You should learn from the past.

Don’t wear it like a yoke around your neck, but use it as a platform for the future.

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We have our lives, then we have our priorities.

Sometimes people don’t recognize the difference.

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In attempting any endevour, every leader must be prepared to be misunderstood.

It goes with the territory.

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The dichotomous theological views of salvation can be reconciled with this simple understanding:

God wishes all men to be saved, but wills only some.

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Moralsusion (def): The act of trying to persuade someone to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour based upon the assumption that man is essential ‘good moral being’ and accepting Christ is the right thing to do.

It is a theological point of view that is based upon the erroneous assumption that people have both the power and desire to do the right thing concerning their personal relationship with God.

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No amount of ‘moralsuasion’ can compel a person to salvation.

Salvation is an act initiated by God and by the very nature of it, man has no part in it other than to be a recipient.

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Acts 18:23 “strengthening all the disciples.”

Thayer Definition:

• strengthening, perfecting of the soul 
• training, disciplining, instructing

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You never get a resurrection without a cruxifiction

You never understand grace without the law

You never understand freedom without an appreciation of bondage

You can not believe in heaven if you say that hell is not real

You can never understand salvation without a revelation of depravity

With all our preaching, lets tell the whole story, not just the parts that make up the popular fiction that passes now days for Christian theology.

We had the biggest, non-event Sunday attendance we have ever had, this past Sunday.

Sunday pm…..was amazing. the Holy Ghost came, Joni preached….great!
People were touched and healed…God was in the House!

What a brilliant day…did you see the Welcome Lounge….packed!

Have you ever notice how a clock ticking in the middle of the night, in another room will wake you?

Have you every notice that a leaking tap can drip all day and not get your attention, yet when you are trying to sleep - it screams?

Have you ever noticed that it is the one person talking in the midst of a hundred that will ruin a movie scene for you?

All of them are small noises.

It is like that in life.

It is so easy to get distracted from the big picture by the small noises.

The small thinkers.

The doomsayers.

The gloom sellers.

The death row inmates of No Hopesville, Losertown, USA.

Years ago I decided that I would listen to the voice of God and not the small noises that surround me.

So, it needs to be for anyone who wants to achieve in life and fulfill their potential.

Small noises.

They are distracting.

Irritating.

But at the end of the day, turn them off or pull out the batteries, because they are just not worth losing sleep over.

John Adams said in 1776: “This is a revolution damn it. We’re going to have to offend somebody!”

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Last week I had the privilege of going to McDill Air-force Base, courtesy of the 136th airlift and the ESGR.

It was a tremendous time. How exciting to see what is going on to protect not only our nation, but freedom around the world.

I was stuck by the fact that  everyone was focused on ‘The Mission’.

Every unit had a mission. Every division had a mission. Every commander had a mission.

The mission was the important thing. The mission was paramount. The mission was the principal thing.

It wasn’t about what you wanted or what you liked or what your feelings were, or what you felt needed to happen or how it needed to happen - it was about the success of the mission.

That’s how it was for Christ. He came to accomplish something. He came to achieve something. He came with purpose and focus.

People could not dissuade Him.

Religious systems could not discourage Him.

Governments could not move Him.

His own flesh, fears and concerns where brought into subjection to the mission.

And it wasn’t His mission…He was submitted to the mission of the Father.

The Mission was the goal.

The goal was the Mission.

How different it is for christians today.

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Years ago I remember sitting with Brian Houston and we were talking about the comings and goings of church life at Hillsong (it was known then as Hills Christian Life Center). The church was growing, God was doing amazing things, families were getting restored and the youth were on fire for God.

He had just had someone come and tell him that he and his family were going to leave the church and go to Queensland and take up a job because he thought it was a good opportunity. Brian asked him what he was going to do about a home church for his kids and his family, the guy replied…”I had not thought about that, I am sure we will find a church up there somewhere, there are bound to be lots of churches around there will be one just like Hills…”. Brian’s response was simply … “No there isn’t”.

Some 6 months later we got a call from the guy asking for prayer because his family had fallen to pieces. They hadn’t been able to find a church “Just like Hills…” His kids where away from God, he was struggling, the pay was good, but the cost was incredibly high, his family was imploding.

Friend church is not a franchise.

The anointing oil in the old testament was made up of certain spices and oils that where mixed in a certain way to get a certain fragrance. It was not one ingredient or another that made it special it was the combination.

Church is a community. It is a collection of unique gifts, no two of which are alike.

It is not just the leadership or the preaching or the worship or the facility or the people, it is the unique God given collective that has been assembled by the Holy Ghost that makes it stands out.

So it is with our church.

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WOW!

What a weekend!!
What a great success…WELL done everyone!!!

Deliberately

- a positive culture does not happen by accident, negative ones do

Purposefully

- you have to know the elements that are important to you.
- a culture is an extension of the core values of the leadership.

Constantly

- at every occasion with every interaction and with every decision you have to refine, add and clarify your culture

Continually

- you never arrive when it comes to building a culture. It is not something you do - it is an extension of who you are.

Contagiously

- the difference between a good culture and a great culture is the “raving fans” that a great culture creates.

It is 5:30 in the morning and I am up doing what I do every day regardless of the election results.

So I was sitting musing deep, very important things…as one does after another brilliant day in church….

And I was wondering if there was a smack down match over time against two of the greatest opponents who would they be?

i thought the ultimate match up would be King Leonidas VS General Maximus.

I wonder who would win ?