Saturday
Father to the Fatherless
Memorial Service John & Mary
The following video by Mercy me is something that we as a group pray will help you in this time.
Please note that if you Tom or your wife Amy need something please feel free to contact us.
with love
from everyone in the central station young adult ministry at COTN.
Memorial Service
for
Denghui Cheng & Caixia Geng
lovingly known to many as
John & Mary
Sunday, June 19, 2011
3:00 P.M.
at Church of the Nations
The memorial service will be followed by a potluck reception in the gym. If you
plan to attend please bring a dish to share.
(You may bring food to the gym prior to the service.)
Thursday
Take a Break!
Yes even as college students we/you have to take time OFF from the phone,computer,facebook and the CELL PHONE AND TEXTING...
Wednesday
NewSpring is about Jesus, not Perry preaching
Saturday
Friday
Great American Easy Gourmet Review
This cookbook is fairly easy to understand and the recipes are not overly
complicated. I have enjoyed every dish that I have made from this book. My wife enjoyed the Strawberry Soup. It is a cold soup. That was my first experience with a cold soup. If it was a little bit thicker, I could have poured it into a glass and made it a smoothie. I enjoyed making the Penne with Sausage and Eggplant.
I am glad the recipes in the book are easy to understand because I have no idea what they are supposed to look like. There are hardly any pictures in this book. I am guessing the lack of pictures helps to keep the overall price of the book down. I would have been more than happy to pay a few more dollars for pictures of the recipes so that I know what the dish is supposed to look like when it is finished.
The lack of pictures is my only issue with the book. Other than that, it is a great book to buy and learn new dishes. There are no secret tips or tricks. This is just a book of compiled recipes. If you are looking for dishes that do not take a lot of time and are easy to prepare, I recommend this book.
You can buy Great American Easy Gourmet book here.
Did you buy it? What did you think about it? Hit up the comments.
Thursday
Three Areas of Discipleship
Blessings,
Betts
Three Areas of Discipleship
Matthew 6:1-8, 16-18
Matthew records three things that Jesus said that we must do as Christians. It is not optional. You can say that you never heard it before and that is fine, but after tonight if you HEAR and do not DO, you are walking in willful rebellion. Following Jesus in complete obedience shows that we have put all of our faith and confidence in Jesus and that we believe without a shadow of doubt that God will do everything He has said and promised that He would do. Failure to obey is rebellion…Either out of personal preference or lack of confidence or lack of faith. Either way we do not believe that God will deliver on what He has said in His Word. How can you serve someone or call yourself a follower of that person if you do not believe in what they say?
We are going to cover three things tonight that Jesus said we must do as disciples. The first one is giving. Verse 2. Jesus said when you give. Not when you think about giving, not if you choose to give, WHEN you give. People act like giving is painful. They do not want to part with any of their money or their stuff. They believe it is theirs and all theirs. What is wrong with giving? Why do we treat it like we have to cut off an arm to do it? We would rather give a kidney than $20. Why? This is not about tithing. I do not even believe that you should pray about tithing. Why should you pray about something that God has commanded us to do? If you want to pray, pray about how much God wants you to give. The Bible says that anyone that does not tithe is a thief. God does not answer the prayer of thieves. You cannot rob God and expect to have your prayers answered. Giving. Giving of yourself, your time, your things, your money, is what giving is all about. Anything you do above your tithe is considered an offering. You are offering yourself, your time, your money, your stuff for God to bless it and for Him to be able to use it in a way that He wants to use it. Giving is also considered planting seed. Your money, or your stuff or something that you did that God told you to do could be used to help someone come to know Jesus and that person could be saved because you gave. Giving is not a money issue. It is a spiritual issue.
If you are not giving, you are walking in disobedience – willful rebellion.
Luke 6:38 says: Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over,will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
God blesses us so that we can bless others. However, this does not mean He will give it to you on your time or your terms. You cannot expect to throw money in the offering plate as it is passed and expect there to be money under your pillow when you get home. God is not the supernatural tooth fairy. God works on the idea of seed time and harvest or sowing and reaping. When you give, you plant seed. The more seed you plant, the more you will harvest. Corn illustration.
The more seed you plant, the more you will harvest. The second thing we are to do as disciples is pray.Verse 5. When you pray. We love to talk about God but when is the last time that we really talked to God? We may all think that we know how to pray. Some of us get discouraged because we do not think that we can pray. It is not about using big words or trying to be holier than thou. It is about going to God and talking with Him and letting Him know what is on our hearts and praising Him and thanking Him for everything that He has done. Prayer is not going to God as the Holy ATM machine. God wants to give you good things and bless you but you must pray in the right way. Everything you ask must be in God’s will. People get mad when they ask for something and do not immediately receive. God looks at your heart when you pray. Are you sincere, what are your motives for asking? What is your relationship like with God? A relationship is more than one-sided.
Prayer is also a two way street. There is also a part of prayer that many people do not think about. They go to God and deliver their praise, their petitions and they clock their time in, and then they leave. When is it God’s turnto speak to you? How is God supposed to speak to you if you are too busy to listen? You are all wrapped up in your own plans, life is flowing, you are cool with it, and the only time your relationship with God matters is when you go to Him with what you need. Maybe God is telling you to slow down. Listen.
God has things to tell you too. God’s plans are always better than anything that we can come up with. Listen to what He has to say. God knows what direction He wants us to go. He is not going to tell you in flashing lights, or shout it out with a bullhorn. He speaks in a still small voice. If you are not quiet and still, you will never hear Him.
Fasting. Verse 16.
