Vacation
I am taking a blog vacation. Working on some new ideas and concepts for the blog. Excited to be back and blogging on June 15th.
It’s All About Me…
I know when you read that title you probably thought I was going to really stick it to those people who think the world revolves around them or I was going to hit some pride issues. Nope. Today really is all about me which is very awkward. I had someone say to me the other day, “I really enjoy reading your blog but I still really don’t know what you like or don’t like.” So today is a few lists of things that I like and most likely I will lose some readers because you may not like what I like and may even be offended that I would like that. (There was a lot of “likes” in that sentence.) However, this is who I am. So, here we go.
Top 5 Artists or Bands:
- Nirvana
- Hillsong
- The Beatles
- Eminem
- U2
Top 5 Movies:
- Braveheart
- The Notebook
- Gladiator
- The Breakfast Club
- Dumb & Dumber
Top 5 Books: (The Bible being the exception)
- Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
- Visioneering by Andy Stanley
- Crazy Love by Francis Chan
- Confessions Of A Pastor by Craig Groeschel
- In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day by Mark Batterson
Top 5 T.V. Shows
- Survivor
- Modern Family
- The Office
- Greys Anatomy
- Sportscenter
Top 5 Favorite Real Foods
- Pizza
- BBQ -Ribs & Brisket
- Seafood
- Mexican
- Chinese
Top 5 Favorite Junk Foods
- Doritos
- Oreos
- Candy
- Beef Jerky
- Ice Cream
Favorite Sports Teams:
- NFL- Philadelphia Eagles
- MLB- Philadelphia Phillies
- NBA- Los Angeles Lakers
- NHL- Philadelphia Flyers (To be honest I only watch hockey in the playoffs)
- College Basketball- University of North Carolina
- College Football- University of Southern California
People I’d Like To Meet: (Alive or Dead)
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Steve Jobs
- Chris Farley
- Francis Chan
- Steven Furtick
- Perry Noble
- Nelson Mandela
- Andy Stanley
- John Maxwell
- Bono
- Kobe Bryant
There it is briefly the things I like.
Philadelphia’s Worst Ten List
Was listening on the radio which is always accurate in reporting the facts, and I heard that Philadelphia has been placed on many lists that most major cities would not want to be on. The lists cover such things as: commute times, corruption, pro sports teams, Superfund sites, taxes (both income and sales), unemployment, violent crime and weather. So far Philadelphia is in the top ten or in the top five on 5 lists…2 of them sadly we are number 1. Still looking for facts to back this up on the other most reliable source, the Internet.
- Philadelphia ranked #1 as the fattest city in the U.S.
- One of the most bitter and angry cities to live in due to our sports teams.
- One of the most miserable cities in the U.S. to live in.
- One of the most dangerous cities in the U.S to live in.
- Philadelphia ranked #1 as the ugliest cities in the U.S. to live in.
With all that being said, it is no coincidence that God has placed Fellowship Church right outside of Philly to reach and connect those who are far from God with Him. Those lists may be true but our God is bigger than all of those lists. Share with people your story and the story that God loves them…it just may make a difference.
Break/Fast
Don’t know what you call it but I will be taking a ten day break/fast from blogging. Nothing is wrong, I’m just taking a little time off before I launch in December with a 25 days of Christmas blogging marathon. From December 1st to December 25th I plan on blogging everyday about Christmas. Some days will still have church, leadership, students and family content but the focus will be on 25 days of Christmas. I hope it will be fun and engaging for you as you prepare for the Holidays. Over the next ten days my goal is to prepare for the December 1st launch. I will however continue to tweet and you can follow me at twitter.com/ryangeiger
Berlin Wall Anniversary
Twenty years ago yesterday marked the fall of the Berlin Wall and the freedom for the oppressed East Germans. This holds a special place in my heart because I remember watching 20 years ago on our TV as the news came on this image was shown. I remember seeing my dad with tears in his eyes watching intently.
Geiger is my last name and it is German. My dad was born in East Germany in the 50′s and was smuggled across the Berlin Wall when he was five years old and sponsored by a Lutheran Church to come to America. To see the wall come down for my family who is all from East Germany was a monumental event because they remember what it meant to live under a communistic government.
I beleive anytime somebody can move from being held in bondage to experienceing the freedom they were meant to experience it is a good thing. I would not be here today if it had not been for family who fled from East Germany to America. The link between East Germany and my moms side of the family is a crazy story as well which I will share tomorrow.
You can click on the picture to the left and see the difference between the new Germany vs the old Germany. I found it interesting.
Catalyst Day 2 Session #3
- 9:49 AM ryangeiger - Interview #1 Margaret Feinberg is the author of The Secret Echo and The Organic God.
