How it is going to happen?

Where is the money going to come from?

How will my marriage will be fixed?

How am I going to get my next sale?

Where will I find my future wife or husband?

How am I going to eat healthier?

How can I help others when I feel like I can’t help myself?

Welcome to faith.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Ever step or sit on a nail?  It hurts! (I have stepped on one) You feel the pain right away and then you react as quick as possible.  

I thought about that and then realized that many of us get into situations with our relationships or finances and we know there is something painful that we need to handle.  However, we often decide not to deal with the pain and we “wish it away” or pretend it does not exist.  

When we let God lead us, He steers us in the direction of the painful situation we do not want to confront.  Often, not always, there is something to learn from the situation and we need to react as quick as possible.

I was talking with a friend the other day and we were talking about how there has been an explosion of information.  Newspapers, blogs, television, websites, twitter, instant message, text messaging, radio, telephones, skype, and many others are only a few clicks away.  I have felt like I have had ADD for a while, I go from one thing to the next, having a hard time finishing things.  Though, as I was talking with my friend, he reminded me that we live in a time that it is hard to focus just because there are so many interruptions.  He concluded that he would be more creative if he slowed down the amount of information entering his brain.  I agreed.

So what do we do?

Make sure to schedule time away from all the chaos…It’s important!  And you will be more of what you were made to be.

Every year, as a kid, we would take “out of town” guests out on the strip in Las Vegas to show them the town.  And somewhere on the strip (right now they usually are at the Bellagio hotel) there was always a couple of people with a microphone shouting about Jesus.  When I walked by them I, personally, was very put off by them, I did not believe in Christ or knew nothing about Christ, but I knew I wanted to be nothing like that.

This last Christmas, I again, with my family, went down and walked the strip and they were there again screaming about Jesus.  It made me upset.  I lingered around to see what others were saying, and they were saying what I was thinking, “What an idiot?”  ”Why doesn’t he stop yelling?”  and “No one is listening to him.”  (These people were waiting for the show at the Bellagio and very put off by the guy)  

I watch the video above and it saddens me, I see tons of people walking by and getting a horrible view of what Christianity is all about…A lot of it is all about the way you deliver the truth.  Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m the only one put off by this methodology.  I respect their faith, but do question their methods.  What do you think?

Wow, that’s pretty much all there is to it….

