I can never get enough of Grace, so I decided to include this on the blog.

If you liked this post, be sure and share it.

Find more at My YouTube Channel.

Welcome to your morning minute.

Your word for the day is: Grace.

Live in Grace.
Grace means God likes you.
Living in Grace means: Stop living as if God hates you and is just waiting on the right opportunity to SMITE you.
You may not understand this if you don’t have kids, but God loves everything about you.
His love is truly unconditional. Stop trying to earn it.

Your mantra should be:
Because of Grace, I am the righteousness of God in Christ.

Live in grace and experience the amazing LIFE God has for you.

Thanks for listening to your morning minute. Pass it on.

If you liked this post, be sure and share it.

Find more at My YouTube Channel.

Not Evil
Not Hate
Not Intolerance

The opposite of love is not hate.
Hatred contains passion.
No, the opposite of Love is Apathy.
And the antithesis of Apathy,
Is Desire.

Nothing happens without desire.
Nothing happens without love.
This is the cure for Apathy.
This is the story of the cure.

This is the story of
When Love Came to Town
****

When love came to town in my life
I had already quit looking for it.
I had been through relationship after relationship.
I had decided that I was through looking -
If it came – it would come looking for me.

I was traveling with a group of guys in a ministry -
That was more of a Blue collar comedy tour
For Christian youth.

My brother, who was on the tour with me, tried to set me up with this girl he knew…
The girl I met that night,
spent the entire evening talking to my friend.

Needless to say,
Things did not work out.

The next time I saw her,
I was speaking at her church.
I found out later she asked her friends,
“What is he doing here?”

Amazingly, she was not enamored of my many charms.
A trend that was to continue…

Our first official date:
A Wallflowers concert,
And…because I really know how to treat a lady…
It was followed by Waffle House.
After which, she promptly got sick.

Our typical date was spent at her parents house,
In the living room.
We weren’t dating.
We were courting!

Then one day it happened:
I realized, I’m in love!

So I told her
In the bright moonlight
On the street behind her parents’ house.
After which, a trio of armadillos traipsed across the street.
Yep. Country love at its finest.

And although it took me a while,
I convinced her she loved me too,

I eventually won her over.
And we both committed to the RELATIONSHIP.

We’ve had our ups and downs;
But we’re still around.
Because that’s what happens
when love comes to town.
****

On the day Love came to town:

It came – unassuming.
It came – humbly.
It was welcomed.
—- With much fanfare,
—- With rejoicing,
—- With Palm branches waving,
—- With coats thrown in the street to smooth the
rough and uneven walkway.

On the day Love came to town:

It was doubted.
It was questioned.
It was crucified.
It was buried.
It Rose. — Afresh, Anew and Life-giving.

When Love comes to town:

The unexpected happens.
The unusual becomes commonplace.
The uncommon is practiced with abandon.

When Love came to town:

He built a bridge
that spanned the chasm of the soul.

When the bridge-builder builds:

He joins 2 separated sides.
He creates a culture of mutual exchange.
A bridge joins the head,
the hands and the heart.

Jesus came to bridge the gulf
Between God and Man.
Jesus also came to build a bridge
Between man and man.
*****

I remember once being
On what I thought
Was the opposing side
Of a theological argument
With a friend of mine.
Then, one day he took me to lunch
And after our conversation I realized,
There was no argument
Only relationship.
Because my friend
Was more interested in –building bridges,
Than burning them.
****

Life moves at the speed of relationship.

And Relationship is the sole passion
Of Jesus Christ.

If you say you follow Jesus
Then you will follow his passion.
And if you follow his passion -

You will busy yourself building,
healing, and resurrecting relationships.

In the last week of his physical life
And ministry
Jesus laid a plan for
Building a relationship bridge.

If you follow his story that last week,
You will find 3 steps to building a bridge.

1. Communicate.

a. Luke 21:37-38

37 During the day, He was teaching in the temple complex, but in the evening He would go out and spend the night on what is called the Mount of Olives. 38 Then all the people would come early in the morning to hear Him in the temple complex.

b. He is involved –daily in an exchange.
Speaking, Listening,
Asking, Answering,
In the places with the most people.
c. If you want to build a bridge,
You must begin with communication.

