Big Is The New Small

Today’s question does not only apply to pastors or church staff; but rather to anyone who is married or single… in other-words everyone can chime in. 

Should a married person be alone with someone of the opposite sex?  Should they travel, have lunch, 1:1 meetings, ride in the car…

At LifeChurch.tv we have a policy that a married person is not allowed to be alone, ride in the car with, go on a business trip with or have a secluded meeting alone with someone of the opposite sex.  If other people are in the area, you are OK… but not alone.  So here is the question one more time; everyone has an opinion, should churches or businesses have policies like this… join the discussion:

Should a married person be alone with someone of the opposite sex?  Should they travel, have lunch, 1:1 meetings, ride in the car…

This week I will pose a series of questions that might be difficult to answer, seem controversial, make you go hmm…  Although today’s question is a simple one, the answers may not be quite so simple.  Remember, the one thing about opinions is that everyone has one.   Go ahead share thoughts, opinions, scripture… just sound off.  RSS readers join the discussion as well:

Should pastors drink alcohol in public?  Why or Why not?

It’s SuperBowl Sunday and I want to make it clear that I’m going with the underdog Arizona Cardinals; I mean who’s going to stop Larry Fitzgerald.   The polls on BigIsTheNewSmall.com have accurately predicted the Presidential Election and the BCS Championship; right now the polls have the Cardinals ahead (Go Vote at Bottom Right).  

The Cards are led by the poster-child of professional athletes that truly put God first and outwardly share their faith in Jesus.  Kurt Warner has come a long way from his early release from the GreenBay Packers Training Camp in 1994, to his Arena Football League days, to winning a SuperBowl with the Rams… and topping it all off tonight by being the oldest quarterback to ever play in a SuperBowl.

No matter the outcome of tonights game; I think Warner says it best in this quote: “Whether I’m a Super Bowl Champion or a regular guy stocking groceries at the Hy-Vee, sharing my faith and glorifying Jesus is the central focus of my time on this earth.”

Check out this video below of Warner drawing what God Looks Life:

Share your predictions, thoughts on the game, thoughts on the Warner video, talk smack…

I was outside earlier playing around with my boys and I shot this little 90sec. video that got me to thinking.   We recently had a fairly decent snow/ice storm throughout the State of Oklahoma.  For the most part all of the snow/ice is gone and it’s a beautiful 65 degrees outside. All the streets are clear, yards are clear… however we have some patches of ice and snow still hanging around our driveway and porch.

My Thoughts: Just Because The Snow Is Gone… doesn’t mean there are not slick spots still hanging around.  Just because you “Made It Through” that rough season in life, personal struggle, difficult time… doesn’t mean the potential for those life speed-bumps or slick spots don’t exist.

Be Ready, Be Careful, Be Prepared… and you will skate over the icy spots. 

Enjoy this 90sec. random video:

Why do we try so hard to be imitation?  Thoughts!

Dangerous Church (Main Session): “Three Point Play”  Three Random Bullet Points

Ed Stetzer: Lifeway Research

• Sexual Brokenness must be addressed: Churches that thrive will learn how to address sexual issues: homosexuality, marriage, porn…   Who would have thought that the complaints and protests prior to the inauguration in regards to prayer delivery would be about a Evangelical Pastor Rick Warren and not gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson.
• The Dangerous Church will learn to wade through the post-seeker movement; by finding new ways to reach people around the world, partner with other churches and more clearly define the term evangelical.
• Can women be pastors?  The Dangerous Church will appropriately and scripturally wrestle through this issue.   65% of the young unchurched feel that if a church didn’t include women in their ordination it would negatively their opinion of the church.