• Today was awesome. Lots of people pulling together to make something bigger than themselves a complete success.
• Lots of big wins for today but one of the biggest was that @ted17 and @wade007 picked up the trailer this morning. Those guys are very dependable and I’m glad they are on our team. @ted17’s truck has got some giddy up!
• We left the storage spot pretty late and I didn’t think there was anyway we’d get to the Palladium on time, but leave it to @ted17 to come through, even if means running a red light.
• We had a lot of people helping this morning, all pulling in the same direction. We got set up faster than we’ve ever been set up before.
• We had thirteen or so people show up before 8:30A to make sure we got set up on time.
• We had over thirty-five people serving this morning! That’s huge. Service is one of the things that makes you feel part of something bigger than yourself. We’ll go a long way when people choose to be selfless like they were today.
• With that said, if you’re not serving, it’s time to get to it. You will be challenged and changed when you make the choice to serve.
• Some of the areas where we need help: Kids, setup/breakdown, hospitality/greeting, camera crew/media, power/lights, live-tweet, connect groups and Kids.
• And let me also add something. One of the great things about serving is that you do what needs to be done. You may need to serve in an area you don’t really like because you need discipline, sacrifice or just a better sense of team. Trust me, you will not regret it.
• We pulled off some stuff with the stage that we haven’t done before. It was a subtle change but it made a huge difference and I think we’re going to continue to explore new stage configurations.
• We’ve also been doing some different things with media. It made a difference today.
• The band freakin’ rocked today. We’re blessed to have the talent we do at Imagine. Those guys love God and they’re good at what they do. @mike127 does an amazing job leading us in worship.
• So, in the mad rush to get of the house on time, I forgot the projector we use for twitter. @saraperez who was running kids today was right around the corner from the Palladium and had to drive all the way back home to get it. Thanks baby!
• Imagine Kids had breakfast this morning! I hear the pancakes were good.
• Yeah, so the band rocks their last song, we kill the lights, “Live Your Life” by T.I. and Rihanna is blowing up the theater and, Kev is nowhere to be found. So the music plays a little longer, and longer, AND LONGER, and in comes @kevj hustling up to the stage. Woops!
• We had some twitter projector issues. They got resolved in a relatively short time but it sure was distracting.
• Yeah, so the best day ever was also coupled with one of the worst days ever. I lost my Blackberry, ugh. I’ve got insurance  so I should have a new phone by Friday. Weak!
• Had a new background up on one of the songs. Wonder if anyone besides me notices those sorts of things.
• @ralfula1 is an amazing guitar player. The band has been doing some really great songs. Just drop Ralf a line if you’d like to know more about the music you hear on Sundays.
• Look for a bigger Imagine presence in the Palladium in the coming weeks.
• Attendance was way up! There were a number of out-of-towners that boosted our attendance but I know of a good handful of first timers or repeat guests that are here to stay.
• Music is playing and people keep walking in, and then more people, and then more people, and then more people. Wow!
• I’ve taken the opportunity to speak to our volunteers the last two week and I’m really digging it. Our volunteers are the heart of our church. They move us from point a to z every week. They are the back bone of our church. I’m praying for major blessings in each of their lives. I know God is going to blow them away this year. Looking forward to great things for all of them.
• Took a big step and finally announced that all church information will be coming from twitter. If you’re not on twitter you need to be. It’s easy to sign up and it’s also free. If you’re not ready to take the twitter plunge, be sure you check out the announcer for all the latest and greatest here at Imagine.
• Sundays really beat me up. Especially when I lose my Blackberry! Slept it off this afternoon and my 7 year old was an angel and let me sleep long and hard. Rewarded her by picking up a friend of hers and watching Hotel for Dogs. Fun movie. We both cried.
• It’s late, I’m tired and it’s a short week so that means I’ve got to have a plan.
• One on One… coming to a dinner near you. Check out the announcer for more information.
• Out.

~ ralph perez, leader’s pastor

Sometimes in life we encounter disappointments or have expectations that aren’t met. Proverbs 13 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Disappointments in life will occur, but don’t get stuck in the disappointment.

Jesus disciples were disappointed because they thought he was supposed to overthrow the government and disappointed that they lost their leader. Yet, the very thing they were disappointed in was the exact plan that God had in store.

Remember that God has higher plans for us, even when we don’t see them.

All too often we get in the routine of: get up, take shower, drive to work, work, go to lunch, go back to work, go home, watch television, go to bed, and repeat.

Routines can be powerful because they can compound over time.

Though, the inherent danger is falling into the same routine all the time. And the law of familiarity can begin to apply.

You ever notice when you tell your spouse something over and over and they tend not to hear it, but when someone else tells them the same concept it is an epiphany. This is the law of familiarity at work…We are so used to hearing something or seeing something, it doesn’t impact us as much. What in your life are you overlooking? Realize what you have and take nothing for granted!

p.s. to all the husbands out there, we often overlook our wives, make sure you appreciate them this week!

Begin: Grew up in church. I heard more gossiping around Christians then with people of no faith. The Sunday service was boring. The bible contradicts itself. Why would a loving God want to send anyone to an eternal hell? Talk about freedom in Christ…all I have experienced is addiction and pain. Gone from relationship to relationship to relationship. Tired of people telling me I’m wrong. Conclusion: Church must not work.

Solutions?

the weekends are for relaxing

television in every household

40 hour work week

three meals a day

church service held on sunday morning

standing in lines one in front of the other

We are a product of our culture whether we recognize it or not. I was reading a book and it occurred to me that many of the things we do every day is because our culture has mandated or condemned that action. Some of them are good and some of them are bad. Take another look at your daily schedule and see how culture affects your actions. If you cancel television, some may think you are weird but there have been many more years in culture without television than with….