2. Forgive.

a. Make a list:
Judas,
Simon Peter,
The Jews,
The Romans,
The thief at his side.
b. If you are a bridge-builder
You will be involved in forgiveness.

3. Become the bridge.

a. Finally, finding no greater material,
He lays himself down to –build
the bridge between God and man.
b. You have been gifted with no greater material
than that of your love,
your passion,
your giving,
your commitment,
your gratitude,
your focus,
your desire,
your thoughtfulness,

Would you rather focus more
On burning bridges?
Or building bridges?

Yes.

The single greatest malady
Facing our society
Is: Relationship Apathy.

But I have a hope.

Because, you are called by God
To build a bridge.
A bridge to bring hope
To broken, bruised, and
Barren relationships
In your community.

So there is hope.

Hope for Spouses,
Hope for friends,
Hope for businesses,
Hope for parents,
Hope for children.

This church,
Your Church,
Is a church that builds a bridge.
Your community
And your lives
Will never be the same.

Its designed to hover around the 60 second mark
and deliver inspiration and motivation for your day.

Here are is a sample of the first one.

Be Yourself.
You are created perfect and are the best and ONLY version of you the world needs right now.
Don’t be a clone.
Stop worrying about what anyone else thinks, says, or does about you.
You are Unique for a Purpose.
Be that.

If you dig what you see – please “like” it and pass it on.
I’d love to start a conversation on positive beginnings.

The second most important law in all of Scripture, is hospitality.
The first, and most important, is:
“Love the Lord your God
With all your heart,
With all your soul,
With all your strength,
And with all your mind.”
But, if you hope to see Jesus,
You’d better become a practitioner of
–Hospitality.

It was a typical Thanksgiving.
My mom bustling around the kitchen.
Taking the turkey and dressing
She had made three days before
Out of the freezer and
Popping it into the oven.
Ham, turkey, giblet gravy, cranberry sauce,
Green bean casserole,
Sweet potato casserole,

And chicken and wild rice
Casserole for the
Weirdest American of all, me,
Who did not eat dressing.

Yes, it was just another normal Thanksgiving day.
Until mom dropped the bombshell.

I couldn’t believe my ears.
Today was not just going to be “family.”
Mom and Dad had talked and
Decided to open the doors of our
Thanksgiving dinner to some “others.”

Several people were going to be there
Who were not family
And were not a part of our usual customs…

I was not happy.
Thanksgiving was comfortable.
It was our family.
Our tribe .
Our rituals.
Our customs.
And frankly,
I did not want anyone else included.

To make matters worse,
I was seated in the middle of the table.
If you’ve never been stuck
In the middle of a long dinner table,
Not only is your plate situated on the crack,
Which is always uneven,
But I’ll also let you know it is:
The “passing” position.

When you have a long family dinner table,
All the condiments go in the middle and
If you sit in the middle,
Everyone keeps asking you to pass them:
Back and forth,
Back and forth,
Back and forth
All. Dinner. Long.

Amazingly enough, once I got over myself,
I wound up having a good time.
Then, when we’d cleared the tables
After dessert,
We broke out board games and
Had a grand time playing and
Talking to one another for hours afterward.

To this day,
That is one of my most well remembered
Thanksgiving dinners.

Hospitality,
One of the most important
Yet undervalued principles in the scripture,
Winds its way into the very fabric
Of the word of God.

We see the hospitality principle
First in the story of
The punishment of Cain,
In Genesis 4.

After Cain killed his brother Abel,
God cursed him by
Kicking him out of his tribe.
It wasn’t so much that he had to wander,
As it was that no one would take him in.
Such was the stigma or danger
Of being an outsider,
That God had to put a mark on Cain
To let everyone know who he was,
And that God cursed him
So they would not kill him
Simply for being “other.”

Reading further in Genesis we find:
One of the reasons
Abraham was so blessed was,
He never lost an opportunity
To be hospitable.

