There was so much good information that I am still processing it all but here are some of the cool “sound bites” from some of the sessions yesterday. Enjoy and let God use them how He may in your life…

You do your best work between an appropriate challenge level and over challenged – Bill Hybels, Willow Creek Senior Pastor and Author

We need to call a problem a problem and work to resolve them as soon as possible – bill hybels

Our job is to move an organization from here to there, you have to believe that God is willing to help you move from here to there. If not, get on the sidelines. – Bill Hybels

Pray that the next 5 years will be your best 5 leadership years – Bill Hybels

Entrepreneurship – It’s a discipline and can be learned – Len Schlesinger, president of Babson College

If you can’t predict the future, create it – Len Schlesinger

Failure does not mean quit it means try again with experience – Len Schlesinger

Stop worrying about what you want to do now and start thinking about what to do next. – Len Schlesinger

Every person you meet has the opportunity to give you wisdom in life – Honorable Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, NJ

Use your blessings to move things forward. – Honorable Cory Booker

You are the result of a grand conspiracy of love…. – Honorable Cory Booker

We are born originals but most die a copy -Abe Lincoln

We are here because of the many who had the courage to stand before us. – Honorable Cory Booker

What you see in the world around you is a reflection of what is inside of you – Honorable Cory Booker

The only way to make change in this world is to start with yourself. If we live our values we can make transforming change come about.- Honorable Cory Booker

Put your thoughts into action. Infuse your truth into your action- Honorable Cory Booker

Kindness can transform people and circumstances – Honorable Cory Booker

Stand in humility and don’t give up…reach out to each other…- Honorable Cory Booker

Stand for a cause… Faith with works is alive… – Honorable Cory Booker

Threat to-justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere- Honorable Cory Booker

Let us now stand up and tell our truth to the world – Honorable Cory Booker

Make change because you decided to – Seth Godin, Blogger, Marketing Guru

We need to innovate thats what gets people’s attention and makes you stand out – Seth Godin

If you want to do something go do it….Too many people are holding on to a gift and letting it rot… Not using it – Seth Godin

What the world needs is for you to lead them.- Seth Godin

If you vision is not intimidating to you, then its insulting to God. – Pastor Steven Furtick and Author of Sun Stand Still.

The difference between a daydream and a vision is audacious faith and action – Pastor Steven Furtick

Faith believes it before it sees it – Pastor Steven Furtick

Audacious faith has ambiguity to it – Pastor Steven Furtick

The difference between a daydream and a vision is audacious faith and action- Pastor Steven Furtick

Tip – If you EVER get a chance to hear Steven Furtick speak – Take it… He’s amazing and preaches the word straight up! – http://www.stevenfurtick.com

3. It’s important to know your place in relationship to the God of the Universe and let Him lift you up – don’t you do the lifting.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. – James 4:10

An “all in” lifestyle will only work with someone who has been humbled by a full understanding of who God is, what He has done for us, and an awareness of our own imperfections.

Someone who has taken the first two steps seriously will be in a good position to be used by God as He lifts them up. God can only use those who know their place. That they are not the center of the universe but are a tool that God has created to work with to reach a world that desperately needs to be in relationship with Him.

It’s not just awareness of this fact. It also requires a choice by this person to do what God is calling them to do. They have the option to say “yes” or “no”.

A truly humbled person will understand that God has a bigger vision than we can see (Jer. 29:11) and that everything He does will work out for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Faith and trust are key to a humbled person working at their full potential for God.

The “All In” Lifestyle is one of full commitment to the God of the Universe and his plan for redemption. It means responding quickly to times of sin and brokenness and getting back on track with God in humility. It is when we are at that point that God can begin to open doors for us and begin to move mightily in our lives.

We need to make a choice to live an “All In” lifestyle or not… Read Jesus words about this in Revelation 3:15-16

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Not making a choice to follow God with everything or to not follow God with everything basically makes Jesus sick. The word “spit you out of my mouth” actually means “to Vomit”

By riding the fence – keeping one foot in each world, if you will… you make Jesus puke…

Are you stuck on the fence? Are you neither hot nor cold, are you luke warm? Stop making Jesus vomit and make a decision and go ALL IN.

He suggested doing it every evening before bed. Well, those who know me…know our crazy lifestyle and how tired I get. Evening does not work for me because sleep hits me before my head hits the pillow. So since God sees fit to wake me up early every morning (I don’t set an alarm clock), I figured He must want me to utilize that time better. So here we go…

As I look over all that happen yesterday, one encounter I had definitely has the hand of God all over it. Yesterday afternoon I had the opportunity to pick up a new friend from the airport. He flew into Grand Rapids from Dallas, TX and was speaking in Jackson, MI this weekend. The funny thing is that we had never met before face to face. We had talked via linkedin, email, and phone, but God finally saw fit to connect the two of us together in person. His name is Blake Porter (Visit His Ministry Website).