Fasting is not about Oh Woe is me! Fasting can be adventurous. It does not have to be painful. Fasting is not dieting. It is not Weight Watchers. Fasting is a spiritual discipline. It is redirecting our appetite heavenward. We are taking our focus off material things and focusing on the things of God. It is a discipline. We are taking our focus off the things of this life and focusing on the source of life. We do not fast to get what we want. God is not a genie. It does not work like rubbing the lamp and out pops God. Therefore, it does not mean that when we fast, God gives us our new house or our Lamborghini. Fasting is not about getting. When we fast, we will end up wanting what God wants. God wants us to want what He wants.
Our appetite is not always about food. You can have an appetite for greed, lust, power, knowledge, and sex,whatever. If you hunger for such things, than your appetite is out of control. What do you focus your appetite on? Jesus said, I am the bread of life and I am living water. Psalm 37:4 says, Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Fasting is our part. When we fast, we are able to get on the same page as God. Our thoughts become His thoughts. Our desires become His desires. He will give us the desires of our heart because they will be His desires. God can speak to us through fasting. Breakthroughs and revelations can come through fasting. God goes into your spiritual kitchen and cleans out the pantry. He throws out moldy stuff, get rids of toxic garbage, chunks the transfat. We go through a spiritual detox. God’s wants for us are far greater than any want that we can come up with by ourselves. Our convictions come into light. God shows us what is really important. In Numbers 11, the Israelites have been under the leadership of Moses for a long time. God has been providing them with Manna from heaven every day so that they could eat. The Israelites went to Moses and complained that they wanted meat or that they wanted to go back to Egypt because it was better when they were slaves. So, God sent quail. Tons of quail. There was so much quail that they were stacked three feet off the ground. The people thought they knew better than God what was best for them. They ate quail and ate quail and ate quail. Quail burgers, quail stew, quail hash, quail mac and cheese, quail everything. Then God sent a plague on the Israelites to the ones who complained about not having meat. They all died. Thousands of them died. They never made it into the promised land. They ate themselves out of the promised land. They missed the blessings God wanted them to have. Why? Because, they focused their appetite on what they did not have instead of what God was giving them. Matthew 5:6 says, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled. We can be on the same page as God as long as we keep our focus on God. Give. Pray. Fast.
Tuesday
College is a waste of time
Thanks,
Betts
(CNN) -- I have been awarded a golden ticket to the heart of Silicon Valley: the Thiel Fellowship. The catch? For two years, I cannot be enrolled as a full-time student at an academic institution. For me, that's not an issue; I believe higher education is broken.
I left college two months ago because it rewards conformity rather than independence, competition rather than collaboration, regurgitation rather than learning and theory rather than application. Our creativity, innovation and curiosity are schooled out of us.
Failure is punished instead of seen as a learning opportunity. We think of college as a stepping-stone to success rather than a means to gain knowledge. College fails to empower us with the skills necessary to become productive members of today's global entrepreneurial economy.
College is expensive. The College Board Policy Center found that the cost of public university tuition is about 3.6 times higher today than it was 30 years ago, adjusted for inflation. In the book "Academically Adrift," sociology professors Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa say that 36% of college graduates showed no improvement in critical thinking, complex reasoning or writing after four years of college. Student loan debt in the United States, unforgivable in the case of bankruptcy, outpaced credit card debt in 2010 and will top $1 trillion in 2011.
Fortunately there are productive alternatives to college. Becoming the next Mark Zuckerberg or mastering the phrase "Would you like fries with that?" are not the only options.
The success of people who never completed or attended college makes us question whether what we need to learn is taught in school. Learning by doing -- in life, not classrooms -- is the best way to turn constant iteration into true innovation. We can be productive members of society without submitting to academic or corporate institutions. We are the disruptive generation creating the "free agent economy" built by entrepreneurs, creatives, consultants and small businesses envisioned by Daniel Pink in his book, "A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future."
We must encourage young people to consider paths outside college. That's why I'm leading UnCollege: a social movement empowering individuals to take their education beyond the classroom. Imagine if millions of my peers copying their professors' words verbatim started problem-solving in the real world. Imagine if we started our own companies, our own projects and our own organizations. Imagine if we went back to learning as practiced in French salons, gathering to discuss, challenge and support each other in improving the human condition.
A major function of college is to signal to potential employers that one is qualified to work. The Internet is replacing this signaling function. Employers are recruiting on LinkedIn, Facebook, StackOverflow and Behance. People are hiring on Twitter, selling their skills on Google, and creating personal portfolios to showcase their talent. Because we can document our accomplishments, and have them socially validated with tools such as LinkedIn Recommendations, we can turn experiences into opportunity. As more and more people graduate from college, employers are unable to discriminate among job seekers based on a college degree and can instead hire employees based on their talents.
Of course, some people want a formal education. I do not think everyone should leave college, but I challenge my peers to consider the opportunity cost of going to class. If you want to be a doctor, going to medical school is a wise choice. I do not recommend keeping cadavers in your garage. On the other hand, what else could you do during your next 50-minute class? How many e-mails could you answer? How many lines of code could you write?
Some might argue that college dropouts will sit in their parents' basements playing Halo 2, doing Jell-O shots and smoking pot. These are valid but irrelevant concerns, for the people who indulge in drugs and alcohol do so before, during and after college. It's not a question of authorities; it's a question of priorities. We who take our education outside and beyond the classroom understand how actions build a better world. We will change the world regardless of the letters after our names.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dale Stephens.
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| Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/06/03/stephens.college/index.html?&hpt=hp_c2 |
Monday
The COST for Catalyst vs. Passion
Now you see the title and so I want to know what you think
and I will leave you with this and a question at the end... "Pay the price to grow and develop as a leader (see Proverbs 4:7!) Don’t always expect everyone to hand you something for free. Conferences cost money! Books cost money! Quit complaining about tPay the price to grow and develop as a leader (see Proverbs 4:7!) Don’t always expect everyone to hand you something for free. Conferences cost money! Books cost money! Quit complaining about the cost! Great leaders never whine!he cost!
this is from Perry Noble letter entitled "An Open Letter To Leaders…"
The question: What is your view of the price of the cost of a GREAT tool???