What is it like to be the “Stranger?”

“People are strange when you’re a stranger
Faces look ugly when you’re alone”

Sorry,
Couldn’t resist a little Jim Morrison there…

When I was 19, I went on a mission-trip
To Eastern Europe.
At that time,
These countries had only recently
Overthrown the shackles of communism
And everyone still looked on
Foreigners with distrust.
To make matters worse,
One of the guys I was traveling with
Was the very definition of:
“Big, Ugly American.”
As we walked downtown
Budapest, Hungary
(One of the most beautiful cities
In the world)
He sang at the top of his lungs “Downtown!”
All eyes were definitely on us.
And not with looks of kindness.
He turned up his nose at food offered to us.
He made loud complaints about our lodging
And the hygiene of the cities we visited.
We secretly prayed that the
KGB was still active and
They would come take him away.

When YOU are the stranger,
The sights are different.
The people are different.
The customs are uncomfortable.
The language is unintelligible.
Eating is an adventure.

When YOU are the stranger,
Any kindness is appreciated.
Hospitality and friendship is welcome.

So,
How can we show hospitality to the stranger today?

1. Open your home.
(Be practical and use wisdom, here.
But I am not just talking about those you
Already know very well…)
2. Greet guests at the doors
(And everywhere else) of the church.
3. Find ways to show respect,
Value, and honor to “the other.”
4. Volunteer at a homeless shelter/
Soup kitchen.
5. Pursue opportunities to show justice.
– Stand up/Speak up for those who can’t.
– Protect those who
Cannot protect themselves.

James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion
Before our God and Father is this:
To look after orphans and widows
In their distress and
To keep oneself unstained by the world.

– Look for people in
“Uncomfortable” situations and
Offer them comfort.

The most important thing about Hospitality is:
Why we are to show it.

Here are some reasons why:

1. It is a commandment.
-Love your neighbor as yourself.

Leviticus 19:18 “…love your neighbor as yourself…”

Matthew 22:37-40 37He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.38This is the greatest and most important command.39The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.40All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

Mark12:29-31 29“This is the most important,” Jesus answered:Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. 31“The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”

Luke 10:25-29 25Just then an expert in the law stood up to test Him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? ”26“What is written in the law? ” He asked him. “How do you read it? ”27He answered:Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.28“You’ve answered correctly,” He told him. “Do this and you will live.” 29But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor? ”

2. It shows a heart of Gratitude to God.

- God showed us the hospitality of
His Presence and his Grace.
- Can we do any less?

3. It reveals the brotherhood of humanity.
- We are all one.

4. It shows that you remember –
That you were once a stranger.
A “journeyer.”

Exodus 23:9You must not oppress
A foreign resident;
You yourselves know how it feels
To be a foreigner because you were
Foreigners in the land of Egypt.

5. It is a way to hear messages from Angels.
- Abraham

Hebrews 13:2.
2 Don’t neglect to show hospitality,
For by doing this
Some have welcomed angels as guests Without knowing it.

6. It is a way to see, hear, and receive Jesus.

Luke 24:28-29,35 28They came near the village where they were going, and He gave the impression that He was going farther. 29But they urged Him: “Stay with us, because it’s almost evening, and now the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them.
35Then they began to describe what had happened on the road and how He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

If you want to know Jesus,
Show Hospitality.

For you are never more like him,
And never closer to him
Than when you are kind to strangers.

For he said,

“Whatever you have done unto the least of these, who are my brethren, you have done unto me.”

The transformation of your ideas
From thought into reality
Depends solely
On your ability to communicate.

Because we are human beings and can verbally articulate our ideas and thought processes, public speaking will always be an extremely important way to spread ideas.

Ideas need presentation.

No matter your walk of life: the realization of your ideas, from your brain, to your lips, to –our ears, into solidified reality depends solely on your ability to communicate.

With that in mind, I’d like to give you:

Five steps toward becoming a
Superstar Presenter.

1. Research.

Know your subject.

According to Malcolm Gladwell, it takes 10,000 hours of practice at something to
become an “expert.” If that be the case,
then each of us, by virtue of our life’s “practice,” is an expert in something.