So when Blake finally got into town yesterday (after airport issues cause delays for him), I picked him up from the airport and we went to a local starbucks and hung out for just over an hour. I was amazed at Blake’s energy and passion for God and his ministry as he shared his story of how he came to be doing what he’s doing. The whole encounter was incredibly refreshing, exciting, and inspiring for me as I look to follow God completely like Blake has been doing for years.

As l reflect back on the conversation we had over tea at Starbucks, I was struck with the question that is now the title of this post… Am I “all in” like Blake is – completely trusting God and passionately pursuing my calling with everything in me or am I only “half in” – not fulling putting my faith in the God of the universe, who may be calling me to so much more – am I caught up in the worries of this life?

I think wherever we are in our walk with God there is always room to improve. The question is am I/are you taking the steps we need to take to improve? Are you coasting through life comfortable and content with the security you have built up or do you feel a sense that there is something more God is calling you too?

If it’s the latter, then you just need to take a baby step forward and God will begin to lead you.

Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8a, NIV

If you have chosen to remain “comfortable,” in the life you’ve built, I would argue that you are not being as effective in your calling as you might think. If you are not experiencing some challenge to your faith or life, then you have to ask the question “Are you a threat to the enemy?” Is Satan leaving you alone because he does not feel that you are a danger to his efforts to defeat God?

God calls us to storm the gates of Hell, to be on the front lines of the battle making a difference for His kingdom – are you doing that if you’re solely focused on your comfort and what you need? If you’re not a threat to the enemy, you’re not effective in God’s calling for your life.

What ever God has uniquely designed you to do – are you doing it with all that is in you? Trust me, if you jump in and make that kind of 100% commitment to Him that he calls us to then He will be there for you in ways you can’t even begin to imagine…

Where are you in your life… Are you “comfortable” and “safe” or are you living life on the edge of faith, opening new doors of opportunity for God to move through you and impact lives for eternity?

It’s Your Choice…

This whole “faith step” thing has been quite a wild ride over the last two months. From moments like today where we see God move in ways only He can to dark days where, if it was not for Kim’s faith, I would have thrown in the towel.

So you’re probably all wondering what happened… Well,

1. God answered a deep concern of mine on the financial front by providing not one but two checks just in time to pay some upcoming bills!

2. For those who don’t know, one of my kids is going on a “trip of a lifetime” as a student ambassador for the United States (contact me for the details – don’t want to put them on a public forum like this). Well this child has been selling Hula Hoops as a fundraiser. It turns out that my wife told her mom, who told her co-workers, and one of her co-workers told a friend who overheard a lady in the nearby store complaining about their cheap hula hoops. So this friend of a co-worker of my wife’s mom told her she would put her in touch with my wife about getting some hula hoops – Turns out she works for a daycare and wants about 20 hula hoops! YEAH BABY! only God could orchestrate that one!

3. While watching Pirates of the Caribbean with one of my kids this evening, I felt this prompting to pray for a friend of mine living in another state. So I did and then text messaged him to let him know…Turns out he’s on a 5 day retreat learning about listening to God (It gets better…) He literally just finished a chapter in the book he’s reading on praying when God prompts you to pray… WOW, God is Amazing – His Timing is perfect.

My faith and trust in God is flying high today. This day will be a “stone marker” like the nation of israel set up after God parted the Jordan River so they could enter the Promised Land of Canaan.

God, please me remind me of today in those dark days when worry and fear creep in, AMEN…

Unity is key if we are going to make a global impact for the Body of Christ. God can use us as individuals but how much more effective we are when we work as a team. God created each of us with unique gifts and talents. If we are not all doing our part as a team, then our effectiveness overall is not at the level God intended.

Are you doing your part? Is the team lacking because you are not where God designed for you to be? Remember Together We Stronger…

The point of the ministry is to do exactly that… connect people
with God and help others do the same! I have talents in Internet
ministry, media production, creating spiritually engaging events,
and training others in these areas. My hope and passion is that God
will take my faith leap and commitment to doing His will and use it
to do mighty things for His kingdom such that it is plainly obvious
that only God could have done that. I want to always give Him all
the glory.

I am looking for any and all that believe in this vision
to pray for this mission. Pray that God will provide for us as a
family, that churches and ministries around the country will be
blessed, that people around the country and world will move toward
a stronger relationship with God because of the efforts of
Reconnect Ministries through the direct leading of God.

If you want to know more about this mission or help in some way, contact me
dk[at]reconnectwithgod.org

Actually the whole article is really good and hit me exactly where I’m at today. But this quote… wow…When God calls us to His mission, we can’t expect comfortable and easy. Anything worth being blessed with requires work and commitment on our end.

read the post, it’s awesome – then let me know what you think?