Passive Agreement.

The Art of Passive Agreement:
When you go to a meeting, smile & nod your head while a decision is being made that you don't agree with. Then you go back to your office and do as little as possible to support that idea.

-Welcome to the world of sabotage.
---Welcome to why nothing gets done in your organization.

Yesterday morning, I challenged the congregation to move past the destructive pattern of passive agreement.  I brought to light the fact that there are many in the church that have lost their passion and have become too comfortable. 

And do you want to know something?

I can tell you with certainty a group that is not passive. 


---THE WORLD. That's who.

The world is the polar opposite when it comes to reaching out.

Have you noticed how focused they are?

They have a strategy to reach:

Pre-Tweens

Tweens

Teenagers

Young Adults

WHY ?  Because they know that if they get you young, they got you for life.

Yet, we in the church, the people that have been fed so much, have become lax in our faith.

-Today I end with a challenge. 

Read the Great Commandments & the Great Commission.

When you do, you will be listening to the Heart-Beat of Jesus. 

You will find that it's not about a set of rules, rather they are values that reflect the very heart of God.

Values, that should grasp our hearts.

Values, that should define the way we live our lives.

The Art of Passive Agreement should never be practiced in a church.

It goes against the grain of everything our Lord taught & practiced.

Substantial Faith

Take a look at this picture.

-It really says a lot-

In my mind, it speaks to how people view faith.

Many people want to have a faith that is visible for everyone to see.

This person thinks that doing things = faith.

Things like: going to church and sitting in a pew somehow automatically deepens their walk with God.

-It does not-

Opposite of the person that desires a visible faith is the person that seeks the One [Jesus] that enables faith. 

-Are you seeking the afterproduct or the real thing?

There is a big difference between the person that seeks the benefits of faith

and the person that yearns for the author of it.

Look at the picture again...

Which Rabbit & Carrot best resembles you?

 

Now read the following:

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.

Joe Paterno: What If???

Think for a moment of Joe Paterno's status among our nation if he would have spoken out and called Sandusky on the carpet when he had the original chance to do so.

Not only would he have been regarded as one of the all-time greatest coaches in any sport...he would've been elevated to an almost saintly status, revered as one of our nation's greatest leaders & his bronze statue just might have been taken down and replaced in pure 24 karat Gold.

Paterno would have literally stood among the ranks of Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, and any other person that chose to do the right thing in the face of adversity.

-It's a Legacy tarnished beyond belief.

What a Lesson for all of us:

It's not how you start but how you finish & always bear in mind that we have a higher moral standard to adhere to.

Where'd my Life GO?

Chik Fil A: serving up a spicy debate!

I am sure that many of you have heard about Chick-fil-A's stance on the issue of Gay Marriage.  It has certainly dished up a spicy debate in the news and I thought it might be an interesting topic to write about on Working on a Dream. 

---Below is an excerpt from a recent interview with the fast food chains owner:

Asked about the company’s support of the traditional family, Cathy said in the Biblical Recorder story, “Well, guilty as charged.” ”We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit,” Cathy said. “We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.”

What do you think:

-Do you agree with Cathy's position?
-What are your thoughts on how he bases his decision?