CATALYST FEE
Super Early Bird Before 6/23 Early Bird Before 8/25 Regular Pricing After 8/25
Single Ticket $259 $289 $319
Group of 2-9 $239 $269 $289
Group of 10-19 $219 $249 $269
Group of 20+ $199 $219 $239
Student* $159 $179 $199
Labs $99 $119 $129
Pre-Lab $19 $19 $19
PASSION FEE
Registration fee schedule:
$139 through May 1
$169 through July 15
$189 through Oct 1
$199 through Dec 1
$219 at the door
Friday
An Open Letter To Leaders…
June 1, 2011
Dear Leader,
Leadership matters! It is listed in the Scripture as a spiritual gift (Romans 12:8), there are books in the Bible dedicated to what happens when God empowered leadership is embraced (Ezra, Nehemiah, Judges, Esther) and God has called you and raised you up for the purpose of making a difference.
You are going to have to make hard decisions…ones that will cause you to be unpopular and misunderstood. Remember, the Bible says that fear of man is a snare that leads to a place you do not desire to be (see Proverbs 29:25)…and also remember that if it is your goal to be popular, understood and loved by everyone then it is impossible to do so and be a fully devoted follower of Jesus (see Galatians 1:10). MANY people see the problems…very few people actually possess the courage to do something about it…and that is what God has called, equipped and empowered you to do what you do.
God has not called you to do this alone. One of the most amazing things about leadership is that the Lord WILL surround you with men and women to come along side to serve with you and help you do all that God has placed in your heart. LISTEN to other people (See Proverbs 15:22) and understand that being the leader DOES NOT mean that you are the smartest person in the room! (When you believe that…it’s over, the smart people will leave and eventually, over time, you will be the smartest person in the room in a room full of morons!) ASK FOR HELP OFTEN…it doesn’t mean you’re weak, it actually communicates to those you lead that you are strong!
You are going to get hurt…all great leaders do. People you thought loved and cared about you will turn on you, attack you and make false accusations against you. This will cause tremendous amounts of insecurity, pain and frustration; however, don’t allow one person who goes Judas on you cause you to believe that everyone you have around you will eventually betray you. I’ve seen so many leaders isolate themselves because of things like this happening and it just isn’t necessary. The only reason that you believe leadership is lonely is because you have most likely chosen to isolate yourself.
Your character can never be compromised–EVER!
Don’t feel the need to waste time responding to every critic. Life is too short and hell is too hot for you to come down off the wall and have a conversation with people who have a history of attacking others and who make ridiculous accusations against you but have never even taken the time to try to get to know you! (See Nehemiah 6:1-4.) AND…STOP obsessing over what “they” say about you…and my friend Craig Groeschel says, “Becoming obsessed with what people think about me is the quickest way to forget what God thinks about me.”
Pay the price to grow and develop as a leader (see Proverbs 4:7!) Don’t always expect everyone to hand you something for free. Conferences cost money! Books cost money! Quit complaining about the cost! Great leaders never whine!
And remember, He who has called you is with you…He will never leave you…He will finish what He began (Philippians 1:6)…you should NOT give up (Galatians 6:9)…and He has called you to fear no one or no thing but HIM (II Timothy 1:7!)
Thursday
4 Ways to Approach Unsaved Church Members
A dear pastor friend of mine contacted me recently with what he felt was this exact dilemma. I have faced it. Many of you have faced it. All pastors are grateful when individuals desire to be at church and want to commit themselves to the church. There is, however, a problem when the most basic requirement (for most of us anyway) to become a church member is that they have indeed been “born again.” For whatever reason, there are those who desire church membership who show no signs of it. Pastors cannot see the heart, and yet are charged with protection and care of the flock.
Therefore, how do we discern as pastors what to do with someone who does not articulate a knowledge of the gospel clearly and/or fails to demonstrate any genuine fruit of conversion? Here are four suggestions to consider as you talk to a prospective church member. My hope is that they fit in many different contexts of taking new members into the church:
Ask simple and clear questions. Pastors are trained and gifted to be able to respond to tough, challenging questions asked without any warning. Many people are not gifted that way. When talking to someone in this moment, ask simple, clear questions. It is very possible that someone could freeze in response because you failed to state clearly what you wanted from them. Make sure their less than clear response to your questions is not the result of your poor word choices.
Carefully evaluate the meaning of their words. My first membership interview did not go as planned. I had my list of questions and “expected responses” I wanted to hear. About half way into my talk with this woman, I just threw my sheet out the window. Do not listen for the exact wording you desire to hear, but whether their words mean what you need to hear. For example, we do not have to hear them say the words, “repent” or “imputation” to know they still understand the gospel, love Jesus, and have submitted their life by faith alone to Christ. Be open and listen well.
Seize it as a gospel opportunity. Oftentimes as these interviews go downhill we can begin to panic, wondering, “What should I do, how will I explain this to the church, what if they leave if I tell them they cannot be members, etc.” Instead, if you conclude this person does not understand the gospel, seize the opportunity to talk to them about it. After all, they want to join the church. They want to hear you teach from the Bible. They want to be around the other members. Tell them you want to spend four weeks meeting with them discussing a clear understanding of the gospel before you proceed any further with the membership process. Pray and expect that the Lord could bring them to saving faith during that time. If they reject your offer or are offended by the gesture, you may have gotten the answer you were looking for.
