Discovery

Have you ever had someone tell you that you are unique?  If that's happened to you, you may have wondered if that's a compliment or an insult.  I've decided that I will just take it as a compliment even if that wasn't the intention of my unique friend.

If you have younger kids, you have maybe noticed their uniqueness or individuality with their art projects.  You may want them to tell you what it is before you make that mistake of trying to make an artistic interpretation.

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

God made each person one of a kind—even identical twins have unique fingerprints! Every person that ever was or ever will be is an original.

This month's Life App in Inspire Kids is Individuality. Individuality is discovering who you are meant to be so you can make a difference.

Most of us remember Timothy because of what Paul wrote to him while he was a young leader in the church at Ephesus.  But if you do a little digging in the book of Acts, and look at what we know about the journeys of Paul, you can piece together a pretty remarkable story about a young man who discovered his unique God-given potential and did some amazing things.

Our key verse this month is taken directly from instructions that Paul gave Timothy:  "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young.  Set an example for the believers in what you say and in how you live." - 1 Timothy 4:12a

Timothy was probably around 38 or 40 years old when Paul sent him the letters that are know as 1 and 2 Timothy.  Timothy was young for what he was doing.  Most people in his position were 20 or more years older. But Timothy didn't have to wait to make a difference.

Check out our main points or bottom lines this month in Inspire Kids.

• Jesus wants to use your story to make a difference.
• When you discover your gifts, you can make a difference.
• When we use our gifts together, we can make a greater difference.
• You can make a difference right now.

As parents and leaders we can help our kids this month discover how to tap into their God-given potential and start doing something significant right now.

I'm lost?

I don't know about you, but some days are just ordinary.  There are even weeks that I feel like I'm just going through the motions.  It's easy for life to feel like a rut at times.  But I believe that God has more for us than that.

You were created for a unique purpose.

I'm looking forward to facilitating a new Life Group next week called "S.H.A.P.E."  It's about finding your unique purpose for life.

I remember as a student in high school deciding I wanted to learn to play the keyboard.  After a few lessons it became apparent that it was not my unique purpose for my life.  I'm just not musically incline.  I have to follow someone very closely to even clap on beat.

Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

You have a special assignment from God that only you can accomplish.  Your abilities, interests, talents, gifts, personality, and life experiences should not be wasted.  So what's your next step. Below are a couple of suggestions.

1. Identify your S.H.A.P.E.  Click here for a great assessment tool.
2. Start Serving.  If you are serving in an area that does not bring joy or delight, then perhaps you need to consider a switch.

There's this tendency for many of to feel like that you are not good enough.  We even like to compare ourselves to others.  

• "If only I could lead worship he does."  
• "I wish I had his outgoing personality."  
• "I'm just organized enough to do that."
• "I would serve but what if I fail?"

God doesn't ask us to have it all together before we begin serving Him.  He uses us despite our feelings of being inadequate.  God doesn't make junk.  You are his masterpiece.  You were created for a unique purpose!  

From Exhausted to Energized

My wife and I recently came back from a 7 day Alaskan cruise.  It was a great week to relax, to spend time with my beautiful bride, and to be unplugged from the routine of life.

In Genesis 2:2 we read about what God rested after creating the world in 6 days. "On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work."

Resting does not come easy to me.  I'm the guy in the office that doesn't use all his vacation time.  I have been accused of being a work aholic from time to time.  My wife would tell you that I have hard time sitting still for long periods of time.  There's always something to be done.  My mind is always turning.

But rest isn't just a suggestion or a good idea; it's essential for healthy living.  Rest energizes us.  It' was so important that it's listed it as one of the ten commandments in Exodus 20:8-11.

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God.  On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner in your towns.  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day." 

I recently finished reading 'Simplify" by Bill Hybels.  Hybels identifies core issues that drive lives that are over scheduled, exhausted, and overwhelmed.  Can you relate?  I know I can. It's a great read, especially if you're life seems to be out of balance.

We only get one life to live here on earth.  Enjoy life, protect your calendar, be there for your family, honor the Lord, and take some time to rest and exercise so you can be energized.  

Dirty Jobs

There are some jobs that no one really wants to do.  Like at Kids Camp at 10pm when a camper decides to vomit in his cabin. He had a really good dinner!  It was dirty, gross, and it really stunk.

But sometimes you just have to take the initiative, even when the job is dirty.  Initiative isn’t just some practical principle; it’s really a spiritual principle that starts with God.  God took initiative on our behalf. When God saw our broken relationship with Him, He sent Jesus to make it right. And because we are made in God’s image, we are wired to be able to take initiative and get things done.

Initiative is seeing what needs to be done and doing it. 

All month long in Inspire Kids, we're heading to the Old Testament to talk more about one of the greatest examples of someone taking initiative: a man by the name of Nehemiah.  

Nehemiah worked for the King of Persia but he was Jewish. Some of his people had moved back from Persia to Jerusalem, the capital of the land God had given them, and Nehemiah got word that Jerusalem was in trouble. Back then, cities were surrounded by thick, high walls. These walls protected and guarded the city. But the walls around Jerusalem were broken down. It was a big mess. 

