Lead by following

At our Friday morning leadership meeting, we were discussed standing out in our culture in ways that people would want to follow. This reminded Richie of a video from youtube that perfectly exemplifies how sometimes, its the followers who make the biggest impact.

Is God asking you to be a leader, or a follower? Or are you still sitting and waiting, wishing to be apart of the fun?

How is clear is your cup?

When Richie talked about the "muddy water" the other night, it got me to thinking: what does my hypothetical cup of water look like? If someone were to witness my everyday life, would they see someone through murky water or something a bit clearer?

The truth is, none of us can really be crystal clear. We all have dirt in our lives. Whether it's what we watch on TV, listen to on the radio, or even the friends we choose for ourselves, what we allow into ourselves affects what we let out. That being said, we are only human. Things happens and if we don't keep up on our time with God and committing ourselves to him, the "dirt" can slowly start to fill the proverbial cup that is symbolic of our life.

Despite that, there is indeed a perfect solution. By making it a point to turn off a movie that isn't appropriate or not listening to music that is unedifying, we are purifying ourselves, making us freer for God to use as He intended. If we do this--really and truly, not half-heartedly--God's love will flow into us and make us clearer, like water.

Scriptual Inspiration: "But whosoever drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:10)


-Tiffany

Song of the Night

After Fusion, Bethany was curious what whose cover of "Come Thou Fount" we played tonight.

The answer: Zach Williams. Not our pianist Zach Williams, but the professional paid musician.

I couldn't find a high quality video of him performing the song, but this should suffice...




Hope ya'll have a splendid week! Don't forget to be diligent in the little things!

Hello!

I know you're probably checking this out thinking, "gee, I wish this had more frequent content that was really cool and stuff."

This is totally your opportunity to contribute!

email us at: thefusionblog@gmail.com

Lets make this blog excellent!

And here's another exclamation point for good measure!

Lending a helping hand to a family in need

This past week, Richie sent out a message on the facebook group with an update on this weekend's surprise (which I hope you all enjoyed!) and sharing an opportunity to help out members of our local community who have recently faced a terrible tragedy.

Last week, a 2 year old boy died in a house fire that destroyed a family's home. His mother risked serious injury (she is now being treated in the hospital) to save him. Her four other boys are staying in a hotel and have lost everything they owned.

Some local businesses are gathering donations and helping the family during this tough time, and we had the opportunity to collect funds to donate to the family. You all showed great generosity because last night we raised $400! Wow!

Now I want to challenge you all to be in prayer for this family; pray for healing of the mother and peace in her time of mourning, pray for the siblings--that they will be given the support they need to put their lives back together and pray that in all of this they will see that there is a loving God who wants to meet their needs in this time of devastation. He can restore hope and joy in any circumstance.

I want to thank you all for being willing to give. Even the little things make a difference.

The Vision by Pete Grieg

The Vision

So this guy comes up to me and says "what's the vision? What's the big idea?" I open my mouth and words come out like this… The vision?

The vision is JESUS – obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.

The vision is an army of young people.

You see bones? I see an army. And they are FREE from materialism.

They laugh at 9-5 little prisons.

They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday. They wouldn't even notice.

They know the meaning of the Matrix, the way the west was won. They are mobile like the wind, they belong to the nations. They need no passport.. People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence. They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.

What is the vision ?

The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes. It makes children laugh and adults angry. It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars. It scorns the good and strains for the best. It is dangerously pure.

Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation. It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games. This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause. A million times a day its soldiers choose to lose that they might one day win the great 'Well done' of faithful sons and daughters.

Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night. They don't need fame from names. Instead they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again: "COME ON!"

And this is the sound of the underground The whisper of history in the making Foundations shaking Revolutionaries dreaming once again Mystery is scheming in whispers Conspiracy is breathing… This is the sound of the underground

And the army is discipl(in)ed.

Young people who beat their bodies into submission.

Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms. The tattoo on their back boasts "for me to live is Christ and to die is gain".

Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes. Winners. Martyrs. Who can stop them ? Can hormones hold them back? Can failure succeed? Can fear scare them or death kill them ?