Trust the Lord will give you discernment. We are not God, only shepherds of His sheep. God is not expecting us to see and know the heart, ultimately. Pray for wisdom. Ask good, clear questions. Involve other pastors if you have them. Then, make the call trusting the Lord will be gracious to you and the church in it. Two of the most beloved members in our church now were very questionable at the conclusion of my interview with them years ago. They both serve in leadership today. Keep in mind, how willing your church is to discipline church members (Matt. 18:15-17, 1 Cor. 5:1-8) matters when making a decision of uncertainty like this.
May the Lord give each of us grace and discernment beyond our years and abilities as we face these matters for the protection of God’s people and the purity of Christ’s church.
Tuesday
DISCIPLESHIP 101
Genesis 4 – Am I my brother’s keeper? Short answer yes.
Matthew 22:37-40
Spiritually dead – unbelief /gospel shared – born again. A spiritual infant is characterized by ignorance. A spiritual child is characterized by self centeredness. A spiritual young adult is characterized by service. They want to serve. They are more God centered and focused on helping others. A spiritual parent is intentional/reproducible/they have a strategy to teach and mentor ones they are in the process of making disciples.
*This chart is from Real Life Discipleship. You can read the book review here.
Matthew 28:19-20 – Make disciples. Your purpose is to make disciples not friends. Your purpose is to glorify God. If you are a true follower of Christ, you will gain friends and lose friends. You will make friends in the church as part of the body of Christ. You should also have friends that are unbelievers and you should love them enough to share Christ with them.
You should first be the friend that you want others to be to you. Proverbs says that a friend is closer than a brother. A true friend is someone that you can trust, confide in, and know they will do their best to keep their promises.
You don’t need loser friends. What is a loser friend?
- The relationship with you has to benefit them.
- They lie to you.
- They can only be around you when it is convenient for them.
- You can’t trust them – there is broken promises, they will not keep your secrets, there is no confidentiality.
- They repeatedly hurt you and apologize. It seems like a never-ending cycle.
- They would rather see you fail instead of celebrating your successes. You intimidate them. They are jealous of you.
- They betray you.
Sunday
We Remember - A Moving Memorial Day Tribute
family and friends pay it for us for for more JESUS paid it..
Friday
The Temple
Solomon began to build the “house
of
the L
ord” in 1 Kings 6. This temple would be the place where the Lord would dwell among his people. Paul, in the NT, refers to our bodies as the temples where the Holy Spirit now dwells.
This is a
n illustration of Solomon’s temple f
rom the ESV Study Bible.
Here is the thing. When you read the account of Solomon building the temple in 1 Kings 6, Solomon uses the best of the best materials to build with. This temple is beautiful and strong. Since our bodies are now the temples of the Holy Spirit, shouldn’t we make his dwelling the best that it can be?
In 1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul writes, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. I cannot help but think that this means we should also take care and glorify God with what we eat.
When you say grace over a meal, you are technically inviting Jesus to come and dine with you and bless the food received on the table. I am not sure that God is glorified with pre-processed foods like Cheetos and Oreos. I am not sure that God is glorified when I drink more soda than water.
I believe that glorifying God in what I eat is important. If I do not care what I eat and put into my body than I might as well back a dump truck full of crap and drop it into the sanctuary of the church. It’s the same principle right?
This is by no means the end-all discussion. This is just the beginning. I have a lot more research and studying to do and I will have new posts related to this off and on as I learn more.
What do you think? Does the food you eat have anything to do with 1 Corinthians 10:31? Do you plan on glorifying God with what you eat?
Hit up the comments.
Tuesday
The Importance of Moving People
11-2011
Great preachers and leaders know how tomove people.
As soon as I say that I know that the first thing that comes to many people’s minds is emotional manipulation. After all, when unchurched people say they really liked your sermon they usually say that it really movedthem. And in their minds they’re probably talking about pure emotion. Maybe intellectual curiosity.
But that’s not what I mean. Anyone can do that and it doesn’t guarantee any kind of positive growth in the lives of the people you’re preaching to and leading.
What I mean is the concept of moving people further along in their lives. Advancing them beyond their current level of development. Beyond their current walk with God.
I like that concept. That image. And it’s something that I think all pastors should strive after. Pastors have to know how to move people. And they have to know how to move them on two tracks:
1) individually
2) corporately.
The words you speak should move people on a personal level. They should grip their hearts and make application to their lives personally. If you don’t move the individual and you’re only casting broad vision to the church as a whole, you’re only going to preach to the highest commitment level people and your church isn’t going to go very far.
For example, you can make the greatest pitch for the greatest capital campaign in church history. But if the individual people and families in your church aren’t moved to live lives of generosity, the thermometer on your stage is going nowhere.
You have to move the people to move the church.
But you also have to move the church as a whole in the right direction. You should always have a direction in which the church needs to move corporately. A common goal that you want the collective efforts of the individual people in your church aimed at. If you don’t, the church won’t advance.
Going back to our example, it’s not enough just to move people to tithe. What you have to do is figure out where God wants to take your church. What it’s going to take financially to get there. And then cast a compelling vision that moves individual people to get on board to make it happen.
You have to move the church to move the people.
Good preachers and leaders are great at moving individuals.
Good preachers and leaders are great at moving churches.
Great preachers and leaders are great at both.
Monday
Friday
Tuesday
Daniel Bennett in the Athens News Paper
Coldwell Banker Upchurch Realty Intern, Daniel Bennett, Receives Prestigious UGA Real Estate Award
On April 13, 2011, Coldwell Banker Upchurch Realty Intern, Daniel Bennett, was recognized at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business Honors Day with an honors award in Real Estate. Honors awards are given to students who achieve high scholastic records and demonstrate excellence in their academic endeavors. The award was presented by Henry Munneke, Chair of Business Administration, and Department of Real Estate.
