Final Catalyst Post (Durate, Goff, Noble)

The final day of Catalyst proved eventful yet packed with speakers.  First Nancy Durate, a professional communication expert, share some thoughts of verbal communication:

*A mediocre message with an excellent communicator will be accepted.

She advocated a 3 part structure, with a beginning, middle, and end.  She believes a hero is required, and somehow the audience needs to be that hero.

*People will always remember the last thing you say.

Next Bob Goff was a silly guy, but had some interesting thoughts for the crowd as he discussed posers:

Things that make us posers:

1) Fear
2) Not being who Jesus wants us to be

**We leak the stuff we love**

*Many of us stalk Jesus, studying from afar and never really have much of a relationship*

Finally, Perry Noble spoke in the afternoon with some great thoughts on leadership from John 11:1-30.

*If things aren't going the way you planned them, ask these questions:

1) What are you asking God for? - many time were afraid to ask God for big things...

2) What am I willing to go through? - God is asking church leaders mild or wild

3) Am I seeing Him clearly?  - when we understand who He is, we will do ANYTHING

--Instead of God get me out, we need to ask God, LET ME SEE YOU.

4) What am I willing to believe? (John 11:38-40)

If you believe, you will see the glory of God.  His promise is greater than your problem.

Matt Chandler (Catalyst Dallas)

Probably the most impacting speaker at the Catalyst Conference this year in Dallas was Matt Chandler.  He spoke words into my life that I needed to hear as Melissa and I have been trying for 8 months now to sell our house in South Carolina.  We have lowered the price and done plenty of other things to make the house move, yet God hasn't seen fit to sell the home.  As the months pressed forward, bitterness and anger began to build up.  That is until I was reminded of the truth of God's Word that Matt shared that night at Catalyst:

Problem:  We are not obsessed with God like those in previous generations.  We struggle for strength and to have faith.  We struggle to be in union with Christ.

Some of the reasons we struggle include:

1) Failure to believe in justification by grace -> Faith Alone!
     FAR TO MANY PEOPLE WANT APPROVAL.

1 Cor. 15:1 - Paul is passionately possessed with the importance of the Gospel.

***Ministry is a STUPID trade off for a real relationship with Jesus Christ***

2) Aversion to suffering and Struggle

--All of us want to be Joshua and not Moses.  Sometimes the greatest mercy of God can have on you is to wound you.  Suffering might not be a struggle to be solved, but a gift from God.
--When we blame God, we make him the sinner and us the victim.  We can "victim status" with God.

3) Failure to understand the doctrine of adoption

-in adoption you are CHOSEN
-Judicial picture of forgiveness we always get, adoption is the struggle
"To be right with God the judge is a great thing, to be adopted into His family is  a greater thing" J.I. Packer - Knowing God.


God is not frustrated waiting for us to grow up!!  GOD DELIGHTS IN ME!