Nancy Ortberg: TeamWorx2

• Innovation is not a soundbite, a gimmick, or a stroke of luck… It’s about the Gospel that transforms people.
• Collaboration is extremely important… It’s insisting that everyone shows up with their ideas; not simply telling people or teams to go do (blank).  You have to ask questions as a leader: Favorite question as a leader: “I don’t know what do you think?” Leadership is more about managing tensions than solving problems.  As you are solving problems you have to be willing to take risks and fail’ risk and failure are kissing cousins.  Great preachers don’t come without a list of bad sermons and great leaders don’t come without confidence and a list of risks and failures.
• There is a tension with Infrastructure v. Innovation and Passion v. Humility.  God has wired some people to be rockstars and some to be turtles a great leader will recognize gifts and activate them.  A great leader will also hire people better, brighter and smarter than themselves and not be threatened by them (check their ego at the door).  There is something magic about being on a team that is wired to do what God has called them to do!

Bob Roberts: North Wood Church

• God is exploding all over the world…just not here.  We need to catch up with the rest of the world and truly live out The Great Commission… Go make disciples of all nations.  We need to be missional and realize that it’s more than a few mission projects of feeding the poor.  Chances are…Where hell is breaking loose God is already there.
• Some of the greatest Christians leaders are emerging in the world right now and they are not in America.
• You self centered, scum bag, money hoarding, non fulfiller of the great commission you…

John Bishop: Living Hope Church

• Oh we don’t count people. Really?  Do you count your offering?  I guess money counts and people don’t.  We see people as a tool and not a part of God’s story… Reach people because they will spend eternity somewhere.  Give people the Truth, that’s what they want; they don’t want some candy-coated version of the Gospel.
• Some of the silly methods that we use in church are often not necesarily to reach people; as much as they are to stroke our egos.   Ask yourself the question:  If our church ceased to exist, would it even matter?
• “The Church” We need to be less about competing with each other and more about celebrating each others wins.

Do any of these points or thoughts resonate with you?  Share your thoughts!

I3 Main Session “Drive-By” Random Bullets:

Pete Briscoe: Bent Tree Church

• 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6
• We are not looking for praise from man… 
• Most TV Preachers have impure motives
• God is crazy about us… Grace
• It’s not about whether you missed your campaign goal; it’s about how you missed it
• Theology of the Cross allows us to redefine repentance…
• My impressions: easy to listen to, passion for missions

Tim Keller: Redeemer Presbyterian Church

• #1. You’ve got to go after God for Blessing ( Jacob’s Life)
• Everyone needs someone to bless them… someone other than yourself to bless you
• We are looking for blessing in the wrong places… 
• Human blessing will kill you because it only lasts five minutes
• Take the gospel and pound it into your heart every day by grace; until it catches fire
• the only way we will ever be spiritually is to fail 
• My Impressions: Old school, kept it relevant, good story-teller brings the Bible to life

Tracy Spencer: New Directions Christian Church

• Figure out who you are going to be first
• your brand is not your logo, look… your brand is what other people think you are
• Go after the Pookie’s and Laquesha’s
• Don’t let your church get out of alignment
• Quit going after a;ll the big executives, and big givers… go after the Pookies, and the Laquesha’s go after the swag
• You’ve promised more in the showroom than you have in the stockroom
• Use what God gave you…
• My Impressions: I really like this guy, good energy, likability, relevant, real

Craig Groeschel: LifeChurch.tv

• Leaders to have It are willing to fail and have divine sense of courage “Those who don’t have “It” are unwilling to fail!
• Shared accounts of Peter failing
• Sometimes you have to try, fail, learn and adjust… try, fail, learn and adjust!
• God will use those failures!
• Failure is not an option, it’s an absolute necessity…
• Create a culture that allows for failure, we learn from experiments and we will fail aggressively! Anything short of sin to reach people for Christ.
• Fail forward
• My Impressions: I love this guy… Ability to connect people in the form of video communication is a true gift, his message of “It” always works, challenging, relevant.  I get it try, fail, learn and adjust!