Since May of 2010, Bennett has been part of the Upchurch family and contributed to Coldwell Banker Upchurch by providing fresh insight in the areas of website management, technology, and market studies. “We are very fortunate to have someone as valuable as Daniel on our team. He has far exceeded our expectations and we look forward to his future success in real estate," says Charlie Upchurch, Broker and Owner of Coldwell Banker Upchurch Realty.
Coldwell Banker Upchurch Realty is located at 2405 West Broad Street, Athens, Georgia 30606. For questions about buying or selling real estate or trends in the current market, please call 706-543-4000. Coldwell Banker Upchurch Realty has been serving the Athens-Clarke County community for over 50 years. For further information, contact Crystal Bolen at 706-543-4000.
Sick of More of Me
Luke 19:1-10
Luke 19:1-10
Jericho – same city that Joshua leads the people of Israel to march against in Joshua 6. It is not the same place as it was in the time of Joshua. King Herod acquired the city from Caesar Augustus. Herod tuned the city into what he wanted it to be. Jericho became Herod’s winter retreat.
Jericho is where Zacchaeus lived. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector. He had people that worked under him. He was rich. He most likely made his money by over-taxing people what they really owed. If you were a tax collector, you were considered to be dirt, worthless, the scum of the earth. People would have rather had their teeth pulled out than to be in the vicinity of a tax collector. Tax collectors were hated people. This was the case with Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming to his town. Zacchaeus had heard stories of Jesus. Stories about Jesus spread quickly. Jesus taught Scripture as did the temple leaders but Jesus taught with authenticity and authority. Jesus preached in such a way that people were compelled to listen to him. People walked away in awe of Jesus. When was the last time that you were in awe of Jesus?
Word quickly spread about Jesus and his teachings. This is no doubt the way Zacchaeus heard about Jesus. Zacchaeus had a desire to see Jesus. He had heard about Jesus but just hearing about Jesus was not enough. He wanted more. More of Jesus. So he takes it upon himself to do whatever it takes to see more of Jesus. He runs ahead of the crowd and climbs a tree.
Zacchaeus was determined to do whatever it took to see more of Jesus. Zacchaeus had lived his whole life living for himself. Prideful, selfish, conceited and the list probably could go longer; these were words that described Zacchaeus. With the stories he heard about Jesus, something resonated insided him that made him aware that he needed to see Jesus.
Are you willing to do whatever it takes to see more of Jesus?
Yes or No.
Stop with the excuses.
Are you willing to do whatever it takes to see more of Jesus? Are you so sick of your “self” that all you desire is Jesus?
It’s way to easy to pursue selfish desires. Instant gratification of self makes you fat. You become fat by becoming full of your “self”.
Thursday
Sunday
CENTRAL STATION SPRING COOKOUT!!!!
We will meet at Herman C Michael Park (Picnic Pavilion)
fun, fellowship, worship & food*
Open to all young adults. Come out and bring a friend!
The park has disc golf, sand volleyball, a basketball court, a walking trail & softball fields
*Burgers & Dogs provided, please let Pastor Anthony know what side dish you will be bringing.
Questions? Contact Pastor Anthony @ 706 353-1199.29
Directions:
Herman C. Micheal Park
1051 Elder Road
Bishop, GA 30621
Directions are from Church of the Nations Assemblies of God
8780 Macon Hwy
Athens, GA 30606
1. Head south on Macon Hwy toward Ivywood Dr 0.2 mi
2. Take the 1st right to stay on Macon Hwy 259 ft
3. Turn left at GA-15 S/US-129 S/US-441 S/Macon Hwy 1.2 mi
4. Turn right at Hog Mountain Rd 4.8 mi
5. Turn left at Elder Rd
6. Destination will be on the left 0.1 mi
1051 Elder Rd
Bishop, GA 30621
Contact information:
This Information can used the day event
if you get lost please call
(706) 410 5092- David Betts
or
you are welcome to call the church office at
706-353-1199 for more information.
Games at Herman C. Michael Park
Disc Golf Course Info:
What is Disc Golf?
Disc Golf is a fantastic recreation activity and a lifetime sport for all ages. It is a competitive sport played worldwide, including Northeast Georgia.
Disc Golf is played similar to traditional golf, except discs rather than golf balls are thrown to hit chain targets. The game scores with PAR the same as traditional golf. Disc golf can be played with the basic set up of a driver disc, mid-range disc and a putter disc. Herman C. Michael Park has an 18 hole course that is free to play during park hours.
They also have a 1.8 mile paved walking trail.
The Graduates of the class of 2011
Saturday
Wednesday
What Guys Think About Modesty
take a minute and look at the title "what guys think about modesty" in this title what you don't see are the words" if the war, it's a war."
Please watch the following video
now that you seen this video. To the women at Church of the nations
1. how are you doing with this issue?
2. what needs work?
here's a thinking point:
to the women who don't understand this issue how can we get them to understand this issue?
final note: from the biggest heartfelt thank you to most of our women at church of the nations thank you, thank you, thank you for helping us the GUYS of the church of the nations to truly be the man that God has called us to be.
I would ask that you take a few minutes and comment on this post
Thanks,
David Betts
Sunday
Friday
Millennial generation the next big thing
March 24, 2011 10:13 a.m. EDT
Editor's note: Peter W. Singer is senior fellow and director of Brooking Institution's 21st Century Defense Initiative. He is the author of the report, "D.C.'s New Guard: What Does the Next Generation of American Leaders Think?"
(CNN) -- History will mark 2011 as the year the baby boomer generation, which has so dominated American politics and society, first became eligible for retirement. But little is known about the new guard of American leaders, the Millennial generation, born between 1980 and 2005. There are more of them than baby boomers and, at numbers three times the size, demographically dwarf Generation X.