And the generation prays like a dying man with groans beyond talking, with warrior cries, sulphuric tears and with great barrow loads of laughter! Waiting. Watching: 24 – 7 – 365.

Whatever it takes they will give: Breaking the rules. Shaking mediocrity from its cosy little hide. Laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs, laughing at labels, fasting essentials. The advertisers cannot mold them. Hollywood cannot hold them. Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties before the cockerel cries.

They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive --inside.

On the outside? They hardly care. They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate but never to hide. Would they surrender their image or their popularity? They would lay down their very lives - swap seats with the man on death row - guilty as hell. A throne for an electric chair.

With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruitless days,

they pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all depends on them.

Their DNA chooses JESUS. (He breathes out, they breathe in.) Their subconscious sings. They had a blood transfusion with Jesus. Their words make demons scream in shopping centres. Don't you hear them coming? Herald the weirdo's! Summon the losers and the freaks. Here come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes. They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension. Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden.

And this vision will be. It will come to pass; it will come easily; it will come soon. How do I know? Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God. My tomorrow is his today. My distant hope is his 3D. And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great 'Amen!' from countless angels, from hero's of the faith, from Christ himself. And he is the original dreamer, the ultimate winner.

Guaranteed.

Gentle Giants

Last night at Fusion, we discussed the spiritual fruit gentleness. The phrase "power under restraint" really struck a cord in me because looking at our generation and culture, we know no restraints. People are rash, loud and don't want anyone telling them to hold back. The most outrageous are the ones that stay in the popular eye, and it's a shame.

The entire night, Fezzik the giant (from Princess Bride) kept popping into my head. He was menacingly massive and could pack a punch that'd knock a man out cold. But when I think about his character I don't associate him with violence, but his gentleness.

Yes, he did use his physical against others but his attitude was not haughty or prideful.

As we consider who we want to become, our display of meekness versus aggressiveness needs to be considered.

Remember, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves" (phil 2:3).

We can still be known as strong and powerful individuals without bringing others down.

Encouragement

It's that time of year again. As college students (or those who work with us), we're fully aware of the looming aspect of finals right around the corner. Even if we don't want to it's becoming easy to let assignments and due dates slip by in favor of doing things we're actually interested in. We look at our calendars every day, becoming increasingly frustrated when the deadline for our paper or exam does not seem to creep any closer. Sleep becomes a foreign concept to some and chances are that if you drink it, coffee is quickly becoming your new best friend.

Am I starting to sound familiar? Maybe it's just me, but either way it's important to find those quiet little moments and seek God first. Trust that He will meet us right where we are at. Even if we've begun to walk around like metaphorical "zombies" praying that just for once we can catch a break, it's also important to remember that God isn't going to give us anything we can't handle...despite the fact it may or may not always feel that way.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world gives, I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)

"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer & thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God...And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 4:6-7)

- Tiffany

The serenity prayer

Sometimes, when things seem too overwhelming and I cannot find the words to pray, I remember the serenity prayer:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

Obey Him with glad reckless joy.

Its Ragtime tech week.

For those of you who have no idea what that its: In the world of theatre it is the most stressful, sleep depriving, scrambling, frustrating, hot and sweaty... week before opening night.

When I find myself in a place where people are beginning to whine and complain about the current circumstances, something in my wants to rise up and fight the pessimism. But not with guns and hand-to-hand mortal combat, no, but with sparklers and bubbles. Yes. I want to fight with optimism.

In times like these when all of life seems like one frustrating, hopeless, mess I have a secret joy that lives within. I know that we have been faithful to pursue God throughout the whole process, and that if we continue to "look up" (as my director likes to say) we will find peace. And when I ask God to keep me optimistic, to give me hope, he delivers.

"But choosing joy over bitterness doesn't mean slapping a silly grin on your face." Notes writer Kara Scwab in an online article--Choosing Joy-- "And it's not about being bubbly, perky or giggly. Let's face it, sometimes happy people can be a bit annoying. Joy goes much deeper than any facial expression. And it's more intense and real than fleeting happiness. In his play Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare understands this solemn quality of joy, writing, "Silence is the perfectest herald of joy." How perfectly said."

