Ragamuffin Soul

Tim Tebow makes no apologies about it.
He is a believer of Jesus Christ and even has his own patented prayer move.
He makes a lot of Christians happy.
He makes a lot of Christians nervous.
I’ll admit, I have said a few times things like…
“Take it down a notch Tebow.”
My friends and I sometimes watch what he does through our fingers, as if watching a scary movie.
He sings Lord I Lift Your Name On High on national television.
He gets mocked on SNL for pulling the God card in every single thing he says.

He prays to God to win a football game, as if somehow God cares about the outcome of the game.
[stepping back from lightening bolt you real football fans think is about to strike]
Kurt Warner, the former highest level offender, even took opportunity to tell Tebow to turn it down a notch…

Then yesterday happened.
I was suddenly proud of Tebow.
I was like… “Look at that great Christian role model! I’m a fan!”

I’m such a #$@@* hypocrite.
So no. I’m not embarrassed by Tim Tebow.
I should be embarrassed by Carlos Whittaker.
My embarrassment is not about Tim Tebow. It’s always about ME.
What people will think of ME.
Because no matter how cheesy…
No matter how brash…
He is 100% more open about his faith on a daily basis than I am.
The nervous feeling that we get is not wanting him to embarrass US as opposed to Christ.
Truth is…Christ is more embarrassed by Christians who are embarrassed by Tim Tebow, than anything Tebow will ever do.

What is your take on athletes/celebrities and their God talk?
Are actions louder than words?
Or can words be enough since we truly never see the lives behind the words anyways?
Los

BEARD PUNCH from Zak Stoltz on Vimeo.

My wife likes some sort of facial hair on me.
When it’s all off she thinks I look naked.
Which I always assumed was a good thing.
How about you?
Does your wife/girl like facial hair on you?
Do you rock the facial hair?
Talk to me.
Whats on your face or your man’s face and do you like it?
Los

If you are in more meetings about campus expansions…
If you are in more meetings about principles…
If you are in more meetings about process…
If you are in more meetings about targets…
If you are in more meetings about health insurance…
If you are in more meetings about sermon illustrations…
If you are in more meetings about set design…
If you are in more meetings about cover songs…
If you are in more meetings about Canon 5D’s…
If you are in more meetings about the other church…
Than you are in meetings marveling at the miracles God is doing in the lives of your people because you are in their lives and not in meetings…
Then you are missing the point.

If a church is to steward the resources that God has provided, they must implement business principles in order to pull that off.
Especially in the society in which we live.
Money is complicated.
HR is complicated.
Things break.

But if a church is to steward the resources God has provided them, they must place the business principles behind the relationships God has provided them.

Revival is waiting.
Don’t let principles and process stand in the way.
Let them bring revival.
It’s better that way.
Los

When you were a kid…
What was the worst trouble you EVER got into?
1…2…3…
Tell.

Crazy…
What moment is most vivid?
Los

I watch the Bachelor.
I get beat the hell up for it.
“How could you watch such a demeaning show to women?”
“How can you watch such trash?”

Let me give you the reasons I LOVE to watch the bachelor.

1.  I think Christians need to see the direct parallel between sanctification and the story of these women finding their faith in the Bachelor.
You see when we find our true selves…

I’m kidding.
Calm down.
Take a chill out tablet

1.  I watch the Bachelor for the same response and reaction that I enjoy when watching The Walking Dead.
I mean, if you could just watch me, and not watch the television, you would not be able to tell the difference in my facial expressions.

Carnage.
Humans walking around without brains.

2.  The tears.
To watch girls tonight crying after they have been rejected by a man they knew for 2 hours.
There is no better television.
Well.  Besides Virgin Diaries…
Don’t pull the “Carlos, you wouldn’t want your daughters on that show one day crying…” line.
You know why?
Because if they are on that show, them and I would have already had the longest talk of their lives…and they would have chosen this disaster on their own.
Kinda like I did when I was on Blind Date.

