Chazown [khaw-ZONE]- Part 1- continued

Seeing Clear to the End- Why You Need a New Kind of Vision

We left off discussing how so many of us just wander through our lives without a true purpose and how, even if we do have a purpose in mind for ourselves, it is so easy to get caught up in life and all its distractions. However, the Bible tells us:

Where there is no vision, the people perish. –Proverbs 29:18

Where there is no CHAZOWN, the people perish.

Cha-ZOWN means dream, revelation, vision.

Having a vision is an essential part of reaching our God potential. And God will reveal that vision to us in His timing. But, we need to be open, ready and seeking it.

One Lone Chazown

Just think about it. “Imagine one man with one dream.” Groeschel exemplifies Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now, he had a vision, a purpose…but not just for himself. His dream significantly changed the lives of ALL Americans and many in the world. Moreover, most of those changes occurred after he died. “What if YOUR life continued to change the world even after you died?” The Apostle Paul, of course, is another great example of someone reaching his God Potential.

“Imagine one disciple. Imagine you.

What is your purpose on this earth?

What had God designed you uniquely to do?

When you get a vision for what God has in mind for your life, things change. A lot.”

Groeschel notes Four Gifts with which we will be blessed once we begin to receive our vision.

1. Focus- The vision God gives you will focus you. You will know clearly what you are here to do. Thus, you will be able to better discern what you are not to do. There are a million good opportunities. “But good opportunities should not distract from the better and the great.”
2. Endurance- “In this world you will have trouble.” –John 16:33. Knowing God’s vision for you does not exempt you from tough time and struggle. In fact, in some ways- it invites more. But, the grace that comes with vision will give you the strength and courage to persevere and continue toward the goal.
3. Peace- When you know who you are and what your purpose is, you are content. You have peace. As noted, you will still have to overcome obstacles. However, you know that you are working hard to overcome those challenges for a reason…for the reason.
4. Passion- “You show me a person who has no motivation in life, and I‘ll show you a person who has no vision. Every single time.” If you could care less about art, you will see a Van Gogh and think it’s just a painting. If art or art history is your vision, you will see an expression achieved with a certain kind if paint, using and mixing specific colors, employing a certain texture, created in a certain time period, telling a story worth even more than a thousand words. You can and likely want to talk about it for as long as someone will listen. You are passionate about it. It seeps out of you. We all see the same world- but through the our own unique lens, which is formed by our experiences, our beliefs, our interests, our vision and purpose.

“Trust me- His vision for your life is bigger and better than you’ve had the courage to even hope for. Your God is that good. That strong. And He loves you that much.”

“Disturb Us, Lord…”

Who knows what God has for us?! What we could do…What we could be. God knows. And He wants us to know too- so we can glorify Him with the AMAZING things we would do in Him name. But, how do we get there? How do we get from here to there?

“Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves. When our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord.” –Sir Francis Drake

“Are you willing to let God disturb you with dreams so big that you don’t know how they’ll be accomplished?”

You’re The Author-

What would your final chapter be? Someone is going to write it…why not you? You are the only one who can write it the way YOU want it to be.

HOMEWORK:

Plan You Epitaph: Write your final chapter the way you want it to be.

When you are lying in your death bed, how will you want to be able to finish the following statements?

• The thing that was most important to me was…
• People say I stood for…
• I made a difference in my world by…
• God was glorified because I…
• People knew I loved them because…
• The reason I expect God to say, "well done” is…

For additional resources- www.chazown.com

Reference:

Groeschel, Craig. Chazown. Multnomah Books, Colorado Springs, CO. 2006, 2010.

His Grace Is Sufficient

Most of us are not proud of our weaknesses. In fact, we often try to hide them from others.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." -2 Corinthians 12:9

Who wants to admit falling short in one area or another? It is strength and accomplishment that’s rewarded…not weakness and failure.

"Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong." -2 Corinthians 12:10

The point here is not to celebrate our weaknesses, nor is it an excuse not to try to improve and grow and reach our God potential. BUT, as we are growing from triumph to triumph, from glory to glory, from mature to more mature, we should be content in our weakness and free to acknowledge them. For it is through them, through our weaknesses, through doing and accomplishing things that our broken selves never could that HIS strength becomes evident and that HE is glorified.


