You could be a B minus employee but an A+

I remember being the GM for a well known gym in the united states. Every quarter we would do a talent review of the whole region. We would go employee by employee to see what their next step was in the company. As we neared the end of our time, a familiar name came up. I knew this employee personally. He was a friend, so I knew it would be best for me to sit back and listen to see what my fellow Managers would say.

“B minus!” one of the GMs shouted. I was a little bit confused, but the GM that shouted explained, “He is a B minus employee. He is a great guy and does everything we ask, but his family and faith are more important to him than his career. Good guy but he never works OT unless we need him too and He definitely doesn’t drink our Kool Aid.” At first I was taken back by the rating but as I thought through what was said about the guy, I begin to realize, I hope I would be labeled the same. He may have been a B minus employee, but I knew him to be an A+ follower of Jesus, husband and dad.

The apostle Paul says in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” That is the word of God my friends. The fountain of truth and all that leads to a full life. Paul doesn’t say, “Love your careers, like Christ loved the church and gave himself up for it.” He clearly says wife and then family.

Careers come and go but a marriage can last forever. Promotions can quickly turn into pink slips and demotions, but a father or mother who values their kids above work helps them to understand a Christ like devotion. Work not quite done doesn’t take a way from the fact you need to love your Son or Daughter.

We will focus this December on ways to value what matters most. You need to be there even if it means missing a little bit of OT at work.

It’s time to be an A+ Follower, Husband(Wife) and Father(Mother) even if it means you will be a labeled a B minus employee.

What does that start to look like?

1) Learn from Jesus, He is your best example.

2) Be in church and bring your family.

3) Be home for dinner at the table.

4) Be present with your wife and children even if it means work gets neglected.

Im praying for everyone that reads this post.

See you Sunday,

Michael

80s alarm clocks and anxiety

I remember the day I found it. It was so cool. Yeah it was just an alarm clock, but wait for it, Mickey was on it. Thee Mickey mouse. What a great feature. I had the Mickey clock for years and it did its job. It woke me up and reminded of the most wonderful place on earth. It set the tone for the day in many ways.

Now a days alarm clocks have way more features then just a picture of Mickey. The problem is they are on our phones and there is too much information to remind us of things less life giving then Disneyland.

Cell phones are a leading cause behind anxiety and depression, thats why Psychologists are saying that a traditional alarm clock can help overcome anxiety. Many of us sleep with our phones by our bed. Anxiety is directly attached to the last thing you look at before you go to bed and the first thing you look at for the day. A text from a boss. Bad news on social media. Email that you cant fix in the moment but will have to deal with later. All of it significantly effects our peace.

Psalm 85:8 says,

‘8 I will listen to what God the LORD says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly.”

God promises us peace when we don’t turn to folly. What if you left your phone at the charging station near the door when you came in from work or even an hour before you went to bed? What if you chose to do a family devotional or listen to worship every night before bed instead? What if the first thing you did when you woke up, instead of checking your phone, you chose to breath for 5 minutes and thank God for your blessings. What if you started with the promises of God? How would it affect your day?

Get an alarm clock. I have moved on from Mickey but the cute vintage alarm clock that is modern which matches our bed(all Mindi) works just fine.

#wintheday

See you Sunday,

Michael

How to parent well through the holidays...

Parenting is hard. My wife recently shared with me a meme involving how mothers look after 1 kid, 2 kids, 3 kids and it was hilarious(Brittany Speers was the main character). Parenting any amount of kids at any age can be difficult. After doing some hands on research and also reaching out to other parents, non self proclaimed experts, I put together some helpful tips.

1. Keep your mind and heart focused on the right things.

   1. Surround yourself with content and people that remind you of whats important. This may mean hanging out with parents that are doing things you would like to do as a parent. This may mean going to church or joining a small group of positive parents.

   2. Spend time reading and meditating on what the holidays and Christmas is all about. The bible and history can be so helpful.

2. Experiences over things.

   1. Remember through the holiday you get to spend more time with your kids, make the best of it. Commit to deleting social media and email off your phones so you can be present. Commit to limiting screen time for everyone and instead take on some fun projects, play outside or play board games. Things come and go but experiences last for a lifetime.

