has already bestowed upon me.  As I look upon the incomplete, unfinished and never attempted things on my to-do list and agenda from on high, I feel convicted.  I know that I could have been a better servant than I have been in 2013.  I know that I could have been a better steward than I have been in 2013.

So now is the time to go on with what He has already given.  I have to go on and go forth.

I have to knock on doors that have yet to be opened to me.  I have call upon those who will not recognize my voice.  I have to proclaim Him to many who have yet to have an introduction to who He really is and what who the world has made Him out to be with its skewed and slated views.

If you want to join me in making the Word known throughout this world, here is how you can join in as we embark on 2014:

1. Start dreaming again and do something with your dreams
2. Start by reading a New Year's Resolution Guide
3. Understand how to start your day on a positive note

Then, once you have started on that track, continue to follow this blog as we discuss 2014's ventures and furthering the Good News.

In Need of an Eye Opener in 2014

And straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight; and he arose and was baptized- Acts 9:18 (ASV)

Paul got an "eye opener" after he had his run-in with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

Many of us do not even see it that way, though.  

We see Paul's encounter with Jesus on the road as the eye opener.

Nope.

That was just the shocker that got homeboy's attention.  The eye opener did not happen until he had been humbled due to to being rendered dependent on the care of others, particularly the folks around the way on a street called Straight.  That's when things started to come together and make sense for him.

I find that the local church may need more of an eye opener than it would care to admit in such an age of enlightenment and information sharing.  We have websites with plenty of popups and other bells and whistles.  We have lots of folks giving us a thumbs up and liking the pastor's latest status updates and photo mashup uploads.  Yet, we leave a whole lot to be desired right in our own midst.


When was the last time that the church just invited the visitors from the past quarter or the past year just to come and have fellowship with the pastor? I mean like cookies or cake and punch like a party without the dog and pony show.  I am thinking that we could invite some of the folks who just recovered from years of battling alcoholism or imprisonment, even widowers and former battered wives, to share their testimonies of survival and victory through faith and trust.  let those folks and their testimonies serve as the keynote addresses and let the pastor simply invite the attendees to join in prayer, then let them meet with a prayer counselor or elder of the church- however you do it in your church or congregation- to share their decision to join or to seek more answers about salvation, church and being a Christian.

Something like that may be the breakthrough that we have been awaiting.  The sound system and the projected song lyrics on the big screen are indeed impressive.  In fact, I love seeing that.  But the "true riches" that Christ spoke of will not  be reached and placed in our possession (under our stewardship, rather) if we do not stop for a moment and address our own blind spots to get those around us to come to know us as more than holy hypocrites.  They need to see that we are flesh and blood just like them but the we have the favor of faith that is also readily available to them, too.

Imagine if our local churches took on the role of community center and resource center more than simply just worship center.  What would alter and change in your community? Would your pastor still be seen as the guy who talks about Jesus and God? Or, would people in your community come to know Him as a servant of the Lord and a true man of God in their opinion? It is all in how outsiders view us that is considered public opinion.  How we view ourselves is called "self image." We do not get an eye opener from looking in the mirror or leaning over and telling our neighbor on the pew that we are doing great and doing God's work.

Open up your hearts and mind, then begin to open your doors, so that you have a new image in the community where your church is located.  Maybe you won't change the community in one day, but you surely can change the community's perception of you and your congregation.

For more insights on this please read my article on local visitors and the local church.