Articles by todd

{Don’t get excited.  This isn’t a post about Copenhagen:)  }

Our staff just finished reading through The Dip by Seth Godin.  The book is based on the premise that you can and should quit some things in your life.  He makes the case that quitting is often a great strategy.  Here’s a great quote from the book:

Quit the wrong stuff.

Stick with the right stuff.

Have the guts to do one or the other.

I have often been told that I shouldn’t be a quitter.  The truth is that you MUST quit some things if you want to be the best at what you do.

Pick this book up.  It’s 80 pages that might be lead to some big changes in your life.

I haven’t said this in a while but it’s still true.  I abso-freaking-lutely love my life!!

*I couldn’t ask for a better wife.  She’s amazing… ‘nuf said!

*I couldn’t ask for better kids.  Brayden, Anniston, and Presley bring me truckloads of joy each day.

*I couldn’t ask for a better job.  Being the Executive Pastor at Freedom Church is a dream job for me.  I love what I get to do.  I love the people that I get to experience this journey with.  God has done many incredible things.  Here’s the good news:  The best is yet to come.

Kind of reminds me of this verse.

We live in a world where there is this myth that everyone must agree with everyone for things to be accomplished.  However, as I read Acts 15 the other day, I was reminded a disagreement that occurs at the end of the chapter.  It must have been pretty heated because it led to Barnabas and Paul going their separate ways.

I can imagine the people of their day ranting about how one or the other wasn’t going to make it or was doing the wrong thing.  However, if you continue to read through the New Testament, you see that God used both groups in an incredible way.  They were far more effective and had more of an impact apart from each other!  Both ministries were more far reaching than they would have been otherwise.

Rather than spending all your time trying to convince someone to agree with you, both sides might be better served by celebrating the differences and moving on.  Who knows?  Maybe God wants to use both sides to accomplish great things for His kingdom!

Don’t miss this Sunday, as we continue a series called Hide and Seek.  This has been a powerful series that God is using to call out the greatness that resides in all of us.  See you at 9:30 or 11:00!!

The following is an excerpt from Extraordinary by John Bevere.  Read this to set the stage for what you are about to read.

We’re no longer living the status quo.  We are influencers now, not followers.  If you’re a teacher, you should come up with the most creative and innovative ways of communicating knowledge and wisdom.  Other teachers should be amazed by your ingenuity.  If you’re a designer, your creative ideas should be highly advanced, cutting edge, and fresh.  You should be the leader in your field.

As a businessman or woman, you should come up with inventive ideas and keen marketing strategies that are ahead of the curve.  You should see what’s profitable and what’s not.  You’ll know when to buy and when to sell.  Other businesspeople will scratch their heads trying to figure out why you’re so successful.If you are a stay-at-home mom, you should be the most imaginative, most compassionate, and wisest in your neighborhood.  Others who haven’t been saved by grace will approach you for advice.

As rulers in life, we in essence meet people’s needs by the exceedingly great power that’s in us.  This is the victory that overcomes the world, which causes us to rule in life – our faith!

Ok.   I know I might be a little lot biased, but I feel that C.J. Spiller should be getting some serious Heisman press.  You can go here and look at all the numbers.    I think they speak for themselves.

In 8 of the 9 games this season, he was a run, reception, or a return of 58 yards or more.  Against FSU and Miami, he racked up 622 total all purpose yards.  That’s impressive!

Some people say if he played for a better team, he would be getting more press.  This is one of the problems with the Heisman trophy in my opinion.  It is an individual award, yet it matters greatly how good the team is.  Doesn’t add up to me.

Vote C.J.!

In almost every area of my life, I go through seasons.  For example, I am in a season now where I am tearing through some books.  During some seasons of my life, I find it difficult to pick up a book to read.

I just completed Extraordinary by John Bevere.  I wanted to read this because I was a big fan of another of Bevere’s books,  Honor’s Reward.  This book does a great job of calling out the greatness that resides in each of us.  I think each one of us could say that we aren’t living up to our full God-given potential.  For that reason, I found the book to be both challenging and encouraging.

I would encourage you to pick up the book and check it out.  It might be the thing that helps you to become Extraordinary.

**This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

1.  Ran a 5k on a treadmill this morning.  First distance run that I have done since I ran a 1/2 marathon in February.  Time – 32:30, which is my 2nd fastest ever!

2.  I’m going to the FSU/Clemson game tomorrow.  If the Tigers can win out, they are ACC Title game bound.  Go Tigers!

3.  I really feel like God is about to do something that is going to blow our minds at Freedom Church.  I am extremely grateful for what has happened over the past 21 months but I believe we ‘ain’t seen nothing yet’!

4.  God is stretching me in some great ways!  I desire to always be teachable and doing what it takes to move forward.

5.  Don’t miss this Sunday as we continue the Hide and Seek series.  It has been really powerful so far.  See you at 9:30 or 11:00!!

Currently, I have the opportunity to oversee the Guest Services areas on Sunday mornings. Pastor J.R. challenged us to think through why a person should desire to serve in our particular area.  Here’s what I came up with:

5. You have the opportunity to help our guests have a great first impression of Freedom Church.

4. You have the opportunity to honor others by creating a distraction free environment for them to worship.

3. You have the opportunity to connect with other incredible partners.

2. You have the opportunity to be on the front lines of something so much bigger than yourself.

1. You have the opportunity to help people far from God to experience life in Christ.

We  just concluded a series dealing with Forgiveness.  One of the verses that Pastor J.R. talked about was this one:

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. (NLT)

This is one of the most freeing verses in the Bible to me.  Here’s a few thoughts about it-

a.  Notice the verse doesn’t say ‘most wrongs’.  Doesn’t matter what you’ve done, Jesus can and will forgive you.  I know you are thinking, ‘yeah but you don’t know about this sin in my life.’  Yes, Jesus will even forgive that one!

b.  This verse reminds us that Jesus is faithful.  We can be assured that He will forgive us.  He will always keep His promise.  In a world where we’ve all been let down millions of times, that is saying something!

c.  Knowing that Jesus has forgive us, we must forgive ourselves.  This is often harder for me than asking for forgiveness.  Many times, Jesus has already forgiven me but I refuse to move past it.  Move on!  You are forgiven!  Jesus doesn’t desire for you to live in that bondage!!

Stop what you are doing.  Ask for forgiveness.  Receive it.  Begin being the person Jesus created you to be!!