3.  The producers.
Please close your eyes if you don’t want to know the truth about reality television.
It’s fake.
It’s all fake.
On my episode of LA Ink, I auditioned 3 times, and then walked into the shop 4 times and they already had my artwork, and they had me have specific conversations.
Gasp.
The only thing real about it was my tattoo and the beauty who did it.
Hannah and my conversation formed an amazing friendship over 13 hours and the tattoo is real.
But EVERYTHING else is set up.
Just like The Bachelor.
I’m more than convinced that they already know who is going to win and so do the girls.
So it’s just another good evening soap opera.
My parents had Dallas, Knots Landing, and Falcon Crest.
I have The Bachelor, Wife Swap, and the Republican debates.
All fake yet good television.

So there you have it.
I wanna know your honest opinion for yourself.
Do you watch this stuff?
The “reality” tv.
The Bachelor?
Why or why not?
Los

It is January 1st.
There is a big dream you desire to get this year.
I am 100%, completely convinced that you can get it.
Here is how I plan on getting mine and it think can help you get yours.
I’m not some dream architect, but common sense proves better than books and seminars sometimes.

1.  Make your dream chase you. Don’t chase your dream.

Put it on your phone home screen.
With a Sharpie on your bathroom mirror.
Tattooed on your wrist.
Hang it from your rear view mirror.
Laptop screen saver.
As an alarm on your phone 3 times a day.
Whatever you can do to have it chase you down and stay in your face.
Do it.

2.  Realize that owning the dream beginning is just as powerful as owning the dream ending.

Just because you don’t own the end of the dream doesn’t mean you don’t own the dream.
If you know you will have more swag when you get your dream, then walk with swag from the kitchen to the car.
If you know you will have more money when you get your dream, then start caring for your money like you should and will.
If you know you will have more time for your kids when you get your dream, then make them wonder where all the time came from now.
If you know you will sing in front of thousands at the end of your dream, then sing in front of 20 and blow their minds

3.  Surround yourself with dream kerosine and not dream extinguishers.

When you have a dream, it is important that you surround yourself with people that will help your dream explode and not put out your dream.
There are people who want to constantly doubt your dream.
There are people who want to dilute your dream.
There are people who want to put out your dream.
There are people who want to laugh at your dream.
Not only do you need to not surround yourself with these people, you need to completely disconnect from them having ANY sort of conversation about your dream.
It’s not because they don’t love you.
Most of them probably do.
It’s more because they want to protect you.
Protect you from the hurt of not achieving your dreams.
This does not make them bad people.
It just makes them bad dream people.

Take these 3 points or leave them.
But I’m going to blow your minds this year by achieving more than I have ever imagined.
And I’d like you to blow mine.
Start running.
Your dreams are coming…
Los

Buy this here…
And…
You’re Welcome.
Los

Tell me.  I have some time…
Los

It’s Christmas Eve.
This means a few things.
Some of you are the happiest that you have been all year.
Some of you are the most miserable that you have been all year.
Some of you are right in the middle.
Me?
I’m good.
I am laying in bed right now next to the most beautiful 8 year old on the planet.
It is warm.  It is quiet.  It is perfect.
In a few minutes I will get up and begin the chaos of today.
The chaos involves 3 trips to 3 different family homes.
It involves lots of “Hey!” “Great!” “How about you?!” “Fantastic!” “Actually no.  I live in Nashville now.  Yea.  Tennessee.  Yea. The country music place.” “Yea.  I actually DO like it.”
And we have a choice.
Actually I have a choice.
I can make today about survival.
About getting from one conversation to the next with the least amount of thought possible…
Or…
I could make today about authenticity.
And surprise everyone I talk to with an authenticity that they probably are not ready for this Christmas Eve.
Asking them the one question that no one else on the planet would ask them but you know they want to be asked…
I don’t know what that question is…but you do.
It will make for even more awkward conversations but it will also make for more people knowing that someone actually cares more about them than the traditions that surround them.
Make today about the peoples lives you never get to share and not about the horrible casserole and 15 dollar gift exchange.
It’s better that way.
Merry Christmas.
C