You may not have 10,000 hours to prepare for your presentation. However, I suggest that you utilize 10 hours at a minimum if you want to, at the very least, sound as if you know a little about that of which you speak.

Use resources:

I’ll never forget being on hand to pick up an arriving speaker who was one of my earliest heroes. I was with my dad, I was 11 years old. When we got to the airport.
He was traveling by himself, and he had three full-size suitcases. They were not light. I remember struggling to assist in loading them into our vehicle. When we got to the hotel I helped bring them inside his room. Being a kid I was very inquisitive and wondered why would you need so much luggage?

With a twinkle in his eye, he opened each of the suitcases. Half of one contained his clothing and toiletries for travel. The other half of that suitcase and the other two suitcases were filled with books, magazines, articles, and reference materials. He stared at me and I will never forget what he said,

“Boy, You are the same today
As you’ll be in five years
Except for two things,
The books you read
And the people you meet.”

Research.

Of course, thankfully, I now carry in my cell phone thousands of suitcases full of books, information and research material. There is no limit to what you can discover about your chosen topic or idea if you research it.

Google it.
Bing it.
Yahoo it.
Ask Jeeves.
Or go to the library.
Public or University.
There is no excuse for lack of research.

Very quickly, here are three things to consider when researching:

I. Look for inter-connecting ideas.
-Ideas that fit together.
-Ideas that help build structure.
-A system of roads that get you to your destination.

II. Look for mapping points
-Along the journey of your talk.
-If the interconnecting ideas are a roadway, then the mapping points are pushpins that signal the actual turns in the route that I’m taking.

If research is a way of vectoring to your destination, the third thing to look for is:

III. Points of interest.
-What stories can I tell?
-What quotes can I quote?
-Are there facts and figures I can give to back up my ideas?

So, research provides
The way to get to your point.

2.Plan.

How much time do you have?
Fit your speech into your time.

“If what you have to say
Cannot be said in 20 minutes,
It doesn’t need to be said.”
– Ronald Reagan

Outline your speech.
Point by point.
Then, write it out word for word.

Find out approximately how many you will be speaking to.

If you can; get to the venue in advance. Where does the podium stand? Where do the people sit? How much space is there between you and the audience? Will there be a microphone?

I remember watching Garth Brooks in a documentary. He went and sat on the very top seat at the very back of the auditorium where he was performing that night. He looked into the camera and said, “The person in this seat is who I am aiming for. Because if I can reach this person tonight. I can entertain this whole crowd.

Make plans for your presentation, and follow them.

3. Practice.

“Practice doesn’t make perfect,
Practice makes permanent.”
– Larry Gelwix

Practice continually.

To prepare for this speech when I gave it this week, I started a stopwatch. I stood in front of a mirror, quoted what I had memorized, and read from my notes what I did not. When I finished the speech I stopped the watch so that I would know exactly how much time this speech takes to deliver.

Time is of the essence.

The last thing anyone wants is for you to stand there with 45 pages of notes.
We don’t care if you’re a Nobel prize winner.
(Actually, that probably means it will just be more boring.)

One of the most remembered speeches in American history is “The Gettysburg Address.”

The organizers of the dedication of the cemetery at Gettysburg had booked the premier orator of the day, Senator Edward Everett, to speak on this monumental occasion. Senator Everett (Whose name I had to research in preparation of this presentation) spoke for two hours.

President Lincoln, somewhat an afterthought of the occasion, spoke for two minutes. I don’t have to ask you which one you think of when you hear the name Gettysburg. Most of us know the opening lines by heart.

Time is of the essence.

In my side business, crafting creative presentations for Pastors and CEOs, the biggest problem spots I have seen are HABITS.

Practice is essential.
However, it is not just THAT you practice, but WHAT you practice, that will make or break your presentation.

