I play Ultimate Frisbee. If you haven’t heard of it, you’re missing out. I love it! It’s my best exercise, and usually only, of my entire week. A few months back we had two pretty big games. As Captain, my role was to motivate, encourage, teach, and lead by example.

In our first game, I did none of those. We were trying new things I had taught and nothing was working. I was playing horrible and my attitude switched to silent, negative, and frustrated. What kind of a leader is that…a useless one. I recognized it near the end of the game and tried to switch back, but it was too late. We lost a game we should have won.

When I look back on that game, our entire team was more negative. There were nearly no “high-fives” going around like usual. Nothing was clicking. Attitude reflects leadership. If you’re a leader, its time you reflect on your own attitude. If you follow a leader, your voice has a major impact on your leader. Encourage and challenge that leader to be a better one!

People tell me that their favorite leader is one that lives what they teach. Is your attitude reflecting what your calling people to have? How is your attitude when you lead people? Would you want people to echo that attitude?

What are your thoughts about this?

In my second post on leadership, I will give a few definitions of leadership, followed with a potential definition of a lead pastor of a church.

For Jesus’ fame,

James Kelly (JK)

No related posts.

We happen to be staying at the home of a Quaker. Her name is Deb, and she’s great.  I wanted to understand a little bit more of what she believes and practices, so I picked a book off her shelf on the subject.  (I’ve finished 3 books in the past 2 days… and am lovin’ it!)

The book is by an old Quaker named Robert Lawrence Smith.  It was a delightful read.  I have a new appreciation and view of Quakers, one that isn’t based on an Oatmeal box. (which by the way, was NOT started by a Quaker.  Cadbury, however, was.)

While I don’t agree with a TON of Quaker theology (no original sin, no heaven, no hell, no Saviour, etc.), there were some amazing principles that I was challenged to adopt as a Christ-follower:

1. Action. They have an amazing blend of mysticism and activism.  Belief and faith must lead to action. The Quaker community calls themselves ‘The Living Church’.  That’s a great picture to keep in mind.

2. Peace. Quakers were a major part of the underground railroad. And the feeding of starving Germans after WW1 (led by Quaker Herbert Hoover, later in life the President). They smuggled Jews out of Germany in WW2.  They refused to fight in war times, often jailed for their convictions.

3. Simplicity. Quakers really don’t care about what they wear, what they look like, or what they live in.  It’s about community. About being with others.  It’s also about silence. Taking time out of the busyness to re-calibrate.

4. Character. Back in the late 1600s they invented a saying that is still used today, “May my life speak.”  Their lives, whether in their public affairs or their private duties, attempt to live a life that speaks louder than there words.  It’s powerful.  And it makes me wonder if Eli is a Quaker.

So now you know!

Jay

No related posts.

But the byproduct can be a very good thing.  In fact, hardship might be one of the best things that could happen to you.  Here’s what I’ve been meditating on for the past 48 hours or so…

“Suffering teaches you what you don’t want in life.”

If you haven’t seen it yet, Michelle finished the Hope for the Sold documentary entitled Enslaved and Exploited.”  (ps, check it out… it’s awesome. Muchos gracias to Dave McSporran, Karyn Makins, and Iain Pitman!)

But making the documentary was very hard for Michelle.  Beyond challenging.  It was downright discouraging.

One thing she learned is that she does NOT want to be a documentary filmmaker.  This made her sad, but it made me happy… because finding out what and who you’re NOT is almost as important as finding out who you ARE.  So, the byproduct of hardship was a great film and the knowledge that Michelle isn’t a filmmaker.  That’s a win.

A tree doesn’t grow strong when everything is good.  A tree grows strong when the wind blows… when it has to grow deep roots.

Your character won’t grow very much if you’re comfortable.  All my greatest times of growth have come out of times of hardship. Relational conflicts. Hard work.  Heart-breaking situations. Uncomfortable moments.

So embrace them.  Then, when times are good, you’ll be all the more grateful.  And, no matter what the situation, you’ll be able to say like Paul “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

Jay

No related posts.

I have learned here that even humble places that we associate with ‘the simple life’ can have clutter if we are not intentional about it.  No matter how rustic life gets, there is a tendency for us to stress, lose stuff, and accumulate more than is needed or manageable.  Our human nature follows us to these simple places and wreaks havoc on our little paradise. We remain greedy, worried, irritable, insenstive, and focused on ourselves.

Decluttering our lives in pursuit of simplicity requires more than just a change of place. It requires a change of heart.

Thanks for reading, we will post as often as we can!