Later in the article, she notes: "When I really looked at the Bible to see what it said about joy, the more I came to believe that joy is a decision of the will. Happiness may be something you feel. But joy is something you do. Throughout the Bible I saw action phrases like "shout for joy," "sing for joy" and "cry for joy."


This week is going to be full of opportunities to sink into pessimism. Zippers may snap and blocking may change, but the word of the Lord stands forever. And I'm going to fight for joy. My scriptural reminder? 1 Peter 1:3-8:

"³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...⁶In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."


(To read the full article mentioned above, check out boundless.org.)

Love

The past few weeks, we have been discussing the attributes of the Fruits of The Spirit. Its been a personal goal of mine that each week I search for quotes and scripture that help me to better understand these things.

Some time ago, I read this quote by Mr. Rogers. (Yes, our friendly neighbor Mr. Rogers.)

"Deep within us—no matter who we are—there lives a feeling of wanting to be lovable, of wanting to be the kind of person that others like to be with. And the greatest thing we can do is let people know that they are loved and capable of loving.”

Sometimes I struggle with "showing love" to others. Its one of those things that I have the greatest intentions to do, but expressing it is hard for me. Showing love to others really is an investment. If you want to deepen your relationships, you've got to be willing to step out of your routine knowing that the impact you will be making is so much greater than it would have been if you had spent that extra hour on facebook, or slept in till noon, or sat quietly in the back of the class...

Being Single with Intentionality

Danielle sent in this really great article (from Relevant) full of encouragement about how to spend your/my/our "singlehood." What do you think about the article? How do you spend your time as a single? Do you feel you could accomplish the same things if you were/are in a relationship?

Being Single with Intentionality

Glow-in-the-dark Putt-Putt, laser tag, make-your-own ice cream sundaes and skee ball. A teenager’s dream, right? The funny thing is, these activities are not a part of a teenybopper’s weekend schedule—they are actual events I have attended as an adult in singles’ ministry. While I have been reluctantly traipsing through dark, musty rooms clutching a laser gun, some of my married friends have been hosting dinner parties, having cookouts and building face-to-face community. Although I might have left with a Chinese yo-yo bought with my skee ball winnings, my married friends left with a deeper sense of belonging.

Because I’m single, is it assumed that I automatically enjoy perpetual icebreakers? Am I not ready to graduate to the land of sophistication and supper clubs, or is this just the fate of a woman who has failed in the dating department? Somehow, these self-deprecating ideas don’t mesh with what I know to be true about the way God loves me. So, how then, does a single person navigate through this season, finding appropriate amounts of community while not subjecting themselves to feeling as though they are stuck in the land of lock-ins? My answer to this has been intentionality.

I have been diligent about being intentional with this time that I have been given. As Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 7:7, “I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.” Paul is saying that single folks have a gift and like any gift, it needs to be used for the glory of the One who created them for that very purpose. Think outside of the box on this one.

While meeting someone for coffee and having deep, God-centered conversation could be the way you choose to use your time, don’t believe that it is the only way to do life with others. If you are an athlete, work out with someone regularly and be a constant source of friendship for them. Are you an artist? Take art lessons and get into the lives of the other people in the art community- people that you might not otherwise have gotten to know. Use your gift of free time as a single to do just what Paul suggests, “spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him”.

Although I live to cross things off of my daily “to do” list, resolution making and goal setting have never been things that come naturally to me. They are too long term and require too much accountability and discipline. While that is true, goal setting also gives this cautious soul the courage to do something that once seemed daunting. It challenges me to seek out my passions- things that might fall by the wayside because of other seemingly more important things like church sanctioned activities. Make the secular sacred through your intentionality and to God be the glory!

Posted using ShareThis

Refining Silver

Lisa sent me this article from John Ritter's website:

Refining Silver- Author Unknown

REFINING AND PURIFYING SILVER- Author Unknown Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy, when I see my image in it." If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

http://www.knowjesus.com/Encourage_refine.shtml

What do you think about me?

Last night Ricky spoke about "Learning Humbly." While his topics stretched from ants to the cosmos (to the mysterious acoustic drum box) I pulled one question from his message that I think I'm really going to dissect this week.