   2. Take some time to read through the story of Christmas in the New Testament. Go through an advent calendar to help remind your family what the holiday is about. Your kids will be less spoiled, maybe, and you can enjoy the holidays way more.

   3. Slow down, commit to less calendar events and make eating meals at the table a top priority.

3. Pray consistently and with the same pattern.

   1. Discuss and Pray at dinner at the table.

      1. Discuss things you are grateful for each day, things you need support in and things you want to help others in and pray for those items. With the littles we do a Leaf(Something funny), Thorn(Something that wasnt so fun) and Rose(Something good) for the day. It works great.

4. Find time for yourself to rest and refresh.

   1. The demands of the holidays can lead us to be weary, worried and way emotional. Take some time to step away and rest. Ask a spouse, a friend, a family member, or a church member to watch the kids for an hour so you can restart. The people in your life will thank you for that.. Trust me.

5. Jesus taught us how to live. He’s smart and we should listen

   1. Spend time listening to what Jesus thinks about life.

      1. Read the teachings of Jesus

      2. Spend time in solitude listening to Him and bring your journal

      3. Surround yourself and your families with other people learning from Jesus.

You aren’t alone in this endeavor. Let’s all parent well through this Holiday season.

See you Sunday,

Michael

The Art of Sharing and Caring Part 2

“‪A church full of people committed to JESUS never says, “We’re done.” ‬

‪Instead, they say, “What’s next?”‬” Barry Cameron

Trinidad Colorado is known for many weird and interesting things. It has a lake, a historic downtown, close ski resort, interesting procedures at hospitals and junior college. What stands out to me the most is there was a baseball coach there named Scott Douglas who always asked the question each year, “Who’s next?” You would think he was interested in “who’s” going to be the next baseball star to take his team to the Junior College World Series, or which higher level school would be interested in taking him on as a coach, but for Coach Scott the, “Who” had nothing to do with band and especially what is listed before. For Coach, “who” meant the next baseball player or person for whom he was going to share the gospel with and care for with the love of God.

That year I played at Trinidad State Junior College I saw coach Scott lead 18 people to Jesus. Here is what you should know about Coach:

1) He was a brand new Christian.

2) His reputation was not good at all because of antics on the field before Christ.

3) He still focused on building the best baseball team he could.

4) His version of the gospel was simply telling his before Jesus story and after.

Scott was just like anyone else, even worse when it came to his reputation, and God still used him. Why? He knew he had a gift that kept on giving in the love of Jesus which led him to always ask the question, “Who’s next?”

Who needs to hear about the hope you have in Jesus? Who needs to hear about how Jesus changed your life? Who needs to hear where you were before Jesus….

Who’s next?

Reminder, a great way to compliment the gospel is to invite them to our Kids Fall Fest Sunday. Click here to find out more.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Michael

The Art of Sharing and Caring Part 1

“God has given us two hands - one to receive with and the other to give with. We are not cisterns made for hoarding; we are channels made for sharing.” Billy Graham

This week we have asked Cross Culture Church, this is open to all, to write the names of 3 people who they know in their local sphere who need Jesus and His hope. We asked everyone to pray, share and invite. I wanted to write this first blog to help you build some confidence through inviting someone to church first. Thursday I will put up how to share your faith. Since we have an amazing Fall Fest during church coming up Sunday, go here for more info, i’d like to share some easy approaches for you to invite someone to church. This is a great article written by Alex Tran. Take a minute, read and invite someone to potentially change their lives forever. You can also go to our Facebook page to share the event on your social media outlets. Here is the link KIDS FEST FB EVENT. Alex has some great insight to read below, but for you it could simply be. “My Church has a safe and fun kids fall fest during church, wanna come?” Read below for some insightful approaches.

Alex Tran

Let’s face it. When we invite people to church, the idea of it can be nerve-wracking.

There’s a lot of inner dialogue that happens. How do I bring it up in conversation? What if I come across as judgmental? What if I get rejected? What if I make them uncomfortable?