- 9:50 AM ryangeiger - She is passionate about understanding who God is
- 9:51 AM ryangeiger - She wrote her book over the last 10 years
- 9:52 AM ryangeiger - She has learned a lot about God through her own experience with horticulture
- 9:53 AM ryangeiger - Wine is best made through a rocky soil…because it forces the roots deeper
- 9:55 AM ryangeiger - We need to fall back in love with the scripture that we teach not only out of information but out of a passion for who God is
- 10:13 AM ryangeiger - A gentleman who had been sponsored by Compassion his whole life just met his sponsor and everyone just lost it. Emotional what a difference one person can make. This gentleman who was being sponsored now is a believer, studying to be a pastor to go back to his country and now sponsors another child on his own. WOW!
- 10:14 AM ryangeiger - They are singing a song that says we are free to change the world to bring hope to those who do not know so they may know
- 10:14 AM ryangeiger - We are the hands and feet of God
- 10:16 AM ryangeiger - God’s heart is for orphans and He has put that heart in us
- 10:26 AM ryangeiger - Interview with Mac Powell who is the lead singer of Third Day
- 10:27 AM ryangeiger - He has adopted a child recently and he is sharing the process about how it works and he really enjoyed the process
Catalyst Day 2 Session #2
- 9:38 AM ryangeiger - Dave Ramsey is a best selling author, has a national radio and TV host.
- 9:38 AM ryangeiger - www.daveramsey.com
- 9:38 AM ryangeiger - 13,000 just sang the Beverly Hillbillies theme song
- 9:39 AM ryangeiger - Momentum is an amazing thing. When you have it you look better than you are. When you don’t have momentum, you are better than you look.
- 9:40 AM ryangeiger - Momentum is created. It does not randomly occur.
- 9:43 AM ryangeiger - Telling a story of how he started at a broke radio station and the difficulties he had where he almost quit. But it was in those moments he had to push through.
- 9:43 AM ryangeiger - Momentum is a must have in every area of your life
- 9:45 AM ryangeiger - What is our part in the play?
- 9:46 AM ryangeiger - Pour yourself into your calling or craft
- 9:47 AM ryangeiger - You have a part to play in God’s script
- 9:47 AM ryangeiger - Sometimes we need reminders about where we have come from when we think we have arrived
- 9:48 AM ryangeiger - Focused Intensity, over Time, multiplied by God, equals Unstoppable Momentum!
- 9:48 AM ryangeiger - Focus is an amazing thing in a culture that has none
- 9:49 AM ryangeiger - Do your deal and let God do His deal
- 9:52 AM ryangeiger - What happens when you lose focus? You hear footsteps.
- 9:53 AM ryangeiger - Focus is lost for two reasons: Fear and Greed
- 9:53 AM ryangeiger - Fear is not a fruit of the spirit
- 9:54 AM ryangeiger - Lose focus because you take your eyes off the ball and look to the goal to soon
- 9:55 AM ryangeiger - You can’t run before you catch it…that’s greed
- 9:55 AM ryangeiger - A double minded man is unstable in all his ways…James 1:8
- 9:56 AM ryangeiger - The definition of focus is I can’t see anything except for what I am looking at
- 9:56 AM ryangeiger - Rick Warren calls focus being intentional.
- 9:57 AM ryangeiger - Stephen Covey calls focus being proactive
- 9:57 AM ryangeiger - Pour intensity into things that really matter
- 9:57 AM ryangeiger - Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…Ecclesiastes 9:10
- 9:59 AM ryangeiger - What are you intense about?
- 10:00 AM ryangeiger - Intensity causes things to move
- 10:02 AM ryangeiger - If I persist long enough, I will win -Og Mandino
- 10:02 AM ryangeiger - Lack of righteousness takes the energy away from your life
- 10:03 AM ryangeiger - Run the race in such a way as to win the prize- 1 Corinthians 9:24
- 10:06 AM ryangeiger - Figure out the course and stay with the course
- 10:07 AM ryangeiger - The Tortoise wins the race every time.
- 10:08 AM ryangeiger - You and I are finite. God is infinite
- 10:08 AM ryangeiger - He is in charge he carries you in the palm of His hand
- 10:09 AM ryangeiger - Get plugged in to Him as a power source, and your momentum will become unstoppable!
- 10:11 AM ryangeiger - If you think success will happen overnight it wont. If it does happen be very scared that it will fade quickly because it is built on a weak foundation.
- 10:14 AM ryangeiger - If your not doing anything that matters to the Kingdom, Satan won’t notice
- 10:14 AM ryangeiger - Never, Never Quit
Catalyst Day 2 Session #1
- 8:50 AM ryangeiger - Priscilla Shirer is the founder of Going Beyond Ministries. She is and author and Bible teacher.
- 8:50 AM ryangeiger - www.goingbeyond.com
- 8:51 AM ryangeiger - Find those who are unlike you, put your arm around them, and love them to Jesus
- 8:51 AM ryangeiger - She is talking about the life change of the lead singer of Corn, Brian
- 8:54 AM ryangeiger - And they left everything to follow Jesus-The Bible
- 8:55 AM ryangeiger - Is your life a life interrupted? Divinely placed in God’s hand and being used by God.
- 8:57 AM ryangeiger - Will we yield to God’s direction even if it is different than the direction we thought we signed up for?
