sunday night rewind

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all you moms out there!  And especially to my mom (the greatest in the world!) - it was great having her with us this weekend!

We jumped back into our Phobia series this Sunday and dealt with the fear of failure.  I don’t know a single preson who doesn’t struggle with this fear, and Byron brought some great insight from Peter’s denial.  Here are my notes:

• There are two types of failure.  Jesus is primarily concerned with only one of them.
• Jesus knows that b/c of our imperfection, there will be “performance failures” in our life.  Peter’s denial was a performance failure.
• Jesus prays that we don’t have a faith failure.
• Performance failures can actually increase your faith - just as it did in Peter’s life.
• Your failures combined with your faith are designed to strengthen others. (Luke 22:32)

We’ll finish up the series next week covering a phobia that haunts us all - in fact, it’s probably the one thing we worry about the most.

Don’t forget this is the last week to sign up for the Financial Learning Experience this Saturday!

what a week

I’ve been in quite a slump with the blog the last few weeks - not really for a lack of ideas and posts, but it’s just been crazy getting prepared for May.  So here are a few quick hits from the past few days:

• Launched our 90 for 90 campaign and online giving in April.  C3’s giving was up 25% for the month!
• Can’t wait to launch One Prayer in June - I believe many churches are weary of the non-essential theology battles and are ready to unite around Jesus to change the world!
• Tomorrow we have our Food Drop with Feed the Children.  A few of us blitzed the lower-income housing in Orlando with flyers about the event.  We got to speak with many families that are hurting.  For more insight on our trip, check out Darrell’s post.
• Amanda and I are pumped about the Financial Learning Experience with Joe Sangl next Saturday.  If all of us that claimed to follow Christ would purpose to manage our money as God desired, we could turn this world upside down.  Don’t miss this opportunity! 
• I just realized our DVR lost satellite signal while recording The Office and part of LOST.  I guess nbc.com and abc.com will be getting my page views tonight.
• About 3 weeks ago I began training for a triathlon.  My wife is actually competing in one in June, so she was my inspiration.  Today we raced in a 400 meter swim and she beat me by an entire lap - I’ve got some serious work to do.
• To kill my pride even more, a number of guys attempted the 18 inch sub challenge at Brianto’s in Avalon Park last night.  I finished about 75% of mine, and only two guys completed the challenge (Jason E and Mike S.)  I will never do anything like that again!  (Did I just say I was training for a triathlon?  Yes I did.)
• My daughter Emma was in her first class play today and she did an awesome job!  Reese Witherspoon better watch her back.
• I pledge to be a better blogger in May!

Have a great Friday-

sunday night rewind

Here are a few thoughts from our Sunday morning at C3:

• First time we had to navigate the summer movie schedule, which included 10am movies and req’d us to move a few theaters around.
• Heard we had quite a few people ask about the church on their way to Iron Man.
• Record tear-down time today - way to go CREW!
• Taped our message for One Prayer this morning.
• Byron did an awesome job breaking down C3’s one prayer - LOVE.
• Love can only be defined by action - Jesus was our model.
• If Jesus pastored your church, who would he be reaching?
• Are we pointing at, or eating with? (Mark 2:13-17)
• Who are you going to “eat with” this week?

C3ers - don’t forget we have a lot going on next few weeks:

Food Drop on Friday, May 9th.  (email me (barry@c3orlando.com) if you’re interested in helping

Financial Learning Experience- Saturday, May 17th.

your schedule for may

I hate to be presumptuous, but let me give you a few dates that you should star on your calendars for May.  At C3, we’re running into summer in a dead sprint, you can rest in June and July!

Friday, May 2nd - if you’re a volunteer, don’t miss your appreciation gift this Friday.

Sunday, May 4th - We’ll be filming our One Prayer message.

Friday, May 9th - Food Drop with Feed the Children.  Come help us distribute food to 400 families.  If you’re interested in helping, email me (barry@c3orlando.com).

Sunday, May 11th - It’s Mother’s Day!  Mom, you won’t want to miss this service (3 Moms will leave VERY HAPPY).  And of course, Lucky will be back!

Saturday May 17th- Financial Learning Experience with Joe Sangl.  I’m telling you, do what ever you can to be here.  This will be the best possible investment in your future.  Sign up here.

Sunday, May 25th - I know some will be on vacation, but if you’re in town and you can help serve this Sunday, you’ll be glad you did.

Let’s roll into the summer leaving it all on the field!

sunday night rewind

We launched a new series this morning titled “Phobia,” and appropriately introduced our new friend Lucky to C3.  Here’s a little of the backstory - Byron is deathly afraid of snakes, so for this series he’s decided to speak with a 6ft Burmese Python on the platform. 

The band covered “Work” by Jars of Clay and we keyed off the lyric “I have no fear of drowning, it’s the breathing that’s takin’ all this work” and Matthew 8:23-27.  Here are my notes:

• We must distinguish between a healthy fear, and a “spirit of fear.”
• A “spirit of fear” will control your emotions, and thus control your decisions.
• Fear will “starve your faith and feed your doubts.”
• How many times do I forget that Jesus is in the boat?
• Fear is the most contagious emotion, and can only be overcome with faith.

