The Case for Christianity Simulcast

You may have  heard of Lee Strobel, the author of the apologetic books “The Case For Christ" or "The Case for Faith". 

Lee was an atheist, trained in law and worked as a newspaper journalist at the Chicago Tribune on issues of law for many years before applying his training to study the Gospels. Upon coming to faith, he wrote about what he learned, eventually joining the staff of Willow Creek Community Church for a few years before writing full time. It was at Willow Creek that he got to know Mark Mittelberg, Willow Creek's evangelism director and co-creator of “Contagious Christianity”.  Mark's most recent release is "Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask".

 I am excited to announce that Strobel and Mittelberg have partnered with our team at in:cast events for a live simulcast March 12th, “The Case For Christianity.” Lee and Mark will “present the latest scientific and historical evidence for Christianity—and answer the two biggest objections to the faith." It will be a dynamic and compelling event and also will feature Lenny LeBlanc leading worship. 

If your church would like to host the simulcast you can get more information at www.incastevents.com or if you want to see if a church in your area is hosting the event so you can attend you can also get the information on the in:cast web site.
 
You can also get more information on our incast events facebook page.

Also check out the video below:

 

The 5% factor for CHANGE!

Question: What did you do today without thinking?  

Answer:   Almost everything

Prominent psychologists John Bargh and Roy Baumeister agree that the majority of our behavior comes unconsciously and automatically.

An estimate of the proportions: 
5 percent conscious and 95 percent unconscious or automatic behavior.

Only new, unexpected, special cases, for which our brain has not developed an automatic response, require our conscious attention.

And that is a good thing because new, conscious, planned behavior requires a lot of energy. Much more energy than repeating unconscious, automatic patterns that have proven successful in the past.

In most cases, we respond to stimuli in our environment without realizing it. Messages on our computer, questions from people automatically stimulate all sorts of standard thinking, feeling, talking and doing patterns. Next, our brain automatically gauges whether or not the behavior is working. Behavior that produces a good feeling will automatically be repeated, as will behavior that remedies a bad feeling. And so we continue to expand, step-by-step, our repertoire of automated behavior.

The fact that we act automatically 95 percent of the time is handy when we’re doing “the usual,” but when change is needed, our automatisms can be an enormous hindrance.

But one successful change gives self-confidence and provides the motivation to continue to set new goals. Your next change might be the beginning of a whole series of new changes.

These changes happen in the 5% and will be where we have to consciously DREAM, DARE, DO.

Let's do it.....let's multiply our 5% more this year and take action!

Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it? Isaiah 43:19 (The Message)

TIMELINE

As we launch into a new year I have (as you probably have) been thinking about goals and how to accomplish these goals for the year.  

I have been praying a lot for direction for myself, my family, and our businesses. It is interesting that most of us enjoy the idea of a fresh start but the reality is we still have to deal with the good and bad of what was started in the previous year and maintain energy for our long term strategies.  

Also, I have come to the reality that God's timeline for His purposes in our lives may not start on January 1 and end on December 31. I know this is probably a "duh" moment for most people but it hit me between the eyes this year.  

God is not on my timeline.....I am on His.

So, with all of this in mind, I have been taking some time over the past couple of weeks to observe the people I most admire who try and set their lives to God's timeline, set goals, achieve goals, and also who deal with adversity well.

Here are the common attributes I have seen and may be helpful to you also.  I am sure there are more you have seen in others but here are a few that I think are worthy of focus:


Hope

-without hope, why bother?  Hope is the spark that lights the fire that encourages you to just start, to give it a try.  

A quote from John Maxwell, 

“If there is hope in the future, there is power in the present.”

Attitude 

– the right attitude keeps you going; the wrong attitude shuts you down.  Hope may get you started, but keeping your attitude right pulls you through the tough times.  Your attitude is your choice and your responsibility.  Once you realize you “own” your attitude, you can then create a winning attitude by filling your mind and your life with the good, the pure, and the powerful.

Thomas Jefferson said: 

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong attitude.

Zig Ziglar said: 

Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.

 
Action 

– nothing happens until your thoughts turn into behaviors – action.  The right actions done in the right way get results.  Even the right actions done poorly will get more results than taking no action at all.

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. -Dale Carnegie

 
Skills 

– learning new skills, honing the ones you have, preparing to be the best in all that you do, this separates the good from the great.  To go to the very top, attitude and action are not enough.  They both have to be driving great skills.

Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men. Proverbs 22:29

I hope you have an incredible, productive, and blessed year but also get a glimpse of God's bigger timeline for your journey.