- 8:58 AM ryangeiger - She is talking about the story of Joshua. This has been talked about several times at Catalyst, I wonder if God is trying to tell us something.
- 8:58 AM ryangeiger - There are 4 things that Joshua did in his life that characterized his life of leadership.
- 8:59 AM ryangeiger - 1. Joshua rose early in the morning
- 8:59 AM ryangeiger - Joshua acted immediatly in obedience to God
- 9:00 AM ryangeiger - Act immediately to God’s call.
- 9:03 AM ryangeiger - 2. Joshua acted fearlessly
- 9:03 AM ryangeiger - 300 times in scripture God talks about not being afraid, “fear not”
- 9:06 AM ryangeiger - Are you excited about the treasure in your life that you already have.
- 9:06 AM ryangeiger - God has given you power to do and be
- 9:07 AM ryangeiger - If God’s presence is not going, were not going
- 9:07 AM ryangeiger - 3. Acknowledge the presence of God
- 9:08 AM ryangeiger - Jesus did His Fathers will and nothing else
- 9:08 AM ryangeiger - We get so busy doing everything else that we don’t have enough energy to do God’s will
- 9:09 AM ryangeiger - Sometimes kids say things that we think but would never say
- 9:10 AM ryangeiger - Your not God
- 9:10 AM ryangeiger - 4. Anticipate God’s miracles
- 9:11 AM ryangeiger - I’m going to act today as if God is going to move tomorrow
- 9:11 AM ryangeiger - Assume that God can do the unthinkable
- 9:11 AM ryangeiger - Quit putting God in a box
- 9:13 AM ryangeiger - They followed Joshua 2000 years ago and they will follow you today.
- 9:13 AM ryangeiger - Wow she brought God’s Word…Dang
Francis Chan
- 8:30 PM ryangeiger - I love how Francis Chan saturates his talks with grace and truth and lives in the scriptures
- 8:31 PM ryangeiger - Francis Chan is the pastor of Cornerstone Church in California. He is the author of Crazy Love which is one of my top 5 favorite books and his blog is www.francischanblog.blogspot.com
- 8:31 PM ryangeiger - We were dead, we should be in hell, but Jesus…
- 8:33 PM ryangeiger - The presence of almighty God is with us right now…have you stopped to think about the presence of a God, who is crazy about us and loves us?
- 8:34 PM ryangeiger - Ever had people tell you your not good enough? Jesus says I saved you and set you apart…you are good enough.
- 8:36 PM ryangeiger - Have you stopped to slow down to simply focus on Jesus and His love and focus on how He has saved us. Do we realize how good we have it?
- 8:37 PM ryangeiger - Quoting Louig Giglio…Sometimes I am better at showing others grace and love and the gospel than I am doing for myself.
- 8:37 PM ryangeiger - Are you excited and content in the fact that you are forgiven right now?
- 8:38 PM ryangeiger - Sometimes that the cross will carry it. Sometimes we don’t have faith that Christ is enough. Sometimes we don’t have the faith that communion is enough.
- 8:39 PM ryangeiger - Francis is reading out of Romans 5
- 8:40 PM ryangeiger - “While we were yet sinners Christ died for us” -How crazy is that?
- 8:41 PM ryangeiger - Spontaneous fellowship over the cross //interesting phrase
- 8:42 PM ryangeiger - Have you ever cried over how good God is?
- 8:43 PM ryangeiger - 1 Peter 5:6-
- 8:44 PM ryangeiger - Forget that you are a leader and that you are one breathe away from standing before God…so tonight humble yourselves and allow God to exalt you. Give him everything because He loves you.
- 8:46 PM ryangeiger - Your adversary wants nothing more for you to be consumed with changing the world instead of giving it to Him and allowing God to change it.
- 8:47 PM ryangeiger - Other people won’t let you forget your mistakes but God is the giver of all grace
- 8:48 PM ryangeiger - God HIMSELF will restore you
- 8:50 PM ryangeiger - Francis is going to lead us in communion…so this is the end for tonight.
Catalyst Session #5
- 2:29 PM ryangeiger - Now Rob Bell will be up in a moment…Rob Bell is the Pastor of Mars Hill Church www.marshill.org
- 2:30 PM ryangeiger - You can follow Rob Bell on Twitter at twitter.com
- 2:44 PM ryangeiger - In his prayer he said the bush is always burning and the ground is always holy
- 2:45 PM ryangeiger - Hes walking through a conversation with a pastor who wanted to quit
- 2:46 PM ryangeiger - Had him show his schedule on a pie chart
- 2:49 PM ryangeiger - His main question for us today is bigger better?
- 2:50 PM ryangeiger - John 6
- 2:52 PM ryangeiger - In this story Jesus has to confront misconceptions about the Messiah
- 2:52 PM ryangeiger - A group of disciples tell him they can’t do that and they leave
- 2:52 PM ryangeiger - Sometimes the crowd thins and people leave
- 3:42 PM ryangeiger - Sorry there was a crash and lost the second half of the notes, I’ll grab them from our team and post later.
