Tuesday, June 9, 2009

The Hood Is Good - Let's Be Great!




The Hood is good! Dare we dream to be great?




This past Sunday we began Chip Ingram's book Good to Great: Ten Practices Great Christians Have In Common.

As usual, I opened the doors to the Johnson home and allowed transparency to enter in and examine the subject of baseball. This vivid example from our lives began flowing Sunday morning...

We -- all of us, parents and child alike -- study it, discuss it, we pay for it (pitching lessons, hitting lessons). We never grow satisfied with our equipment but look for the latest and greatest bat available. We go to bed on time, or even a little early, WILLINGLY. All for the sake of waking rested. We pack our bat bag meticulously - stock it with all we need. Preparation is key. We rejoice in our wins, and reflect upon tougher times to learn from it. We move onto drills to make sure our arms, hands and feet obey the well-trained thoughts we have rehearsed again and again. Bottom line, we do not grow content with the level of our game. What can we do today to make us better tomorrow?

Familiar to anyone? Now, you may not apply such methods to baseball at your house. But, what are you methodical about? Golf, hunting, home organization, scheduling, your career, financial tracking, physical exercise... and the list goes on. We can all surely identify.

Chip Ingram in Good to Great challenges all of us to act with intention to become great in God's eyes. He identifies 10 practices great Christians have in common. These have nothing to do with salvation nor earning brownie points -- just a way to methodically become a more mature, fruitful Christian.

These ten practices common to great Christians include:


1. Think Great Thoughts
2. Read Great Books
3. Pursue Great People
4. Dream Great Dreams
5. Pray Great Prayers
6. Take Great Risks
7. Make Great Sacrifices
8. Enjoy Great Moments
9. Empower Great People
10. Develop Great Habits

We will try to cover two principles each week. Although, we only made it through Principle 1 on June 8. It was a doozie!

Each week will stand on its own. Barnes & Noble and Lifeway has the book - would love for you all to read along! Regardless, we are sure to have great discussion and learn how to intentionally up our game!
I'll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you...I'll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you...
Ezekiel 36:26