All posts in Catalyst 2009

Catalyst 09 :: Dave Ramsey

by Tim Schraeder on 10/09/2009 in Catalyst 2009 with No comments

Dave Ramsey, a personal money management expert, is an extremely popular national radio personality, and author of the New York Times best-sellers The Total Money Makeover, Financial Peace and More Than Enough. On October 15, 2007, Ramsey added television host to title when “The Dave Ramsey Show on Fox Business Network” debuted nationally. Ramsey knows first-hand what financial peace means in his own life – living a true rags-to-riches story. By age twenty-six he has established a four-million-dollar real estate portfolio, only to lose it by age 30. He has since rebuilt his financial life and now devotes himself full-time to helping ordinary people understand the forces behind their financial distress and how to set things right – financially, emotionally, and spiritually. He resides with his wife Sharon and their three children in Nashville, Tennessee.

  • How would you like your ministry to have such an impact that people remember you and repeat something that you did because it was so sown into their hearts and minds.
  • The Concept of Momentum.
  • When you have momentum you look better than you are.
  • When things are going good (in life, in your ministry) you look better than you are.
  • Dave Ramsey’s company has tremendous momentum… they are good at what they do.
  • “We’re not as good as we look but we have momentum.”
  • When you don’t have momentum you are better than you look.
  • It’s usually when you’re starting something, starting over or coming back up.
  • Momentum is created. It does not randomly occur.
  • You are better than you look.
  • Everyone looking in on the outside doesn’t understand what’s going on. They don’t see the diamond in the rough.
  • It’s important you get momentum
  • We struggle with doing and trusting in God, waiting on Him.
  • We tend to pray like it depends on God or work as if it depends on us.
  • Some of us haven’t worked hard enough to be burned out!
  • We get this paradox between God’s blessings and our part in the play.
  • God is dependable.
  • The variable we have to focus on is us and the momentum we need to create.
  • To be an inordinate success, it takes 10,000 hours. (Gladwell)
  • You don’t become a significant leader by accident, you pour yourself into your calling and your craft very specifically and momentum is created.
  • It’s not an accident.
  • You have a part to play in God’s script.
  • The Momentum Theorem: Focused Intensity, over Time, multiplied by God, equals Unstoppable Momentum.

Focused Intensity.

  • Focused is an amazing thing in a culture that has none.
  • We struggle with focus.
  • When we’re not focused other  things distract us and we experience burn out.
  • NFL = Not For Long (avg time in the NFL is 3.7 years)
  • Focus is lost for two reasons: fear and greed.
  • Fear is not from the Lord.
  • Fear is not a fruit of the Spirit.
  • We get greedy… numbers of people in our churches, viewers of our show, readers of our blog.
  • We wonder what it’s like to be “over there” when we aren’t over there yet.
  • We overlook the ball before we’re at the goal.
  • A double-minded man is unstable in his ways. – James 1:8
  • Excellence dissipates when we take our eye off the goal and look into something we haven’t already earned.
  • Focus = I can’t see anything else than what I’m looking at.
  • You’ve got to lose your peripheral vision.
  • You have an unbelievable opportunity when you focus because no one else in culture is.
  • Rick Warren calls focus being intentional.
  • Stephen Covey called focus being proactive.
  • You have to happen “to” things.

Intensity

  • Pour intensity into things that really matter.
  • Whatever you hand finds to do, do it with all your might. – Ecc 9:10
  • Bring excellence into what you are doing.
  • Be intense about your calling.
  • Get focused with intensity.
  • Intensity moves things.
  • Nothing moves unless there’s intensity behind it.
  • Light that’s dispersed lights a room; light that is intensely focused becomes a laser you can do surgery with.
  • Focus is powerful.

Time

  • It takes focused intensity over time.
  • “If I persist long enough, I will WIN.” – Og Mandino
  • If you’re only focused and only intense for a short time, it won’t matter.
  • “Run the race in such a way as to win the prize.” – 1 Cor 9:24
  • It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.
  • It’s a long race that’s over time.
  • All leaders are readers!
  • The tortoise always wins…
  • Figure out the course, stay the course.
  • Keep moving.
  • Figure out your deal.
  • Never take your eye off the ball.
  • Slow and steady wins the race all the time.