Marc Driscoll: Mars Hill Church

• Righteousness, Risk, Repentance
• Attempts to be validated by someone else can be putting them in a God position~Mark Driscoll
• Do you question the goodness, love, power or existence of God?  Theology of Glory- God is only to be found in those places of blessings, good stuff
• Attendance up God is Good, Attendance is up God is blessing me… attendance goes down we are not blessed, attendance goes down God doesn’t like us
• Does success or failure effect how close you feel to God? Make you feel more holy? Alter how you see God?
• Ministry is not for righteousness but from righteousness
• Trying to increase nickels and noses
• Churches can be in a season of pruning and not always harvest
• My Impressions: Deep thinker; very calm and collected

I will be blogging live @Innovation3  Conference in Dallas today and tomorrow.  Be sure to check back here for videos, updates, quotes, random thoughts, live Qik streaming…

You can also follow my busy one day trip, inclement weather travel and random happenings on Twitter by following @ScottWilliams.  For all the Innovation3 Conference details click here  and for a list of the other live bloggers click here. 

Let me know if there is anything you want me to cover:  interviews, behind the scenes, dirt you want me to pull up…LOL

The Twitter vs. Facebook debate has finally been settled…  well not really but it makes for a good blog title.  I shared a simple tweet last week and asked the following question: Twitter vs. Facebook “Which do you prefer Twitter or Facebook & Why?” Answ. in 140 or less @replies  will be a blog post. thx

The majority of the reponses overwhelmingly favored Twitter; as a matter of fact only 8% of those who responded had a specific preference for Facebook.   Several of those who responded liked them equally and feel as though they both serve a different purpose.  Twitter fans prefer the here and now quick response and streamlined interaction.  Facebook fans feel that Facebook is more personal; therefore allowing them to share family photos and more personal information.  

I personally feel that @GodsMac hit the nail on the head by stating “Twitter for sure. Facebook is like a shopping mall, and Twitter is the Apple store. Chaos vs. productivity and progress.” Productivity and progress are definitely appropriate adjectives; @ChrisClayton  chose to use a more descriptive analogy with his tweet stating “Twitter is like sex. I can tell you how great it is but until you do it together you’re just not going to get it.”  I don’t know if I would go quite that far; however hands down Twitter is the new Social Media King and you can either choose to recognize that reality now or you will be forced to recognize it later.

 Check out the responses below and share any observations or additional thoughts:

