Hearing God

How amazing is it when God hears our prayers and answers them! I've asked for the past several days, in preparation for Catalyst, that He would speak very plainly to me through this time. Oh how He has done so! 

Today I listened to Him speak through Andy Stanley as He shared words he'd learned from his father, "Got takes full responsibility for the life wholly devoted to Him" and when he said that making our mark on the world may not be something we see for a long time, if ever. Living to make MY mark on the world is too small a thing to give my life to. I must be so close to God that I allow Him to perfectly position me for Him to make a mark through me in every season of my life. I must know why I do what I do and do it with excellence. 

Malcolm Gladwell shared using the story of the Battle of Chancellorsville and the overconfidence of Joe Hooker there. He talked about being a prisoner of overconfidence and arrogance and that a true leader displays humility.

Rob Bell told us that he'd planned an entirely different message up until about a week or so ago. Then, God told him to do something else, and it seemed "dangerous" and that's what he shared. The gist of this dangerous message was for church leaders to recall Christ's "inverse fidelity" and be sure to instill it in their lives. (I'll share more about that later.) He said that God doesn't hand us a huge thing to accomplish, he hands us this task and when we obediently finish it, He hands us the next one. He talked about not looking at anyone's ministry and thinking that it's not "as" significant as his or some other mega-church leader. (By the way, this "star" is one humble fella.)

Tony Dungy is a man of integrity I've admired for several years. He talked about knowing who you serve and why, then making your decisions based on that knowledge.

Matt Chandler shared about how confession and repentance has been treated as a non-entity in the life of believers or as a negative one rather than the way that God reconciles people to Himself. He challenged us as leaders to learn our part, find our purpose, then play it well. 

Francis Chan shared the confession he shared with his church last Sunday — that he's not been receiving grace lately so he's not been sharing it. He told us that when he came into the arena this afternoon, and listened to the messages by some of the other speakers, He realized the Holy Spirit was in the place and he allowed Him to pour into him all that he's needed. He challenged us to do the same. 

Then he led us into a time of communion. Broken and poured out. God is up to something, friends. He's calling His workers to learn to rest and to put their priorities right — family comes first. Period. There will be those who have to face a battle when they pull back to do that, but I believe that's what God is calling them to. 

My two take-aways for today:

1. Know why you're doing what you're doing.
2. Don't think your church/ministry is insignificant. If there's even one that you're ministering to, pouring yourself into, it's significant. Be you. That's what you're designed for.

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