-In Him

Mature Like a Child

To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure. Their very minds and consciences are corrupted. -Titus 1:15

Do you ever wonder why some things, certain Biblical things, seem so clear to some and so completely ridiculous to others? Of course, on some level, this is a function of when, where and how the Holy Spirit wants to reveal His truths to us. But, maybe we are not yet ready for certain revelations because our hearts are not pure...because our hearts are not humble enough and open enough and sensitive enough to discern the whisper of the Holy Spirit.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. -Matthew 18:1-4

The more grown up and spiritually mature we want to be, the more child-like our hearts need to grow. It is that purity which will keep us tuned into the Truth.

-In Him

Chazown- Seeing Clear to the End- Why You Need a New Kind of Vision

Chazown [khaw-ZONE]- Part 1

Seeing Clear to the End- Why You Need a New Kind of Vision

“Imagine yourself there, [about to die], lying in bed and reflecting:

- What did my life add up to?

- Did I really matter?

- What did I live for?

- Who will remember me?

- What will they say about me when I am gone?

- Why was it important that I existed?”

As you think about these questions, how do you feel about the answers? Are you happy with them? Satisfied? Or are there/will there be many regrets?

“The decisions you are making today are actually making the bed you will lie in while you wait to die.”

Groeschel talks about how so many people just wander through life, going with the flow, going through the motions, just existing. He modified a phrase from Andy Stanley:

“Everyone ends up somewhere. But few people end up somewhere on purpose.”

But, God is on purpose:

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.

I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” -Isaiah 46:10

Groeschel notes that we are fearfully and wonderfully made!

You created my innermost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:13-16

“He invites us to seek Him in order to learn what His perfect plan is for our lives. Then, with that plan in mind, we can reach His and our greatest dreams. Anything less is a mistake, a lie, a rip-off.”

While this seems great, it is certainly easier said than done. Life happens. We would probably ALL choose to live our God’s will for us… but so often we get swept up by life, and school and bills and tuition and student loans and marriage and babies and car repairs and family problems and struggles at work and… the next thing you know, you are lying in your death bed wondering what happened to your life. We realize that there are so many things that we could have or should have… We realize that we did not have our fingers on the pulse of the vision God had for our lives. We realize we did not reach our God potential.

Where there is no vision, the people perish. –Proverbs 29:18

Where there is no CHAZOWN, the people perish.

Cha-ZOWN means dream, revelation, vision.

Reference:

Groeschel, Craig. Chazown. Multnomah Books, Colorado Springs, CO. 2006, 2010.

Let Your ‘Yes’ Be Yes

‘Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.” But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be “Yes, Yes” or “No, No”; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

Matthew 5:33-37

How many pinky promises have you made? How often do you have to stress and underscore or swear that you will do something…to your kids, spouse, friends, loved ones? For how many of us is our ‘yes’ really yes and ‘no’ really no?

Jesus calls us to walk in this integrity…so much easier said than done. How easy is it to have something, anything, come up? Or, you’re late. Or, you just don’t feel like doing whatever you said you would…

We put ourselves in situations in which we sacrifice our integrity and peoples’ trust in us. [If we repeatedly don’t do what we say we will do, people will not trust that we will.] That situation creates conflict with what God wants us to be, which separates us for Him.

Let us search ourselves and know ourselves. Think TWICE-or even three times BEFORE making a commitment in the first place. For example, if you know you are exhausted at the end of a workday, still having to do homework and dinner, then seriously consider readily committing to weeknight activities. But, once you have said your ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ really try to stick to it. Of course, there is always room for thoughtful reconsideration and changing your mind. But, these should be exception, not the rule.

Is your ‘yes’ a yes, no or a maybe?...

-In Him

Integrity

Integrity [noun]

Strong's Complete New Bible Dictionary, Thomas Nelson Pub, 1996, #8537, 8538 -

From Hebrew: tom/tummah- completeness, prosperity (usually moral); innocence, perfection, simplicity, uprightness

www.dictionary.com

1.

adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

2.

the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preservethe integrity of the empire.

One who walk in integrity will be safe,

but whoever follows crooked ways will fall into the Pit.

Proverbs 28:18

-In Him

Chazown

Our next book journey will be with author Craig Groeschel. We will walk through his Chazown. [pronounced khaw-ZONE]

Before we go any further, let’s talk about this Hebrew word, Chazown. The ch is not like in English [does not make the sound as in chalk]. The correct sound is make with a hacking-like sound in the back of the throat [like you are hawking and about to spit]….Cha-ZOWN.

Cha-ZOWN means dream, revelation, vision.