1. @scottwilliams  I digg TW it’s quick, easy, potential & feeds FB.  FB is fine but I don’t understand half the requests, causes, confirmation words…
2. @GodsMac Twitter for sure. Facebook is like a shopping mall, and Twitter is the Apple store. Chaos vs. productivity and progress.
3. @tmoran777 I dig ‘em both. It seems like twitter is better for networking and business, facebook is good for friend type stuff.
4. @ardentvox – Facebook = social media to the masses, linking friends. Twitter = real-time social microblogging, connecting strangers.
5. @SWMorris I use twitter more than facebook, but I also have it set up so when I post to twitter it updates my facebook status.
6. @vinceparker  twitter vs. Facebook and the winner is twitter. Don’t get it twisted up 725%
7. @SloweThinking both, facebook is the gateway to general info on everyone I know. Twitter is the peeps I want to follow closely day to day
8. @djbyron Twitter: daily communication current friends and networking. FB: Communication with friends who have not yet found Twitter.  
9. @ChrisClayton Twitter is like sex. I can tell you how great it is but until you do it together you’re just not going to get it. 
10. @peacemeals Facebook + Twitter are used for such different things! Hard to prefer one without first answering “for what?” 
11. @Johnwsnyder I think both are great. It depends on how you are using. They can both be used totally differently, especially for ministry.  
12. @focusvision I prefer Twitter. It is more like having a conversation. FaceBook is good, but Twitter is great.  
13. @jasoncurlee Twitter…cause it’s simple…just plain communication.  
14. @dwightwatson Twitter. Have ACTUALLY connected w/ far more people than on FB & no constant requests for causes or games I don’t have time 4  
15. @Murphy24p Twitter for short, broad communication and networking and Facebook for more detailed interactions and catching up w/ friends.  
16. @VanceWalker Ur comparing apples and ..er.. Cherrios. My Twitterverse & FB World don’t intersect. They fill different functions for me.
17. @Stillrockin Twitter is more portable, more interactive, easier, funner! I find FB awkward in it’s navigation. Still better than MySpace
18. @shoestringing I must admit that I prefer Facebook (although Twitter is wonderful). I am a big Facebook Fan   
19. @kevinbussey equal I follow twitter updates more but when I need to see or give more info I use FB 
20. @chuckazooloo when i was linking up last week, and did my little “experiment” some FB people got really mad at me. 
21. @seanmurphy07 I tweet to my Facebook. I kind of like FB better because there seems to be real interaction. Lots of tweets don’t respond.  
22. @AD_hoc twitter, less commitment  
23. @allboutworship hi twitter and who is tom Is that the guy from myspace who didn’t have any friends so came up w/ idea 2 b everyones friend
24. @lynseleanne Twitter. It takes all of the catching up away and it is brief and to the point. You know what is going on with people lives. 
25. @AdamLehman facebook is way more practical. but twitter is more of an obsession. if i had to give up one, it’d be facebook. 
26. @MichaelMcMinn I do however like that thru twittersync my tweets pregenerate interaction w/ my FB friends for when I’m on FB
27. @DavidTCopeland Like FB best for connecting w/people I know now by sharing pics and updates. It is more personal an no one there to sell me 
28. @RichHopkins – I prefer Twitter – much more streamlined, easier to deal with day to day, particularly with Tweetdeck. 
29. @andylie twitter – quicker connectivity using mobile device (like Blackberry) – near instant communication among a larger group 
30. @jeremydbaldwin facebook, upload photo albums, videos, write over 200 charectors, more people are on it. 
31. @VoteMikeJones twitter can’t have apps 
32. @PastorScott Both/And – Twitter for immediacy & networking, Facebook for reconnecting w/old friends & longer form notes, messages.
33. @benkomanapalli both 4 diff reasons. Twitter 2 connect with new people, get fastnews. FB 2 have a more detailed relationship/conversations.
34. @mstrategiesinc Twitter. Wild horses can’t drag me to Facebook. It’s just a social hour. Twitter is for early adopting, SM-biz-minded folk
35. @chuckazooloo I prefer Twitter because the culture is less “uptight”! There is an expectation for you to update! People on FB get miffed!
36. @iChilly I see them so totally different – Twitter is NOW but Facebook is cool for connecting with people (past & present).
37. @AmandaSims I like both. Twitter for the variety of people & resources, Facebook for the interesting apps.
38. @bennysalas Facebook! More networking opportunity, connect with way more people. Twitter off the chain too but less personal.
39. @BrianAyers FB = better for old friends & people I already know. Twitter = better for networking & meeting new people.
40. @robgt2 Twitter because it’s immediate & lets you get to know other people. Facebook lets you talk to people you already know. 
41. @StephyBarlow i like both!! Twitter for every day connections and Facebook for pictures and groups!
42. @gideony They do different things. Facebook for people I know, Twitter for people I don’t. 3
43. @Yochanan I like Twitter the best because it’s straight and to the point. No “fluff” and distraction on Twitter.
44. @jasonstover Overall, Facebook because it has way more features. BUT, I LOVE the twitter feature that lets me update both at the same time
45. @rnsheets I like Facebook better. You can do more activities like YoVille on there, lol
46. @gregatkinson  hah – you know it’s Twitter hands down
47. @Bpirt Twitter- it’s the only way that I can keep up with people without being all up in their business. Tweet faster than a text!
48. @steveharrison Twitter! simple.short.saweet!..n Tulsa cuz of Twitter we saw Fee Band & just yesterday blessed 2 see @mathewbarnett share
49. @corechurchtroy twitter: easier to manage
50. @Twitter Twitter is better, why else would Facebook offer us $500 million (Disclaimer: not really but If I was @Twitter  that would be my response) 

Again, share your thoughts and comments…

I believe history will reflect that President Bush was a much better President and even a better man than the polls, people, approval ratings, pundits, critics, partisans… reflected during the end of his term.  Praying for George W. Bush & Barack Obama the men and their families.

Life is about Perspective…

HatTip to @loswhit for sharing this video…