Michelle

Related posts:

1. The 3 Question Life Choice Filter
2. Extreme Makeover: Life Edition
3. On Battling Sin

Actually, we’re leaving on an Airbus, which is way more awesome than a jet plane.  With the amazing help of Lea, Jess, Shelley, and Cody, we managed to do the entire move in 10 hours.

We have way too much stuff….  We had a moving truck the size of our apartment, and we pretty much filled it.  I was ready to back it straight off a cliff!  It was funny to look at our two little travel backpacks, (what we actually need), sitting beside this huge truck full of extras.  We threw out over 20 bags of garbage and donated tons to those in need. But still had too much left over.

It was a little overwhelming… and a great reminder that either we will own our stuff, or our stuff will own us.  Just like money, you can’t serve two masters when it comes to God and stuff.

It kinda reminds me of the verse in Scripture (which I’m paraphrasing here)…

Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things- things that rust, and corrode, things moths destroy.  Set your mind on things above- things that can’t break down or get stolen.

Michelle and I leave behind dozens and dozens of deep, loving relationships.  There have been many tears shed this past week.  It’s the greatest heartache ever.

But I haven’t cried because I’m leaving my curtains. Or my coffee table.  I didn’t say goodbye to my apartment.  I can truly say that I won’t miss my couches for a moment.  Or our lamps.  Or my TV.

Because none of that matters anymore.

No related posts.

Dear Reader,

If you are familiar with John Maxwell, you’ll know that his newest book. ‘Put Your Dream to the Test’ has been about 20 years in the making. He knew he couldn’t publish it until he had the integrity and foundation to do so. He hit the bullseye on this one.

A word of warning- this book is full of:
-concepts that will distract you from your work
-questions that won’t let you sleep at night
-quotes so inspiring that you’ll commit them to memory

Using a wide range of stories, both personal and historical, John challenges his readers to filter their dreams through a series of 10 questions. Put Your Dreams to the Test isn’t a playbook or a successful formula; it’s part workbook and part motivational manual, the best way I can describe this book is as a “motives purifier.”

While many people take a ‘get rich quick’ approach to achieving their goals, John offers no easy answers here. He extends advice like “pay the price early in your life” and (quoting Margaret Thatcher) “you may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” Nothing quick and easy about it, and John even explains why- because only a bar set high is one worth stretching for.

John’s promise proves true: if you are willing to put your dream to the test, you WILL see it and seize it.

Related posts:

1. My Summer Reading List
2. Weekend Review

Michelle and I are moving to Central America on Monday.

Then to British Columbia in September.

Then to Europe the following September.

We’re calling it our “Open Hand God Plan.”

For reals dawg.

DO NOT WORRY, The Sex Rev ain’t goin’ nowhere! I’m actively recruiting a few dozen new (and far more interesting) writers to take this thing to the next level. Michelle and I will still be posting as often as we find an internet connection, but we didn’t want to leave ya’ll hangin’ (like we have for the past few weeks, I apologize, it’s been NUTS around here!)

But right now you probably want to know the back story…

In November, Michelle and I heard God saying that “everything is about to change.” We did a 40 day fast, and at the end we felt God telling us that we were heading into a “season of learning.” That’s all we knew.

But then strange things started to happen:

Remember the story of the Hadal Snailfish?
We were feeling the pressure to conform to the pattern of this world?

Remember the post on The Worship Song That Doesn’t Exist?
We want our life to speak louder than words. We’re afraid that the world will see Jesus as a TALKING HEAD and not a MOVING BODY!

Remember The Chocolate Cake Myth and The White Picket Fence Dream?
We don’t want to live like that.

Shane Claiborne wrote something amazing in The Irresistible Revolution about the word “vocation.” It comes from the root word ‘vocas’ meaning “voice.” Your work should speak of who you are. Your job should reflect your voice. What you do should represent what you believe.

And we KNEW it was time for some major changes.

We gave notice to our landlord without even having a place lined up. We just knew we had to go.  My job ended before we had anything lined up.  We started giving away our stuff without fear of replacement.

There’s way more to our story and an even bigger reason why we’re moving, but you’re gonna have to read about that elsewhere…

It’s our newest project: DreamerOfYourDreams.com

We hope that you’ll follow our travels and the adventure towards our dreams… and hopefully you’ll be inspired to go after some of your own as well.

With all our love always,

Jay and Michelle Brock

Related posts:

1. An Open Letter to Myself
2. Zombies in the Bible

James is saying, in v. 17, that if you are certain of the Lord’s will and that he has called you to something that is good, and you refuse and push his will aside, you are in sin. This is very difficult to swallow. I still struggle with this to this day because on a number of occasion I have heard a clear call from God but I ignored it because it was either too difficult or not in my own planes. Well, when I pushed God away in that circumstance, I am in sin.

