Jesus Manifesto-- I Signed Up Today

The JESUS MANIFESTO book came highly recommended by my friend Chuck Harris and my friend John Voelz wrote a song inspired and commissioned for the book.

I can't tell you what an impact that this book has had on me.  I'm a little over half way through it and it is as if I've put on a new pair of glasses and I see things in such a different way.

It's coming out in my thoughts and in my speaking (message preparation and worship leadership).  It's even coming out in my counseling (as I tell people to live with the knowledge that this mystery is "Christ in you the hope of glory".

To live with the knowledge of the "presence" of Christ living in you makes you very conscious of what you do, think and go.  It's for me like the Father Lawrence phrase of "practicing the presence of God"

Have you every read a book that has had this impact on you?

NATIONAL WORSHIP LEADERS CONFERENCE: Tuesday Morning--Dr. Leonard Sweet

Tuesday at the NWLC

Today opened with a sweet set of music from the Riverbend Choir and Fernando Ortega as they presented songs from The Odes Project.  Fernandos worship set was  sweet as he did as only he could do

Praise To The Lord, The Almighty

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

I Will Sing of My Redeemer

Then Len Sweet brought an amazing talk on the Metaphors that will reach this generation for Christ.  They are:

1. Design--everything is designed today and we as the church must embrace the process of design (not the product) in order to communicate the gospel.  I blogged about design last week on Watercooler Wednesday.

2. Transformation (the oyster)--we are all becoming by the power of Christ

3.  Pilgrim (Journey)--we need more followers of Christ--not more leaders (ouch!)

4.  Connections (Web)--we are all more connected (1/2 of the world's population uses a cell phone--not to mention the connections via web (aka-Twitter and blog world) I met two fellow twitter buds today at the Planning Center booth.

5.  Organic (Apples instead of Oranges).  We don't live in segmented societies anymore.

6.  Wind (Spirit)--we operate more out of flesh than spirit.

7. Harmony (the energy of God )--I know this sounds a little new age, but I don't think that was his intent.  We all sang (can you imagine 4000 worship leaders singing in harmony) JOY TO THE WORLD and listened to the harmony of singing together and experiencing the presence of God.

My morning session was with Mike Harland of Lifeway Music Group as he talked about 25 years in Ministry and how he has changed and what he has gone through.   I knew Mike back in Carrollton, so I know some of the back story he refers too.  This was a good reminder to me of some principles of ministry that I need to visit again.

I'm off to the Advanced Blogging session with Shaun Groves in a few minutes.  More tonight after I get back to the hotel.