In the book, Groeschel uses a spiral symbol for Cha-ZOWN ... “It stands for the energy, focus and creativity that are released when you pursue your personal vision.”

Can you guess what this book is about?...

Reference: Groeschel, Craig. Chazown. Multnomah Books, Colorado Springs, CO. 2006, 2010.

A Quote From John C. Maxwell

Learn to say 'no' to the good so you can say 'yes' to the best.

-John C. Maxwell

Lowly At Heart

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me;

for I am gentle and humble at heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:29

It seems that it should be easy to be gentle and kind…

But it can be so hard

Of course, it is easy when things are our way- when we are feeling good, when everyone is doing what we want and saying what we want to hear and living in a way acceptable to us.

But what happens when we do not agree?

What happens when we are annoyed, angry, frustrated?

What happens when we are being criticized or corrected?

Are we still sweet and gentle and kind and lowly?

Or, do we deviate from that path, making excuses for ourselves?

The only way to tell the truth is to speak with kindness.

Only the words of a loving man can be heard.

~ Henry David Thoreau

In HIM

Judging Others

Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.

For with the judgment you make, you will be judged,

and the measure you give will be the measure you get.- Matthew 7:-2

How often do we focus on others' shortcomings more than our own? How easy is it to disguise our judgment in a holy robe of 'standing up for Christ' or 'speaking the truth' or 'showing tough love to someone?'

True. There are times when the Holy Spirit will nudge us to do that. But- more often than not- we should focus more on the log in our own eye before trying to point out or get out the speck in someone else's.

Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye,

but do not notice the log in your own eye?

Or, how can you say to your neighbor,

‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye?

You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye,

and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.

Matthew 7:3-5

Jesus tells us to remove the log in our eye- and THEN we can see clearly to deal with the speck in another's.

But do we ever get all the logs from our eyes?

And, if we do- there will certainly be specks left;

the specks are never completely gone…

At least one speck will ALWAYS be there.

“Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

…When they heard it, they went away one by one…

John 8:7,9

In HIM.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership - Conclusion

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership [John Maxwell] - Conclusion

Maxwell reminds us that, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” He notes that anything we do in life [most things, surely] involve other people. When ‘other people’ are involved, leadership is necessary in order to take the group, the plan, the vision where it needs to go.

Remember:

· Personnel determine the potential of the organization.

· Relationships determine the morale of the organization.

· Structure determines the size of the organization.

· Vision determines the direction of the organization.

· Leadership determines the success of the organization.

We should take time to know and understand the Laws, apply them to ourselves with honest and regular reflection and evaluation, and teach and share them with others.

The 21 Laws:

1	The Law of the Lid:	Leadership Ability Determines a Person's Level of Effectiveness.
2	The Law of Influence:	The True Measure of Leadership is Influence- Nothing More, Nothing Less
3	The Law Process:	Leadership Develops Daily, Not in a Day
4	The Law Navigation:	Anyone Can Steer the Ship, but It Takes a Leader to Chart the Course.
5	The Law Addition:	Leaders Add Value By Serving Others
6	The Law Solid Ground:	Trust Is The Foundation Of Leadership
7	The Law Respect:	People Naturally Follow Leaders Stronger Than Themselves
8	The Law Intuition:	Leaders Evaluate Everything with a Leadership Bias
9	The Law Magnetism:	Who You Are Is Who You Attract
10	The Law Connection:	Leaders Touch a Heart Before They Ask for a Hand.
11	The Law of The Inner Circle:	A Leader’s Potential Is Determined By Those Closest To Him
12	The Law of Empowerment:	Only Secure Leaders Give Power to Others
13	The Law of The Picture:	People Do What People See
14	The Law of The Buy In:	People Buy Into The Leader, Then The Vision
15	The Law of Victory:	Leaders Find a Way for the Team to Win
16	The Law of The Big Mo:	Momentum Is a Leader’s Best Friend
17	The Law of Priorities:	Leaders Understand That Activity Is Not Necessarily Accomplishment
18	The Law of Sacrifice:	A Leader Must Give Up To Go Up
19	The Law of Timing:	When To Lead Is As Important As What To Do And Where To Go
20	The Law of Explosive Growth:	To Add Growth, Lead Followers; To Multiply, Add Leader
21	The Law of Legacy:	A Leader’s Lasting Value Is Measured By Succession

Happy Leading!!!

Reference:

Maxwell, John. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN; 2007