I think one of the lessons the author James is pointing out is that we are always in sin. We reek of pride when we think we are not in sin, because even as we are called to follow an instinct we believe to be from God, and we ignore it, we are pushing God away and in sin.

The first good we ought to do is recognize that we are in sin; that we push Jesus away and make ourselves our own god. It’s easy to pursue our own wants, our own things. That’s what makes us human. But Jesus calls us to a higher standard.

Jesus was tempted just as we are; yet in his humanity, he never sinned. In our humanity, we sin all the time. We are broken. We are living with broken hearts. Beat up hearts. That’s is why Jesus came. He came because he knew we needed help. We needed to be rescued from our endless sin. That’s why, as a Christian, someone who has fully accepted Jesus to take over his or her life, they are given this wonderful gift called forgiveness. To recognize our folly and ask for forgiveness is one of the most powerful acts anyone can do. And when we do, Jesus is always there to forgive because he loves unconditionally.

Jesus is sinless, we aren’t. Recognize that your not perfect, you need help, and that this life is not about you. It’s all about Jesus.
For Jesus’ Fame,

JK

Related posts:

1. You Aren’t Jesus, Part One
2. Jesus Defines Humility, Not You
3. Jesus Is In Control, Not You. Part 2

I struggle with wanting people to know my successes in life. My inclination to make my success known is my insecurity in myself. In this weird twisted way I want people to see me as smart, tough, wise, successful, and happy. I want people to accept me and I want to be liked. But by boasting and bragging, that person I am speaking with only wants to push me away and thus a fake relationship is birthed. By boasting, what I am really doing is covering up the fact that I am nothing and a mist that will vanish.

One thing I have learned about pride, is the proud that are doing the boasting are really only covering up your weaknesses.

Our lives are brief and quickly vanish. James is getting at the root of pride. Pride is when we think we are our own saviors, our own lords, controlling our own will and life. James is warning us that our boasting is nothing because in the grand scheme that is eternity, we aren’t very much.

The humble see life as nothing but a grace filled gift. And Jesus defines that humility. Take the time to read Philippians 2:5-11 out loud. Take your time to read through it. Does Jesus seem self-centered? Prideful? Boastful? No.

Now I know there is resistance here. You want to think that because God loves you, you matter. Its true. Jesus does love you and you do matter. But the problem is when you start thinking you matter more than anyone else. The apostle Paul considered his life nothing to him. It was all for Jesus. In the book of Job we see a strong reflection. “my life is but a breathe…our days on earth are but a shadow…my days are swifter than a runner”

Jesus defines humility. Lets stop trying to define it ourselves and on our own terms.

Just as we aren’t perfectly humble, we aren’t sinless either…

For Jesus’ Fame,

JK

Related posts:

1. You Aren’t Jesus, Part One
2. Jesus is Sinless, Not You
3. Jesus Is In Control, Not You. Part 2

I received an email from a good friend asking me the following questions. 

• How do I know what God wants for me?
• How do I know if my decisions are God’s or my own?
• How do I hear God’s will?

The only way to answer these questions is with a story. 

My wife Karen and I got married over 9 months ago. While we we’re engaged, I was in the middle of trying to decide which school I should take my post-grad studies at. At the start, I was mainly working on the decision on my own. Then I let Karen in on it, now that we’re getting married, I figured I would let her in on things (I’m such an idiot). Unfortunately, we let God in last. When it finally hit us that we were trying to make this decision alone, we took some serious steps to listen to the Lord’s will. 

We took days to fast. Each time dinner came; we would take that time to pray for where God wanted us to live. We read scripture together. Reading the Gospels. Reading stories about how God directed his people. We would pray together and alone. We began asking close family and friends. When it came time to a decision, we had a much clearer answer than months before. 

Has the Lord’s will been clear to you recently but you are ignoring it? Perhaps the Lord has called you to start giving 10% of God’s income to the church. Are you pushing him away? Perhaps the Lord is calling you to ask for forgiveness to someone you have hurt, are you pushing him away? Perhaps the Lord is calling you to look after the poor, the hurt, the hungry, the sick, the lost, the proud, the young, and the old. Are you pushing him away?

Hearing and following the Lord’s will is not an easy task. Are you doing your part? 

To trust in the will of God we must seek to overcome pride and expresses humble dependency on God’s sovereign control over the events of our lives. Which takes us to my second point…

For Jesus’ Fame,

JK

Related posts:

1. You Aren’t Jesus, Part One
2. Jesus Defines Humility, Not You
3. Jesus is Sinless, Not You