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Jul 14
Love0

Wake Up Call

By Blog, Headfirst, Personal

Alarm clock take offIf you learned you only had weeks to live, would you change the way you’ve been living?

Dramatic life changes prompt questions like this, and most people would answer in the affirmative: “Yes, I’ve got a lot to change.”  Change is painful and difficult, so we are reluctant to depart from our ways.  More than reluctant, we’re resistant.  Usually we aren’t willing to make any significant change apart from something which shakes our foundation.  Without the wake-up call, we flounder forward, unwilling to disturb the comfortable, the traditional, the repeatable.

Metamorphosis is rare without acute causation.  If the transformation isn’t hardwired into the DNA, driving the caterpillar into the chrysalis to exit as a butterfly, then what spurs such focused energy to stop the routine and become something different, something more?  Rarely is it something less than death or than a life-threatening event.  Doesn’t the clichéd conversation always revolve around a deathbed?  “I’d do it differently if I could do it all over again.”

So if you found out that your time had run out, or someone you deeply loved was being taken from you, what regrets would you have?  Is it a “bucket list” because you haven’t seen the Louvre, gone swimming with dolphins, or climbed Everest?  We’re fairly certain that those things are mostly okay, but amassing a larger pile of assets is not.  As Jesus taught, “”For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26.)  Then again, the next metaphor is the epitaph.  What will it read?  What do you want to be remembered for?  Something temporal or something eternal?  Something transient or lasting?  Is there anything so weighty, so glorious, that you would give your life and your soul to live with everlasting meaning?

The phone rings.  Your doctor asks you to come in to discuss the results from the lab tests.

Would anything change?  Name it, list it, write it down, shout it out.  Can you interrupt your life’s course without the wake-up call?  What will it take?

Start today all over.  And perhaps read 1 Corinthians 15.  It’s worth it.

Oct 30
Love0

Stand Firm

By Envision, Headfirst, Involve, Media, Personal
[pullquote_right]This interview’s theme is  from 1 Corinthians 16:13[/pullquote_right]

We filmed this video to invite men to be part of a missions trip to Haiti.  While it was edited for a particular weekend men’s retreat, the honesty and authentic stories shared by these men has been included here in hope that others would be inspired to fully entrust their lives to God, and choose to give their all for Christ.  Along with the exhortation for evangelism and discipleship, we also aim to continue bringing awareness and to recruit involvement to missions work in Haiti and to all the nations.

Among the panelists is our ministry’s international director.

Thank you to Crossline and LifeTogether for the production of this video!

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Jul 13
Love0

Sliding Headfirst

By Envision, Headfirst, Personal
All Star Logo

courtesy of MLB

Baseball exemplifies living headfirst in many ways – and stealing 2nd base with a headfirst slide may be the all-time epitome.  It might be safer to slide feet first, but it’s an all-out, no-holds-barred, face-forward assault.  I regret that too much of my life was lived “safely” without the risk or the glory of living headfirst for the Kingdom.  I had an internal question mark interrupting every opportunity, shouting out warnings, demanding permission, and challenging my choices.  It took a chapter of my life to recognize, understand and reject the fears and lies, but that’s a story for another day.

This month is filled with tremendous baseball opportunities.  See more

Jun 07
Love0

Headfirst in Haiti

By Headfirst

Rick shares how Jesus changed his life

The classic headfirst apostle is Peter – with little regard for how things could be done or should be done, he went for it.  Long before Texas Hold ’em, Peter went “All In.”  On one of our final nights in Haiti, I had the privilege of preaching to a crowd from the community who had come to join us for a free meal at the Center for Hope.  About 200 adults and youth ate, listened to my friend Rick’s story of salvation, and learned about Peter’s courageous decision to step out of the boat (while ~80 children learned about Jesus and played a short distance away.)

All preconceptions are wiped clean when you Read More

Feb 12
Love0

Defined by Faith

By Headfirst

Learning to live headfirst is harder for some than others.  I’d assess myself in the bottom 20th percentile of “naturally living headfirst.”  I frequently remind myself, as greatly needed, that a thousand lies of the accuser come rushing at me every day.  I purposefully read Scripture and recall it throughout the day, because (as my friend JP says) the truest thing about me is what God says is true.

If it comes down to living as a strategist or living out my faith, I want to live by faith.  Planning, strategy, sequencing – these are all beneficial to the Christian life, and I’m grateful, because they are part of my strong suit.  But none of them help me live by faith; sometimes they offer excuses for me to not rely on Christ.

Let me illustrate how this played out over the last two weeks… Read More

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