Photo courtesy of Thomas Northcut at GettyImages.com

We need people who are F.A.T.

The Trick Shot Quarterback gets a shot at the NFL

Check out the video below. It’s pretty stinking impressive. In high school, I played quarterback for my Christian high school’s flag football team (we weren’t a big enough school to have tackle). And, as a former quarterback, I can tell you that these passes were no easy feat. Sure, maybe they took multiple shots for some of the passes, but still it’s incredibly challenging to hit a football goal post three times in a row from 50 yards (single shot, no cut-aways).

So anyway, since the posting of the video last year, it’s reached nearly two million views, ans it’s earned this college quarterback, Alex Tanney, a shot in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. He’s been invited to their minicamp.

It just goes to show you the power of viral marketing. Viral videos and word-of-mouth advertising are hugely effective. If your business, organization, or church is doing something remarkable, people will tell their friends. And then, growth will happen naturally.

The Challenge

Let’s be remarkable and give people a reason to tell their friends and family about the amazing things that God is doing through us.

The Trick Shot Video

Note: Thanks to Mashable for the inspiring article.

On April 20 & 21, 2012, the men from my church attended the 2012 Man Up Men’s Conference in Orlando, FL. The conference featured powerful and insightful messages from Jerry Thorpe & Jim Groves. This is the fifth & final post in the series.

The notes may be hard to follow, but feel free to browse them for insights. Especially, check out the “Notes & Quotes” section at the bottom.

More valuable insights about manhood can be found in the writings of Robert Lewis. Check out his books: Raising Modern-Day Knights, Real Family Values, and Rocking the Roles. You’ll be glad you did.

Man Up Men’s Conference

Orlando, FL

Speaker: Jerry Thorpe
Topic: Wandering
Text: The Wilderness Wandering of Numbers 13-ff, Psalm 90:12, Joshua 1:1-9
Date: April 21, 2012

1. You must have courage (Joshua 1:1-2, 6-7, 9)

2. You must major on God’s Word (Joshua 1:8)

3. You must trust in the presence of God (Joshua 1:5, 9)

Notes & Quotes

• “The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates
• If we’re not careful in our marriages, things will just become routine. You’ll get into a rut.
• It’s easy to get distracted watching ESPN or enjoying your hobby, giving your kids the crumbs of your life.
• “Once we take the wrong road, we cannot get on the right road until we go back to the place where we made the wrong turn.” – Jim Bakker
• On friendships: friends should make you live better morally, and friends should stimulate your thinking.
• On health: “Nothing tastes as good as slim feels.”
• On life & success: I was climbing the ladder of success, but when I got to the top, I realized the ladder was leaning against the wrong building.
• On marriage: Communication is the first thing that breaks down.
• On relationship with God: Communication is the first thing that breaks down.

On April 20 & 21, 2012, the men from my church attended the 2012 Man Up Men’s Conference in Orlando, FL. The conference featured powerful and insightful messages from Jerry Thorpe & Jim Groves. This is the fourth post in the series.

The notes may be hard to follow, but feel free to browse them for insights. Especially, check out the “Notes & Quotes” section at the bottom.

Man Up Men’s Conference

Orlando, FL

Speaker: Jim Groves
Topic: Trusting God
Text: Genesis 3:10, 2 Corinthians 5:21
Date: April 21, 2012

Story: The Fork in the Road (Trusting God vs Pleasing God)

Reflections

Application

Notes & Quotes

On April 20 & 21, 2012, the men from my church attended the 2012 Man Up Men’s Conference in Orlando, FL. The conference featured powerful and insightful messages from Jerry Thorpe & Jim Groves. This is the third post in the series.

The notes may be hard to follow, but feel free to browse them for insights. Especially, check out the “Notes & Quotes” section at the bottom.

Man Up Men’s Conference

Orlando, FL

Speaker: Jerry Thorpe
Topic: Successful Living
Text: Philippians 3:13-14
Date: April 21, 2012

Synopsis: “This one thing I do, forgetting the things behind, I press on to the finish line.”

Outline:

1. This One Thing I Do (Goal or Mission for Life)

Characteristics of True Goals:

Reflection & Questions to Ask Yourself:

2. Forgetting Those Things Which Are Behind

Two Things You Have to Forget:

Three Tings You Have to do to Walk on Water:

3. I Press On (Don’t Quit)

Notes & Quotes

On April 20 & 21, 2012, the men from my church attended the 2012 Man Up Men’s Conference in Orlando, FL. The conference featured powerful and insightful messages from Jerry Thorpe & Jim Groves. This is the second post in the series.

The notes may be hard to follow, but feel free to browse them for insights. Especially, check out the “Notes & Quotes” section at the bottom.

If you’re interested in more resources regarding biblical manhood, check out the writings of Robert Lewis. His books Raising Modern-Day Knights, Real Family Values, and Rocking the Roles are especially helpful. Look them up!

Man Up Men’s Conference

Orlando, FL

Speaker: Jim Groves
Topic: Identity
Text: Romans 6:1-10
Date: April 20, 2012

Outline:

Word Picture: Man-Eating Grizzly Bear

Imagine you’re being chased by a man-eating grizzly bear. As you run away, you come upon a log cabin, and dart inside, locking the door behind you. Now, you’re safe, but you don’t necessarily feel that way.

