Fun on Friday- More Turnerisms

My youngest son, Turner, is 4 years old. The combination of a developing sense of his world, an expanding vocabulary and a creative young mind have led to what we affectionately refer to as Turnerisms. Here are a few more:

While laying in bed, trying to stay up later: "For those that take naps, they can be wild at night".

While outside recently as a neighbor was burning some brush: "I smell somebody cooking leaves".

After we'd spent a bit too much time in Old Navy: "Can we leave this store soon? I'm about to get frustrated".

As we drove by an empty pasture near our house, one that is usually filled with cattle-
Me: I wonder where all the cows are?
Turner: I have an hypothesis.

Great Quote Thursday

Words of encouragement from the notes of a sermon Kyle Lake planned to give on the morning of his unexpected death:

Live.
And live well.
Breathe.
Breathe in and breathe deeply.
Be present.
Do not be past.
Do not be future.
Be now.

Catalyst Conference 2011- Dave Ramsey

Dave Ramsey is a well-known author and radio personality. He spoke on the topic, "Leadership Matters: Core Strategies and Values That Have Led to a Successful Business". Here are the notes from Ramsey's session:

1. People matter
Be intentionally relational. Opportunities come through people.

2. An incredible team and a culture of excellence matters
Spend more time on screening potential team members
Having people in the wrong seat on the wrong bus makes people crazy
Does the spouse get the mission?
Ministry is not a job, it is a calling

3. Slow and steady matters
Don't try to outgrow your resources
Better to hold and wait than to do it and do it wrong
Don't out-advance your supply line

4. Financial principles in ministry and life matter

5. Learn to always be generous
A higher calling matters
Opportunity is always attracted to greatness
Care deeply about the why
If you plant stupid, you reap desperate

"A Fresh Breath of Jesus"- Dr. Bob Pitman at Sevier Heights

Yesterday, Dr. Bob Pitman, former Pastor of Kirby Woods Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee spoke at Sevier Heights. You can watch his sermons online later this week by going to the Watch/Listen page at www.sevierheights.org

On Sunday evening, Dr. Pitman spoke on "A Fresh Breath of Jesus" from John 20. In John 20:22, Jesus breathes on His disciples. This was the beginning of the turnaround for the disciples following Christ's crucifixion. But this was not something He had not offered or given to them before.

At times in life, every believer needs the fresh breath of Jesus on them.

You need a fresh breath of Jesus:
1. If you have lost the sense of God's presence- v. 19
Until Jesus appeared in the room, He was not there
2. If you've become gripped by a spirit of fear- v. 19
Just because God doesn't give us a spirit of fear doesn't mean it can't come from somewhere else
3. If you are no longer experiencing God's peace- v. 19, 21
4. If you have lost your joy- v. 20
We often forget where our joy comes from (read John chapter 19)
5. If you have lost your passion for Christian service- v. 21

Catalyst Conference 2011- David Platt

David Platt is the Pastor of the Church at Brook Hills and the author of Radical. Here are notes from his evening session titled "Leadership in the Presence of God" (Exodus 32:1-10 and I Corinthians 10:6-13):

Why do we have golden calves of ministry:
1. We have become leaders without conviction. Aaron gave a sinful people exactly what they wanted (Exodus 32: 1-4). We are tempted to do the same.
2. We have devised salvation without dedication. So many say that they "prayed a prayer" sometime in the past and claim Christ but are living in sin.
3. We have manufactured worship without humiliation. They were worshipping but not worshipping God. When we attempt to fashion God in our image, we may be worshipping ourselves and not God. If brokenness and humility don't have a place in our worship, God has no place in our worship.
4. We have created a God without retribution (Exodus 32: 7-10). Do we really believe that the wrath of God is real?

Don't minimize the mercy of God or gut the mission of the church.

We have a mission that warrants urgency.

Symbols represent things we can't put into words.

Catalyst Conference 2011- Lisa Borders

Lisa Borders is the President of the Grady Health Foundation and the former City Council President and the Vice-Mayor, City of Atlanta. She spoke on "The Multiplier Effect: Essentials to Leading in Business, Politics and Ministry". Following is some of what she shared:

Leadership is passion turned into action. Anyone can be a leader because everyone can be passionate about something.

There has been a change in recent years in leadership styles; from the "sage on the stage" (socratic model) to the "guide on the side" (distributive model). The guide on the side gives counsel when asked.

A leader must prepare:
Prepare yourself- academically and experientially
Prepare the environment- people need to know what to expect
Prepare the pipeline- the pipeline is the next generation

Leaders must have a strategic #2 in place. Also have a #3, #4 and #5 in place by cross-training. The #2 should be able to do what you can do and be able to do what you can't do better. Get someone whose strength is your weakness.

Men don't ask for directions; women don't ask for help.

There is no such thing as balance; there's only rhythm.

Fun on Friday- More Turnerisms

My youngest son, Turner, is 4 years old. The combination of a developing sense of his world, an expanding vocabulary and a creative young mind have led to what we affectionately refer to as Turnerisms. Here are a few more:

When I introduced Turner to a co-worker whose wife is in the Bible Fellowship class that Tonya and I lead (the co-worker is working on Sundays), the conversation started like this:
Turner: "What's your Mom's name"?
Me: "You mean what's his wife's name".
Turner: "Oh yeah, sometimes I get confused".

While at the beach over fall break, Turner was sitting on the steps at the edge of the indoor pool dumping buckets of water on his head when a 5-year old girl comes over and asks him to play in the water with her. Turner hopped off the steps and walked over to where we were sitting:
Turner: "That girl wants me to play with her".
Tonya: "That's okay. You can play with her".
Turner: "No. I don't want to play with her. I don't want to marry her or babysit her".

Turner asked me to build him some sand castles while we out on the beach one afternoon. After building 10 of them, Turner said to me, "Daddy, you did such a good job. You could be one of my servants".