The tendency is to ask a lot of “what if” questions that focus on the negative side. But what if you reminded yourself of the potential, instead?

• What if God has been preparing their heart and has been waiting for me to invite them?

• What if they say yes?

• What if they’re hurting and find healing at church?

• What if they give their life to Christ, and future generations are changed because of it?

Keep those in mind, and use the tips below to overcome any fears you might have! If you’re living in a culture where Christianity—let alone church—seems like an impossible topic, you might enjoy this post about talking about Jesus with friends of any faith.

How do you bring it up in conversation?

Approach #1 – When you’re not sure whether they attend a church.

Lead with this simple question.

I was wondering, do you go to church anywhere?

If they answer yes, then the follow-up conversation is easy.

That’s great! So happy to hear you have a church home. What church do you attend?

This approach works because it celebrates the church they’re connected to and shows them you’re not trying to recruit them to your church.

If they answer no, you can follow up with an invite.

Well, if you’re ever looking for a great place to go, I go to (insert your church here)  and would love to see you there!

This language is simple, casual, and friendly in tone. It doesn’t assume they’re looking for a church and leaves the decision up to them.

If they don’t ask a follow-up question or engage further, then you’ll want to leave the conversation at that. If they ask a question or share a bit of their faith journey, then it’s a good sign they’re open to hearing more.

Take the opportunity to share more about your church: why you love it, how God’s used it in your life, give them an invite card, etc.

Approach #2 – When you know someone doesn’t attend a church.

Try leading with this question:

I’m curious—did you ever go to church when you were growing up?

The key with this question is how you follow up.

This question is an easy way to start a conversation, but the real value is learning more about a person’s background with church, faith, and Christianity.

There could be many reasons why someone doesn’t currently attend a church. They could’ve had a bad experience growing up. Been hurt by people. Maybe they’ve always wanted to but never made it a priority.

Whatever the reason, you’re trying to understand why. So don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions.

• Have you ever thought about attending a church (again)?

• If you don’t mind me asking, how come you don’t see yourself going to church?

• If it’s not too personal a question, what was the bad experience you had?

The answers to these questions will help you tailor a more personal invite at the right time. Use what you learn, and ask God for wisdom on how best to invite them to church. That could be during this conversation or another time.

Is there something about your church they’d like? Is there a specific message series you can share that speaks to a situation they’re going through? Do you apologize on behalf of other Christians or churches that have hurt them?

Remember, you don’t have to invite people to church the very first time you talk to them. That can be something you work toward.

How do I avoid making a person feel judged or uncomfortable?

It’s all in the approach.

Notice the “posture” the conversation starters above take. They’re casual and friendly. They don’t assume anything and don’t force any type of answer. Pay attention to the conversation and engage as much or as little as you feel the other person is comfortable with.

That’s the key to inviting someone (or having a conversation about faith) without the person feeling judged or uncomfortable.

And don’t forget to always invite with kindness.

How you end the conversation will be how they remember your invite. So be kind, gracious, and understanding no matter the response.

What if I get rejected?

You will, but don’t let it discourage you. It’s not the end of the world, and it’s not personal.

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.

Dale Carnegie

A “no thanks” won’t negatively impact your life. But a “yes” could change someone’s life forever. Press through any fears of rejection and keep inviting! You’ll never get a “yes” if you never ask.

Another common fear is getting a negative reaction.

In my experience, almost everyone will accept your invite graciously whether they’re interested or not.

As you invite people to church, you’ll find most of your fears are not reality. Rejection isn’t as bad as you think. People generally avoid confrontation. They’re not going to be hateful toward you or feel judged by you.

Now let’s play the what if game again.

• What if they say yes?

• What if they experience authentic community and love for the first time?

• What if the church renews their faith and hope in Christ?

• What if they find their identity in Christ and walk in greater confidence?

God wants to use you. And often, it’s through a simple invite. If we do our part, God will do His part. We just have to plant the seed.

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 1 Corinthians 3:5-6 NIV (emphasis added)

Who will you invite this week?