Today we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Through his life he had many historical speeches and sermons includeing his I Have A Dream speech. Many would consider him a “great” man. I think deep down inside we all want to become men and women of greatness. Here is an excerpt from a sermon he preached addressing the issue of what it means to be great.

“And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness.”

“And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant.”

Greatness is something that we can choose and not something that is chosen for us. I pray that through the grace of God that we would all choose to be people of greatness by following in the steps of Christ and serving others.

This is the video promo for our current series, Game of Life, at People’s Church. (I make a small cameo appearance in this one.)

What book had the greatest influence on your life in 2009? For me it would have to be Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson. I read this book last year and it was as if every word was speaking directly to me. It’s on the topic of pursuing God and the first chapter entitled Yawning Angels is worth the purchase price alone. Here is an excerpt from the book:

Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit–An Geadh-Glas, or ‘the Wild Goose.’ The name hints at mystery. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger, an air of unpredictability surround Him. And while the name may sound a little sacrilegious, I cannot think of a better description of what it’s like to follow the Spirit through life. I think the Celtic Christians were on to something…

Most of us will have no idea where we are going most of the time. And I know that is unsettling. But circumstantial uncertainty also goes by another name: Adventure.

If you’re looking for a good book I highly recommend this one. You can check out a sample chapter here.

What was one of your favorite books of 2009?

Two days ago, on January 12, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit outside of the capital of Haiti, causing widespread destruction to homes, hospitals, schools, government buildings, roads, and lives. Approximately 2 million people live in the capital of Haiti and the surrounding areas where the earthquake struck. The American Red Cross is now estimating that 3 million people are affected by the disaster. Current reports from Haiti tell of terrible destruction, widespread chaos, and overcrowded hospitals.

Q. What can you do?

A. Give.

Your money will provide food, shelter, and other relief supplies. I encourage to not just sit back and be a spectator.

Here are some organizations to contribute to:

1. World Vision
2. American Red Cross
3. Compassion International
4. Samaritan’s Purse

My wife and I are giving towards Samaritan’s Purse. Here is a video from the President and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, Franklin Graham.

Some of the outreach that took place at People’s Church during the month of December.

My Desktop Wallpaper

I’m done with eating. I’m so over food. Well, at least for the next 7 days I am. Tomorrow we are beginning a week of prayer and fasting at People’s Church. I would be lying if I didn’t confess that it’s going to be difficult for me, but at the same time I am excited about what’s going to happen. I’m excited about what God is going to do in my life and in the lives of others. One of my goal words for 2010 is discipline and I know that during this week of fasting I will definitely be developing some discipline.

My focus during this week is simply to put myself in a better position to hear from God. To hear what He would have to say to me. I don’t have an agenda to gain some “thing”, but rather experience a closer relationship with my creator.

The cool thing is that God wants to speak to each of us uniquely, but often times we don’t put ourselves in a position to hear. Is there something that you can fast this week in order to draw closer to God?

Inspired by Chris Brogan & Terry Storch I have summarized my goals for 2010 into three words. Here’s how Chris Brogan explains it:

“If you want to try the process, it works something like this: think of how you want to be successful in 2010. Then, try to think in even broader terms. Extrapolate on the broader terms, and find one word to hang the idea on.”

“Try setting your three words far out on the horizon, but such that they can lead you to your goals every day. Meaning, can you use the same word to get you started, but have it still be relevant when you’re almost at the big goal?”

The words don’t even have to make sense to anyone else as long as they point you in the right direction. My 3 goal words for 2010 are…

1. Discipline - Be a more disciplined person in every area of my life. (i.e. physically, spiritually, financially)

2. Generosity - Give more to individuals (friends, family, strangers), charitable organizations and other opportunities that come my way.

3. Purpose - To fulfill my God-given purpose DAILY.

I came across this video from NewSpring Church in South Carolina. It is the story of the prodigal son. This video speaks to me a lot because I spent the early part of my life running from God. It is also a great reminder of those that are in a similar situation. If you happen to be reading this and you have run away from your Heavenly Father, I encourage you to come home.

Luke 15:17-24
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”