Mike Edmisten Follower of Jesus. Husband of Nicki. Father of Ryan & Brock. Communicator of the Word.

Play To Win At Work

The third post in a series challenging us to play to win in several different areas of our lives.  Today, let's talk about playing to win at work.

• Living by the letter of your job description is playing not to lose.  Adopting an attitude of service, even if a task falls outside the parameters of your job description, is playing to win.
• Cutting corners when nobody will notice is playing not to lose.  Doing your best, regardless of who's watching, is playing to win.
• Viewing your current job as a stepping stone to something better is playing not to lose.  Living with ambition for greater things, along with contentment in your current situation, is playing to win.
• Not participating in office gossip is playing not to lose.  Speaking highly of your co-workers whenever you can is playing to win.
• Meeting your deadline is playing not to lose.  Completing your assignment early (when possible) is playing to win.
• Living a good life in front of your co-workers is playing not to lose.  Seizing opportunities to be a witness for Christ is playing to win.
• Doing a good job because it will keep the boss off your back is playing not to lose.  Doing a good job because you want to honor God is playing to win (Colossians 3:23-24).

Obviously none of the lists in this series are exhaustive.  I just want to get the wheels of our minds turning.

Play to win at work this week!

Play To Win In Your Marriage

God has called you to play to win in your marriage.  But far too many people are content to simply play not to lose.

Let me illustrate this principle with some super-practical examples.

For The Guys

• When your wife has to ask you to take out the trash (or some other household chore), you are playing not to lose.  Sure, most of you will do it.  But if you play to win, you won't have to be asked.
• Cards on your anniversary, Valentine's Day, etc. are playing not to lose.  Cards given at random times of the year is how you play to win.
• Your words matter…but your tone matters more.  Saying the words your wife needs to hear is playing not to lose.  Saying the words your wife needs to hear in a loving, gentle tone is playing to win.
• Having regular sex with your wife is playing not to lose.  Taking the load off your wife's shoulders (cleaning up the kitchen, taking care of the kids, letting her take a long bubble bath, etc.) so she can more fully desire sex is playing to win.
• Not looking at porn is playing not to lose.  Training your eyes to be fully satisfied with your wife…and your wife alone…is playing to win.
• Demanding that your kids honor their mom is playing not to lose.  Modeling it for them is playing to win.

For The Ladies

• Nothing is more difficult for your man than for you to run him down in front of your friends.  But let's take it a step further. Not running him down in public is playing not to lose. Building him up in public is playing  to win.
• Asking, "How was your day, dear?" is playing not to lose.  Constantly thanking and appreciating your husband's hard work is playing to win.
• Expecting your kids to respect their dad is playing not to lose.  Modeling it for them is playing to win.
• Having sex with your husband is playing not to lose.  Leaving your inhibitions behind (even if you're a little uncomfortable about it) to increase his satisfaction is playing to win.
• Letting your husband watch the game is playing not to lose. Encouraging him to take a much-needed break and enjoy the game is playing to win.

For Both of You

• Every couple needs to go out on dates consistently.  But when date night comes and you only talk about the kids, you are playing not to lose.  Ask your spouse deep, probing questions.  Talk about your hopes and dreams…stuff you don't normally discuss.  That's playing to win.
• Praying before dinner as a family is playing not to lose.  Making prayer a natural part of the rythym of your family's life is playing to win.
• Going to church as a family is playing not to lose.  Intentionally finding ways to serve God by serving others as a family is playing to win.
• Doing what needs done is playing not to lose.  Going above and beyond to serve your spouse is playing to win.

God wants you to win in your marriage. He hates it when marriages fail.  But a winning marriage doesn't come easy.  You can't play conservatively, just trying not to lose.

Play to win this week!

Play To Win

I'm starting a new series of posts that was inspired by something my friend, Rocky, said after Sunday's Bengals/Steelers game.

Rocky is a die hard Steelers fan.  After the game, he said, "When you play not to lose, you deserve to lose! Play to win and score touchdowns, not field goals. Just like in life. Don't settle for field goals when you should be scoring touchdowns."

While I am glad that my hometown team took down the Steelers (WHO DEY!), Rocky's words have been spinning in my head ever since.

God has called us to play to win! But so many of us are content to simply play not to lose in a lot of different areas of our lives. We're going to talk about some of those areas this week.

Your Feelings Are Not Your Foundation

I shared this quote in our staff meeting this morning.  Definitely worth sharing here, too.

"Don't build your faith on the fault line of your feelings. Establish your foundation on the higher ground of Jesus."  (Steven Furtick)

Here's the Scripture I followed with in our meeting.

Colossians 1:22-23

That's how we started our day.  Hope it brings some perspective to yours.

Sunday Night Reflections

A few of the many things rattling around in my mind this evening…

• God absolutely BLEW ME AWAY this morning!  I said publicly that I knew He was going to change lives today.  Mission accomplished.
• WHO DEY! What a game between the Bengals/Steelers!  Unbelievable final drive!
• Now I'm ready to watch my Colts beat the feathers off the Cardinals!
• And one more football related thought…I caught part of the Ravens/Browns game today.  Does Cleveland have a professional football team? The evidence seems to say "no."
• The ACC worship band can do anything.  Seriously.  They ran the gamut of styles today.  Rockin' worship anthems, slow powerhouse hymns…and Eleanor Rigby for good measure.  I am seriously in awe of the talent that surrounds me every single week. Don't ever take them for granted, ACC.  The talent on our stage every week is something very, very special.
• My boy, Joel Young, helped us out huge today…and got no credit for it.  Completely behind the scenes.  Thanks for serving us today, bro. Praying huge blessings on your ministry at Horizon!
• Looking forward to catching some of the Brown County Fair this week.  We're pretty slammed this week, but we'll still make some time to go see some old friends…and eat some fried cheese and ribeye sandwiches. (I think we're pushing the pause button on the diet this week!)
• Got a comment after the message today that left me speechless.  One of our leaders said with teary eyes, "That was the most compassionate message I've ever heard…ever! That's what we're all about!"  I'm incredibly humbled.  All glory goes to God.
• Not that anybody cares anymore, but what's up with my Reds? They act like they have something to play for.  Too little, too late…but still fun.
• Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses…oh my.  My wife bought a bag this afternoon.  They're so good they would make a puppy dog pull a freight train!