Now, Nehemiah wasn’t an engineer. He didn’t have any construction experience. He didn’t even live in Jerusalem. And he had a pretty cushy job, working as a cupbearer to a king. But Nehemiah knew that he could help. He knew he had to help. And he figured that he might be the only person willing to get the job done. So he did. The Bible tells us that because of Nehemiah, the wall around Jerusalem was completely rebuilt in 52 days. Isn’t that amazing? Nehemiah saw the job that needed to be done. He didn’t wait for someone else to do it.

To help your kids understand initiative, this month read the following Scriptures with your kids and ask these questions:

• Week 1:  Nehemiah 1, Ask God for the energy to get all the little jobs done and for courage to face even the biggest jobs.
• Week 2:  Nehemiah 2:1-18, Take turns praying for each other to have initiative this week - at home, at school, or at work - even if the task isn't "your job."
• Week 3:  Nehemiah 5:1-12, Pray for each other to have open eyes to see the needs of those around you, a heart that hurts for other's needs, and hands willing to jump in and do the work to help them.
• Week 4: Nehemiah 4;6:15-16, Talk about a big job ahead of you in the coming weeks.  Ask God for wisdom and strength to complete the task.

Life is Better Together!

There are certain things in life that are better together:

Chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk.
Lock and keys.
Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Netflix and your couch.
Peanut Butter and Jelly.
Table and chairs.
Fish and Chips.
Football and the Dallas Cowboys!

Last week during our Back to School Party as was reminded that Life is Better Together as 70 volunteers served together to give back to our community in a tangible way.  A church of 150 could not have accomplished what we did with out the support of the great people of Inspire Church but also our great community sponsors as well.

When life get difficult as it does at times, there can be a tendency to isolate yourself'; to hide out; to become an introvert.

But when life is at a breaking point that's the best time to do life together.  To live in community with other believers.

As we approach fall this is a great opportunity to commit to living life in community.  That doesn't mean you have to join a monastery or live in a house with 4 other families.

For you it may mean joining a Life Group or serving on a ministry team. You are not really living in community just sitting in rows on a Sunday morning.  Community takes place in circles and in the trenches.

There is unlimited potential when we choose to do life together.

What I Learned at Camp!

Last week I had an opportunity to spend a week with over 300 campers.  Kids Camp is a place where kids can be kids.  A place where they can play, develop friendships, and experience God in a life changing way.  Last week I was reminded of a few lessons that go beyond Kids Camp.

1. Things don't always go as planned.
No one planned to get a broken arm, but one boy left camp early with one.  We didn't ask for it rain on Wednesday causing the pool and other activities to be closed for an hour.  

Life has many surprises.  Some are good and others are unpleasant. How we respond is the key.  We can respond with anger and impatiently or we can respond with understanding and with God's love.

2. Life is better together.
Or leadership team was effective because we worked well together (even the Canadians). The Teal Team was the winning team becasue they worked well together too.  Well, it did help that they had more campers than the other teams.  Kids could only experience the Giant Swing as a group.  It simply couldn't be done alone.

We weren't created to live in isolation but rather we are to do life in community.  That's why circles are better than rows.  Together we can accomplish far more than we could ever dream of doing as individuals.

3. Choose your battles carefully.
I have a type A personality.  I have definetely been accused of being OCD and being a perfectionist and being over analytical.  There are some things that happened at camp that I didn't like.  I certainly got anxious when morning chapel ended late or when Cabin18 was always late for meal times.

But I had to choose my battles.  Many of the things that bugged me were just my own personal preference and didn't have any lasting effect on anyone's overall camp experience.

You may have some circumstances in your life that you need to let go of and others that you may need to fight for.  God can give you the wisdom to discern which is which.

What We Can Learn from Baseball - Even the Mariners!

I have lot of positive baseball memories.  I remember back in 1995 being in Bellevue Square watching from a Foot Locker when Edgar Martinez hit the double to score Cora and Griffey, sending the Mariners to the ALCS.

Just a few weeks later I was in my apartment listening on radio as the Braves won the World Series.  I like the Mariners but I love the Braves!

As a child I can look back to when I was eleven years old and our majors team won the championship.

I love baseball.  It's not boring or too slow.  There's so much strategy involved.  In fact, there are some great life principles that we can take from it.

Bottom of the ninth.  There's no time clock in a baseball game.  Even if you're down by 10 runs in the bottom of the ninth there still is hope.  I'm thankful that at our lowest point there is still hope.  Anything is possible for God.

It's a long season:  A MLB season consists of 162 games.  You can almost guarantee that even the best team will lose at least 50 games.  There are only a few exceptions.  A baseball season is full of losses and bad days.  Kind of like our lives.  Think about your last week, or last month, or last year.  What comes to mind?  I imagine some really good things and maybe some difficult circumstances.  Hebrews 12: says . . . 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses in the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.  And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us."

Baseball is a team sport.  Nine guys are on a field at a team.  Everyone has to contribute.  Nelson Cruz can be dominating from the plate.  But if the bullpen stinks (aka Rodney), and the defense is terrible (pick any appropriate Mariner) then the team will still lose games.  Life is simply better together.  That's why things like Life Groups are so important for believers.  They provide support and encouragement even during  a long season and especially in the bottom of the ninth.

So the next time you are enjoying a great baseball game remember that there is always hope, to keep running the race, and that life is better together,

Go Braves!  Go Mariners!