Multiplied by God

  • We are finite; God is infinite.
  • God is with us while we are running, at the finish line, and at the starting line.
  • When you multiply your focused intensity over time by God… God gives us energy and causes us to win.
  • “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” – Matt 19:26
  • Get plugged in to Him as a power source and your moment will become unstoppable.
  • Leading involves following.
  • If you think you’re going to be an automatic success; if you are, be very scared because you might not have the foundation to carry it.
  • Grow it slow, grow it right.
  • “Never give in…” – Winston Churchill
  • Never, never, never quit.
  • If you’re not doing something significant for God, Satan won’t notice.
  • It has a cost, but DO IT in the name of Christ.
  • Never, never quit.

Catalyst 09 :: Priscilla Shirer

by Tim Schraeder on 10/09/2009 in Catalyst 2009 with No comments

Priscilla Shirer is a popular conference speaker for major corporations, organizations and Christian audiences around the world. A graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, she is also a Bible teacher and an author whose books include A Jewel in His Crown, A Jewel in His Crown Bible Study & Journal, and And We Are Changed: Transforming Encounters With God.

Priscilla is daughter of pastor, speaker and well-known author Dr. Tony Evans. She is married to her best friend, Jerry, and the couple has two sons: Jackson and Jerry Jr. They live in Dallas, Texas.

  • Priscilla saw the story of Brian Welsh, the former lead guitarist of Korn
  • Somebody put their arm around him and “loved him into the family of God.”
  • This story wasn’t TBN or CBN, it was on CNN!
  • He gave up a $20 Million contract
  • “And they left everything to follow Jesus…”
  • There’s a Divine Intervention that happens when God turns us in a different direction than the one we were heading.
  • Some of us are leading people when we had no idea we had a capacity to do it.
  • In your life, in one form or another, has been Divinely Intervened.
  • Oftentimes there are three or four different options available to us; we’ve got to decide if we will yield to the direction God is leading us to.
  • Joshua knew what it was like to have a life interrupted by God.
  • As we yield to the interrupted life we will be victorious at what God has set before us to do.
  • At one point or another we will be in a situation that feels like an interrupted life.
  • You’re either in the middle of it, about to enter it, or about to walk out of it.
  • When Joshua left Egypt with Moses he had no idea that God would call him to take up the reigns of leadership over Israel from Moses.
  • On the heels of receiving direction from God, there were four things Joshua did.
  • If we follow them, they will make a huge impact on ourselves and others.
  • Joshua 3:1 – Joshua rose early in the morning.
  • After receiving instruction from God to handle a task he did not feel equipped to handle,  he rose up early to complete the task God set before him.
  • It’s not about be ready, but being open.
  • Joshua acted immediately in obedience to God.
  • What has God asked you to do? Are you procrastinating or ignoring it?
  • Would you act immediately in obedience to God?
  • This is different than Moses’ response (Exodus 2).
  • We’re good at giving excuses.
  • Everyone needs a Joshua – someone who will stand in faith in spite of their perceived deficiencies.
  • They camped at the Jordan River for three days.
  • This all happened in April… to the Jordan River was rushing rapidly because of melt-off from Mt Hermon.
  • The river was violent.
  • The saw an impossible body of water that God was telling them to cross.
  • They had three days to consider what God was asking them to do.
  • Joshua told them, “Regardless of what it looks like, we will cross it.”
  • He not only acted immediately, he acted fearlessly.
  • We’re called to be leaders who are fearless.
  • Over 300 times in the Scriptures, God has derivatives of the phrase “do not be afraid.”
  • We are not held captive to natural standards, we have supernatural abilities.
  • The Holy Spirit empowers us to do what seems impossible for us to do in the natural world.
  • The moment you got saved treasure was deposited in you, the Holy Spirit.
  • The Holy Spirit empowers us to do and be what we cannot do and be.
  • v3 – Joshua doesn’t say, “I’m the leader, follow me.” He says, “God’s the leader, follow Him.”
  • Until you see God’s presence moving, you don’t move.
  • If God’s presence isn’t going, don’t go.
  • Joshua teaches us to acknowledge the presence of God.
  • There’s many great opportunities for us, but if God’s not it in it, don’t go.
  • Jesus said in John 5:19, “I only do what I see the Father doing.”
  • The captivating thing about Jesus is that He did His Father’s will and nothing else.
  • We need God to direct us, even though we might be directing others.
  • We better be following hard after God.
  • We have to follow God because we’ve not passed here before.
  • We must think we are God, otherwise we wouldn’t try to control situations.
  • It’s time for a group of leaders who will tell people what Joshua told them to do.
  • Joshua anticipated God’s miracles.
  • Act today like God is going to do something tomorrow.
  • Anticipate God’s activity.
  • Stop praying safe prayers.
  • Believe God can do the unthinkable.
  • God is the first and the last; beginning and the end.
  • He always was, always is.