4. Habits.

Most of these are self-explanatory:

- Stance.
- Posture.
- Cadence.
- Timing.
If you want to learn timing, watch the great comedians. Especially live. Steve Martin has a –practiced, rehearsed timing that never fails. Robin Williams – with his machine-gun delivery, times his lines so that each laugh builds to the next, until there is a crescendo of laughter echoing in the building. Why has Billy Crystal hosted the Oscars nine times? Impeccable timing.

- Facial expressions.
Charlie Chaplin.
Laurel and Hardy.
Harold Lloyd.
Youtube them…

- Motions and Body language.

In the Movie “Talladega Nights” Will Ferrill’s Ricky Bobby character has problems in a television interview: “I don’t know what to do with my hands,” He says, as his hands keep rising to the level of his face.
Your gestures matter.

Practice your practices,
Until they become habits.

So far,
We’ve talked a lot about presentations.

The Importance of:
Research.
Planning.
Practice.
Good Habits.

But:
The most important thing about your speech is not what you say,
It’s:

5. What’s BEHIND what you say.

Because the most powerful speakers
Don’t make an impression,
They make a difference.

“I have a dream this afternoon.”

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”

“Never give up. Never, never, never, never give up.”

I don’t have to tell you who, where, or when. You know who made these quotes. You probably even know the context. Because the greatest speakers make more than just an impression. They make a difference.

It doesn’t matter what your topic.
Make a difference.

I believe you can change the world by the strategic presentation of your ideas.

Your passion, and the Purpose for which you speak are the most important elements of any presentation.

When the meeting is over.
When the crowd has gone home.
They will remember the impression.
But they will LIVE
With the difference you made.

The transformation of your ideas
From thought into reality
Depends solely
On your ability to communicate.

I learned public speaking
To a group of 40 inner-city kids,
Ages 12-18.
At 16, and the Pastor’s son,
I was chosen to be the Youth Director
Of our church.
How do you speak to 40 inner-city kids and
Keep them awake at the same time,
When they have the
Attention span of a gnat?
Trial by fire, right?

My competition?
Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, heck,
ALL the Saturday Night Live crew,
Plus – Run DMC, Tom Hanks, LL Cool J,
Cory Feldman, Cory Haim, and Kid N Play.

Thankfully, my only competition
On Sunday mornings was
Rick Dees and the weekly top 40.
I wasn’t given respect,
I earned it.
I wasn’t given close attention,
I grabbed it with both hands and
Forced them to listen to me
For the short amount of time I spoke.

Long before iPhones or iPods,
I dealt with Sony Walkmans,
Comic books,
Fights, and gossip.
I vividly recall gang fights
Broken up by our 6’6″ 325 lb.
Former drill sergeant,
Head usher.

If it wasn’t fights,
It was romance.
There is nothing more distracting
To a public speaker
Than two teenagers on the back row
Just about to go NC-17.

Then, just as I’d gotten a handle
On speaking to that age group.
I was asked to speak to
A very large,
Very respectable,
Very Conservative,
–Older Congregation.

To this day, I have no idea
What possessed the pastor to
Call upon –me.
I’m sure he’s still wondering
The same thing.

Admittedly:
My interpretation of
“David and Goliath” as
“Rocky vs Hulk Hogan”
Was way out of line.
But, you’d think they could have
Given me a courtesy chuckle, at least!

Somehow, I progressed.
Slowly.
And,
Thankfully,
Over the years,
I have been fortunate enough to
Develop a few processes to
Make speaking –easier.

Because we are human beings
And can verbally articulate our
Ideas and thought processes,
Public speaking will always be
An important extremely important
Way to spread ideas.

For the next few days I’ll follow up this post with a series
on 5 ways to help you be a better speaker and presenter.

Any questions? Let me know in the comments.

Far from the presumptuous, condescending rhetoric that normally fills such tomes, WANH is a solid, gritty, and (mostly) judgment-free glimpse into the soul of an artist-on-the-brink.
Strangely, this raw blend of scripture, experience, and personal truth is fascinatingly familiar. You cannot help but find yourself in the warrens of this soul-journal.
Cory writes as an everyman for the young adult set and it comes through in his honest portrayal of himself. Hanging himself out – the good, bad, and the horrible – is a hallmark of Cory’s writing. At times more “writhing” than writing, Copeland’s scribing is always heartfelt and connecting.