They have already made their power felt in everything from the Facebook phenomenon to the unlikely rise of Barack Obama to the presidency. And they are only now entering the scene. But what comes next?
To answer this question, the Brookings Institution organized a project in which we surveyed more than 1,000 young Americans -- student leaders, kids attending young leader conferences, policy internships. These are kids seen by their peers as leaders and who want to become presidents, legislators, generals, journalists and diplomats.
Our questions ranged from how often they text and tweet to which nation they think will be the most powerful in the world when they are running America. Although we can't guarantee we captured the views of a future Colin Powell, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, the report captures the views of a representative set of young American leaders as their generation stands poised to take over.
Some of the findings were to be expected -- they text and tweet like crazy, an average of about 79 times a day; they admire Apple and Google; they don't think terrorism will end in their lifetime. But many other outcomes ran directly counter to common preconceptions and media reports about today's young people:
-- They don't get their news from blogs or comedy shows. Blogs and comedy talk shows were ranked last as their primary source of news. Newspapers and the evening TV news are definitely losing out, but their first choice is a news organization website. That is followed by cable news shows.
-- Mom and dad, not Puffy or Pat Robertson, matter most to their politics. Some 60% cite parents as the influence on their own politics. This is strikingly different from baby boomers, who tended to think the opposite of whatever their parents wanted. For all their proclaimed self-importance and coverage in the media, celebrities and religious leaders actually had the least influence (2% and 1%) among young people when it came to political views.
-- Isolationism, not globalism, is winning out. Fifty-eight percent of the young leaders think that America is "too involved" in global affairs and should instead focus more on issues at home. This level of isolationism, forged by growing up in the time of 9/11, Iraq and Hurricane Katrina, doubled the number recently seen in adult survey results. Indeed, contrary to the idea of young, globally minded Obamacrats vs. inward-looking Tea Partiers, young Democrats are actually more likely to hold isolationist attitudes than young Republicans.
-- China scares them. When asked to name any countries that they think will present the biggest problems for the U.S. over the next 10 to 20 years, China was listed the second most frequently, behind only Iran and ahead of nations such as North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan and Russia. An almost even number -- 42% to 39% -- believe that China will be the most powerful country in the world in 2025, when these young people will probably start moving into power. Indeed, a majority of young Democrats and independents think China will be more powerful than the United States.
-- They don't admire what the TV channel TLC, which runs Sarah Palin's reality show, wants you to think. When asked to name a figure who personifies the type of leadership needed for the 21st century, only 9 out the 1,057 young leaders, of whom about a third were young Republicans, identified Palin.
Other figures with an outsized media portfolio who were similarly ranked by a surprisingly few number were Gen. David Petraeus (1 vote, actually 2 less than Adm. Mike Mullen), Jon Stewart (2 votes) and Glenn Beck (2 votes). Celebrities and religious figures did equally poorly, with just 3.4% choosing someone like Bono. By contrast, Obama, (chosen by 8.7% of young Republicans), John McCain, Colin Powell, Hilary Clinton, Nelson Mandela and Ron Paul (the isolationist appeal again) were leaders far more frequently cited.
These attitudes are certainly not set in stone, as generations and circumstances certainly evolve. But they shed light on the beliefs and values of an emerging generation of leaders, at one of the most important times in American and global history. Like their attitudes or not, young people who think this way now will likely dominate our politics for some time to come.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Peter W. Singer.
Wednesday
10 Hard Things to Say and 5 Ways to Say Them
In any relationship, there comes a time where it’s necessary to say things which are difficult to keep the relationship strong and make it better. This is also true in a healthy team environment.
For me personally, that often involves having a hard and challenging conversation with a team member…someone I love being on the team, but know they need correction in an area that is affecting the team. These are always discussions I’d rather not have, but I know are necessary for the continued health of the relationship, the team, and the individual.
Over the years, I have had many of these issues which required “tough love” to address them, but dealing with problems like this have included me having to say things such as:
* You’re too controlling as a leader…
* You can be perceived as a jerk to people…
* Your personal life is dragging down the team…
* You have body odor…
* You’re making unwise decisions…
* You are non-responsive…
* You don’t know how to take constructive criticism…
* You are moving too fast…
* You are moving too slow…
* You are uncooperative…
I should note that not all of these have been said with my current team…for example, to my knowledge no one on my team has body odor…thankfully, but through my years in leadership, I have had to say each one of these statements to someone I was supposed to be leading. Those conversations, as awkward and uncomfortable as they were, always proved to be good for the team and the team member. There have been times when someone needed to have similar “tough love” conversations with me and those discussions always made me better, as difficult as they were to receive at the time.
I have learned 5 principles for dealing with those times as a leader:
Handle as quickly as possible - If the problem is clear in your mind (and usually everyone else’s mind), and you’ve witnessed the problem long enough to know it’s a pattern, don’t delay long in addressing the issue.
Be honest - This is not the time to shift blame, make excuses or dance around the issue.
Be kind and helpful - You may read my post 5 Ways to Rebuke a Friend. Although this post deals more with a subordinate than simply with a friend, the previous post suggestions are helpful here also. Your end goal should be to make the team member and the team better after the conversation.
Have a two-way conversation – You should be willing to listen as much as you speak. You may not have all the facts exactly right…or you may have…but give the person a chance to respond to the criticism you are addressing. This also means you should have a two-way conversation, and not a multiple party conversation. You should address the issue with the person you have a problem with, not with others on the team behind his or her back.
Move forward after the conversation – The person being corrected should leave with your assurance that you are moving forward, and, provided improvements are made, do not plan to hold the issue against him or her. It will be important he or she sees you responding likewise.
