Hey A218,
Hope you are doing well and staying healthy. To all of those dealing with the flu-like symptoms, our prayers are with you...get well soon!
First, I wanna make sure that you guys know that registration for the A218 trip to Passion 2010 is open. It will be a fantastic few days in Atlanta this January...the best time for community and inspiration for the new year. Great speakers such as Louie Giglio, Francis Chan and Beth Moore and worship leaders like Chris Tomlin, David Crowder and Charlie Hall. Prices are the best there gonna get right now. Go to the Passion 2010 page on the A218 community site or come talk to one of us at the gatherings. And don't let the first day of classes keep you from registering...God has a way of working things like that out so come talk to us.
Last Tuesday, I gave the third talk in our series called Access. We've been unpacking the values that guide our community. The first two have been around for a couple of years: living today in God's reality and learning in community what it means to be a Christ-follower. Links to these talks will be at the bottom of this post.
The third value -- key word dreaming -- is a work in progress. We have added this value because I think dreaming is not only a part of our experience as aspiring young adults, but it is also spiritual, hopeful, prophetic and challenging. According to Joel 2:28, when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, the result is young people seeing things they have never seen before. I wanna believe that we are in such days. Furthermore, I am challenged by the idea that God Himself might have dreams for our lives, our generation, our world and His Church...and I for one wanna be a part of seeing those dreams become reality. What about you?
Many words later, I realized that I forgot to offer next steps during the talk for those who are serious about dreaming and being a part of God's dream. (That is a big no-no for communicators, by the way...I'm still learning.) So what follows are some thoughts for those who are interested in this dreaming value of the A218 Community.
1. Pray. All of the great dreams for our lives, our friends and the world all start with aligning ourselves with God and cultivating a deep conversation with Him. In fact, the bigger the dream, the deeper the need for prayer. It is also in prayer that God will reveal both the steps to achieving your own dreams, but also (and arguably more important) a vision of what He would like to see in the world.
2. Reflect. This is a priceless and rarely used spiritual discipline. If prayer is a conversation, then reflection is processing that conversation. If we're honest, we'll all agree that it is harder to hear God's voice when we're in a rush. Reflection requires us to slow down, sit and ponder what God has said (whether through the scriptures, to your heart, through others, etc) and what that could mean practically. Often, it is in reflection that God begins to bring clarity to the dreams of our hearts.
3. Be inspired/bothered. You gotta get around things that keep the dream alive in you. Read the books, listen to the songs, watch the videos that keep you excited and motivated to continue moving forward with the dream in your heart. Similarly, when it comes to making a difference in this world, stay bothered...this will help you maintain that sense of urgency and audacity that may be required to stay in the game when the dream seems afar off.
4. Talk. Share your dreams with others. Be open to their feedback and suggestions. Be okay if people say things like, 'I don't think that's possible.' Comments like that are priceless, especially if you probe deeper into why the dream seems unreachable. Talking about your dreams also invites others to be a part of the dream. You never know who has a dream of funding someone else's dream. And without conversation, those connections may never be made. Finally, talking about your dream usually gives you more to pray about, more to reflect on, and greater reason to stay inspired and bothered.
I hope this helps those who have a dream in their heart. More than anything, I pray that the Holy Spirit would give you a dream that gives you a reason to press on into the future.
I love you A218 people...keep fighting for the love in your life. I hope to see you soon...
Much love, Derrick
P.S. This Tuesday at the Main Gathering, we'll talk about the fourth and final A218 value...going. Get excited!
Links to the last three A218 Values talks: living, learning, and dreaming.
Hope you are doing well and staying healthy. To all of those dealing with the flu-like symptoms, our prayers are with you...get well soon!
First, I wanna make sure that you guys know that registration for the A218 trip to Passion 2010 is open. It will be a fantastic few days in Atlanta this January...the best time for community and inspiration for the new year. Great speakers such as Louie Giglio, Francis Chan and Beth Moore and worship leaders like Chris Tomlin, David Crowder and Charlie Hall. Prices are the best there gonna get right now. Go to the Passion 2010 page on the A218 community site or come talk to one of us at the gatherings. And don't let the first day of classes keep you from registering...God has a way of working things like that out so come talk to us.
Last Tuesday, I gave the third talk in our series called Access. We've been unpacking the values that guide our community. The first two have been around for a couple of years: living today in God's reality and learning in community what it means to be a Christ-follower. Links to these talks will be at the bottom of this post.
The third value -- key word dreaming -- is a work in progress. We have added this value because I think dreaming is not only a part of our experience as aspiring young adults, but it is also spiritual, hopeful, prophetic and challenging. According to Joel 2:28, when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, the result is young people seeing things they have never seen before. I wanna believe that we are in such days. Furthermore, I am challenged by the idea that God Himself might have dreams for our lives, our generation, our world and His Church...and I for one wanna be a part of seeing those dreams become reality. What about you?
Many words later, I realized that I forgot to offer next steps during the talk for those who are serious about dreaming and being a part of God's dream. (That is a big no-no for communicators, by the way...I'm still learning.) So what follows are some thoughts for those who are interested in this dreaming value of the A218 Community.
1. Pray. All of the great dreams for our lives, our friends and the world all start with aligning ourselves with God and cultivating a deep conversation with Him. In fact, the bigger the dream, the deeper the need for prayer. It is also in prayer that God will reveal both the steps to achieving your own dreams, but also (and arguably more important) a vision of what He would like to see in the world.
2. Reflect. This is a priceless and rarely used spiritual discipline. If prayer is a conversation, then reflection is processing that conversation. If we're honest, we'll all agree that it is harder to hear God's voice when we're in a rush. Reflection requires us to slow down, sit and ponder what God has said (whether through the scriptures, to your heart, through others, etc) and what that could mean practically. Often, it is in reflection that God begins to bring clarity to the dreams of our hearts.
3. Be inspired/bothered. You gotta get around things that keep the dream alive in you. Read the books, listen to the songs, watch the videos that keep you excited and motivated to continue moving forward with the dream in your heart. Similarly, when it comes to making a difference in this world, stay bothered...this will help you maintain that sense of urgency and audacity that may be required to stay in the game when the dream seems afar off.
4. Talk. Share your dreams with others. Be open to their feedback and suggestions. Be okay if people say things like, 'I don't think that's possible.' Comments like that are priceless, especially if you probe deeper into why the dream seems unreachable. Talking about your dreams also invites others to be a part of the dream. You never know who has a dream of funding someone else's dream. And without conversation, those connections may never be made. Finally, talking about your dream usually gives you more to pray about, more to reflect on, and greater reason to stay inspired and bothered.
I hope this helps those who have a dream in their heart. More than anything, I pray that the Holy Spirit would give you a dream that gives you a reason to press on into the future.
I love you A218 people...keep fighting for the love in your life. I hope to see you soon...
Much love, Derrick
P.S. This Tuesday at the Main Gathering, we'll talk about the fourth and final A218 value...going. Get excited!
Links to the last three A218 Values talks: living, learning, and dreaming.
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