As each generation passes, we are seeing huge differences between them.  Later generation x and y have one thing in common…Positional authority is out!  What does that mean?  Gone are the days of instant respect for someone’s title or current stature (whether at a job or someplace us).  The “do-it-because-I-said-so” does not work with this generation.  This generation has questioned everything.  

 Most importantly, their respect has to be earned.  The old way of thinking was, “They should respect me because I am older, wiser, and have experience.”  I am not saying, I am promoting being disrespectful, I am just letting you know how this generation operates.  They want to be cared about regardless of titles….So how do you reach them?  You reach them right where they are at, you have to forget your titles and accomplishments and stand beside them.    

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. ”You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. ”You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. ”You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. ”You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for. ”You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. ”You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family. ”You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.  Matthew 5:3-10

My wife went out of town for work this week, so it is just me and my boy.  I remember when he was first born–I was really scared.  Not that I wasn’t going to be a good father, but that I really hadn’t been around a newborn or any baby for that matter.  

Though, as he has gotten older, I can tell when he is hungry, or tired, or his teeth hurt.  It is funny how over time you can discern these type of things.

 As he gets even older, we will start to realize how he reacts to certain things and how he behaves.  When we start a relationship with Christ, we too, in the beginning (and still) aren’t sure exactly how everything works, but over time we learn how God loves us.

I have a love for him that is indescribable.    

 Are you getting enough sleep?  Doesn’t sound “spiritual?”  Have you ever met someone who wasn’t getting enough sleep?  They usually spell six letters–CRANKY.  A lack of sleep can create a bad attitude.  Sleep allows us to have the right attitude, which allows us to be more like Christ.

 I’m an early to bed, early to rise person, while many of my friends are, late to bed, late to rise people.  Not one is better than the other, but it is crucial to be rested so that you can have a great attitude for the day!

(Many argue on how many hours of sleep is sufficient, but 6 to 8 hours seems to be recommended)

Twitter has been a huge asset for us as a church and has really developed as one of our main avenues to keep people connected.  It works perfectly for the relational web.

Because we don’t hold regular meetings throughout the week (small groups), one of the struggles of the relational web was keeping people connected, twitter has allowed that to happen.  People communicate instantly thru text messaging, or web, all throughout the day.  People get together throughout the week when it is convenient for them. It has been really cool to see it work! 

Remember to keep growing your relational web outside of the church by influencing those around you for Christ!  

As we all get older, it seems like we have moments in our lives where things seem great and then we get the phone call, the news, or the message, that is life altering and it stops us in our tracks. We drop what we were doing and attend to the moment. 

Remember that God has those moments under His control, and even though to us they seem like we have lost control, feel frustrated, or worried, that all we need to do is simply rely on Him.

God has the situation under control and we need to roll with Him. 

Like I talked about yesterday, if you put the word church in google images, what do you see?  Before I googled it, I thought I would mostly see people hanging out or in a crowd.  I hit the first page, buildings, then another and another and another (try it).  We have to remember the church is not the building, it is us, the people.  Someone might not even know that they are standing right next to a moving church…called Imagine Fellowship.

http://images.google.com/images?ndsp=20&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en-us&q=church&start=0&sa=N

 Check out the new pictures on www.imaginefellowship.org!

God, I pray that we as a church are loving you and loving people.  I pray that we realize that our actions speak louder than our words and that we have the opportunity to create a smile, pass on generosity, and alleviate stress for others.  We do this for you and in turn, we are given joy also….Thank you for our trials and temporary burdens–they keep us close to you.  And I pray that if anyone is struggling, and they are reading this post, that they would stop what they are doing, and have a conversation with you, that they would open their heart, in a way, they have never before, and put their faith and trust in you.

In Jesus name…Let it be

Sometimes in life we are moving so fast, we forget the reasons and the purpose behind our actions.  Progress in your relationships or in your job are wonderful, but take a moment today and make sure you are on the right course.  The actions we take, whether we are thinking about them or not, steer us in a direction.  Are you headed in the right direction?