Heading to the woods!

Today we finished C3's latest sermon series called cages. The latest one was on "Fear." The main point, "The more we trust, (in God) the less we fear."
Right after service tonight, my buddy Cal (from FL) and I are heading to some friends house to do some deer hunting in Southeast Ohio, at an undisclosed location. (Just for the record, I am a real woodman who eats all that I harvest.) When I get alone in the woods, I feel incredibly close to God. I can't wait to connect with God......in the rain and snow!

home

Thanksgiving was great! When you mix family, friends and good food all together, it makes for a good time. It's a reminder of how blessed that I truly am. I also got to take my 7yr old son on his first deer hunt. I had the bow and we were crammed into a 1 seater tree stand, 15ft off the ground. He did great......but we saw No deer. Bummer. That's why they call it "hunting" and not "getting." I also ran a 5k race on Thanksgiving morning. There were 1,400 runners, and I placed 29th in 17:35, but it did land me 2nd in my age group! I improved my time by 34 seconds off my last years time. Anyway, when my kids get older I want to make running that 5k a family affair, a Stephens tradition!

Counting the Cost

Today, I'm meeting with a couple builders to talk future expansion of C3 Church. We have made no final decisions yet, but rather want to gather several possibilities and as much information as we can. Before any decision is made, you have to count the cost, because there is a price-tag. Of course we immediately think financially, but it is so much more than that. There are the price-tags of time, energy, people hours, focus, staff hours, etc. As leadership, it all has to be factored in. Our prayer is for God's wisdom and favor as we continually move forward.

Natural Church Development

C3 just took a test that measures the 8 essential qualities of a healthy church. Can I say that taking this test is a little scary. When it is all said and done, it all points back to the leadership, or lack of. Anyways, we got the reports back and we are very excited. The national average score in each of these areas is a 50. We were well above the average in every category...PTL! Our minimum factor, which scored a 55 was "Passionate Spirituality." This deals with the fact of people being excited about their relationships with Christ to the point that they enjoy studying the Bible, praying, etc and that there is a passion and excitement in serving God. Now, while I'm excited that our low is better than the national average, this area is going to get some serious attention. The key is, that we have defined reality. We will now assemble a team to form a plan and go after it. Next year, we will take the test again and look to tackle our next minimum factor. If the church is the "bride of Christ," we have a long way to go to get her ready!

2 things

1. Ohio just won another National Championship! No, it's not the Buckeyes...and barring a miracle from God, will never will be the Browns, Bengals, Cavs or Bluejackets. It was the Columbus Crew! For some, you still have no idea. We have a Soccer team....and apparently a pretty good one. Props to the Crew!

2. I am changed by every single person I meet or have contact with. I was thinking about some of the conversations I have had in the past week. Every person I interact with, changes me. I glean from everyone I can in order to grow. I take a little from everyone I meet. Many for the good, while several cause me to strengthen my convictions in certain areas. I walk away at times with answers, while from others with more questions. Either way, I want to continually be wrestling and praying in order to continue growing.

doing

"The truest knowing, comes in doing." If we truly know Christ, it has to change the way we live and what we do. In today's society, talk is cheap. We have to live out the message of Jesus Christ authentically. Most followers of Jesus Christ are over-educated and under-applied. If we would live out half of what we know, we could change our world......but the key is "doing" and living it out loud. So let's get doing!

Wealth Conundrum

Reading the book "Wealth Conundrum" by Ralph Doudera and having my eyes opened even farther as it pertains to money and stewardship. Stewardship means - all of what I own belongs to God, and I'm just managing His stuff. I want to think of all that I have as "on-loan" from God. This book challenged my thoughts on permanent and temporary assets. Permanent assets are those that are given to God, while temporary assets are my bank, retirement accounts, etc. I guess the big overall thought was the fact that we squabble over giving a cup of water, while standing at the bottom of Niagara Falls. God owns it all, and He blesses those who take risks (at least in our little minds) to give toward His Kingdom. I'm now challenged to tithe more than 10% and give more spontaneously to those in need. I never want money to have a grip on my life.