• Step 1: Truth – You are safe
• Step 2: Faith – I believe I am safe.
• Step 3: Works – Live like a safe man. Act like a safe man.
• Step 4: Feelings – I finally begin to feel safe…sort of.

* Replace “safe” with any other truth from the Bible: forgiven, accepted, a saint, Christ’s friend, and the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

• Step 1: Truth – You are accepted
• Step 2: Faith – I believe I am accepted.
• Step 3: Works – Live like a safe man. Act like a accepted man.
• Step 4: Feelings – I finally begin to feel accepted…sort of.

* Work through this pattern.

* Focus on the right things you are supposed to do, and you will stop doing the wrong things.

* Focus on your true identity and act that way. Your feelings will catch up.

Notes & Quotes:

• You will live out what you really believe to be your true identity. Not what you say is your true identity.
• Emotions get in the way of our obedience.
• Most adultery starts with this feeling: I feel unloved.
• Hypocrisy is acting differently than you are, not acting differently than you feel. Only Satan defines it as acting differently than you feel. Jesus defines it as the former.

On April 20 & 21, 2012, the men from my church attended the 2012 Man Up Men’s Conference in Orlando, FL. The conference featured powerful and insightful messages from Jerry Thorpe & Jim Groves. This is the first post in the series.

The notes may be hard to follow, but feel free to browse them for insights. Especially, check out the “Notes & Quotes” section at the bottom.

Do you want to read more about manning up? Check out Robert Lewis’s books Raising Modern-Day Knights, Real Family Values, and Rocking the Roles. You’ll be better for it.

Man Up Men’s Conference

Orlando, Florida

Speaker: Jerry Thorpe
Topic: The Challenges of Life
Text: 2 Timothy 2:15
Date: April 20, 2012

Outline:

1. Is the Lord Well-Pleased? (2 Timothy 2:15a)

You must have a passion for pleasing God.

2. Is Your Work Well-Done? (2 Timothy 2:15b)

You must have a passion for excellence.

Three areas that need a commitment to excellence:

• You must be excellent in your marriage.
• You must be excellent in your relationship with your children.
• You must be excellent in your service to God.

3. Is the Word of God Well-Used in Your Life? (2 Timothy 2:15c)

You must have a passion for the Word of God.

• If you make the Bible part of your life, it will change your life.

Notes & Quotes:

• God is more concerned with what you are than what you look like.
• “Being obsessed about what other people think about me is the quickest way to forget what God thinks about me.” – Craig Groeschel
• “The three greatest days in a person’s life are the day they were born, the day they were born again, and the day they come to grips with why they were born and why they were born again.” – Howard Hendricks
• For your kids, love is spelled TIME.

My wife found this video today, and since I’m a teacher, I found it to be real really funny true. I hope you can appreciate it as much as I did.  And, by the way, these guys have several good videos.  Check ’em out.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to speak at my church.  I enjoy having the opportunity to communicate God’s Word to people in a way that applies to life.  My effort is always to make it clear what the Bible is calling people to do.

The title of this message was “We Need Your Help.”  It reviews the two requests that Paul makes of the people of Collosae in Colossians 4:2-6. Paul is out in the trenches of ministry, and he is asking for them to support his mission of taking the Gospel to the world (see the outline below).  He wants the people to support the mission (1) with their prayer life and (2) with their public life.

Today, the same requests may be made to the people of God in our churches. We need help.  We need people to pray diligently and deliberately for the spread of the Gospel.  We need people to support the mission in their public life by the things that they say (communication) and the things that they do (conduct).  If we are going to impact our communities with the truth of the Gospel, we are going to need help from everyone who claims to be a Christ follower.

For those interested, here is the bare bones outline. The illustrations are missing, but perhaps this outline will be helpful to some of you.

1. Support the Mission with Your Prayer Life.

– We Must Pray Diligently.
“Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert…” (4:2)

– We Must Pray Deliberately.

1. Pray for the Communicators who Preach the Gospel
“pray for us, too” (4:3a)

2. Pray for Chances to Preach the Gospel (4:3b)
“pray…that God may open a door”

3. Pray for Clarity in the Preaching of the Gospel (4:4)
“Pray that I may make it known as I should”

2. Support the Mission with Your Public Life.

– Our Conduct Must Be Godly.
“Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders” (4:5)

– Our Communication Must Be Gracious.
“Let your speech always be gracious” (4:6)

Like many of you, I have simply been swamped with activity over the past few weeks (Thus, less blogging).  I went from a busy Christmas season straight into an intensive at Liberty University (My last one for my Master of Sacred Theology degree!)  and then got right to work planning for the launch of our new service at my church.  We’re calling it Church At The GYM. Check it out!

With all that’s going on, I am really looking forward to the Catalyst One Day conference that’s coming to my own backyard.  I think it’s going to be an incredibly challenging and inspirational opportunity.  The topic is building a healthy church culture… an important topic for us as we launch a new service.

If you’ll be in the Orlando area on February 17, you should come!

BTW, early bird registration ends January 27, 2011.  See you there!