Catalyst 09 :: Francis Chan

by Tim Schraeder on 10/08/2009 in Catalyst 2009 with 1 Comment

Francis Chan is the pastor of Conerstone Church in Simi Valley, California, where he has been serving the past 14 years. He is also the chancellor and founder of Eternity Bible College and serves on the board of directors for Children’s Hunger Fund and World Impact.

Francis spends much of his time speaking to high school and college students and has recently written his first book, Crazy Love. His commitment is to teach directly from the words of Scripture. It is his passion to see the next generation of American Christians display a much deeper love for Jesus.

Francis is married to Lisa, and they have three daughters and one son.

  • Ephesians 2
  • We were dead.
  • When was the last time you stopped and thought, “I should be in hell right now?”
  • But Jesus saved us.
  • Think about His presence with us.
  • Do you ever pray for something and then God overwhelms you when He answers it?
  • Ask for the grace.
  • Get into the Word.
  • The presence of Almighty God is with us.
  • That’s intense.
  • Stop and think about the presence of a God, our Father, who is crazy about us, who loves.
  • Many of us have had people tell us we’re not good enough; but God is here. You are all you need to be.
  • God has saved us and cleansed us from our sins.
  • Sometimes we just need to mellow out.
  • Sometimes we’re better at explaining God’s grace to other people than experiencing it for ourselves.
  • Sometimes we don’t have the faith the cross will carry it.
  • Sometimes we don’t have faith the Holy Spirit will move.
  • We always have to make the resurrection more exciting every Easter.
  • We need to trust the word of God.
  • Romans 5
  • It’s good to fellowship simultaneously around the cross.
  • Talk about the goodness of God.
  • 1 Peter 5:6-11
  • Humble yourself.
  • We are one breath away from being with God.
  • If we aren’t going to obey the Word, go home.
  • Cast all your anxiety upon Him. Let it go.
  • God cares for you.
  • There’s someone who is feeding problems into our minds, trying to distract us from what God wants to speak to us.
  • There’s so many distractions.
  • Our adversary would love for all of us to leave still stressed out and thinking we have to fix something.
  • We are arrogant to think we can change the world; only God can do that.
  • We can’t do it, so don’t worry about it.
  • Resist him.
  • Other people won’t let you forget your mistakes.
  • The God all of all grace will restore and establish you.
  • Who cares if people don’t restore you… the God of all grace will.
  • God wants us to rejoice in Him and enjoy HIs grace.
  • He wants His children to be thrilled… to know we are really forgiven and loved in His sight.
  • Grace makes everyone say, “Man, I wish I had your dad.”
  • Satan would love for us to be stressed and depressed, carrying the shame of our past.
  • But Jesus wants us free and to remind us that He will establish and confirm us.
  • Rejoice in the Lord.
  • Trust in God’s Word.

Catalyst 09 :: Matt Chandler

by Tim Schraeder on 10/08/2009 in Catalyst 2009 with 2 Comments

Matt Chandler serves as Lead Pastor of The Village Church in Highland Village, Texas. He describes his six-year tenure at The Village as a re-planting effort where he was involved in changing the theological and philosophical culture of the congregation. The church has witnesses a tremendous response growing from 160 people to over 6,000 including satellite campuses in Dallas and Denton. Alongside his current role as lead Pastor, Matt is involved in church planting efforts both locally and internationally through The Village and various strategic partnerships. Prior to accepting the pastorate at The Village, Matt had a vibrant itinerant ministry for over 10 years where he spoke to thousands of people in America and abroad about the glory of God and beauty of Jesus. His greatest joy outside of Jesus is being married to Lauren and being a dad to their three children: Audrey, Reid and Norah.