"Who do you say I am?"

I requested that we think about it. What do you say about yourself? What does the world say about you? The devil? Most importantly, God?

The world seemed easiest, because I could break it down into categories:

• Family
• Friends
• Professors
• Employees
• Strangers
• The media

Its interesting how all of those people might say something different about me. While my friends might say, "passionate and romantical" the media might say, "better with Covergirl concealer."

The devil is another easy one, he sees me as his prey. He wants to explore every weakness of my being and let me know that I am worthless, unlovely and hopeless.

Its funny, because when thinking about how I think about myself, the devil likes to slip in little asides. One minute I'll be thinking about how lucky I am to have such a great family, supportive friends and wonderful opportunities...and then a thought like "but I'm not good enough because I'm single," and like dominoes that whole list of good things will go toppling down.

Its really important that we, as Christians walking in victory through Jesus Christ, to be able to assess those thoughts (my Dad has always called it "stinking thinking") and rebuke them as lies.

This is why its so important to know what God thinks about us. Here are a few truths to start with:

• We (you, I) are children of God... "But to all who have received him--those who believe in his name--he has given the right to become God's children" John 1:12
• W (you, I) have been justified and redeemed... "But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Romans 3:24
• We (you, I) are not living under condemnation... "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1
• We (you, I) are fellow heirs with Christ... "And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ)--if indeed we suffer with him so we may also be glorified with him."Romans 8:17
• We (you, I) are triumphant and victorious in all things... "But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place" 2 Corinthians 2:14
• We (you, I) are blessed... "Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ." Ephesians 1:3
• We (you, I) are created to do good works... "For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them" Ephesians 2:10
• We (you, I) are LOVED... "We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you." 1 Thessalonians 1:4

This is just a small list of who we are in Christ and how God feels about us. Scripture is littered (minus the negative connotation) with scriptures like these!

So guys, this week be challenged to ask God what he thinks about you. Pray that God will show you in a very personal way, from scripture to a billboard sign you pass every day on the way to work. You will be surprised what you find out.

- Anna

Zephaniah 3:17

^"17 For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Rest assured this week that someone really cherishes you.

30 Days – Not That Much Time

If you only had one month to live, what would you do with your time, energy, and the things God has given you? That is the current topic of discussion right now each week at Fusion. I know for me it has changed the way I am thinking about life and the choices I make. The idea is that if you truly had one month to live, what would you do differently, and why are you not doing that now.

It is really inspiring and thought provoking to think about it. So far I have been challenged to rethink some priorities I have and to focus more on the relationships I have in life. I have a wife and 3 month old baby, and I only had 30 days before they would be without me I can assure you that I would be spending more time with them. I have enjoyed letting God take this time to work on me and help me to focus on the most important things in life. The things that will have a lasting impact.

This week Anna Williams gave a very challenging message about living out of the things that we are passionate about. God really convicted me of two things that I am not doing that I should be doing. Other than spending time with my family, I believe God wants me to pursue two other things I am passionate about: music and writing.

It is funny that God did that last night because I just recently started playing my bass guitar again after letting it sit in its case for many months. This week I got it out and dusted it off and played a little bit, and now God is really giving me the passion to start playing again. On top of that I have felt for quite a while that God has given me the ability to write and express what God is doing in my life through writing.

So today is the day I am trying to work these things out and make them a reality. I am about to meet with two other guys from the Fusion band to work on writing some songs God has put in our hearts (so be looking for some new songs soon). ☺ I am excited that God is really helping me to refocus my life and helping me to pursue the passions he has put in me.

Let God work on your heart, let Him refocus your life so that you can also experience the abundant life He has for you. Living for God is the best decision you will ever make, He has created you will passions that He wants you to pursue and develop. Don’t waste the things He has put in you. Today is the day you should pursue the things you want to accomplish, because we never know how much time we have here on earth.

- Richie

(Richie Lord is Fusion's head pastor and go-to guy. His golden beard is a testament to his wisdom and experience that comes to 5+ with the Park Avenue ministry.)

(Photo cred goes to Danielle Becker. Go Danielle Becker!)