Notes From C3 – Bishop TD Jakes

This one is difficult to post – my notes don’t even do this message justice…all I can say is, “wow”! I’ll definitely have to watch the DVD’s of this one over and over and over again…. But in the meantime, here are a few things to ponder…

Session II – TD Jakes – The Order of the Breaking of Bread
• Luke 24.13-31
• The cost of leadership is conflict
• Those who said they knew him best did not recognize him when he appeared on the road to Emmaus – it’s the same today…
• If you do anything other than the status quo, expect to be ignored or criticized because Jesus has shown up in your city in a different form
• They did not recognize Him as the Lord of the Kingdom b/c He was doing things in a new & different way
• The beginning of true wisdom and leadership is to understand that you don’t know enough
• God can show you more than you can study
• There are so moments with God that we should plead for Him to stay – abide with us!
• He made as if He was leaving them to provoke them to beg Him to stay – to be thirsty
• When it seems to be dry in your ministry, it’s God trying to provoke us to be thirsty after Him
• God is a play-actor – becoming what we need to see – He’s bigger than you think He is…bigger than your budget, your board…
• They saw Him in the order of the breaking of bread – in the ordinary nature of Jesus
• People perceive Jesus in the simple things
• He took it, He blessed it, He broke and He gave it to them – something in His motions caused them to see Him/recognize Him (2 fish and 5 loves and at the communion table – they were familiar with this)
• He does this with any man He ever touches – He takes us, blesses us, breaks us and then gives us
• “Taking” stage – snatching/detaching stage from what is familiar or expected
• “Blessing” stage – everything is coming up gold – everything you touch is being blessed
• “Breaking” stage – He breaks us because He loves us, to prove you are a son and not a bastard. Breaking your pride, your will and your flesh. It can take years to understand that the breaking stage is really the blessing stage. You will learn more in the breaking stage than in any other stage – this is when we KNOW Him.

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Notes From C3 – Tommy Barnett

Tommy Barnett, Pastor of Phoenix First Assembly, spoke the first session this morning. He is a pastor’s pastor and has such a heart for this generation. Here are my notes…

Session 1 – Tommy Barnett – The Honor of Wanting To Quit
•    Wanting to quit is a sign of success – if you want to quit, it means you have “something” to quit!
•    The more you have to quit, the more you want to quit. The higher you go, the more frightening it becomes – the lonelier it becomes – the riskier it becomes…
•    You can enjoy the luxury of wanting to quit if you know you’re not going to quit
•     If you have quality, you’ll have quantity – you’ll add to the church daily
•    A burden comes and goes, but the call of God is what gets you up when you don’t feel like going on
•    Until the anointing kicks in, we’ve got Starbucks! ☺
•    To keep from quitting, you must burn the bridges behind you – all the other desires
•    Don’t tell anyone you want to quit when you want to quit
•    Don’t expose yourself to what you don’t want to be – hang around people who are positive
•    If you don’t want to quit, lock yourself in so you can’t

Notes From C3 – Perry Noble

OK, Rockers – if you are going with us to Unleash next month you are in for a treat. We just heard from Pastor Perry Noble of New Spring Church in Anderson, SC.  He was so freaking hilarious – we were rolling the whole session! But he was also so insightful and I am yet again challenged beyond my ability to really comprehend right now. (If you want to go with us and haven’t registered yet, there is still room! Call Lori at the office or e-mail her and get signed up NOW! 910-602-5300 or lori@rockwilmington.com)

4th Session – Perry Noble –
•    Matthew 17
•    One of the biggest problems of leaders is being captivated by believing lies
•    One of the lies we are tempted to believe is that what we do doesn’t matter
•    Everything matters when it comes to what we are called to do
•    Things that DO matter
1.    Environments that we create – Matthew 17.1-3 – He took Peter, James and John into an environment where they could see Him in a different way. They understood that for the first time. It’s our job 52 Sunday every year to create an environment where people can experience Jesus like they never have before. It’s our job on Sunday to offer God the very best that we have.
2.    Vision Matters – Matthew 17.4-5 – Peter didn’t have a vision to take this experience past the mountain. You can tell if your environment is exciting by the people walking in your doors. You’re only as deep as the last person you served. Listen to the one that He has given the vision to – God didn’t give vision to a committee – He gives it to the senior leader/pastor. (What happens if the back door of your body gets closed?)
3.    Jesus Matters – It’s not our job to be “anti-anything” – it’s our job to be “pro-Jesus”. Matthew 17.8 “When they looked up, they saw no one but Jesus”

Notes From C3 – Mac Richard

OK, so I had never heard of this guy before – he’s from Lake Hills Church in Austin, TX. I took some furious notes in this session –

3rd Session – Mac Richard – Community and Responsibility
•    Tension between community and responsibility – you have to walk the line. When someone loves you, they hold you accountable – it comes out of relationship. Accountability is born out of love.
•    Hebrews 10.24 – Let us consider how we can spur one another on to love and good deeds.
•    Lead out of love and good deeds – spur leadership
•    Spur leaders get built underneath the hammer and the heat. It’s hard to shape steel – it takes high heat and hammering out the edges.
•    As leaders, we must measure the stuff that matters.
•    The reality of leadership is that it’s lonely sometimes
•    In order to fire someone, you must first set the bar really high and then guard the bar. Don’t move the bar to make people feel better.
•    When you set the bar, include subjective criteria. (joy, etc…)
•    Joy matters – don’t let the lack of joy ride in your staff
•    Fire people generally and directly – don’t argue the specifics.
•    Dismiss gracefully
•    Avoid the backlash – people aren’t going to agree with your decision, but the reality is, we can’t all get along.
•    Proverbs 27 – “Know the condition of your flocks and the status of your herds”
•    It’s not about size, it’s about health
•    As a leader, it’s up to you to determine what matters
•    If you love people, you will measure their performance
•    Jesus said your fruit is going to get measured/judged
•    Balance b/w grace and truth – John 1.14

Notes From C3 – Ed Young Take Two

Ed also spoke for the next session – man, by brain hurts. 🙂

2nd Session – Ed Young
•    Betrayal happens at defining moments in our lives
•    Betrayal comes from those closest to us
•    John 13.22
•    Betrayers will eventually have a famine of the soul
•    Genesis 50.20

Notes From C3 – Ed Young Take One

So, Ed brought two amazing messages today – inspiring and SO challenging. This is just what we needed to hear right now – wish dad was here…

02.21.08 Thursday AM C3 – Ed Young
Betrayal
•    God allows us to break down so we can break through to another level of life.
•    What now – what do You want to do with my one and only life?
•    “Pit Happens”
•    We are either on the receiving end or giving end of betrayal.
•    My enemies can’t betray me – only those that are close to me can betray me.
•    There’s always a Judas at your table and he’ll be close enough to kiss you.
•    Genesis 37.3-4; 18-19
•    There’s a time to share your vision and your stuff and there’s a time to SHUT UP! If you share your stuff too early, you’ll feed the fires of betrayal.
•    Betrayal is engineered by envy and jealousy
•    When you’re in the pit, are you looking down and around or are you looking up? Look up and trust God…
•    Psalm 40.1-4 “I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the mire, set my feet upon a rock…. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord….”
•    Hang out with “ladder” people (point us to God) or “adders” (pit vipers injecting negativity/venom)
•    The bigger the blessing, the bigger the betrayal.
•    The devil is tipping us off to the great blessings in the future!
•    Leadership is not a sprint, it’s a marathon
•    True success is living in the will of God.
•    Maturity is not a pill you swallow – it’s a process