10 WAYS TO FIND ENERGY FOR CHRIST

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CHRIST IS LOVE, AND LOVE REQUIRES ENERGY

Christ directed us: (Mark 12: 29-31)

“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your

heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with

all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall

love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Loving with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength

Requires having energy, and eliminating barriers to insufficient energy capacity

Requires using our energy to achieve extraordinary results in the mission that really matters.

Requires consciously remembering

that we give life to whatever we give our energy to.

#1 FIND ENERGY THOUGH YOUR PURPOSE

Let your mission do the pulling!

Current Location

Ultimate Mission

Spiritual

Mental

Fatigue

Fear

Story Telling

Negative EmotionsHabits

Poor Planning

#2 DEFINE YOUR “PURPOSE” OR “MISSION”?

John 17: 18

In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world,

I give them a mission in the world. I'm consecrating myself for their sakes. So they'll be truth-consecrated in their mission.

Our Strength as human beings is fundamentally linked to our purpose and meaning in life.

Without clearly defined purpose, our commitment, effort and fighting spirit steadily erode

Finding meaning in our work adds purpose to our life. The more the mission matters to us, the more energy we are willing to commit.

What area of your life does your mission come from?

Work life? Family? Christian ministry? Spiritual gift?

#3 ENERGY THROUGH OUR VALUES

Values represent a gigantic force in our lives

The energy that flows from our core values is boundless.

Balance Character Commitme

nt Compassio

n Concern

for others Courage Creativity Excellence Faith Fairness

Family Freedom Generosity Growth Genuinene

ss Happiness Health Humility Humor Integrity Kindness Knowledge

Loyalty Openness Optimism Patience Perseveran

ce Respect for

others Responsibil

ity Service to

Others Wisdom

#4 KNOW YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFT A spiritual gift is an expression of the Holy Spirit in the life of

believers which empowers them to serve the body of Christ, the church.

Administration

Persons with the gift of administration lead the body by steering others to remain on task. Administration enables the body to organize according to God-given purposes and long-term goals (1 Cor. 12:28). Knowledge

The gift of knowledge manifests itself in teaching and training in discipleship. It is the God-given ability to learn, know, and explain the precious truths of God’s Word. A word of knowledge is a Spirit-revealed truth (1 Cor. 12:28).

Apostleship

The church sends apostles from the body to plant churches or be missionaries. Apostles motivate the body to look beyond its walls in order to carry out the Great Commission (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11). Leadership

Leadership aids the body by leading and directing members to accomplish the goals and purposes of the church. Leadership motivates people to work together in unity toward common goals (Rom. 12:8).

Discernment

Discernment aids the body by recognizing the true intentions of those within or related to the body. Discernment tests the message and actions of others for the protection and well-being of the body (1 Cor. 12:10). Mercy

Cheerful acts of compassion characterize those with the gift of mercy. Persons with this gift aid the body by empathizing with hurting members. They keep the body healthy and unified by keeping others aware of the needs within the church (Rom. 12:8).

Evangelism

God gifts his church with evangelists to lead others to Christ effectively and enthusiastically. This gift builds up the body by adding new members to its fellowship (Eph.4:11). Prophecy

The gift of prophecy is proclaiming the Word of God boldly. This builds up the body and leads to conviction of sin. Prophecy manifests itself in preaching and teaching (1Cor. 12:10; Rom. 12:6).

Exhortation

Possessors of this gift encourage members to be involved in and enthusiastic about the work of the Lord. Members with this gift are good counselors and motivate others to service. Exhortation exhibits itself in preaching, teaching, and ministry (Rom. 12:8). Service/Helps

Those with the gift of service/helps recognize practical needs in the body and joyfully give assistance to meeting those needs. Christians with this gift do not mind working behind the scenes (1 Cor. 12:28; Rom. 12:7).

Faith

Faith trusts God to work beyond the human capabilities of the people. Believers with this gift encourage others to trust in God in the face of apparently insurmountable odds (1 Cor.12:9). Shepherding

The gift of shepherding is manifested in persons who look out for the spiritual welfare of others. Although pastors, like shepherds, do care for members of the church, this gift is not limited to a pastor or staff member (Eph. 4:11).

Giving

Members with the gift of giving give freely and joyfully to the work and mission of the body. Cheerfulness and liberality are characteristics of individuals with this gift (Rom. 12:8). Teaching

Teaching is instructing members in the truths and doctrines of God’s Word for the purposes of building up, unifying, and maturing the body (1 Cor. 12:28; Rom. 12:7; Eph. 4:11).

Hospitality

Those with this gift have the ability to make visitors, guests, and strangers feel at ease. They often use their home to entertain guests. Persons with this gift integrate new members into the body (1 Pet. 4:9). Wisdom

Wisdom is the gift that discerns the work of the Holy Spirit in the body and applies His teachings and actions to the needs of the body (1 Cor. 12:28).

#5 ELIMINATE THE BARRIERS

Barriers could be traditional sins, or anything!

Current Location

Ultimate Mission

Spiritual

Mental

Fatigue

Fear

Story Telling

Negative EmotionsHabits

Poor Planning

#6 ELIMINATE THE UNIMPORTANT

#7 ENGAGE YOUR WHOLE CAPACITY TO LOVE

love the LORD your God with all your

heart, with all

your soul, with

all your mind, and with all your

strength

Spiritual

Mental

#8 EXPAND ENERGY THROUGH OSCILLATION

Energy investments are balanced with intermittent recovery.

Engage when it matters and disengage when it doesn’t

Sustained protection from stress leads to an erosion of capacity.

For maximum effectiveness we should live life as a sprinter, not a marathoner.

The profile of a typical business professional would be not enough stress on their Spiritual and Physical energy, and not enough recovery with their mental and emotional energy.

Matthew 11:28-30

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Spiritual

Mental

Em

otional

#9 STRENGTHEN YOUR EMOTIONAL ENERGY

Engaging the heart:

Passionately embracing emotions that create excitement and confidence.

Consciously rejecting emotions that elicit fear, hate, frustration or threats.

Understanding that positive emotions provide the highest quality of energy and negative emotions sap our strength

Step out of your emotional comfort zone in order to grow.

Recover

Retreat to a comfortable place

Have friends that you are comfortable with

Spiritual

Mental

Em

otional

#10 STRENGTHEN YOUR SPIRITUAL ENERGY

Engaging the Spirit:

Seeking God as the almighty force in our life.

Seeking understanding of our beliefs and values, and linking our mission to those core values.

Seeking the Holy Spirit as our counselor.

Fasting and Prayer

Worship

Recovery:

Meditation and Prayer

Sabbath Rest

Spiritual

Mental

Em

otional

#11 STRENGTHEN YOUR MENTAL ENERGYEngaging the mind:

Knowing how to be strategic with our energy.

Knowing potential threats around us to our mission, and our energy.

Knowing where laser-focus and concentration is required, and where multi-tasking is OK

Planning and organizing for success

Recover:

Sleep

Unplug & unfocus

Rest & Relaxation

Spiritual

Mental

#12 STRENGTHEN YOUR PHYSICAL ENERGY

Recover:

Established routine of sleep and rest

Established strategy for nutritional intake and hydration

Engaging the body:

Established routine for exercise

Established commitment to maintaining the highest quantity of physical strength

Spiritual

Mental

Em

otional

WHY DO WE FOCUS ON OUR SELF?

Romans 8: 8

Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored.

BECAUSE WE NEED ENERGY TO LOVE