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He Chose The Nails

This is an amazing book that does make you linger on the hill of Calvary. It puts a taste of cheap wine in your mouth and allows you to feel the scrape of a thorn on your brow. You can almost feel the timber and the nail in your hand and almost touch the velvet dirt, moist with the blood of God. The tools of torture do tell their story. You can't help it but stop and listen as they tell you what God did to win your heart.

He Chose the Nails does not disappoint. Not only will it anwser the question, "What has God done for me?" but it will take you on a journey of torture and impact. It opens your eyes.  It leads you into an even deeper understanding of what Jesus did for us. The author doesn't just provides a description of the way to the cross, he paints a vivid picture of Golgotha and invites you into the story. This book gives you something to remember, to hold in your heart. It shows that our salvation, in Jesus is not to be taken for granted. This is a great read that will help you remember that no matter how hard life may be, he chose us. He chose to suffer and die for us. That makes it all worth it.

Another great book by Max Lucado

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest opinion as part of their BookSneeze reviewer program. I was not required to give a positive review. 


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5 Reasons Why I Teach My Children To Tithe

see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love. 2 Corinthians 8:7-8

Generosity, tithing (10% of your income) and offering sermons are never popular. Mainly because some people don't like when you mess with their god. They feel the need to defend it. They want to to be in control and do whatever they want with what doesn't even belong to them in the first place. If you cannot give up everything (including control) you cannot be Jesus' disciple. Jesus never asked for 10%. He asks for 100%. 

I teach my children to do two things with their money: 1) to bring 10% of their income to the church and 2) to put 10% towards savings.

We have to be intentional towards generosity. We need to display it to our children and God's House is a great way to do this. Some people right now are teaching their children to gather, be in total control and fearful when comes to trusting God. Tithing is the first step. There is also offerings and the whole concept of leading a generous life.

Do you have to tithe? No. Are there consequences? Yes. 

Here are five reasons why I teach my children to tithe:

  1. Tithing teaches them gratitude, NOT a sense of entitlement. 
  2. Tithing teaches them that God is in absolute control of their finances NOT them.
  3. Tithing  teaches them to set their treasure in the right place. 
  4. Tithing  teaches them passion and zeal for God's House.
  5. Tithing teaches them the principle of firstfruits. God must ALWAYS be first.
What about you? What are you teaching the next generation?

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10 Tips On Raising Boys

Here are 10 things that you need to know:

1. Reflect God’s love. Talking about it is not enough. When young the boy needs to know that he is loved. When he is a teenager he needs to know that he's got what it takes. Just tell them a million times a day: "Son I love you!", "Son you have what it takes!"

2. Discover who your child is and draw out their potential. Observe what he likes and what he is good at.

3. A father can only be a good father if they are in touch with their heavenly father. No compromise here, you have to seek God.

4. A son will imitate and reflect his father. Monkey see, monkey do! If you respect people he'll do the same. If you have integrity he will copy you. If you treat women right he will be a gentleman just like you.

5. A child derives their identity from his father. "You are a wimp!",  "You cry like a girl!", What are you speaking into your son's life? replace all the negative words with: "You are a winner!", "You are smart" etc.

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Boys Need Adventure

... a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” - God, Luke 3:22

Yesterday I went on an adventure with a really cool dude! We went to Leckhampton Hill and walked right to the top. We got ourselves lost in the 'forest'. Went to the swing and climbed some rocks. We also stopped and to eat some junk food overlooking Cheltenham. We had a blast!

Daniel is 6 now and even though he has my nature (a peaceful and laid back attitude) he does appreciate a good adventure. That's actually an understatement: He absolutely loves it!

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I've Just Been On A Date With A Younger Girl

I have got to confess it was love at first sight. I could not help it. She is the most beautiful young girl I've ever seen. Where did we meet? When did I fall in love? It was right there at the twenty weeks scan. When I saw her face through the screen. She looked like she was looking right into my eyes. It was love at first sight. 

