This is what keeps me up at night

I wonder what these crayons were doing an hour before this picture was taken. Were they just resting inside of a dark, dusty, old box on a shelf at Target? Do you think those colorful crayons would ever guessed that very soon some external force, a powerful force outside of their self, was about to intrude in their life in a powerful way? In fact, so powerful that these simple crayons would never be what they once were again. Life as they knew it was over. Something powerful was about to transform these crayons; so much so they could NEVER be the same again!

When I examine the lives of so many in the Bible who have had a true encounter with the Triune God, I see them as one of these crayons. No they don’t write in cool colors, but their lives were impacted by such a powerful external force that they couldn’t ever be the same again. They were all together different.

I think of Peter. One day he says he doesn’t even know Jesus, then a few pages over he is willing to die for this same Jesus. What happened? One day Matthew is collecting taxes, and then then later that same day he is inviting everyone to his house to tell them about this guy named Jesus he met. Why? How about John, a fisherman from a well-to-do family, with a flight temper who leaves it all behind (including his temper) to follow Jesus. His life forever changed. FOREVER. CHANGED. Then you have Paul. Just making an afternoon trip to Damascus. Little did he know that trip would change his life forever. FOREVER.

Normal people. Living normal lives. Impacted by a supernatural God when they least expected it. Wow!!!

Their lives turned inside out because of a supernatural, external God! Their lives would never be the same.

Be reminded of that today. God is powerful. He changes you in such a way that once you encounter Him, you can NEVER be the old you again. It’s impossible. You are changed. (The Bible says you’re a new creation!)

This thought keeps me up at night. It still blows me away. The fact that this powerful, loving, awesome, Triune God, would decide to come into this old, dusty crayon box and change me forever. Why me? Why not lots of other people who need God? Why not a “nicer” person? A “richer” person? A more “gifted” person? Why Rick?

Why you?

I can’t explain it, but it blows me away – every second of the day. I can’t get my mind off of it. I can’t stop thinking about it. It consumes me.

Grace.

Grace.

Grace.

Grace.

Grace.

Right Now – Day 2 – NIGHT SESSION – Live blog

This is the LIVE blog for Right Now – Day 2 – Night session
{There is no need to refresh your broswer, the updates will auto reload! Just leave the page up, sit back, relax, and enjoy the updates! I pray you will grow in your relationship with God through these updates! }

9 Principles of wise decision making

“How do I know if I”m making the right decision?” This is a question that I am often asked as I get the chance to speak to many adults and teenagers who are simply wanting to know if they are making the “right” decision.  Instead of trying to answer their question for them, I like to give them principals that help guide them, as they make an informed, Godly, decision.  I have had this hand-written list, written on a small index card, for years now.  I”m not sure where I got it, or who I heard them from – but I wish I could remember, because I’d like to think them – it’s a great list.  (I’ll also never know if there were 10 principals, and I just didn’t write down the last one, or not.  Regardless, I sort of like the fact that there isn’t a perfect “10.”

All of us at times are faced with a crossroad, and we must also weigh our decisions against the truths found in God’s Word.  I hope these principals will bless you as you seek to make Godly decisions in your life

9 Principles of Godly Decision Making
1. Am I putting God’s desire ahead of my own? (Matthew 6:33)
2. Will it help me to love God and others more? (Matthew 22:37-39)
3. Does this help me fulfill the great commission? (Matthew 28:18-10)
4. Will this help me lead a more holy life? (1st Peter 1:15)
5. Will this increase my personal knowledge of Christ? (2nd Peter 3:18)
6. Is this Profitable? (1 Cor 6:12)
7. Is this glorifying God with my body? (1 Cor 6:19-20)
8. Is this causing another to stumble? (1 Cor 8:9)
9. Am I doing this for God’s glory? (1 Cor 10:31)

Twitter schooled me 7000 edition

1. Twitter moves fast. Very Fast. If you follow a lot of people, and you blink, you WILL miss something. {p.s. – it’s ok to miss something!}
2. A lot of people on twitter have the same job – “internet gurus” or “SEO experts.” {I have no idea what either does by the way.}
3. You can use twitter to do some REALLY cool stuff. {like this}
4. You can almost become obsessed with how many people are “following” you. {You just have to learn to not care about it.}
5. People that you interact with on twitter are REAL people. There is actually a human {and often times a family} behind that avatar.
6. Twitter is really a time machine. {for instance, one day I sat down at 1pm and starting using twitter, one second later it was 5 pm – crazy!}
7. I have no idea how Guy Kawasaki makes his living.{I mean it, I really have no clue – do you?}
8. People who don’t use twitter have no idea why people who do, do!
9. Even though it’s really awesome to build so many new friendships on twitter, I have to be really careful to cultivate the friendships I already have. {this includes friends, wives, dogs, fish, etc.}
10. (TweetDeck) + (Any other thing) = “Any other thing “not getting done very well, or taking much more time then it normally takes.
11. My relationship with God is more important then my relationship with Twitter. {much more important.}
12. My relationship with my wife is more important then my relationship with Twitter. {much more important.}
13. It’s sort of funny {and annoying} when someone sends a message to me and says “hey will you follow me?” {unless of course it’s @human3rror, in that case that you should follow him, because he really likes followers!
14. There’s a guy on twitter who has over 20 Emmy’s! {plus he’s a Christians, my friend, and I’ve hung out with twice now – sweet!}
15. There are some SUPER cool people on twitter. {I’ve gotten to meet MANY of them first hand!}
16. When someone sends you DM they expect you answer it within five minutes. {note – I don’t take my laptop in the bathtub with me!}
17. It hurts the feelings of my friends and family when I use twitter on my iphone while we are out at dinner or just hanging out. {they are super nice, and would never tell me that, but I know it does. I really need to stop doing that.}
18. I do not need to get on twitter during church service, or class lecture. {I need to stop doing this also…..}
19. I sort of like it when I post a picture on twitter, and it gets a lot of views. {any other people out there check their picture views?}
20. Twitter is funnier then a “beachball at a Nickelback concert”! {pop quiz – anyone know where that quote comes from?}

