Controlling Our Minds

"If you can control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself. If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told; and if there is no back door, his very nature will demand one." — Carter G Woodson.

Carter G Woodson published this in 1933, concerning the ongoing oppression and slave mentality of many African Americans at that time. Even though Slavery had been abolished and African Americans were free, many did not behave so because for so long, their thinking had been [and was still being] controlled, so they still felt inferior on many levels.

In some ways, we can apply this idea to Satan's ongoing oppression of many Christians. We believe in Jesus and accept Him into our hearts, yet we still let Satan attack us, scare us, confuse us, control us. The TRUTH is that he has NO authority over us. We were bought, paid for with the BLOOD of Christ. We belong to Him! The only way Satan can have his way with us is if we let him! But, if we truly embrace what Christ did for us, we will understand that we have POWER...the power of the Holy Spirit, against which Satan is nothing!

Let us know who we are in Christ! It is He who should be controlling our minds.

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. - James 5:7-8

iLEAD Comes to Pensacola!

Members of Flamingo's Global iLEAD Team visited Pensacola this past weekend, and our team was blown away by the dedication, heart, and spirit of our PCola family! God has called us all to this awesome ministry of connecting people so they can reach their God-Potential. Flamingo's iLEAD (Investing in Leadership Education and Development) was created to equip our Flamingo Connect Leaders so they could reach their God-Potential and become the effective leaders God intended them to be!

iLEAD will be conducted quarterly on all our campuses (iLEAD 2.0 is coming). If you are a Connect Group Leader, Co-Leader, or Connect Group future leader and you missed iLEAD 1.0, please check with your campus Connections Director to see when the next iLEAD Academy is being scheduled. Remember, to "complete" iLEAD 1.0, you must have attended the training session, served at least once at your campus Connection Center, and "Followed" your iLEAD instructor(s) on Twitter!

21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

Let's take a journey together.

In 2007, John C. Maxwell released the 10th Anniversary Edition of his: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. It presents 21 life-changing principles that can develop and enhance our leadership skills. "Everything rises and falls on leadership," notes Maxwell.

Each week, we will review one of the laws and travel together along the path of leadership.

Some introductory points Maxwell makes:

1. Leadership requires the ability to do more than one thing well. [The more of the laws we can master, the more effective leaders we will be.]
2. No one does all 21 laws well. [...BUT they are all important for great leadership. Thus, we should recognize those laws where we fall short and develop a leadership team of others who are strong where we are weak.]
3. The laws can be learned/acquired.
4. The laws can stand alone [...although they compliment one another and together produce a better result].
5. The laws carry consequences with them: apply them and people will follow; violate them and we will not be able to lead others.
6. These laws are the foundation of leadership [...we will have to practice and apply them to our lives].

Where there is no guidance [leadership], a nation falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14

Looking forward to growing together.

In Christ.

Ref: Maxwell, John. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Thomas Nelson, USA, 2007.

Trust

I've had "trust" on my mind alot these days...its not easily earned, nor easily given. Takes alot of work yet once earned, solidifies & strengthens your relationships to the point that anything is possible. I define trust as allowing someone to get so close to you, you take off all your masks...& allow them the privilege to see ALL your imperfections, flaws & quirks, yet they still accept, believe, love & guard your heart regardless.

I am so grateful for God who I can trust with all that I am for He has created me & defined purpose for me. I am also grateful for those I can confide & trust in as we do this journey we call Life. My prayer is each one of us as Connect Leaders will earn the trust of those we lead, love, & encourage. Trust is one of the greatest gifts you can give someone. Invest in your relationships whole-heartedly, or don't invest at all. Give people & those around you a reason to trust in you.

What Kind Of Tree Are You?

…You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will know them by their fruits.
– Matthew 7:16-20

Have you ever gotten take out/drive through and gotten home [or too far to turn back] only to realize they got the order wrong. What a bummer! People can disappoint us like that, too. We think we are getting one thing, but they turn out to be something else. If we can use our Holy Spirit discernment, however, we can often see what people are made of. Even if initially we are fooled, we will eventually know...if we just examine their fruit. Jesus tells us that we will know a person by his/her fruit. Likewise, people will know us by our fruit...by what pours out of our hearts and into our lives.

What type of fruit are you producing? What kind of tree are you?

...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control...If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. - Galatians 5:22-23,25


In Christ

Flamingo Road Church is the 4th Most Innovative Church in America!

According to Zondervan and Outreach Magazine, Flamingo Road Church has been named #4 of the Top 25 Most Innovative Churches in America! Not exactly sure what that means, but that's good, right? It shows that our Pastor and church know how to think "outside-the-box" to reach our communities and make an impact for Christ. It means never being content with the accomplishments of yesterday or today and always looking forward. "Creativity" and "Innovention" are two of our Ethos. It is leveraging our resources, talents, people and creativity to discover and develop new and unique ways to share the gospel and change lives.

Here is a list of the Top 10 Innovative Churches:
1. LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK) :: Craig Groeschel
2. Mars Hill Church (Seattle, WA) :: Mark Driscoll
3. Granger Community Church (Granger, IN) :: Mark Beeson
4. Flamingo Road Church (Cooper City, FL) :: Troy Gramling
5. Seacoast Church (Mt. Pleasant, SC) :: Greg Surratt
6. Saddleback Church (Lake Forest, CA) :: Rick Warren
7. Mosaic Church (Los Angeles, CA) :: Erwin McManus
8. Fellowship Church (Grapevine, TX) :: Ed Young Jr.
9. North Point Community Church (Alpharetta, GA) :: Andy Stanley
10. Willow Creek Community Church (South Barrington, IL) :: Bill Hybels

"You Have To Be Obedient To Be Obedient"

We are usually quick to point out when our children are being disobedient. We tell the older kids to 'set an example' for the younger ones. But what about us? What kind of example do we set when it comes to being obedient?

We don't like to think of ourselves as having to obey. Our pride makes us impatient and selfish. It tells us that our way is better; we should not have to wait; the rules should not or do not apply to us; our situation is the exception; we should get what we want. We always have some reason or justifucation to break the rules....even when it comes to God's rules.

Pastor Troy noted last week that if we want to position ourselves to receive God's blessings, we have to be obedient...and that we "have to be obedient to be obedient."
It's actually quite simple. Not easy. But simple.

To OBEY: to follow the commands or guidance of; to conform to or comply with [Merriam-Webster]

If you love me, you will obey my commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth.
-John 14:15-17