  • History is a weird animal.
  • History is a double-edged sword.
  • It can haunt you.
  • Matt shared the story of trying to dispel the mystery of Bloody Mary to his daughter.
  • We’ve been doing this to kids in church for years.
  • There are times you need to forget what lies behind you.
  • History can be a life-giving reality check.
  • When you clue into it, things can make sense.
  • There’s a lot of things going on… good and bad.
  • Some are successful others are struggling.
  • What have we been caught up in?
  • God created everything.
  • Wisdom cries aloud in the streets; she’s been with God since the beginning.
  • Everything God creates worship for the Creator.
  • Everything leads to worship.
  • But then the fall happened.
  • The fall made us disregard the creator and made us look to creation.
  • God is preparing mankind for reconciliation.
  • God’s promise to Israel has global implications.
  • The Pslamist sings about all the nations being glad.
  • Christ shows up, the great exchange takes place.
  • He made Him who knew no sin to be made sin for us …
  • His righteousness makes us holy and blameless.
  • It’s not by our own merit, but by the merit of Jesus Christ alone.
  • He gathered the disciples and said, “it’s go time.”
  • God made a way.
  • Acts 2 is the most unseeker friendly message of all time.
  • Thousands were added; 5,000 later; this thing begins to happen.
  • Men and women are being saved, reconciled to God.
  • God help us and save us from taking the narratives and making them into children’s stories.
  • Peter was called to Cornelius’ house.
  • Cornelius is saved in the middle of the message.
  • Then the church gathers to decide if Gentiles can really be saved.
  • Then it blows up… the Gospel spreads to all people around the globe.
  • What God said He was going to do is HAPPENING NOW.
  • It has been happening, it is working, it is moving.
  • The next 20-30 years a “global Christendom” is coming soon.
  • We’re caught up in something bigger than we can even imagine.
  • Hebrews 11
  • The gauntlet we will run through is uncertain.
  • We might survive the edge of the sword, or maybe we will die against it.
  • There will be seasons where the dead will be raised and times when there will be death.
  • Hebrews 12, THEREFORE… let us throw off every weight and the sin which clings so closely.
  • We need to redeem and reclaim some words that have been hijacked.
  • Somehow the idea of confession and repentance has a negative connotation.
  • It seems to be put away in the dusty corner of the believer’s world as if we believe the longer we are Christians, the lesser we will need to repent.
  • We look at it as something that only certain people need to do or that fundamentalists scream we have to do.
  • Luther nailed his thesis to the door… “the entire life of a believer must be repentance.”
  • I John 5
  • If we say we have no sin we’ve made him a liar and there is no truth in us.
  • If we live and we walk as if we are sinless, we are a liar.
  • We’ve created “bad” sins and sins Christ is cool with.
  • Repentance works is a continuing ethic.
  • There’s times our heart is going to give us a hitch.
  • There’s two ways to handle it: ignore it (you’ll be self-deceived) or you can dig deep (confess, repent and grow).
  • Every bit of hesitantcy in obedience is God beckoning you to deeper waters.
  • Get up, repent and mature.
  • Run with endurance the race set before us.
  • No one wants the ministry of Moses, his ministry was wandering in the wilderness with whiny people (Church people have always been whiny!).
  • Some of us will spend our whole lives with stiff-necked people.
  • The day is coming when history will be rewritten as it really is.
  • Your role is bigger than you think.
  • Play your part well.
  • Look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.
  • Jesus is the founder of our faith.
  • Without Him, His cross and His shed blood there is no reconciliation.
  • By this Gospel we will be saved… past, present and future.
  • Don’t grow weary.
  • God has invited us to play a part.
  • THEREFORE, let us throw off our sin.
  • Let confession and repentance be a continuing ethic for us.
  • It will prevent pride from happening and make us thankful for all that God does.
  • Fix your eyes on Jesus Christ.
  • Jesus makes intercession for us.
  • May we not get distracted with historical silliness.
  • May we remember what we’re caught up in and the significance of it.
  • May we run well.
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