If you’ve never read it, you owe it to yourself to check out his blog.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to spend 31 days in the company of someone who has been where you are (is still there) and can offer his services as companion/guide through the wilderness of spiritual formation.

Today (03/27/2013) WANH is FREE. Get it here.

Thank you Cory, my friend, for writing a devotional for the rest of us.

Jonathan

Breaking news today:

The Italian High Court has decided that Amanda Knox needs to be tried again…
For the 3rd TIME.
First, the former foreign-exchange student was convicted of murdering her roomate.
Second, (four years later) she was acquitted.
Now, they say the trial was handled improperly and it needs to be “done over.”
 
I guess they don’t have a “double-jeopardy” clause in Italy.
You know?
The clause in the Fifth Amendment that prevents the government from prosecuting someone for the same crime more than once?
 
The injustice of this scenario screams at me.
It’s OVER already.
Enough is enough.
 
Yet, simultaneously, I think of many people I know in a similar situation.
People lost in a dungeon of tortured despair.
 
People who claim to follow Christ – yet are insanely fearful of an Ogre Father/God/Judge who is just waiting to sneeringly re-try and mockingly cast them – guilty and screaming into the pit.
 
Who do you think Jesus IS?!?
Why do you think he came?
 
STOP IT.
Enough with the self-recrimination.
 
Jesus died to abolish our sins and connect us to the Father.
Once, and for all.
Now; there is…no…condemnation. No guilty verdict.
 
And what’s more:
You may NEVER be tried again.
Where sin grew – Grace grew larger… exponentially so.
 
Stop living in fear.
Start living in Grace.
 
Only when you Love God can you Honor him.
Loving God comes from Grace.
When you stop being so “sin conscious” and start being “Grace conscious,” life moves into focus.
 
And you can truly live.
 

Romans 5:20, 7:24-25, 8:1-3, 37-39, 2 Corinthians 5: 18-21.

Yes, I said a hymn.
For those of you who know me, that’s a bit of a stretch.
I’ve always been more of a rocker and didn’t really get the whole “hymn thing.”
Well, I guess with age/experience comes wisdom…or something…

I turned with the other congregants to page 114 in the UMC Hymnal (did I mention we used a hymnal?!?), waited for the organist (Pipe – not Hammond B3…) to play the intro, and did my best to blend my voice with theirs in a song I’d never heard:

Many Gifts, One Spirit.

I don’t know why it touched such a chord with me. Many hymns have been doing that lately. Something about the connection in Spirit with the multitudes of believers – sometimes from hundreds of years ago – that brings me to a place I’ve never experienced in Christ.

Make of this what you will.

Today, I’ve decided to include the lyrics of this particular hymn.
If it touches you also, let me know.
If it doesn’t, no worries, there is plenty of time for you to mature (haha!).

Many Gifts, One Spirit.

God of change and glory, God of time and space,
When we fear the future, give to us your grace.
In the midst of changing ways give us still the grace to praise.

Refrain:
Many gifts, one Spirit, one love known in many ways.
In our difference is blessing, from diversity we praise
One Giver, one Lord, one Spirit, one Word
Known in many ways, hallowing our days.
For the Giver, for the gifts, praise, praise, praise!

God of many colors, God of many signs,
You have made us different, blessing many kinds.
As the old ways disappear, let your love cast out our fear.

Refrain

Freshness of the morning, newness of each night,
You are still creating endless love and light.
This we see, as shadows part, many gifts from one great heart.

Refrain

You can youtube it for the melody (please lower your expectations…), but I’ve come to the conclusion that hymns are meant to be enjoyed/appreciated in community and harmony. Recording them simply doesn’t do justice.

Oh yes, I still enjoy Jesus Culture, Kari Jobe and Hillsong.
Heck, I enjoy Creedence Clearwater Revival, Pearl Jam and Kings of Leon.

I never said my personality changed.

I guess I’m unable to explain it.
When Spirit moves, sometimes words won’t do.