For example: I have a stack of about 8 books on my night stand. At any given time I am reading through 3-4 books simultaneously. It is only possible to read one book at a time. (If you know of a way to read multiple books at the same time, please let me know)! So I pick up one book and put another down, and slowly but surely work through the stack of books. But it usually takes a few months to accomplish this and I often lose focus over time. I may only finish 1 or 2 of the books that I start!

What if I would choose one book to read, finish it, and then start a new one? Could I actually read more books this way? Could I accomplish more by doing less?

This is the art of single-tasking. We often start so many projects that it is hard to bring them to completion. We think that if we are working on multiple tasks and busying ourselves with lots of things that we will get more done. Over time however, we lose focus and passion for what we are doing. This results in minimal impact and may eventually lead to burnout. (Burnout is the state when you feel like a piece of licorice). But what if we could focus on a single task, get it done, and then move on to the next thing. How much more could we accomplish if we did less?

Use this as an exercise: focus on one thing, do it well and finish it before moving on to the next thing. If you could accomplish one thing each day, that would be 365 things a year! Could you look back on your past year and name 365 things that you accomplished?

• Do one thing today…
  Identify the one thing you need to do today. It could be something as simple paying your electricity bill or doing the dishes. Do this at the beginning of each day and you will be certain to accomplish one small task each day.
• Do one thing this week…
  This is for larger tasks or project like shopping or cleaning the house or writing your next blog post! Plan what you are going to do and set aside time this week to do it.
• Do one thing this month…
  Plan to do something major like a special trip or outing. Visit family, go see a movie or show, visit a museum or take a history tour. Plan ahead and don’t let anything take up this time.
• Do one thing this year…
  And choose one thing that you would like to accomplish this year. This is BIG! For me I am thinking about taking a course in Spanish. If I could look back a year from now and say, “Wow! Yo puedo hablar español.” I would be thrilled!

What would be your one thing this year?

The soil is the environment in which the plant grows. The water and sunlight are the resources that equip and enable. the plant to grow.

We are to be a people who are broken open and poored out so that others may have life.

X – Charity – Church/Family
Y – Opportunity – Local
Z – Development – Globaly

The church is the only organism that exists for the sole benefit of its non members. Its not about us.

If our church disappeared, who would notice? who would care? who would protest?

We are using our gifts to meet the needs of others.

When you are no longer able to help the needy, are you still the church?

Relevance?

How will the world know we are the church, the body of Christ?

 God will hold us accountable for our voice.

2. Care, as well as neglect, has a cummulative effect.

3. There are rarely any immediate consequences for missing one single installment.

4. There is no cummulative value to the urgent things we allow to interfere with what is most important.

5. There is no making up or saving up time in the critical areas of life.

Isaiah 1-39 – greed, corruption, loss, lamentations, no comfort

150 years…

Isaiah 40 – comfort, hope

There is no hope unless you have grieved.

1. Do not fear

2 Challenge the empire (military, consumerism) (Isaiah 46)

3. Depart, leave, break free (Isaiah 52:7)

4. Enjoyment, freedom, worship (Isaiah 55)

Isaiah 56 – How will we rebuild this city? We will be a new city, out of a city that has failed.

*Reconstruction – do justice

1. Membership (Isaiah 56)
Who is in and a part of this rebuilding/mission? 
Let all in: covenant, neighbors; Sabbath

2. Worship (Isaiah 58, Matthew 25)
What is right worship?
Least, Lost, Little, Lowest are equal

3. Economy (Isaiah 61)
Good news to the poor
Jubilee year – cancel debts, return land
You will be strong as oaks – stable, solid, reliable

4. New City (Isaiah 65)
What will it be like? Healthcare, property, business, environment, safety
New Heaven / New Earth / New Jerusalem

Death —> Buried —> Ressurection —> Mission 

LOSS —> GRIEF—> HOPE —> WORK

The medium is the message.

TV reprograms the brain, predominantly the right side

Reading and writing uses the left side

Cell phone – effeciency but disembodied

Cell phone, tv, internet, shape us as much as our Bible.

Tribalism <—> Individualism

Connection<—Nomad—>Disconnection

In searching for the smallest particle they found energy in relationship to energy.

FLATLAND – What if a 3D object passed through a 2D world?

The Kingdom of God is here, now

Humans have a 1/2 dimension of time, God has a 3D view, he sees the whole of time

In Genesis, Moses introduces a new God “I Am,” spirit, acts, creating, breathes

Naming of the animals, like a kid naming a pet

When we emphasize God somewhere, sometime, or in someone, we deemphasize him in other areas.

Our human desire to create machines is the exact oppositve of who God is.

He doesn’t want robots that are programmable and predictable.

The seasons are a reference to the Sabbath – remind yourself athat you are spiritual not a slave

Other creation accounts say we are here because of a divine conflict.

God loves to make things, and make things that can make things.

HIYA – to be on the mountain (not up or down)

Tithes
10%
Immediate
Symbol that God owns all 100%
Off the top
Universal principle – not from law, not from Jesus
Practiced throughout church history
Thermometer of spiritual vitality
Obedience –> freedom
Important to God – issue of life and death
Starting place for NT giving
Should go to local church
God will protect you from materialism and consumerism
Giving allows you to partner with God 

Offerings
Come from a surplus, bonus
Come from life style changes
Experience joy

Epilogue: What can we learn from them?

1. Part of being a good teacher is knowing that you always have something new to learn–not so much about teaching techniques but about these particular students at this particular time and their particular sets of aspirations, confusions, misconceptions, and ignorance.

Good teaching is not just a matter of technique. The best teaching is often both and intellectual creation and a performing art.