My wife when you read this I want you to know that I've vowed to devote myself to this little girl. Hopefully together we will raise a beautiful princess that will enchant with grace everyone she meets. Above all I pray that she will enchant her Father in heaven with her love for Him.

Amy and I went out on our very first 'official' date today. I took her to a coffee shop. We spent precious time nibbling and chatting. It was a delightful, priceless time. Hear the sound of joy of a very happy little princess here. I recorded the song she wrote on our way home. If you don't know Amy means 'beloved'.

Men's Night at CW's

Yesterday we had our very first Men's Night out. In case you missed it, it was awesome! And the journey hasn't even started yet. There will be plenty of surprises along the way.

The Grace of God

Simple. Insightful. Life changing.

What a masterpiece! You will definitely have to take your time reading this book, not because it's a slow reader but because it will invite you into a journey exploring stories about Abraham, Judah, Rahab, Jonah, Levi, Nicodemus, the thief on the cross and more to illustrate God's grace. Andy Stanley invites you to find God's grace in the most unlikely and sometimes obscure circumstances. This book you will show you that God, through his amazing grace, provides you with a label of his own: Forgiven. Accepted. Loved.

I highly recommend this book to those who want to understand more about the grace of God and also to those who have to teach on the word. Andy travels through the Bible right from the beginning showing God’s grace from Genesis to the Gospels. It’s a fascinating and insightful study on a subject that can very often be difficult to understand and to teach.

At the end of this book you will even find that you have a better understanding of why God responded the way He did in many of the Old Testament stories.

3 Thoughts About Happiness

I've found that happiness is the result of three things:

1. Perspective
Happiness does not depend on how your life is arranged. It depends on how your mind is arranged. We create much of our unhappiness, we see what is wrong rather than what’s right. We focus on what we don’t have instead of what we do have. Happiness is the result of your perspective not the product of your circumstance.

2. Attitude
We have what we need to be happy. What we struggle with is our attitude. Have a positive attitude and celebrate each day. Every day is a gift from God! Replace the 'I’ve got to'  mindset with the 'I get to' attitude. You don't say, “I’ve got to go to work!” - No, the right attitude is “I get to go to work!”

3. Decision
Happiness is something you decide ahead of time. You can choose to either be merry or miserable. Blessed or depressed. Delighted or dejected. When you wake up in the morning you have to decide what kind of day you want to have. Your happiness is not dependent or your circumstances. It’s dependent on your choices. You are as happy as you decided to be therefore give yourself permission to be happy every day. Don’t wait for a holiday or a special event, Psalm 118:24 says,"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Quickly recognise, reject and eject negative thoughts. Happiness is your right, use it. Choose happiness.

The Most Beautiful Place... Ever!

I absolutely love Cheltenham! Located at the heart of the Cotswolds Cheltenham is such a beautiful place to live. Characterised by intricate ironwork balconies and painted stucco façades, line the historic Promenade, squares and terraces. With its award-winning gardens, impressive range of stylish shops and restaurants, and its festivals of music and literature there is always something great to do.

Check out these awesome photos taken by Lorah

What about you? What is your favourite place?

All Night Prayer

I love our prayer nights, they are just awesome. You cannot help feeling closer to God as we refuse to move until He moves His hand on our behalf. 

Please note that at D7 we don't use prayer as an excuse to our apathy and inertia. We will intentionally find opportunities to get our hands dirty! You see without you,  God will not do what only you can. That's your duty! Without God you cannot do what only He can. That's His power! We have limits but He doesn't. He can heal that disease that has been plaguing your child, He has the power to turn your marriage around, He can set you free from the addiction that has been slowly eating up your body, He can change our community and He is powerful enough to heal our nation. Without God, you cannot. Without you, God will not. All He needs is a bunch of people that are bold enough to ask!

We believe in 2 Chronicles 7:14, which says: "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."  