Don’t forget next week we’ll be taping for One Prayer.  This is an incredible opportunity for C3 to join with over 500 churchers worldwide and pray for change!  You won’t want to miss this message.

work ON it

One thing I have to constantly guard against is spending all my time working IN it - meaning I get so involved in what it takes to do a job or accomplish a task, that I forget to evaluate whether I’m doing the right things. 

As a church staff, we face the same challenges.  One of the things I appreciate about Byron’s leadership is that he understands this principle - that we need to step outside the day to day and evaluate whether what we’re doing is actually working.  We just finished up a few days of staff planning that allowed us to work ON the ministry of C3 Church, and it was invaluable.  Hopefully you’ll see the results in the coming months.

However, I began to think about this principle in my personal life, specifically my family.  I came to the conclusion that I spend very little time working ON my family.  We can quickly become overwhelmed by the schedule, meals, baths, school programs, that we forget to evaluate if what we’re doing is effectively raising our children.  Amanda and I have decided to set aside some time to work ON our family.  Are you working IN it, or ON it?

For some more insight, check out North Point Ministries discussion on Working On It.

sunday night rewind

Awesome Sunday today - here are a few highlights:

• band launched with a cover of “Beverly Hills” by Weezer - nice touch to close the series, and Rivers Cuomo better watch his back for Josh Wilson.
• blew another sub - I believe that’s all 4 in a matter of a few months
• launched online giving today - check it out here.
• announced Financial Learning Experience with Joe Sangl - check it out here.
• Money was the source of the first argument in Scripture (Gen 4).
• What if we didn’t have to cringe when the credit card bill came?
• Byron reminded us that God’s blessing is not always defined by us.
• The blind man healed in John 9 first had spit and mud applied to his eyes.
• Sometimes we have to walk to the pool to experience the blessing.
• Got to hang with Robbie (board member) and Eddie and Scott from Ridgeview Community Church in Franklin, TN - great to get their perspective.
• Had great attendance today - 9am service almost beat the 10:30!
• We’ll be praying for all those taking the 90 for 90 challenge (living on 90% for 90 days.)  We’ve already heard some incredible stories about what God is doing!
• The whole family napped for a few hours this afternoon - it’s been awhile since that was possible.
• Capped it off with a little Tijuana Flats.
• All in all - a great Sunday.

the search

I’m a few years behind on this one, but I finally got around to reading The Search - How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture by John Battelle

This was a fascinating read and I highly recommend it if you have any business or IT leanings.  Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it accessible - and they’re well on their way.  Google had to manage one of the most rapid growth rates in the history of business - they essentially went from $0 in revenue to over $4 billion in a matter of 5 years.  In the beginning, they were the darling, the hot company, they could do no wrong.  But as their influence increased, so did their critics.  Here’s a great quote from their CEO Eric Schmidt:

“I am sure that there are people who were negatively affected by the decisions that we made and there was no disrespect meant.  We behaved honorably; we chose our path.  If you didn’t want to participate, It’s OK.  Please take your money elsewhere.  There are many, many ways to run the world, run your company, run your IPO.  One of the things that bothers me about modern culture is that there is a presumption of only one correct way of doing things.  It’s perfectly fine for Google to be run the way we run it as long as we tell you the truth.  If you don’t like it, DON’T PARTICIPATE.  You’re here as a volunteer; we didn’t force you to come. Right?

I wonder if we could include church in that list?

sunday night rewind

Talking about money at church is always difficult - and that’s what we’ve been doing the past few weeks in our Big and Rich series.  You have to overcome religious television, the health and wealth/prosperity mindset, and a few other bad apples.  It’s been good for us as a staff to wrestle with these topics in light of reaching the unchurched - to say the hard things, but season it with grace.  Byron has done an excellent job toeing the line and I’d encourage you to listen to the messages when you get a moment.  Here were my notes from this morning:

• “God doesn’t need our money so He can swing by Starbucks in the morning.”
• We looked at part 2 of the widow’s story in 1 Kings 17.  Her true blessing for being obedient was intangible - it was seeing first hand a miracle of God.
• The Scriptures provide us with 3 examples of giving:  faith gift, generous gift, and extravagent gift.
• God is not interested in HOW MUCH we give, but HOW we give. (Luke 21:1-4)
• Byron closed by challenging C3ers to live on 90% for 90 days (90 for 90) - I can’t wait to hear the stories about God changing lives through this challenge.

We’ve got some incredible tools coming to help you take control of your finances and be the generous person God created you to be - Don’t miss next week!

be a better blogger

Blogging has been a great addition to my already busy life for one reason - it forces me to organize and process how I exist in the world.  The discipline of blogging has required me to:

• convey controversial issues to a broad audience
• engage and entertain with my words  
• broaden my sense of community
• articulate how God is shaping me

But, I always want to improve.  Whether you’re just starting or have been blogging for years, be sure to READ THIS POST by Seth Godin.  He provides 10 tips that will improve your writing AND your blogging. 

Here’s to you and me becoming better bloggers!