Absolutely amazing day!  Not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight.

Eleanor Rigby

This weekend brings the third installment of our Come Together series.  And it also might be the most powerful week of the series.

This is Eleanor Rigby week.  The lyrics of that song have been haunting me all week. It's so honest.  It expresses the gut-level reality that we are surrounded by lonely people.  Where do they come from?  Where do they belong?

As with any other question, God's Word gives us the answer.  I can't wait to preach this Sunday, because I know that God is going to change lives through the presence of His Spirit and the power of His Word!

If you've been struggling with loneliness, you cannot miss this Sunday at ACC!

Are You Preaching the Beatles?

No.

That's the simple answer to the question.

Here is the longer answer…

Some people have been very curious about our current sermon series at ACC.  How do the Beatles tie in?  Are we sacrificing the preaching of the Word to accomodate pop culture?

Absolutely not. And we never will.

We are simply using the Beatles as a connecting point with people to help them better grasp the gospel.  That's exactly what Paul did in Athens when he used the idols in that culture as a launch point to preach the gospel (Acts 17:22-23).

He also quoted from secular poets and prophets in his letters (Titus 1:12-13, for example).  Recording artists didn't exist in his time period, but Paul did use familiar cultural icons to connect people with the gospel.

That's all we're doing in this series.  Nothing more.

We will never sacrifice the preaching of the Word.  We will never sell out the gospel.

But God has called us to do whatever it takes to help people hear the Word and respond to the gospel.  That's what this series is all about.

New ACC Pictorial Directory

If you're an ACCer, you need to grab a time slot to have your picture taken for our new pictorial directory.  You can do it online, so just drop whatever you're doing, click the link, and get it done today!

Schedule Your Family Portrait Online

By the way…here's the only qualification to be included in our new directory:

You consider ACC your church home.

If that's you, then we want your family's pic in our new directory! Sign up today!

Hitting .300

Attention non-baseball fans: you can still read this post! There is a point that is bigger than baseball.  (And if you are one of those non-baseball fans, contact me sometime.  I'd like to convert you.)

The Reds' season is a wash. Once agian, they have missed the playoffs. This will be their ninth straight losing season. (Could be worse…this is the Pittsburgh Pirates' 17th straight losing season!)  None of the games make a dime's worth of difference anymore.

But one player on the team still has the potential to end the season on a high note.  Joey Votto is positioned to end the season with a batting average over .300. A .300 average has long been a benchmark of a great offensive season.  If Votto hits .300 this year, he'll be the first Red to do so since Sean Casey hit .312 and Ken Griffey Jr. hit .301, both in the 2005 season.

But here's the beauty of all this…Votto doesn't seem to care. He said in a recent interview, "There is a pride thing that goes along with hitting .300.  But I really did my best this year to try not to pay attention to my average because it fluctuates so much that it is pointless."

"I take a lot of pride in driving in runs, and I want to get on base as much as possible and score a lot, do what I can to help create runs, which helps the team win."

Joey Votto would gladly trade a .300 batting average for a winning season and a playoff run.  The individual stat doesn't matter as much as the team.

That's the kind of player you want on your team.  You want a guy who is more concerned about "we" than "me."

The church needs more of these people on our team.  Instead of worrying about what's good for me…what I like and don't like…the church should be filled with people who are willing to sacrifice "me" for the sake of "we."

Some good questions we should all ask ourselves…

Am I willing to sacrifice my comfort for the sake of others?

Am I ok with serving in secret? Do I need to get credit for what I do?

Am I consumed with God's glory or my glory?

It's not you.  It's not about me. It's all about Jesus and His church.  There is no room for individual superstars.

Losing Sleep

I've been up since 4:30 am this morning. I couldn't go back to sleep because I couldn't stop thinking about our church.

Any pastor worth his salt has had the same experience countless times.  It's a side of ministry that no one else sees except the pastor and his family.

I'm not whining or complaining.  Just doing something that this blog is designed to do…give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse of ACC, my ministry, and my life.

That previous statement really sums it up.  ACC, my ministry, and my life are all so intertwined that it's difficult to separate them into categories.  In a very real way, I am ACC.  I am ministry.

I make it a point not to neglect my family.  They get top priority.  But even when I'm with them, it's very hard to "turn it off." It's hard to leave church at church.  Ministry is not what I do.  It's who I am.

I lose a lot of sleep because I can't shut my mind off. I'm always thinking about our church's vision, where we're going, the things that God is doing, the lives that I see changing, the challenges that we are facing, etc., etc., etc.

Some people waltz into church, sit there for an hour, and then waltz back out the door.  They don't give it another thought until it's time to do it again the next Sunday.

That is a completely foreign concept to me. I can't even wrap my mind around it, because I'm consumed with our church.  I'm consumed with love for our people.  I'm consumed with God's call for us.  I'm consumed with the realization that God is calling us to even greater things for His glory.

With all that on my mind, I guess it's not surprising that I can't sleep.