What about you? Do you believe that prayer can move mountains? If so refuse to stay home tonight! Talk yourself into it and find excuses not not to turn up. You will not regret it! - There is something powerful about a bunch of people gathering together to seek God.

Join us for a great night of seeking God, praying for our world, our church and our city and nation. For venue details and general information please get in touch.

Building Great Team Members

You cannot build a strong organisation without a strong team. You cannot build a strong team without building the individuals within the team.  Ask the individual team members the following:


1. What their main challenge is (Problem).
2. What they need in order to perform (Need).
3. What their passion is (Passion).
4. What you can provide (Solution).

The chart above has helped me to quickly assess where a team member is at. You might find it overly simplistic, but I like simple. I believe simple can help us leaders to unclutter, to see clearly beyond the mess and focus on the results we are looking for.

Let's look into the four categories;

Problem - When you detect a problem (e.g. poor performance) within a team you've got to act immediately. You just cannot afford to ignore the issue and expect it to go away. It won't! The longer you take the more the problem will grow and spread among the team. So write the main problem on this part of the chart.

Need - Is the problem caused by a particular need (e.g. training). Assess the need by asking direct questions (e.g. what do you think your primary need is?).  Also assess past performance to detect the need.

Passion - Do you know what your team member is passionate about? This part of the chart should be revealing something to you. Is the person in the right role? Perhaps his dreams are different to what he is doing at the moment. People will flourish when they start doing what they love. After discussing the topic add your team member's passion to this part of the chart. 

Solution - This is your chance to write down a solution in order to move your team member forward. Take this opportunity to describe what is required from you and your team member in order to achieve results. Be concise and clear - I've found that too much information tends to get people confused.

The chart above can also be used in interviews, appraisals, coaching and informal meetings.  If you want to zero in on a problem, focus, think, develop and provide clear solutions with clear instructions, why not give the above development chart a try and let me know if it worked for you too. 

Keep it simple!

Emotion vs. Passion

Being around people that are passionate about the same things that you are, will fuel your passion. Nothing great is ever accomplished and sustained without passion. Emotions might offer a starting point but they will not produce sustainable results. Where emotion is a strong feeling, passion is an intense desire. 

Therefore same passion = more passion. Being around passionate people will generate more passion.

Emotion vs. Passion

Emotion says: “I will!” but then doesn’t (or if it does it can’t sustain it when emotions fade).
Passion says: “I will!” and it does more than what’s required.

Emotion gives some when convenient.
Passion gives it all consistently.

Emotion serves until it becomes uncomfortable.
Passion serves despite of discomfort.

Emotion has a strong sense of obligation.
Passion has a strong sense of purpose.

Emotion will lie to you.
Passion will always be true.

Emotion doesn’t count the cost and gives up.
Passion counts the cost and chooses to pay the price.

What are you passionate about? If people cannot tell you what your passion is you haven't got one. Why not start by being passionate about God's house (The Church)? If Jesus was passionate enough to build it and die for it, it must be something that we should also be passionate about and set it as the top of our priorities.

Bath

Since we are predicting an insanely busy 2012, Angela and I decided to escape the already busy 2011 and tried to squeeze a little break in between. Our destination: the gorgeous world heritage site of Bath

Bath presents some of the finest architectural sights in Europe and is located quite close to our home in the Cotswolds. Bath has a diverse collection of museums and attractions, including the world famous Roman Baths and stunning Thermae Bath Spa.

We stayed at The White Guest House and did not regret it. The room was cosy and warm and the price was just right. Definitely recommended if you don't want to blow the budget but still want something really nice.

If you ever make it there make sure you visit Hudson Steak House and ask for their sirloin steak. With an excellent atmosphere, friendly staff, and gorgeous food you will not regret the experience.

We believe 2012 is going to be awesome and we are looking forward to what God has is store for us at D7 Church

Happy 2012 everyone!!!