Know when enough is enough – You shouldn’t have to have these type conversations too frequently. Talk becomes cheap if there’s no backing to what’s agreed upon. If there seems to be no improvement over time, harder decisions or more intensive help may be needed. If you have done the other steps here, there is a time when tough love says “that’s enough…no more”.
One of the most difficult times for me as a leader is addressing issues like this with a team member I genuinely care about, but I know it’s one of my roles as a leader to address these most difficult issues.
What steps would you add to my list?
What would you add to my examples of difficult conversations you have had with someone on your team?
Friday
7 Ways to Maintain Respect as a Leader
By: Ron Edmondson
7 Ways to Maintain Respect as a Leader
As a leader, one of your most valuable assets is the respect of the people you are leading. If a leader is respected, people will follow him or her almost anywhere. If a leader loses the respect from the ones he or she leads, it becomes very difficult to regain that respect.
Often a new leader is given respect because of his or her position as a leader, but respect can be quickly lost due to performance. Many times, it’s the seemingly small things that cause the most damage to a leader’s reputation.
I have found that a few simple (some not so simple) acts help protect the respect a leader enjoys:
* Return phone calls and e-mails promptly…
* Do what you say you will do…
* Act with integrity…
* Use fairness in your approach…not too harsh…not too soft…
* Show others respect…
* Learn continually and encourage growth in yourself and others…
* Work as hard or harder than others…
Maintaining respect is a matter of acting in a respectable way. How are you doing in that area? (You may want to ask the ones you are supposed to be leading.)
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Part Two
Inviting Evaluation from the People I Lead
March 24, 2010 in Church,Grace Community Church,Leadership,Ministry,Organizational Leadership with 21 Comments
Every year I allow the staff at Grace Community Church to evaluate me. I realize this works for some and not for others, but for me it is a part of my plan to continually evaluate and improve my leadership skills and success. I believe strongly that a healthy team allows itself to be vulnerable to each other. This allows me to set a precedent/example for working transparently with each other. I set up a system, this year it was using Survey Monkey, that allows them to remain anonymous in answering the questions. Hopefully, this helps them be more honest with me than if they had to sign their name. I tell them in advance that I’m looking to improve myself, not to feel bad about myself, so I ask them to be respectful in their response, but truthful. (You can read last year’s evaluation in the related links below this post.)
After giving them a few weeks to complete the survey, I host them for a luncheon where we address the questions and give feedback. I go over every response and/or question that was raised and we discuss it as a staff.
Here are this year’s questions and some of the feedback grouped into categories of answers. I tried to give a form of every answer that was offered without giving all the repeats.
1. What am I currently adding to the team? What do you see as my strengths?
• Leadership / vision casting / driving the team to achieve more/better
• Accountability, years of wisdom, level thinking, forward/future thinking
• Structure, Future Thinking
• Constantly thinking of ways to improve our ministries. Always challenging us to think ahead.
• Dreaming, idea generation, communication, leadership development
2. What is my greatest weakness? Where do you think I still need improvement?
• Communication, but I can see you continually improving
• Over commitment. I feel like you’re stretched pretty thin most weeks. I know you thrive on being busy, but I don’t want to see you burn out.
• Personal time with staff
• Evaluate situation more before responding
• Rushing to the “next thing” / I realize that has been out of necessity for the most part though
• I think the staff feels a lot of pressure to keep up with you
3. Knowing my skills, where should I be placing more of my attention these days?
• A balance of the “business” end of things and continuing to help each pastor on staff raise their game.
• Helping encourage/improve the team’s strengths & working on their weaknesses
• Keep looking ahead. yet walk beside us where we are at now
• Leadership development
• Continuing to invest in staff, helping to look for future staff as well, helping staff understand who they are (personality, leadership style)
• Planning for the future for the church, reminding us of our specific roles
• Staff development, helping each of us to achieve more/better
• Holding the staff members that directly report to you accountable to their most important responsibilities
4. What do you need from me that you are not currently receiving in the way of leadership/direction?
• Continue meeting to talk, evaluate, and help me to develop my strengths
• Time with you to think strategically in our ministries
• To know when you are giving information vs. a task. You send out a lot of info, but I am not sure if it is just info or something you would want me to do.
5. Do you feel I have your best interest at heart?
• Yes (All answers positive…yeah for this time!!!)
6. Would you feel comfortable bringing problems to me? If not, why?
• Yes (Again, this time I got 100% positive…this has not always been the case.)
7. If you had my job, what would you do differently?
• Give staff time to rest, not send emails on known days off
• Work on staff accountability
• Although I don’t think you should micro manage, I think there is a lack of accountability we are missing as a staff that could hurt us in the long run
8. Since last year’s evaluation, I’ve tried to put down my phone more and listen better. Do you sense any improvement?
• Yes
• Somewhat, yes
9. Describe what you like and don’t like about the work atmosphere at Grace.
• I the love the work environment! Laughter, friendship, and core values. Downside: too much distractions with the space constraints.
• I like the laid-back atmosphere but still feel challenged to think creatively. I like that we are pushed hard to excel and not just be satisfied with doing ministry
• High energy, great being around each other. Not a quiet place to work at times. Very thin walls
• I love the freedom we have as a staff, but again I think some accountability with that freedom is key. There are times that the noise level & “craziness” gets in the way of serious ministry moments and focused work.
10. What would you like to say to me or what questions do you have for me, but you haven’t said them or asked them, for whatever reason?
• Do you see yourself at GCC long-term?
• Appreciate your sincerity, drive and focus
• Thank you. Seriously, thank you for believing in us, encouraging us, challenging us, and investing in us.
• You are very open to come to with problems or questions. I cannot think of anything.
• You have truly become my Pastor, my leader, and a friend. I love GRACE so much!