These are just a few things I’ve learned at 7,000 twitter posts. What are some things you’ve learned. {Rather you are at 70 posts, or 70,000.}

Train Friday goes viral

It was less then a week ago that the idea for Train Friday was born, and the response has been amazing. People have been blogging about it, tweeting about it, and making videos like this one.
We have no idea what will happen tomorrow, but we are excited to see! What started out as just a fun idea as morphed into something much more. The rapid speed that this idea has caught on is proof of the power of social networking. {more on that subject in later posts.}
We hope to see you there!
-Rick

innovation 3 aka nationwide tweet up

{p.s. – I still have MUCH more footage from this event that I will be posting, so check back soon.  You won’t want to miss the innovation 3 after party!  Trust me!}

small

small (adjective) -
1.a : having comparatively little size or slight dimensions
2. a: minor in influence, power, or rank b : operating on a limited scale
3. lacking in strength (a small voice)
4. limited in degree
5. reduced to a humiliating position

I pulled these definitions of the word “small” from the Webster’s Dictionary. Reread the definitions again – slowly.

small. little. puny. nothing. helpless. shattered. broken. you. me. us. we. We are little.

It seems as if I have been reminded often as of lately just how small we are. I have friends who are out of work. Friends who can’t find jobs. Family members who aren’t walking with Jesus. Middle school students who don’t know Jesus. Seminary students who are just mean. Every day another company is going out of business. Kids getting sick. Kids dying. People dying. People hurting. People I know who are Christians getting divorced. My inability to change people. The stock market. The economy. How hard it is for me to learn Greek. Broken relationships. People who have walked away from the faith. And the list goes on, and on.

I have been reminded over, and over again of just how small we are. Of just how incapable we are of doing “it” on our own. There are some days, some weeks, even some months where I just want to rise my hands up and say “ENOUGH ALREADY, I GIVE UP!” And those are the days I get it right. I have to give up. You have to give up. We can’t do “it.” Whatever “it” is. I’ve tried and I don’t do a very good job of “it.” I have to, you have to, we have to, let God do “it” for us. It’s hard, huh? We want to do “it”, we think we are the only ones who can do “it”, in fact if we don’t do “it” for ourselves; no one else will, right? Wrong.

Tonight I was reminded once again of Romans 5:6 – “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” The verses following are amazing, but just verse 6 brings tears to my eyes. Christ died for me. For you. For us. Not only did He die – but He died at the right time! Praise God. I am so thankful that His timing is right. He can die on time, and He can come back from death on TIME! He really does ‘it” and He does “it” well. And He did “it” for me, well. Jesus knows what it’s like to be small. Look at that donkey at the top of this post. That was his “car.” A donkey. Talk about small. This is the Son of God, the one who sits at the right hand of the Father, and here He is riding into town on a donkey! He became small.

So here on this Earth, you and I will be small. We will experience all the things I wrote above – even worse. But as believers we know how the story ends. One day it will all be over with. Everything broke will be fixed. Everything damaged will be repaired, restored. One day I’ll get to sit with this King, the One who died for me. The one who is my personal , friend here on Earth. My Savior. I’ll get to meet Him face to face one day– and that makes it all worth it. His timing is right. It’s Perfect. In fact He really does “it”, and like I said; He does “it” well!

So if your going through something today, if you feel small, it’s ok. Our God became small for a short time. It will come to pass. (maybe not this side of Heaven, but one day for sure.) Our God is a big, BIG God. He is in control, and best of all – His timing is PERFECT. Even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time, it is PERFECT. You can believe me when I say that!

“Thank you Father for being perfect, for being big. Thank you for knowing me. Even when I feel so small, so unable– I can know that you are able. You are on the throne, and nothing surprises you. Thank you for sending your Son here, to Earth. He knows what it’s like to be one of “us” , He can relate to us. Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit here, and that He lives in me. I can’t wait to be with you, worshiping you forever. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, whom you sent. Amen!”