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10 for 10 experienced the divine. 10 for 10 experienced the supernatural. 10 for 10 experienced a miracle, forever changing their lives. 1 for 10 said thank you. Those stats are staggering. Hard to believe that only 1 out of 10 ten lepers that Jesus healed returned to give thanks.

The other 9 were healed, but were they healthy? Are you a healthy leader? Healthy leaders say thank you. Healthy leaders celebrate. In this last edition with Steven Furtick, we had a blast discussing being grateful for the journey. Enjoy!

P.S. I’ve been faithful to my blog fast. God is teaching me a lot. Hope to talk to you soon in 37 days.

How much is too much? Been asking myself that a lot lately in a lot of different areas. I need some break thru in my life. I need some break thrus in ministry. So I have fasted 5 hard core days…not all in a row in the past week and a half. Typically on the weekend.

It’s not enough. I’m distracted. I need to hear from God like never before.

So I’m assessing other things I enjoy that I can give up. I’m talking about Fasting. It’s a challenge to let go of something when it’s never been more successful. I have never experienced higher traffic on my blog, but I feel impressed to give up blog food. I’m not going to read anyone’s blog, and I’m shutting down my own for 43 days.

I need to hear from God, not blogs

I’m also asking God, what else do I need to give up? Don’t know if this post was necessary. Don’t know if God is talking to anyone else out there to back off the blog food. I do want to say THANK YOU to all of you out there that have visited and encouraged this blog. Hope to be back in 43. Peace out.

Out of respect for Steven Furtick…we will show Part 3 of CC next Monday.

Someone said, “Communication, without it you travel alone.” As a leader, your communication skills are a non-negotiable. They will make or break you. No pressure. You must continue to sharpen this skill. If you’re a pastor, factor in the fact that you’re the vocal box on behalf of The Almighty God (thought I’d dial down the pressure a little bit).

As a pastor, I don’t know anything that’s more agonizing than the weekend wave of bringing God’s Word. I also don’t know of anything more satisfying than when you know you connected God’s truth. So how do you keep it fresh? How do you learn from others but still be you? In this edition of CC with Steven, you get his take on delivering the goods.

Why you should fast.

How to fast safely

How long and what type of fast is right for you

How to prepare yourself spiritually and physically

How to manage your schedule while fasting

How to deal with the responses of friends and loved ones

How to make your spiritual experience the best it can be

How to maintain nutritional balance and health from beginning to end

What physical benefits to expect

How to finish your fast and return to your normal schedule in a HEALTHY way

http://www.billbright.com/howtofast/index.html

Here are some links:
http://www.billbright.com/howtofast/index.html
http://www.webmd.com/diet/fasting?page=2
http://www.fellowshipchurch.com/fast

Red Sea Moments build faith. Red Sea Moments show who’s really is in control. Red Sea Moments grow you like nothing else. The waves of benefits are endless.

I hate Red Sea Moments.

I know I’m supposed to say I love them. I know I’m supposed to be like Moses and lift up my staff with a commanding presence while the wind is blowing through my hair…and announce to my congregation with a loud voice…STAND STILL AND WATCH THE MIGHTY HAND OF THE LORD YOUR GOD! I could play that game, but it’s not true. Frankly, I think Moses struggled as well. Processing his fear…”God, how in the heck are you going to get us out of this one?!”

RSMs are “holy snikies” moments! There are no options, no solutions, no answers. RSMs are lonely moments. You will discover that even those closest to you don’t understand. You will also discover that your mentors can’t coach you either. This is why they are YOUR RSMs. And you have ONE option.

God.

“God, if you don’t come through, we are through!” I think this is why we hate them. I mean, who really says…hip hip hurray…I have cancer! Yeah…I’ve lost my job! Sweet, my marriage is over! We hate them because they remind us we are not in control. We want to think it’s our amazing abilities or leadership that will navigate us. RSMs humble us. RSMs reduce us and RSMs prevent us from “control denial.”

Northway Church began with a Red Sea Moment. There is so much info out today on how to start a church. The consensus would say, whatever you do…don’t start a church how Northway started. Why? Just several months before our Grand Opening, we didn’t have a place secured to meet. Crazy? I know…but that’s our story…nothing had opened up. Schools, Community Centers, Senior Citizen Centers, Karate places, you name it…we pursued it. Everyone said no. Pretty hard to mobilize people around a new church and pretty hard to promote a Grand Opening when you don’t have a location. Honestly, the dream was almost dead before it ever began.

A Red Sea Moment. We couldn’t go forward. We couldn’t go backward. Then God, thru a miracle, opened up 10,000 square feet in a former gym for $1600 a month! God parted the Red Sea. Actually you could say, God parted it conditionally. It was a month to month lease. At any moment the waters could come crashing down…we could be homeless.

I often wondered why God wrote our story that way. Clearly, God wanted there to be no question Who parted our Red Sea. I thank God for our Red Sea history. Our Red Sea moments have become our monuments of faith.

Insurmountable discouragement. The Red Sea.

Can you imagine the thoughts bouncing around in the brains of 2 million people as they approached this sea of emotion? Remember, Israel recently experienced the mighty hand of God as never before in human history. For the first time in 400 years, they experienced relief, reprieve and room to breathe, as God delivered them from slavery.

Now their future was certain. Next stop…The Promise Land. Israel’s breathing room rapidly became shallow as their dreams turned to depression. In front of them…The Red Sea. In back of them…their past chasing them, breathing down their neck, to destroy them…The Egyptian army.

This week, I’ll be sharing some of Northway Church’s Red Sea moments.

How do we go forward as God’s church?

Moses told the children of Israel on their last stop before they entered the promise land…

Deut. Ch. 8 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land…when you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the LORD your God…Do not become proud at that time and forget the LORD your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt…Never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ Remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful.

How do we go forward as God’s church?

In order to go forward, we have to go backwards.

“Unforgettable Furtick Quotes”

“God had to get to me early before life talked me out of the dreams God had put inside of me”

“Elevation Church started with a core group of people who decided we were not going to let our lives pass us by without seeing God do something mightily in our time”