You might wonder why I’m sharing this. Well, there are two reasons. One, I feel it helps with my personal accountability to continue this process, even though at times the feedback can be hard to receive. Two, it helps share with other leaders who may feel this is something they should do to see what type of feedback is received. I learn something every time I do this. The key, obviously, isn’t just to learn something, but to do something with what I’ve learned. (That’s where more accountability is needed!)
चुर्च फॅमिली Album
please watch the following video for more information.
Blessings,
David Betts
सेंट्रल स्टेशन कुकोउट 2010
Saturday, April 2, 2011 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
please check out the following video
**PLEASE NOTE Directions to Herman C. Micheal Park are enclosed **
We will meet at Herman C Michael Park (Picnic Pavilion)
fun, fellowship, worship & food*
Open to all young adults. Come out and bring a friend!
The park has disc golf, sand volleyball, a basketball court, a walking trail & softball fields...
*Burgers & Dogs provided, please let Pastor Anthony know what side dish you will be bringing.
Questions? Contact Pastor Anthony @ 706 353-1199.29
Directions:
Herman C. Micheal Park
1051 Elder Road
Bishop, GA 30621
Directions are from Church of the Nations Assemblies of God
8780 Macon Hwy
Athens, GA 30606
1. Head south on Macon Hwy toward Ivywood Dr 0.2 mi
2. Take the 1st right to stay on Macon Hwy 259 ft
3. Turn left at GA-15 S/US-129 S/US-441 S/Macon Hwy 1.2 mi
4. Turn right at Hog Mountain Rd 4.8 mi
5. Turn left at Elder Rd
6. Destination will be on the left 0.1 mi
1051 Elder Rd
Bishop, GA 30621
Contact information:
This Information can used the day event
if you get lost please call
(706) 410 5092- David Betts
or
you are welcome to call the church office at
706-353-1199 for more information.
Games at Herman C. Michael Park
Disc Golf Course Info:
What is Disc Golf?
Disc Golf is a fantastic recreation activity and a lifetime sport for all ages. It is a competitive sport played worldwide, including Northeast Georgia.
Disc Golf is played similar to traditional golf, except discs rather than golf balls are thrown to hit chain targets. The game scores with PAR the same as traditional golf. Disc golf can be played with the basic set up of a driver disc, mid-range disc and a putter disc. Herman C. Michael Park has an 18 hole course that is free to play during park hours.
They also have a 1.8 mile paved walking trail.
hope to see you at this great event for food, fun, fellowship, and music.
Sunday
5 Reasons You Should Twitter In Church
5 Reasons You Should Twitter In Church
Thou Shall Not Twitter in Church… Says Who!
I haven’t seen that anywhere in the Bible. I have seen Twitter in the Bible “Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter…” Isaiah 38:14 NAS
In all seriousness, there are many people that believe that you shouldn’t Twitter in church. As a pastor, I personally say, “Get Your Tweet On!” As a matter of fact, I say “Tweet and Tweet Often!”
Many times “church people” can look at particular methodology and technology as a negative thing. Technology is basically neutral; it’s what you do with it that allows it to have positive or negative implications. I know there are some varying opinions about texting and utilizing social media during church. Personally, I use the YouVersion Bible app. on my iPhone during church and it has this great option of sharing scripture instantly with the Twitter World.Not only can you share scripture with YouVersion, but also any person sitting in any church service around the globe can share thoughts, points and notes from sermons as they are happening.
Today, we live in more shared world than ever as information access and people connectedness just happens. The beauty of this world is that people can engage with God, engage with their pastor and share pieces of those engagement with the world, all at the same time. There are entire real, living, breathing online church services where online congregants share information throughout their service. These services are just as real and God encountering as a physical building. Again, I say “Tweet and Tweet Often!”
Here are 5 Reasons To Twitter During Church:
1. You have the opportunity to be a real-time extension of your pastor’s voice while he/she is communicating God’s word. You and your pastor can do some tag team teaching while you are being fed all at the same time.
2. If the pastor shares something that moves you, inspires you or changes your life, there is a good chance it will have the same impact on the lives of some of your Twitter followers as well. Here is a tweet awhile back from Pastor Steven Furtick — “Preaching recently I noticed the crowd was too busy tweeting to verbally respond. Click clack is the new amen.”
3. When Jesus said: Go into all the world and preach the Gospel… “All The World” applies to the Internet world, as well as the Twitter World. Do your part by going into all the Twitter World, tweeting the Good News.
4. You will have a stored database of your compelling thoughts and notes, from your favorite sermons. Use a #hashtag to keep up with the information that you share.
5. Many times people suffer from (SADD) Sermon Attention Deficit Disorder. So instead of just wandering off into space, simply wander off into the space of the World Wide Web. It’s better use of your time Twittering great thoughts, instead of drawing on the back of offering envelops.
Some people including pastors get upset and complain about these new age people being a distraction when they are using their mobile phone Bible and Twittering in Church. I think doodling on the offering envelopes is more distracting… Hmm I have not seen a big push to remove those offering envelopes from the church.
Thou Shall Twitter In Church, Remember God’s Omnipresence applies to Twitter as well. Get Your Tweet On!
What do you think about Twittering In Church? Any Suggestions on the hashtag?
Wednesday
...and it begins.
It's the beginning of a new year for Central Station! So we've decided to try this blog thing again. Here's an update for you.
We didn't meet the first Saturday in January because everyone's brain was probably still in vacation mode. But now that we're all back into school and work, Central Station will be holding it's first gathering of 2011 next Saturday, February 5th!
Stay tuned for more info.
Oh, and do us a favor and follow our blog. You can do it with one click on the "Follow" button off to your right. You can also check us out on facebook here - Central Station group.
Ciao for now! :)